The Leonard Griffin Watch commences (and other stuff)

By: Bob Kellett | April 6th, 2008

Today is officially Day 1 of The Portland Timbers Offside’s Leonard Griffin watch. The former Timbers defender has been released by the Columbus Crew. The Timbers are in need of a left back. Griffin is a left back. He enjoyed playing here last year. He was Scot Thompson’s college teammate. This has all the makings of a reunion made in heaven. I guess the only question that remains is whether the Timbers can afford to bring Griffin back. He was slated to make $45,000 for Columbus this year. I doubt Portland will go that high, but will any other USL First Division teams or MLS side be willing to outbid Merritt Paulson for Leo’s services?

Speaking of MLS salaries, here are some 2008 salaries for players with Portland connections.

Alan Gordon - $72,504
Mike Randolph - $33,000
Alex Nimo - $45,000
Conor Casey - $190,008
Preston Burpo - $55,116
Michael Gavin - $33,000
Kevin Goldwaite - $33,000
Ryan Cochraine - $132,000

Ray Burse’s 2008 numbers are not listed. In 2007 he made the princely sum of $17,700. Josh Wicks and Bryan Jordan are also not included on the current list.

As you know by now Burse played the full game against the University of Washington on Saturday. He then flew back to Dallas to sit on the bench for the full 90 of FC Dallas’ 3-3 draw against the Houston Dynamo on Sunday. FC Dallas next plays on Saturday evening, which means it is likely he will once again play in a Timbers’ exhibition (Friday night against University of Portland) and then jet to his MLS club to watch it play from the bench. This is not a good situation.

Checking in with our (possible) lads Down Under we see that Benjamin Totori’s Waitakere United side drew 2-2 with Otago United. I haven’t been able to find out if Totori played. He did not score. Meanwhile, his club is waiting to find out who it will meet in the New Zealand grand final and one possibility is Bryan Little’s Auckland City club. The (possible) future Timbers midfielder’s team defeated Team Wellington 3-2 to finish the regular season in second place. Again, I haven’t determined whether Little played or not.

As far as I can discern, and the New Zealand league is hardly understandable or adept at having its teams update their websites, there will be a playoff between Auckland and Wellington to determine who will face Waitkere United in a home and away for the championship later this month. All of this means we probably won’t be seeing either guy in Portland anytime soon.

Finally, Jamie Watson was on trial with the Timbers on Saturday. After being released by Real Salt Lake earlier in the year and then trying out for Toronto FC, he was on trial with those dreaded Seattle ~~Sounders~~ Something or Others as recently as last week. Watson may turn out to be a player, but for a guy who is 22 years old and at one time was seen as a potential USMNT player he sure seems to be fighting for his soccer life at the moment.