PORTLAND, Ore. –
The Portland Timbers today announced that forward
Mandjou Keita
has returned from his loan assignment with top-flight Indian club Salgaocar Sports Club. He arrived in Portland this afternoon and is available for selection when the Timbers play host to the Vancouver Whitecaps at PGE Park on Thursday.
Over the course of his six-month loan in India’s I-League, Keita, 30, recorded seven goals for Salgaocar and finished his time with the club as one of its leading scorers.
Keita was the Timbers’ leading scorer in 2009, recording 11 goals and seven assists in 29 matches. With a league-high 29 points, he earned the USL First Division scoring title and received all-league first-team accolades. Following his first campaign with the club, Keita was named by fans as the Timbers’ 2009 Supporters Player of the Year.
The Timbers play host to rival Vancouver on Thursday and then Costa Rica’s Puntarenas FC on Saturday at PGE Park; kickoff for both matches is 7 p.m. Tickets start at $12 in advance and are available at the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
