The long wait is now over, after speculation for years about Thierry Henry joining the MLS, he has officially signed with the New York Redbulls.  Henry has been rumored to join the league since 2007, but was then signed by Barcelona, joining the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, & Carles Puyol.

The 32-year-old former Arsenal and Barcelona player signed a multiyear contract on Wednesday and he is expected to make his Red Bulls’ debut on July 22 in an exhibition against Premier League club Tottenham.

“Some people might think I am going to go there for vacation — I do actually go there for vacation — but it won’t be for vacation this time,” Henry said in a video interview on the club website. “I’m a competitor and I don’t like to lose.”

Henry was released by Barcelona last month after scoring just four goals last season.

“This marks an exciting new chapter in my career and life,” Henry said.

Henry will be introduced at a press conference on Thursday at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.

“Thierry is not only a world class player who will undoubtedly improve our squad, but he has shown most importantly throughout his career that he is a winner,” said Erik Soler, general manager and sporting director of the Red Bulls. “He has made it clear to us that he is committed in the short and long term to help in our vision of making our organization the premium franchise in Major League Soccer.”

With France, Henry won the World Cup in 1998 and the 2000 European Championship, but sparked outrage last year when his handball during a playoff match helped to deny Ireland a spot at this year’s World Cup.

At the finals in South Africa, France went out at the group stage after the team was beset by a player protest.

Henry guided Arsenal to the Premier League title in 2002 and 2004 before leaving in 2007 to join Barcelona, where he won six trophies in 2009 — the Champions League, the Spanish league, the Copa del Rey, the Spanish Supercup, the UEFA Supercup and the FIFA Club World Cup.

The Red Bulls, who previously were known as the MetroStars, have a history of signing star players in the twilight of their careers. Italian Roberto Donadoni played for them in 1996 and ’97, Brazilian great Branco was with them in 1997, German Lothar Matthaus in 2000 and Frenchman Youri Djorkaeff was here in 2005 and ’06.

None of them led the team to a title.

Red Bulls leading scorer Juan Pablo Angel welcomed Henry’s arrival, which was announced just days after New York played a 0-0 tie with D.C. United.

“I think it means everything for the industry in this country,” Angel said. “He’s arguably one of the best players in our generation. He’s a player that has won everything he could possibly win in this sport and he’s still fit. I think it’s an honor to have him here. He’s going to be a tremendous addition to the league, to the Red Bulls.”

There have been rumors for almost two years that Henry would one day join the Red Bulls. A year ago, he said he wanted to play in the United States and the door opened recently when he parted ways with Barcelona after a season in which he lost his starting job.

“We have been hearing about it for years now, for it to finally come to fruition is a good thing for the team,” Red Bulls midfielder Seth Stammler said. “I’m sure it’s good for him for the next step in his career. He’s won championships at all levels. To come over here and not prove himself to the world in soccer, but take our team to the next level and hopefully get a championship here will be a good step for him and obviously great for the organization.”

Henry wasn’t a factor in the World Cup. He was not good enough to start for a French team that disgraced itself on and off the field.

However, the Red Bulls hope a combination of Angel and Henry up front can finally lead them to a title.

“It’s kind of wild to think about it,” rookie defender Tim Ream said. “Coming in, I knew I was going to be playing with Juan Pablo and I knew what kind of player he was. You put those two together it’s pretty incredible. Front two, there is not much you can say about them. They are just spectacular players.”

After beating the Kitsap Pumas on Tuesday (6/22/10) 4-1, the Portland Timbers  advanced to the 3rd round of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, to face northwest rivals Seattle Sounders.  The game was played at PGE Park, the site of last year’s match-up against the Sounders, where it saw Seattle take the win 2-1 in front of a sellout crowd.  This year proved to be the same atmosphere, as the Portland Timbers build up for next years promotion into the MLS, where they will meet the Sounders and fellow NW rivals Vancouver Whitecaps in 2011.

Game Details

In front of a sold-out crowd at PGE Park, the Portland Timbers battled Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC to a 1-1 draw, before losing on penalty kicks 4-3 in a third-round matchup in the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup before 15,422 on Wednesday.

After going down a goal early, the Timbers were able to pull level late in the first half on a strike by forward Bright Dike. The Northwest rivals played even at 1-1 for 75 minutes, through the second half and a half hour of overtime, before the match was decided in a penalty-kick shootout. Sounders FC goalkeeper Kasey Keller turned in two saves during the shootout to help the MLS side secure the victory and advance to quarterfinals of the tournament.

Forward Nate Jaqua scored the go-ahead goal, midfielder Sanna Nyassi recorded an assist, and Keller recorded six saves during regulation to help Sounders FC defeat Portland in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup for a second straight season. Seattle will face the Los Angeles Galaxy in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, July 7.

Goalkeeper Steve Cronin managed a backline which faced just 12 shots in 120 minutes of play, Dike scored his fourth goal in U.S. Open Cup play and attempted a team-high four shots and midfielder Ryan Pore logged an assist to lead the Timbers, who faced Sounders FC for a final time in a competitive match before they will joins Seattle in MLS in 2011.

Jaqua, a native of Eugene, Ore., gave Seattle the lead in the 13th minute. From the left side, midfielder Miguel Montano crossed the ball into the box, and Nyassi caught up to it on the back side, just beyond the right post. The midfielder chipped a pass back in for Jaqua on a short, near-sided run. Jaqua re-directed the ball past Cronin and into an open net on the far to lift Sounders FC to a 1-0 advantage.

Dike scored his fifth goal in three games to pull the Timbers even in the 38th minute. Defender Scot Thompson moved the ball up field to Pore inside the offensive third. Pore turned, and then delivered a centering pass to Dike at the top of the box. Fighting off his man, Dike hit a rolling shot from 16 yards out under the out-stretched arms of a diving Keller to knot the score at 1-1.

After a hard-fought second half and 30 minutes of overtime, the match went into a penalty-kick shootout. Keller gave Seattle the advantage on the first attempt from the spot, saving shot by Pore. Sounders FC then converted its first three attempts – Nathan Sturgis, Steve Zakuani and Fredy Montero – to own a 3-2 edge after the first three rounds. A second save by Keller on a shot by Timbers defender Ross Smith allowed Sounders FC defender Zach Scott to cap the shootout at 4-3 in favor of Seattle. Forward Doug DeMartin, midfielder Rodrigo Lopez and defender Mamadou Danso all converted their attempts from the spot for the Timbers.

The Timbers gained a one man advantage in the 101st minute, when Sounders FC defender Taylor Graham was sent off with his second yellow card of the night, following a hard tackle on Dike just outside the box.

Portland had its chances to capture the lead in the second half, and out-shot its MLS counterpart 6-3 in the stanza. Dike drilled a shot on frame in the opening minutes of the second half, but Keller was in position to make the stop.

In the 74th minute, Lopez nearly found the Timbers second goal of the night, aiming at an open net. Keller left his line to challenge Dike all alone at the top of the box. The ball was deflected out to Lopez, who then tried to chip the goalkeeper from 25 yards out, but his shot sailed over the goal.

In the 99th minute, Seattle defender James Riley nearly snuck one by Cronin on a shot from distance. From 30 yards out, Riley drilled a shot from the right and Cronin was able to get in front of it, but the ball popped out of his hands and seemed destined to cross the goal line, but the goalkeeper was able to reel the ball in just in time to keep things level.

(courtesy of the Portland Timbers Website)

While this logo has had much debate in the internet blogs the past few days, it has not been too well received from the fans of the Portland Timbers.  It has not yet been decided if the front office for the Portland Timbers will edit and come up with another version of this logo to appease their fans and supporters.

You can now go to their MLS website to look at the renderings of their stadium, and what it will look like after the construction finishes the major structural modifications of PGE Park.  You can also look at the pricing for seating, as well as purchase season tickets and merchandise from this site.

Go to PortlandMLS2011.com to get your season tickets lined up for the MLS season next year.

The Portland Timbers concluded one of their most successful seasons as a member of the USL First Division over the weekend. Under third-year head coach Gavin Wilkinson, the Timbers captured the Commissioner’s Cup, reached the semifinals and created many notable moments over the course of the 2009 season.

Historic unbeaten streak highlights successful season
After finishing at the bottom of the table last season, the Timbers returned to the top of the USL First Division in 2009. Portland finished the regular season in first place with a record of 16-4-10 (58pts), and captured its second Commissioner’s Cup as the regular-season champion.

On their way to the regular-season title, the Timbers assembled a USL First Division-record unbeaten streak of 24 matches. After a loss in the season opener on the road, the Timbers went 14-0-10 in their next 24 matches to set the league’s new record for the longest, single-season unbeaten streak. On July 19, they broke the previous unbeaten mark of 15 matches set by the 2005 Montreal Impact with a 3-0 win on the road over the Miami FC Blues, and would extend the streak to 24 games before it came to an end on Sept. 3. Portland’s 24-match unbeaten streak is not only a league record, but is also one of the longest streaks in U.S. Soccer history.

In 2009, the Timbers also set a new modern franchise benchmark for fewest losses in a single season (4) and conceded the second-fewest goals total (19) since 2001. They paced the USL First Division in scoring with 45 goals and shared the league mark for fewest goals allowed at 19 with the Carolina RailHawks. The Timbers also owned the best road record in the league, going 6-1-8 away from PGE Park.

The Timbers reached the league’s semifinals for the second time in three seasons. As the lone U.S.-based club remaining in the semifinal round, the Timbers battled the Vancouver Whitecaps in an exciting series capped by a thrilling 3-3 draw at PGE Park. But it was a 2-1 win by the Whitecaps in the first leg that proved to be the difference in the aggregate-goal series.

Taking home the hardware
In addition to winning their second Commissioner’s Cup in modern franchise history, the Timbers also captured the Cascadia Cup and made one their deepest runs in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2009.

Winning their regular-season series against the Whitecaps, the Timbers won their first Cascadia Cup this season. The Cascadia Cup is a fan-based derby between Portland and Vancouver and is awarded to the club with the best head-to-head record between the two sides. With a pair of victories at home, Portland was 2-1-0 against Vancouver during the regular season.

Advancing to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup, the Timbers made one of their deepest runs in the annual tournament. After victories against lower division Kitsap Pumas (PDL) and Sonoma County Sol (USASA), the Timbers played host to Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC at PGE Park in July. The matchup between Northwest counterparts ended in a 2-1 win for Seattle, but drew a sellout crowd of 16,382 – the Timbers’ first sellout crowd at PGE Park since joining the USL First Division.

Another record-breaking season for attendance
For a third straight season, the Timbers celebrated new attendance records at PGE Park, and saw the first sellout crowd as a member of the USL First division in 2009. The Timbers’ U.S. Open Cup match against Seattle drew 16,382 fans to a sold-out PGE Park. In total, the Timbers attracted 200,105 fans over 20 home matches at PGE Park in 2007, including a franchise-record 146,005 for regular-season matches. The 2009 season marked the second straight season in which the Timbers eclipsed the 100,000 mark in attendance.

Additionally, the 14,283 on hand for the Timbers’ semifinal match against Vancouver on Oct. 4, was the largest playoff crowd at PGE Park since 2001.

Reaching new heights and individual accomplishments
In addition to the numerous team achievements over the course of the season, several Timbers players were recognized for their individual accomplishments and a few reached career milestones.

Defender Scot Thompson played in 29 matches and logged 2,222 minutes during the season to become the Timbers new modern-franchise career leader in both games (144) and minutes played (12,291). Defender David Hayes also reached a significant career milestone during the season, appearing in his 250th career USL First Division match on July 17. In that match, he scored the equalizing goal in a 1-1 draw on the road against Miami off a 25-yard free kick; his strike would keep the Timbers’ unbeaten streak alive for yet another match. Hayes also set the Timbers’ new single-season record for minutes played at 2,698.

Several Timbers players were honored for their individual performances this season. Forward Mandjou Keita was recognized as the USL First Division’s Scoring Champion, leading the league with 29 points from 11 goals and seven assists. Goalkeeper Steve Cronin was named the USL First Division’s Goalkeeper of the Year, after ranking among league leaders in several statistical categories. Both Keita and Cronin were among the Timbers’ four All-League First-Team selections in 2009. Hayes and midfielder Ryan PoreCameron Knowles was voted to the second team. Also, 14 different Timbers players earned a total of 34 USL First Division Team of the Week nominations. were also selected to the first team, while defender

Two members of the Timbers organization are finalists for annual league honors. Wilkinson is one of four finalists for the Coach of the Year, and Hayes is also one of four finalists for the league’s Defender of the Year award. The recipient of each award will be announced by United Soccer Leagues during the USL First Division championship series.

Wilkinson, who also serves as the Timbers’ general manager, met with players earlier this week and will conduct team and player reviews in the coming days. The team has a handful of players already under contract for the 2010 season including Pore and midfielder Tony McManus.

Season tickets and ticket packages are currently available for the Timbers’ 2010 USL First Division season. The Timbers are also accepting season-ticket deposits for their inaugural 2011 MLS season. To purchase season tickets for the 2010 season, or to make a $50 per-seat deposit towards 2011 MLS season tickets, call the Timbers ticket office at (503) 553-5555 or visit www.portlandtimbers.com.

After watching this display of free kicks by Juninho, you can easily say that he is one of the best in the world at set pieces.  He may even be better than David Beckham, Rohnaldinho, & Roberto Carlos, with his vicious knuckle ball kicks that send the ball in an unpredictable flight, causing havoc to all keepers that try to stop him.  In

Watch the Video

When to Curve

• Free kicks just outside of the penalty box, where a wall is setup
• Corner kicks
• Passing the ball around an opponent to a teammate
• Crossing the ball
• Penalty kicks

Steps

1. Place the ball on the ground on the left side of 18-yard line for rightys and on the right side for leftys.
2. Take about two steps back and two to the side.
3. Look at the point of the ball where you want to hit the ball. If you want it to swerve to the right, kick the ball on the left side- and visa-versa for swerving it to the left. It is much easier to start out with curving the ball to the left.
4. Take a running start. Aim for a bottom-right panel on the ball. Place your planting foot (left foot if you kick with right, and vice-versa) at a 45 degree angle towards the ball. Take your footware off and look at your foot. Feel the inside of your shooting foot. Feel just below the end of your big toe bone. Now move another 3/4 to 1 inch towards your ankle. This is where you should make contact with the ball. When you actually kick, your kicking foot should wrap around to the left side of your body (for rightys)
5. Make sure to swing your hips
6. Also keep your ankle locked and keep your body over the ball.
7. I think I got it, now I think I am David Beckham.

Tips

• Practice, practice, practice.
• Aim to spin the ball as much as possible, by dragging the foot across it- strike the opposite side of the ball to the direction you want it to travel in.
• If the ball is being struck “dead” (for example during a free kick) then it can sometimes be advantageous position the valve (used to inflate the ball) carefully. Despite it’s minimal weight, placing the ball with the valve on one side of the ball can affect it’s flight. This is particularly effective with the newer, more modern balls coming into play which are extremely light and prone to move unexpectedly in the air.
• Pretend there is a red cross wrapped around the ball and it is facing the goal–backwards, left and right, and across. Run towards the ball at a 45 degree angle. Kick the ball at the point of the cross facing backwards from the goal and make the ball leave your foot when your foot is on the point of the cross that is pointing right (it’s on the right side of the ball). If you’re right footed, opposite for left-footers.