Timbers nearing end of preseason's fifth week

Preseason Camp Notes – Day 31: April 8, 2009


PORTLAND, Ore.
– As the USL First Division prepares to kick off its 2009 campaign this weekend, the Portland Timbers are nearing the end of their fifth week of preseason training camp at PGE Park. The team has just over two weeks remaining until its first game of the season April 25 at Vancouver.
The Timbers continue their preparation for the season Wednesday with a training game against the Oregon State University Beavers. Wednesday’s contest will mark the team’s fifth preseason game over the past five weeks of training camp.
Following the Timbers’ training game Wednesday, head coach
Gavin Wilkinson
will finish off the week with morning training sessions Thursday through Saturday at PGE Park. The team will have Sunday off.
One day at a time:
On Tuesday, the Timbers logged their 30th day of preseason training camp with a morning training session at PGE Park. Since the team opened preseason training camp on March 9, players have had 20 days of training and five preseason games, leaving just six days off over the past five weeks.
And then there was one:
With the signing of Japanese defender Takuro Nishimura late last week, the Timbers have just one trialist – defender Mamadou Danso – remaining in preseason training camp. Now on trial for a third week, Danso has played in the Timbers’ preseason games against the University of Portland and Vancouver Whitecaps.
USL First Division season opens Saturday:
The 2009 USL First Division campaign gets underway Saturday with a pair of matchups – Minnesota Thunder visits the Carolina RailHawks, while the Vancouver Whitecaps play host to the Charleston Battery. Fans can watch both matches live online through USL Live at www.usllive.com.