PORTLAND, Ore. — Two of the newest Portland Timbers players, forward Jose Adolfo Valencia and defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste, will be signing autographs at the adidas Timbers Team Store on Tuesday, Jan. 24, from 1-2 p.m. during a special event that marks the first day replica versions of the popular Timbers third jersey are available for purchase.
As a bonus, all fans who visit the adidas Timbers Team Store on Tuesday will receive a coupon that can be redeemed for free jersey customization when specialty green numerals and lettering become available in February.
Valencia, who was signed by the Timbers in December as the team’s second Designated Player, shined for Colombia’s U-20 National Team in 2011, helping the team to the 2011 Toulon Tournament championship and a quarterfinal finish in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Regarded as one of Colombia’s top young players, Valencia made his professional debut at the age of 16 and played four seasons (2008-11) for Colombian first-division club Independiente Santa Fe.
Jean-Baptiste was the first-round draft choice (8th overall) of the Timbers in the recent 2012 MLS SuperDraft, held in Kansas City, Mo. A member of Generation adidas, Jean-Baptiste, 19, played two collegiate seasons at Connecticut, appearing in 45 games and recording three goals and two assists. Following his final season at Connecticut, Jean-Baptiste was named the BIG EAST Conference Defensive Player of the Year, received Soccer America second-team MVP honors and earned a spot on the NSCAA All-Northeast Region first team. He was a member of the U.S. U-20 National Team player pool in 2010.
