HATCHET JOB? PORTLAND TIMBERS BUNGLE CREST UNVEILING

The Portland Timbers New Logo

HATCHET JOB? PORTLAND TIMBERS BUNGLE CREST UNVEILING

Portland Timbers unveiled their new logo on Saturday and it didn’t go quite they way the team wanted it to go.

The Timbers, who have been playing in various leagues since the early 1970’s, will begin play in Major League Soccer next season as an expansion franchise.

The team set up a public watch party in Portland’s Director Park to see the match and planned to use the captive audience of thousands to show the team’s new look. Timbers had a marketing campaign designed to slowly build interest in the re-branding by releasing a number of ‘video clues’ to show the connection between their classic look, a look established in 1975 when the team debuted in the old North American Soccer League.

Confusion in the front office, however, led to merchandisers in the city selling products featuring the new crest a day before it’s public unveiling at halftime of the US-England World Cup match.

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS COMPLETE NEW LOOK- New Logo, New Gear, New Sponsor

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS COMPLETE NEW LOOK

New Logo, New Gear, New Sponsor for 2011 Major League Soccer debut.

The Vancouver Whitecaps completed their look for theit imaugural season in Major League Soccer next year by unvieling the clubs new kit, 2nd kit and founding sponsor.

This news comes less than a week after the Canadian team unveiled it’s season ticket plans and a new logo/crest that the club referred to as ‘the new brand that will lead the 36-year-old club into a new chapter as an MLS outfit.”

The new kits reflect the same color scheme as the new logo and are designed by Adidas who has an exclusive contract for all Major League Soccer clubs.

NASL TEAMS RUMORED TO BE IN TROUBLE

NASL TEAMS RUMORED TO BE IN TROUBLE

Former Major League Soccer iron man Steve Ralston will make his debut to night for North American Soccer League first year franchise AC St. Louis amid swirling rumors that the franchises very existence may be in doubt.

Ralston stepping on the field to represent his hometown team should mean a night of celebration for soccer in St. Louis, long thought of as an ideal American soccer community, but the night will be over shadowed by the wringing hands of St. Louis fans and frantic calls from the team offices.

PORTLAND TIMBERS TO UNVEIL NEW LOGO JUNE 12

PORTLAND TIMBERS TO UNVEIL NEW LOGO JUNE 12

The Major League Soccer bound Portland Timbers will unveil their new logo on June 12 at a World Cup watch party in downtown Portland.

The outdoor watch party, centered around the United States v England match, is to be held at the city’s Director Park. Similar events in 2006 drew thousands of people to see the matches on huge 12-foot by 17-foot, LED screen.

The 2010 event promises to be the biggest yet and offers the Timbers a chance to put their new identity in front of a massive collection of the city’s soccer fans and re-introduce itself to the city’s soccer community.

PART TWO – INTERVIEW WITH KARTIK KRISHNAIYER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN SOCCER LEAGUE

INTERVIEW WITH KARTIK KRISHNAIYER OF THE NORTH AMERICAN SOCCER LEAGUE – PART TWO

Today we bring you the PART TWO of the conversation between Goodman Browne and Kartik Krishnaiyer, Director of Communications and Public Relations for the North American Soccer League. This is the first year of the league, and a massive year for soccer in North America, and Kartik talks about TV deals, the US Open Cup and the NASL’s relationship to Major League Soccer. He also discusses his beginnings in soccer journalism

If you haven’t read PART ONE, check it out here.

SUMMER FRIENDLY UPDATE: MANCHESTER CITY ADDS PORTLAND TO SCHEDULE

SUMMER FRIENDLY UPDATE: MANCHESTER CITY ADDS PORTLAND TO SCHEDULE

Manchester City will play a fourth game in North America this July as Thursday it was announced that Portland Timbers would host the Premierships 5th place finishers on July 17.

The USL Timbers will not have the use of their facility and future Major League Soccer home, PGE Park on the date. The match, instead, will be played at the University of Portland’s Merlo Field, a stadium that holds under 5,000.

NUTRILITE CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP – WEEK 3 PREVIEW

NUTRILITE CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP – WEEK 3 PREVIEW

Montreal Impact host Toronto FC at Saputo Stadium in the Week 3 of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship Wednesday Night. The match couldn’t get much tougher for the home team

The match will be the third in three weeks for the Impact in the NCC, and their North American Soccer League schedule hasn’t slowed at all during the competition. Montreal has managed a 2-1-1 record in the league with 7 points so far. It wont get any easier for the team as they head back out to Vancouver for an NASL match this weekend, making it two cross country trips in ten days. Returning from Vancouver, Montreal meet 2nd place Portland Timbers at Saputo Stadium next Wednesday then host Serie A side Fiorentina in the first of L’Impact’s summer friendlies.

SHORT CORNERS – SOCCER NEWS, NOTES AND RUMORS

SHORT CORNERS – SOCCER NEWS, NOTES AND RUMORS

BOB BRADLEY TO NAME PRELIMINARY 30-MAN ROSTER FOR 2010 WORLD CUP TODAY

US Soccer and Head coach Bob Bradley will name his preliminary 30-man roster for the United States Camp leading up to World Cup 2010 in South Africa next month. only 23 of the 30 will make the trip, but the 23 must be from the 30 player pool.

The selection of the 30-man pool will air today at 2pm ET / 11am PT on ESPN2.

Rumors abound that both Brian Ching and Edson Buddle will be among those called in but the wires have been mum regarding Charlie Davies who is on the mend after a car crash in October and Herculez Gomez who has had a rebirth in the Mexican League.

Here is how the Experts see it unfolding

COUNTDOWN TO SOUTH AFRICA: PICKING THE 23-MAN US WORLD CUP ROSTER (SI.COM STAFF)

SBI’S 23 FOR 2010 – MAY EDITION (IVES GALRECEP)

US SOCCER TO FORMALLY SUBMIT WORLD CUP BID FOR 2018-2022

The United States will officially become a bidder for either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup’s on Friday when a delegation from US Soccer will formally hand over it’s Bid Book to FIFA at a ceremony in Zurich on Friday. No nation can match the United States on Stadium capacity and readiness.  The 18 host city finalists feature 21 venues that are all in compliance with FIFA standards and all have average capacities of more than 76,000. 12 of the stadiums feature capacities between 75,000 and 94,000. With the opening of new Meadowlands Stadium last Friday, all 21 of the stadiums included in the United States bid  are already functioning with 18 having been built in the last 20 years.