Mini-Camp Notes – Camp wrap-up: Feb. 19, 2010
PORTLAND, Ore.
– After four days of training sessions and a full match Wednesday, the Portland Timbers officially closed mini-camp this week with an intersquad scrimmage Friday.
Marking the first official workouts of the season, the Timbers’ mini-camp provided the coaching staff an opportunity to evaluate potential players for the 2010 season, and allowed signed players to return to the training field prior to preseason training camp.
Joining the nine signed Timbers players in camp this week were 22 trialists. The pool of trialists featured a mix of recent college graduates and available players.
Mini-camp opened with two-a-day trainings on both Monday and Tuesday. After a morning training session on Wednesday, the group of trialists and signed players took on the University of Portland men’s soccer team in a charity match benefitting Mercy Corps that evening. The training sessions wrapped up on Thursday.
For a good cause:
Highlighting the week was Wednesday’s charity match, which raised nearly $8,000 for Mercy Corps and the organization’s relief work in Haiti. The 1,142 on hand watched as a Timbers team of trialists and signed players capture a 2-0 win over the Pilots. Trialist forward
Doug DeMartin
tallied both goals in the exhibition win. Additional donations to Mercy Corps can be made by clicking here.
Making a special appearance in the game was recently signed midfielder
James Marcelin
, who is a native of Haiti and a member of the Haitian National Team. It was his first appearance as a member of the Timbers.
Trading sides:
When he arrived in camp on Monday, defender
Ian Joy
was listed among the group of participating trialists. By the end of camp, he was the newest member of the Timbers. Signing with the club on Thursday, Joy joins Portland after splitting the 2009 season with Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake and German side FC Ingolstadt 04.
A traveling man:
On Monday, the Timbers announced the signing of defender
Ross Smith
for the 2010 campaign. By Tuesday, Smith had traveled from his home in the province of Ontario, Canada, and was in camp training with his new club.
Smith joined eight other signed players in camp - goalkeeper
Steve Cronin
, defender
Mamadou
Danso
, midfielders
Josh Cameron
,
Tony McManus
,
Ryan Pore
,
Rodrigo Lopez
and Marcelin, and forward
George
Josten
.
First impressions:
With spots available on the roster, the Timbers invited 22 trialists into mini-camp – eight defenders, six midfielders, five forwards and three goalkeepers. Trialists that appeared in the charity match included goalkeepers Matt Pyzdrowski and Brook Johnson; defenders Mike Zaher, Rhett Bernstein, Sibu Mcwele, Michael Hicks and Greg Folk; midfielders Derek Gaudet, Jordan Crasilneck, Alfredo Montegalvan, Aaron Chandler, Cameron Sims and Pacome Beh; and forwards DeMartin, Nick Perera, Kyle Morsink and Casey Cunningham.
