Timbers Sign Defender Ross Smith

The Timbers acquired another player for the 2010 campaign, a 29year old Canadian defender Ross Smith. Smith joined the Rochester Rhinos midway through the season in 2008 and won USL team of the week honors three times that year. Smith signed with the Colorado rapids last season, however his contract was terminated after doctors found a problem with his heart. He had heart surgery to correct the problem and last November signed with the somewhat famous Ebbsfleet United. In December he expressed his intent to come to the States and is now officially a Timber.

His career in England before returning to the states, from portlandtimbers.com

The Milton, Ontario, native has played a majority of his professional career in Europe. After his rookie season with Scotland’s Montrose FC in 2003-04, Smith played for English clubs Margate FC (2004-05), Gravesend & Northfleet FC (2005-07) and League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge (2007-08). During his time in England, Smith was named the 2006 Player of the Year for Gravesend & Northfleet, and reached the third round of the 2007-08 FA Cup with Dagenham & Redbridge.

Highlights from his years in England

Timbers Sign First Free Agent Quavas Kirk

The Portland Timbers announced their first free agent signing for the 2010 season, 21 year old Quavas Kirk. Quavas Kirk has played four seasons in the MLS for the Galaxy, and DC united. He was waived by United in 2009, and played for the Minnesota Thunder. Kirk was a top player for the US U-17 team, scoring 22 goals in 53 games.
Quavas Kirk Quick Bio

• Age: 21
• Height: 6 ft 1 in
• Position: Midfielder
• Previous Teams
• LA Galaxy 2006-2008
• DC United 2008-2009
• Minnesota Thunder 2009

Some footage of his DC days...

Portland Timbers Returning for the 2010 Season

The list of returning Timbers is not set in stone, but we can list some players that we can expect to see in 2010. We will keep this list updated as more news is available.

• Gavin Wilkinson Head coach - Gavin will again be the head coach heading into the 2010 USL campaign.
• Steve Cronin Goalkeeper - After the 2009 season Cronin was put on loan to MLS side DC United. He played the final three matches of the MLS season and recieved positive reviews for his performance.
• Scot Thompson Defender - Scot with one T has been with the Timbers since the 2005 season and all signs point to his return in 2010.
• Brian Farber Midfielder - The former Beaver is spending his off season playing professional indoor for the California Cougars. This past Sunday Farber was the star, as he scored a hat trick and added two assists in a Cougars win.
  
• Mandjou Keita Forward - The 2009 USL leading scorer is on loan to Salgaocar of the top professional league of India, the I-league.
  
• Ryan Pore Midfielder
• Tony Mcmanus Midfielder
• Johan Claesson Midfielder
• Takayuki Suzuki Forward
  
• George Josten Forward

Timbers Roster for 2010?

For the upcoming 2010 season, the Timbers only have 3 players that are currently under contract. Ryan Pore, Jason Mclaughlin, and Tony Mcmanus were all signed to 2-year deals and will be entering the final year of their contracts. I'm not sure if any of the other players have extensions or options on their contracts. I've heard rumors that Cronin might have an extension, but either way I'm sure Paulson and management will be bringing him back for next season and maybe even for 2011 (maybe as a backup). And of course, Scott Thompson will be in Portland next year - I'm not sure if we could ever get rid of Scotty, even if we actually wanted to. So, who else needs to come back? Or who else would you like to see stay in Portland?

I'd say we need to make sure we keep Keita. I'm thinking he'll have a chance to go to a higher profile league and make bigger money after his successful 2009 season, but hopefully Paulson will be able to pay him. I'd say Knowles, Hayes, Keel are also big keys. We had a solid defense this year, so lets try and keep it that way. But I wouldn't mind seeing a few changes to our midfield and maybe even some small tweaks upfront. A little new blood is always good.

Who do you think is gone for sure? Nimo? Is there anyway Portland can borrow Nimo for a little longer? Taka or Nishi? I think we can use skill players like them, but does it seem likely that both of them will stay in Portland for another year? I'm not so sure. Should Portland try to make improvements or do you not mess with something that's already working?

*** As we get more information on the potential roster changes or new contract details, we'll let you know.

Oh, by the way, Steve Cronin's fiance is smokin' hot. It looks like she's an aspiring actress. Support her and go check out her blog, plus she's really hot, did i mention that?

TIMBER BITS - Defense Recognized in USL Week 21 Honors

- Good to see the defense get some acknowledgement for their crucial effort against the Charleston Battery this week at Blackbaud Stadium. They had to battle the sloppy conditions, but Cronin was on his game and Keel had a multiple goal-saving tackles in the box. Both made the USL team of the week, the second time on season for each. Remember, the Timbers have the best defense in the league with 14 goals allowed on the year, only 4 of those given up at PGE park.

Two days later on Friday, August 28, Portland goalkeeper Steve Cronin made three saves while defender Stephen Keel played the full 90 minutes and held the Battery to five shots to push Portland’s unbeaten streak to 24 games in the
formidable environment of Charleston’s Blackbaud stadium. On the other side of the ball, Charleston midfielder Scott Buete was the top player for the third place Battery.

Full article here

- Over on PortlandTimbers.com they have their "Man of the Month" award going on. For August five Timbers are nominated for the honor and it's a tough decision, which isn't surprising - usually a lot of stuff is going right when your team hasn't lost a match.

Cronin captured all five wins for the Timbers during the month of August,
adding to his league-leading totals in that category. Last month, he collected
25 saves, recorded three shutouts and limited opponents to just four goals in
seven matches.

Keel contributed in all three of the Timbers’
shutouts in August and was a part of the team’s backline that posted a 0.57
goals-against average during the month. He started all seven matches and played
every minute of those contests.

Pore scored six goals during the
month of August – one in each of the first six games to set a new
modern-franchise record for goals scored in consecutive matches. Among his six
strikes, two were game-winners. He was named to the Team of the Week twice last
month.

Savage also played in all seven games on the Timbers’ August
schedule, including five starts. He totaled one goal and two assists. Savage’s
goal helped the Timbers record their first-ever win on the road over the
Rochester Rhinos on Aug. 15.

Keita totaled four goals and four
assists last month, earning USL First Division Team of the Week honors in three
straight weeks – Week 18, 19, 20. Two of his goals came in a 3-1 win over the
Miami FC Blues; it was the second time this season he recorded multiple goals in
a single game.

If you're interested head over and vote in the fan poll.

Also, they started their annual vote for Player of the Year. Make sure and cast your vote, but FIRST, look over at our sidebar & vote in the Dropping Timber's MVP Poll - it's fun!
here's the other link.

- If you have the time, check out what Oregonlive.com community blogger Kip has to say when comparing this 2009 Timbers team to the 2007 team that finished 2nd in the regular season and made a nice run into the semifinals during the playoffs. Although on the longer side, his anecdotes and commentary are often insightful.

What this team has is balance, as 16 different players have tallied a point for the Timbers for either a goal or an assist, while 13 of them have scored at
least one goal. If teams focus on Keita, they run the risk of Josten, Pore, or
Farber scoring, while focusing on the midfielders allows Keita, Josten, and recent signee Kevin Forrest to roam free up top. The team also has depth in all positions, which means Wilkinson can keep his guys fresh for the remaining weeks of the season. It's this combination of speed and skill that I feel the 2007 Timbers were lacking and what makes this 2009 version that much more dangerous.

Full article here.

- Over at the RhinosZone, a useless Rochester Rhino's fan site, they'll probably be starting a pre-game discussion thread soon about the upcoming game this Thursday. They talked some trash earlier in the month when the clubs met, many there predicting they would end the streak. We beat them 4-1. So, check their forum out if you want a good laugh and it's not looked down upon to harass them a bit too. Go get em'!

- One Last Drop: Here's a big deal - Saturday, Sept. 5th, Mamadou Danso and David Hayes will be signing autographs and hanging out over at the Beaverton Best Buy from 1-2 pm. As if Best Buy wasn't cool enough. That's obviously the place to be this weekend; you think I'm joking.

TIMBER BITS - 2 Timbers earn USL Team of the Week Honors

- George Josten and team-captain David Hayes made the USL First Division Team of the Week, both being recognized for their great play in contributing to the Timber's 5-1 slaughtering of the Thunder. Hayes, the 11-year veteran, has been a steady defender all year, but perhaps the one we should keep our eyes on is Josten. The 23-year old was drafted 20th overall in the 2008 MLS draft, but never even played a game for the Colombus Crew. He also finished his career at Gonzaga the school's 3rd all-time leading scorer and 4th in assists - the kid has some potential. Here's a link to check out the rest of this weeks First Teamers:

http://usl1.uslsoccer.com/home/342082.html

- Be sure to check out "Timbers Talk" on 95.5 theGAME tonight, 7-8 pm on the FM dial. Host John Strong does a great job with the show, knows his stuff, and basically he's not a hype-creating, uninformed, buffoon like many other local media personalities who shall remain unnamed. Guest include Head Coach Gavin Wilkinson and defender David Hayes - you can listen to what the Coach has gotta say online live:

http://www.955thegame.com/Multimedia/ListenLive/tabid/69/Default.aspx

- In case you're interested, Timber's starters Takayuki Suzuki and Takuro Nishimura will be making an appearance at the Cricket Wireless store Downtown, tommorrow from 4-6pm. If you're a big J-League fan (Japan's top division), then this is probably a massive deal, Sazuki did score a historic goal for Japan's National Team in the 2002 World Cup, so suffice it say he's pretty big-time over there. Maybe you're simply a Timber's fan - go check it out - get an autograph.

- It was just announced that the Timbers-Sounders game will be televised on FSN, which is good because PGE park is expecting a pretty packed house. However, for those planning on simply watching at home beware of possible scheduling conflicts with the Mariners game. Here's the link with further details:

http://www.prostamerika.com/soundersfc/2009/06/22/fsn-to-show-portland-v-seattle-game/

- One last quick drop: Apparently, the people over at Oregonlive believe that Teddy bears are responsible for the Timbers home win last week. I like a soft, cuddly, stuffed animal as much as anyone else and I'm certainly not an opponent of charity, but come on. Or perhaps, I'm just not putting enough merit into the motivational power of the Teddy Bear.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/timbers/2009/06/timbers_teddy_bear_toss_sparks.html

Mandjou Keita named USL Player of the Week

After scoring two goals in helping to lead the Timbers to success in their weekend series with the PR Islanders, Keita has been awarded with USL First Division Player of the Week honors. On the road at Puerto Rico, Keita scored the equalizing goal, keeping the Timbers unbeaten streak alive, and just two nights later, he kept the scoring up - knocking in the first goal of the game in the Timbers 2-1 victory.

The Timbers signed the 29 year-old African native with hopes he would provide some big-time offense, but after failing to find the back of the net during Portland's first five games, Keita finally erupted against the Islanders. Although the 2007 Malaysian League leading goal scorer has some heavy-hype resting on his shoulders, the lanky 6'1 striker has provided plenty of exciting ball play and has shown a strong ability to finish in the box. Was this weekend only the tip of the iceberg?
Mid-fielder Brian Farber was also honored for his stellar play this past weekend being named to the USL First Division Team of the Week. The Timber's point leader assisted on both goals in Portland home win, increasing his point total to 6 for the season.

Player Focus: Farber is named to USL's Team of the Week

Brian Farber's excellent play and the goal in the 2-1 victory over Rochester gives him Team of the Week honors. Scott Vallow, the keeper for Rochester earned Player of the Week with his 11 save performance against Vancouver on Sunday.

USL First Division Team of the Week
Pos	Name	Team
G	Scott Vallow	Rochester
D	Nelson Akwari	Charleston
D	Cedric Joqueviel	Montreal
D	Troy Roberts	Cleveland
D	Devon McKenney	Carolina
M	Luke Kreamalmeyer	Carolina
M	Joshua Boateng	Cleveland
M	Stephen deRoux	Montreal
M	Brian Farber	Portland
M	Johnny Menyongar	Rochester
F	Roberto Brown	Montreal

Read More at USLsoccer.com