Paint the Plane Entry: Joshua Guerra

Earlier this week the Portland Timbers announced the winner's and honorable mentions for the Paint the Plane Contest. There were some good plane designs on display, but I'm sure there were many other worthy contestants. Here is a submission I received via email from Joshua Guerra, a fellow Timbers supporter. What do you all think of his design?

Inspiration: Panyee FC

3/19 Boot Spy: Clint Dempsey

Dempsey helped Nike unveil the Superfly III on Saturday. The boot doesn't seem all that different from the previous model, so it will be interesting to see how it is received by the soccer market. Clint was able to bury a sweet left footed shot past fellow American Tim Howard in the new cleats. The goal was his 10th of the EPL campaign, making him the first American in history to reach double digits in a season.

Real Salt Lake Declares War

Good commercial? Or overly cheesy? Either way, Salt Lake has been the most dangerous squad in the league the past couple seasons. They have countless playmakers, a solid group of young talent, and as the video illustrates, Rio Tinto Stadium has become a fortress. Unbeaten at home in 33 games is unbelievable considering the parity that exists in MLS.

Must read article on ESPN.com

Where the dream of soccer lives on

by Jeff Carlisle

The Beautiful Game

A beautiful piece of animation from Richard Swarbrick.

Two More Players Released from Camp

In the latest article from the Portland Timbers website it has been announced that Quavas Kirk and Taylor Mueller are no longer training with the team. I started to think Gavin and Spencer would consider taking Kirk, because of the Gilbert situation at right back. That hasn't been the case however, and now we are left with 5 players still vying for a spot and 24 (23 if Gilbert is no longer in the picture) signed members of the team. Here's who we've got left:

1. Rodrigo Lopez
2. Bim Ogunyemi
3. Chris Taylor
4. Spencer Thompson
5. Brian Umony

Who do you see earning the final spots on the team? Last week I picked my five remaining player signings. Roster is expected to be 28 players for the inaugural season.

Nike France Away Kit

What do you think of the design?

Where's our Timbers Kit Model?

Need to drum up some extra excitement for your home opener? Why not pull a page out of the SI Swimsuit Issue, and paint up a model in your team's colors. This video is part of Vancouver's "Countdown to Kickoff" viral video series where they feature a different clip each day.

Dos Equis x Portland Timbers

Portland Timbers Reach 12,000 ST Sold

Big News Today. On top of Jorge Perlaza finally inking a deal with the Portland Timbers, we now receive word that the Timbers have sold more than 12,000 season tickets! This was determined to be the cap from the outset, but as I expected they have opened up some additional seats due to demand. Here are the key points of the article:

• 500 additional season tickets will be sold
• Hard cap at 12,500 for the inaugural season
• Half season ticket plans are nearing sold out status
• All 23 suites have been sold on a multi year basis
• Fewer than 125 season tickets remain in the Timbers Army
• 50 seating sections have been sold out

In other words, if you plan on buying season tickets do it ASAP. You don't want to miss out on this experience. Single game tickets will go on sale soon, but everyone with season tickets will have first crack at them, so don't expect to see any for Seattle, Vancouver, New York, or LA available for purchase. Every game is going to sell out this season!

Another Indoor Center Opens in Beaverton

Introducing Beaverton Indoor Soccer. If the area wasn't already over-saturated with indoor soccer facilities, now it is. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. The prices to field a team have continued to rise and leagues fill up quick if their not already full. Hopefully the addition of a new facility in Beaverton will drive down prices and force each center to improve it's offerings.

A quick glance at the website doesn't reveal much detail on the field, but I did discover some interesting information.

1. Team Fees will be $545. This is cheaper than Portland Indoor, SoccerPlex, Tualatin Indoor, and Indoor Goals. They are basically undercutting the entire indoor soccer market. League fees should never have passed $600 in the first place, so it's refreshing to see a new competitor charging a more affordable and appropriate price.
2. Player Cards will cost $10. This is also cheaper than most of the other facilities. The one exception being Portland Indoor, which doesn't even require cards.
3. Men's, Women's, and COED leagues will be offered.
4. Drop In soccer is offered Monday - Friday from 12 PM to 2 PM. Cost is $5.

There are no pictures available yet of the field or the facility, so I will need to make a stop soon to find out more information. I have been in the process of organizing a soccer team from the Nike Employee Store, and this facility might be the perfect spot to start at. I'll have a Pitch Black Undercover up in the near future! Stay Tuned!

Freddy Adu Sighting... Golazoooo

Yes, he is playing in the Turkish second division. But that turn and left footed shot would be a goal anywhere. We haven't heard from Adu in a long time, so its nice to see the kid is still making some plays. Hopefully he can hit a run of good form for Rizespor and get back into a national team camp. Ultimately I feel it would be in his best interest to make a move back to MLS.

7 Figure Bid for Marcos Flores?

Looks like Paulson and the Timbers may sign their first designated player in the near future. Rumors are swirling that they are looking to sign the A-League standout Marcos Flores. Gavin and Paulson have both stated publicly that a 7-figure offer has been put on the table for a mystery player, and reports out of Australia have pointed towards Flores. Let me know what you think of this potential signing? Are you impressed with his video highlights? Make sure you watch the goals at the 4:20 and 7:00 minute marks... incredible finishes.

5 Roster Spots Left: Who Gets Signed?

The Portland Timbers currently have 23 players under contract for the upcoming MLS season. With Mike Golub the Chief Operating Officer of the team recently announcing we will likely carry a 28 man roster (rather than the 30 max), players are fighting for their spot. Here are the 5 players I expect to be announced prior to the opening game on March 19th.

#1 Brian Umony: A loan deal appears to have already been agreed upon and signed. Brian expected his announcement to come earlier this week. Extra help at forward was deemed necessary with the injury to Dike. I bet Umony gets announced later today!

#2 Jorge Perlaza: The Columbian forward would already be signed if his previous club weren't trying to rope in a transfer fee. Some bogus second contract Perlaza apparently signed is holding the process up. The Perlaza signing is taking longer than Gavin would like, but he will eventually be a Timbers player.

#3 Chris Taylor: The 22nd overall pick in the SuperDraft out of Tulsa. Chris is a solid defensive player that Amos and Spencer were really fond of. He was ecstatic to join the team and he will provide some extra depth at defense.

#4 Mystery Midfielder: Still have my hopes that Gavin will bring in a dynamic center midfielder. The man they want has proven more difficult to obtain, with multiple clubs seeking his services.

#5 Paul "BIM" Ogunyemi: Former U-23 winger is back in camp with the Timbers after being released from FC Dallas. I love watching this kid play and he was a major part of the 20-0-0 season the PDL squad had. He is young and has tremendous potential. Your my boy Bim!

Paint the Plane Contender

Still awaiting word from Alaska Airlines and the Portland Timbers regarding the winner of the paint the plane contest. I'd expect the announcement to come in the next week or so. Browsing the web I came across this gem, designed by Damon Law. As I said before this contest is sure to bring out some really talented artists. Love his work here.