PORTLAND, Ore.
– United Soccer Leagues announced today that Portland Timbers forward
Mandjou Keita
was named the USL First Division Player of the Week for Week 7 after scoring two goals in a pair of matches against the Puerto Rico Islanders over the weekend.
Additionally, Portland midfielder
Brian Farber
received his third USL First Division Team of the Week selection of the season.
Keita, 29, scored his first goals of the season to help the Timbers earn four points on their recent two-game road trip to Puerto Rico with a win and a draw. He delivered the equalizer in the Timbers’ 1-1 draw on Friday and then scored the go-ahead goal on Sunday in the team’s 2-1 win.
A native of Guinea, Keita is the first Timbers player to earn USL First Division Player of the Week honors since forward
Takayuki Suzuki
received the nod in Week 2 of the 2008 season.
Farber, 27, logged a pair of assists to help the Timbers record their first-ever win in Puerto Rico on Sunday, setting up goals by Keita and defender Mamadou Danso. With his selection in Week 7, Farber has been named to the Team of the Week three times in 2009, previously receiving honors in Weeks 4 and 6.
The Timbers play host to two matches this weekend at PGE Park, including their first international exhibition of the season on Sunday against Mexico’s Club America reserves at 5 p.m. presented by Tecate. Portland also faces the Vancouver Whitecaps at 7 p.m. on Saturday during Go Green Night presented by Esurance. The first 2,000 fans Saturday receive a Timbers water bottle. Tickets for both matches are available through the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster locations, online at
www.ticketmaster.com
or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
