PORTLAND
, Ore.
–
Midfielder
Lawrence Olum
was named the Portland Timbers “Man of the Month” for the month of July by fans through a recent fan poll. Olum’s July highlights include his second goal of the season and a USL First Division Team of the Week selection.
A native of Nairobi, Kenya, Olum netted his second goal of the season in a 1-1 draw on July 19 against the Atlanta Silverbacks on the road. His goal helped the Timbers record a point on a road trip featuring matches on back-to-back days. For his efforts during that trip, Olum was named to the league’s Team of the Week for Week 14 on July 22.
Olum appeared in all seven of the Timbers’ matches during the month of July and started three of the team’s four league games. On July 24 against the Carolina RailHawks at PGE Park, Olum tallied a team-high four shots in his third start at the forward position.
In his second season in Portland, Olum has played in 15 matches (8 starts) and logged two goals in his 799 minutes on the pitch in 2008. He missed five league fixtures in June due to a quadricep injury.
Last season, Olum tallied three goals and an assist as a rookie with the Timbers. He was discovered by general manager and head coach
Gavin Wilkinson
during the 2006 USL First Division Player Showcase and participated in the team’s tryout before signing with the Timbers.
The Timbers play host to Northwest rival the Seattle Sounders on Thursday at PGE Park in the final regular-season match between the two clubs as USL First Division opponents. Televised on Fox Soccer Channel, kickoff on Thursday is set for 8 p.m. Portland faces the Charleston Battery on Saturday at PGE Park at 7 p.m. to wrap up a stretch of two games in three days.
Tickets for Portland’s two matches this week start at $11 and are available through the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (503) 224-4400.
