PORTLAND, Ore. –
The Portland Timbers have signed forward
Byron Alvarez
, the club’s modern-franchise scoring leader, for the remainder of the 2008 season, it was announced today pending USSF and international clearance.
“Byron is an experienced player and adds more depth to our squad as we make our playoff run,” said
Gavin Wilkinson
, Timbers head coach and general manager. “He is a proven goal-scorer in this league and we expect him to continue to help produce results like he did in our exhibition match against Tigres.”
Alvarez tallied a goal and an assist as a guest player in the Timbers’ 2-0 exhibition win over Mexican club U.A.N.L. Tigres on July 15 at PGE Park.
Alvarez, 29, recorded 41 goals and nine assists as a member of the Timbers from 2003-06 to become the club’s modern-franchise scoring leader. During his time in Portland, Alvarez was a two-time all-league selection (2003, 2004) and notched a career-high 16 goals in 2004 to help Portland claim the USL First Division Regular-Season title. He scored eight goals for the Charleston Battery during the 2007 season.
The Mexico City, Mexico, native began his professional career at the age of 16 and played with Mexican clubs La Piedad, Astros and Tampico before coming to the United States to play with Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls in 2002.
In 2005, Alvarez began a professional indoor soccer career with the Chicago Storm of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). Last season, Alvarez led expansion club La RaZa based in Monterrey, Mexico, to the MISL championship match.
The Timbers have 11 regular-season matches remaining in 2008.
The Timbers take on the Carolina RailHawks on Thursday at PGE Park at 7 p.m. Tickets, starting at $11, are available through the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster outlets, online at
www.ticketmaster.com
or by phone at (503) 224-4400.
