Sean Ingersoll and friends go for 'highest soccer match in Oregon'

Taking Soccer to new heights in the Oregon Cascades    This blog entry--scroll down for the video--is a testimony to how Oregonians feel about their footy.  Anywhere anytime!   The mad manager of FC77 Rangers gives us the full story at The Offside.   

A new spin- homeless soccer tournament creates opportunities

I heard a news story today recounting the journey of a soccer team made up of people recovering from homelessness to a national tournament.  The team,  the Portland Torrent,  felt the trip was a success.   I thought this was yet another example of the way the game can change people's lives.

The MLS Designated player

I notice in this morning's news that Freddie Ljungberg played his first match as a Chicago Fire player following his trade from the Sounders.   And apparently contributed thirty minutes of play without giving anything away.   As I read the articles talking about the deal with the Sounders,  I began to wonder at what point a "designated player" loses that standing and no longer qualifies to fall outside the salary constraints?  A
player like Ljungberg at 33 is at some point going to fall into a different category.   No disrespect intended but there are a limited number of these 'designated' slots and so who those folks are becomes a marketplace discussion I would think.   I sniffed around the MLS website but didn't find anything that clarified the answer,  so I shot an email off to them asking for a clarification.   Stay tuned for answers.

Speaking of John Bain

The other day I was noting that John Bain provided a possible model from the Timbers' past for why John Spencer might be a good choice as the team's first MLS coach.   In 1989 the Portland Timbers' franchise launched its Western Soccer League campaign with Bain as the head coach.  Underwritten by local businessman Art Dixon the team was looking forward to a strong run against opponents like the Seattle Storm and the San Francisco Blackhawks.   Part of coach Bain's enthusiasm was that a new star of American soccer,  the young Kasey Keller would be in the nets for the team following a successful run with the US U20 team and his career at University of Portland.  Bain called Keller the best goalkeeper in the US. Prescient!  Dave Nicholas,  whose coaching career at Jesuit High School has been stellar,  was the assistant coach for the team.  And a bevy of Pilot and Warner Pacific stars provided the underpinnings for the team.  Bain's appearance wearing his iconic #6 on the cover reflected his stature in the eyes of the community and of those wanting to bring the team back to prominence.   
The Western Soccer League had evolved from the Western Soccer Alliance which started in 1985 with San Jose, Seattle, Portland and Victoria fielding teams in a 'challenge series'.  One of the fundamentals that marked WSL was that American soccer would not succeed until it was built on a foundation of American players.   Bain,  Ignacio Baez (of Timbers and Cascade Surge fame) Paul Goldsbrough from Blackburn England and Rob Baarts from BC were the only players not from the US on the squad.  
Interestingly,  Bain was featured as well on the cover of the match program for the Portland Timbers match against West Bromwich Albion eight years earlier in 1981.