PORTLAND, Ore.— The Portland Timbers today announced that midfielder Jack Jewsbury has been named the club’s captain as it enters its inaugural Major League Soccer season in 2011. Timbers head coach John Spencer made the announcement.
“Jack is a good leader and an experienced professional with nine years in MLS,” said Spencer. “It was not an easy decision, as we have a lot of good candidates on the team, but Jack stood out and came to the top of the list.”
Jewsbury, 29, was acquired by the Timbers on March 1 in a trade with Sporting Kansas City. He has played the past eight seasons in MLS with Sporting KC, appearing in 195 regular-season matches and recording 15 goals and 21 assists.
The Springfield, Mo., native had a standout season in 2008, posting career-highs in assists (7) and points (13), while being named the Sporting KC’s Defensive Player of the Year. In 2009, Jewsbury ranked among Sporting KC’s assist leaders for a second straight season, with five assists during the campaign.
He was drafted by Sporting KC, then the Kansas City Wizards, in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft. In his second professional season, Jewsbury played a role in the club’s successful 2004 campaign, which included winning the Western Conference championship, appearing in the MLS Cup and capturing the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
The Timbers begin their inaugural MLS season on Saturday, March 19, on the road against the defending-MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids at 6 p.m. (Pacific).
