Is it Thursday yet?
By: Bob Kellett | April 15th, 2008
T-minus three days until the Portland Timbers kick off the 2008 season. It is a cruel god who has us all pretending to go through the motions at work while we daydream about Thursday evening, 7pm, PGE Park. The Trib offers up a lite distraction with a profile piece about Ray Burse. Our new on-loan keeper, referred to as Ray J., comes from a scholarly family. One that apparently taught their son that it is better to be seen then heard. Let’s hope the scholarly young Ray J. puts that all behind him when he is on the pitch for 90 minutes trying to earn the $17,700 he is being paid this year by FC Dallas. The dude needs to be more vocal and he needs to take command of his defense.
Twenty players are officially signed. Four more are on the way. Leonard Griffin and Tom Taylor both have names on their jerseys, and we know that once that happens they are on the team (UPDATE: Griffin officially announced). It would cost too much to have the names removed. As for the other two spots, you have to believe that a third keeper will be on the roster, especially with Burse shuttling between Portland and Dallas. Steve Reese is probably the man. I don’t know whether Bayard Elfvin has any interest in being a third keeper. He could push for the starting position on some USL teams. The last roster spot is reserved for Bryan Jordan’s faster cousin from New Zealand who should be showing up here any day now, right?
One of the harder teams to track in the USL First Division is Puerto Rico. It is especially difficult if you can’t speak Spanish. The only bits of news I have been able to dig up this week is that the Islanders have come to Portland early to help acclimatize. They also are trying to land one or two of the recent Cuban defectors.
Finally, let’s all remember that it is always about respect.
Category: Timbers Team News
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Comments
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“I just wanted to play where I would be respected and appreciated as a player and person…”
What a big load of horse hockey!
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Not entirely sold on Burse after that article… I hope he doesnt think he is “better than this league” like it implies here.
I suspect that he will get a taste of what real fans are like on Thursday and realize what a crock Dallas is even with their fancy Pizza Palace.
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