Portland Timbers extended their unbeaten run to nine matches with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Chivas USA. Goals from Rodney Wallace, Diego Valeri, and Will Johnson sent the capacity crowd of 20,647 home happy.
The Re-Entry Draft list has been updated for Stage 1, which will take place Friday, December 7, at 3:00 p.m. EST.
Here's your updated list - 11 players are off the original list we posted yesterday.
The following players have been removed: Gonzalo Segares (re-signed by Chicago), Rodney Wallace (re-signed by Portland), Josh Gardner (traded from Montreal to SKC), Tony Tchani (Columbus), Justin Mapp (Montreal), Kyle Nakazawa (Los Angeles), Brian Perk (Los Angeles), Marvell Wynne (Colorado), Steve Purdy (Portland), O'Brian White (Seattle), and Stephen King (D.
The dust has settled for the Portand Timbers after a wild December 3 flurry of player moves, but it might not be quiet for long. The Timbers along with the other 18 teams are preparing for Stage 1 of the 2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft on December 7. At this time, there's a lot of big names available, but the final list will be determined sometime on December 6.
The Portland Timbers were expected to be busy this offseason, and they certainly started the offseason with a bang with four trades, two players being waived and announcing the players that will be available in the December 7 MLS Re-Entry Draft.
When Steve Purdy was released from the Portland Timbers late last year it was perhaps not a huge surprise that he immediately showed up on the Re-Entry Draft list. When his name disappeared a couple days afterward though there were certainly a few eyebrows raised. Some wondered if Purdy might go play in the league of his national team, or elsewhere in central America.
It's not a difficult task to say that last week the Portland Timbers roster looked significantly different than it does today. Even looking at a possible starting eleven, there are a few changes that look to be made even from the onset. From Michel Harrington and Will Johnson being added to the team to Lovel Palmer, Steve Purdy, Kosuke Kimura and Steven Smith leaving, it's been quite the shake up.
The Portland Timbers are not slowing down today as they've just announced that Steve Purdy and Lovel Palmer will no longer be with the squad heading into the 2013 season. Both Palmer and Purdy are eligible for this week's Re-Entry Draft.
I suppose this shouldn't come as a huge surprise to most of you.
After starting the season once again on the bench, Purdy was given a chance to start at right back after a series of disastrous performances from Lovel Palmer. Purdy put in two good performances against the L.A. galaxy and Sporting Kansas City, who were then 7-0-0, before going down with the first of a string of injuries that would derail the rest of his season.
The Timbers held a closed practice today at their Beaverton training facility in the first full team practice since their 3-0 loss in Colorado last Wednesday. In the short field game that the Timbers played before practice was closed the team looked intense and focused, playing hard and being urged on by Sean McAuley who was directing training.
With tomorrow's big game the first since the trading away of both Troy Perkins and Mike Chabala,
there's been a lot of opinion and suggestions coming from the fan base on what the Portland Timbers
FO should do with regards to players. Obviously, most of you probably wouldn't have traded Perkins
away, some of you probably would have traded Chabala.
Donovan Ricketts took in his first practice with the Portland Timbers today as the team held a
closed training session at their Beaverton practice facility. While we did not get to see Ricketts
in an actual game situation, he looked good in warm ups, getting down quickly and making some nice
saves, and seemed genuinely pleased to be in Portland when facing the press after practice.
Today is the last day of June which means tomorrow is the official opening of the International
Transfer Window (ITW). While the ITW isn't required to make trades between other MLS teams as we
saw with Danny Mwanga and Mike Fucito, most teams typically wait until about this time to make all
their big moves, especially if they are planning on using the ITW to bring in a big international
player as that usually means they have to move their respective squads around.
The Portland Timbers held practice today at their Beaverton training facility. As has been the
case over the last two weeks, practice was completely closed outside the league mandated 15 minutes
at the beginning of the day.
Eric Brunner is still concussed. Rodney Wallace's ankle is still hurt.
The Portland Timbers trained as usual at the Timbers' training facility in Beaverton this
morning. Players stayed out on the field until well after noon today, taking advantage of the
almost-summer sun. We were not allowed to see any of the players' post-training activities, so I
don't have anything to report on that footing.
The Portland Timbers held training this morning at their Beaverton facility. It was yet another
closed session, as will all sessions be for the foreseeable future. At the end of the session
today, all players except the goalkeepers left the pitch as a unit, instead of the usual lingering
to get in some extra work.
Yesterday kicked off MLS's foray into this year's US Open Cup and the results were mixed, to say
the least. Of all the MLS sides participating in the tournament, seven famously flamed out against
teams from lower tiers of the American soccer pyramid. If there's one thing we have learned from
what occurred yesterday it's that the Portland Timbers shouldn't be expecting an easy game
tonight.
The Timbers front office announced that four Timbers players will be serving with their
respective national teams during the FIFA international break between May 23 and June 16. The
players mentioned in the press release were CB Futty Danso, GK Jake Gleeson, MF Lovel Palmer and MF
Rodney Wallace.
Because of the long break from MLS competition, neither Lovel Palmer nor Rodney Wallace will
miss MLS matches.
Sorry for the lack of preview content this week guys. I'm not sure about you guys, but last
week's defeat really got to me. Oh that and the many, many projects and midterms due this past week
while I'm finishing up my degree. One or the other.
In any case, tonight's match is yet another chance for the Portland Timbers to turn their season
around.
On the day before attempting to break out of their current run of bad form against the Columbus
Crew, the Portland Timbers held a short, closed practice at Jeld-Wen field. Although practice the
day before a game is never long, today's ran about twenty minutes shorter than most pregame
practices, with most of the team heading off of the pitch as the press were let back on to the
field.
The Portland Timbers practiced today at Jeld-Wen Field for the first time since their defeat by
the Montreal Impact on Saturday. Practice was closed to the press after the team completed their
warm-ups.
The Timbers wounded were a mixed bag at practice with Troy Perkins, who will be a game time
decision this weekend according to John Spencer, at practice and running with a bandage on his
nose.
Timbers trade-apalooza continued today with Mike Chabala missing from practice after being
traded away to DC United. The Timbers held an open practice at their Beaverton training center that
was sparsely attended between trades, call ups, and sicknesses.
Missing from practice today were Jack Jewsbury and Steve Purdy.
Today's Timbers practice was once again closed to the press as the team trained at the Beaverton
training facility. However, for the first time since the beginning of the break, the team was still
out on the field kicking the ball around when the press was allowed to return.
Kris Boyd, who put in an appearance at the season ticket holders event last night after getting
back in to town earlier in the day, practiced with the team today.
Today's closed practice at the Timbers training center saw the introduction of forward Danny
Mwanga to the team. Mwanga took part in the full practice and was mobbed by the press
afterward.
Once again Eric Brunner was not at practice as he continues to recover from a concussion
suffered against Vancouver.
The Timbers held a closed practice today at their Beaverton Training Facility. With a number of
players still missing and new acquisition Danny Mwanga not yet arrived, the group at practice was a
small one.
Mwanga, who the Timbers picked up yesterday from the Philadelphia Union, should be arriving in
time to practice with the team tomorrow, leaving him just over a week to get acclimated before the
Timbers take on the Galaxy in LA.
After canceling practice yesterday (a decision that came before the Timbers shocking Open Cup
defeat), the Timbers got back on the pitch at their new training facility today. With a long rest
starting for the first team and a reserve game tomorrow, the Timbers did not have a very strenuous
practice but did close the proceedings to the press after completing their warm-ups.
With only three days before their next game, a friendly against Spanish side Valencia, on
Wednesday, the Timbers had a regeneration day at Jeld-Wen Field to recover from their win over the
Chicago Fire. Most of the Timbers starters were absent from practice today, instead spending time
in the gym with the team's trainers.
Timbers training today was a short one ahead of their mid-afternoon match against the Chicago
Fire tomorrow. Practice at the team's new training facility was briefly closed after warm-ups, but
by the time it was opened again there were few players still on the pitch.
Injured players Jack Jewsbury and Futty Danso once again did not practice with the team,
although I arrived after the warm-ups were completed soI could not say if they participated
then.
The Timbers ran out for a short training session today as they recover from their 0-0 draw
against the Houston Dynamo. After the team's initial warm-ups, practice was closed to the
press.
Missing from today's practice were Jack Jewsbury and Futty Danso, both of whom picked up
injuries in Houston.
The Timbers held a closed practice at Jeld-Wen Field today before taking on the Timbers U23's in
a closed scrimmage. With the Timbers in a long stretch between reserve games and the U23's only two
days away from their season opener this Friday, both teams could use some match fitness.
The Timbers started off practice with their usual warm-ups and games of keep away.
Bright Dike practiced with the Timbers today in what could be his final appearance with the team
in 2012. Word from practice is that Dike will go on a season long load to the LA Blues of the USL
Pro division as was rumored on twitter yesterday. Dike will still take up a spot on the Timbers
roster and will be able to be recalled to the team if necessary.
In their last training session before flying to LA to take on the Galaxy tomorrow, the Timbers
found themselves in the middle of a much more busy training facility that normal. With the usual
practice taking place alongside a Tualatin Hills United Soccer Club tournament and a tour for
sponsors of the team, the atmosphere around the Timbers training facility was much more lively that
normal.
The Timbers held a full practice today after yesterday's light regeneration session as they
prepare to face the Chicago Fire on Sunday. Today's closed session at Jeld-Wen saw only one change
in personnel from yesterday.
Troy Perkins returned to the pitch to practice with the rest of the team after doing his own
work out yesterday.
I was at work during the Timbers match up against Montreal this weekend and after hearing all
the reactions to the game, I was not looking forward to it. Finally, two days later, I hunkered
down and began to watch.
It wasn't the worst performance ever. The pitch caused some issues, as did the ref.
It's been an extra eventful off season across the board, with several players departing for Europe, a handful of teams rebuilding after a rough 2012, and clubs like Real Salt Lake scrambling to assemble quality rosters for a lot less money. But has any team had a more interesting (or weirder) off season than Chivas USA?
With Friday being the first phase of the 2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft, let's take a look at available players other than the ones who most recently played for FC Dallas who have ties to FCD and/or the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
The post Players in the 2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft with Local/FC Dallas Ties appeared first on 3rd Degree.
The Timbers held a short, early practice today before flying to Colorado this afternoon ahead of
tomorrow's game against the Rapids. Practice was closed after a brief warm up as the travel squad
broke off to prepare for the game while the rest of the team played a game of 5v5.
Trialist Pablo Di Fiori and practice player Cam Vickers were the only non-roster players with
the team today.
The Timbers trained today at Jeld-Wen Field in preparation for their first Cascadia Cup match of
the year. With the match against the Vancouver Whitecaps tomorrow night, practice was closed after
warm-ups.
For the first time this season the Timbers were missing no players due to injury at practice
today.
