Official: Portland Timbers Sign Brent Richards as First Homegrown Player
by Geoff Gibson on Jan 4, 2012 2:12 PM PST
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PrintWell we pretty much knew that it was happening, but today the Portland Timbers confirmed that Brent Richards has been signed as the Timbers first ever homegrown player. Richards joins the club after three seasons with the Timbers U-23 PDL side where he scored 26 goals and 12 assists in 37 games... not a bad record.
This also comes as a bit of a surprise to many seeing as how many Seattle Sounders fans were objecting to his "homegrown" status for the Timbers. So, there's some more ammunition for you guys in case you needed any.
Regardless, he's an exciting player to have on the team and I look forward to seeing him mature in the squad in the future.
As usual, I've gone ahead and copied the press release after the break.
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers have signed forward and Timbers U-23s product Brent Richards as the club’s first Homegrown Player, it was announced today. Timbers general manager Gavin Wilkinson made the announcement.
Richards, 21, joins the Timbers’ first team after three seasons with the club’s development team, the Portland Timbers U-23s, and becoming its all-time leading scorer. A native of Camas, Wash., Richards recently completed a standout collegiate career at the University of Washington.
Richards registered 26 goals and 12 assists in 37 games over three seasons (2009-11) with the Timbers U-23s in United Soccer Leagues’ Premier Development League (PDL). He led the Timbers U-23s to a historic season in 2010, as the team won the PDL championship and became the league’s first undefeated champion with a perfect 20-0-0 record. Richards was crowned the league’s MVP and the finals MVP among his several accolades that season.
A PDL All-League selection in 2010, Richards recorded another standout season for the Timbers U-23s in 2011, leading the team in scoring for a second straight year, with eight goals and a team-high six assists. He received All-Western Conference honors for a second time and was named the club’s Timbers U-23s Player of the Year following the campaign.
During his collegiate career at Washington from 2008-11, Richards was consistently one of the Pac-10/Pac-12 Conference’s top scorers. He compiled 31 goals and 15 assists in 72 games for the Huskies, leading the team in scoring, goals and game-winning goals in each of his four seasons. A four-time, all-conference honoree, Richards ranks among the school’s career leaders in goals and points (77).
He left Washington as one of the most decorated student-athletes in men’s soccer, both on and off the field. Among his many accolades during his collegiate career, Richards was a two-time all-conference first-team selection (2010-11), was named the 2011 Pac-12 Men’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year and was a First-Team Capital One Academic All-American in 2011.
As a youth, Richards played club soccer for Eastside United FC, a Timbers-affiliated club in Gresham, Ore., and was a member of the Oregon ODP program. He attended Camas High School, where he won two state championships (2006, 2008) and was named Washington’s Gatorade Player of the Year following his senior prep season in 2008.
Richards becomes the third Timbers U-23s player to sign with the Timbers’ first team, joining midfielder Freddie Braun and goalkeeper Jake Gleeson. All three players were part of the Timbers U-23s championship-winning team in 2010.
Brent Richards
Position: Forward
Height: 5-10
Weight: 165
Born: May 20, 1990
Hometown: Camas, Wash.
Last Club: Portland Timbers U-23s
College: University of Washington
Citizenship: United States
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The money line
…was a member of the Oregon ODP program
Oregon ODP was the precursor to the Timbers Accademy, which is likely why the HGP exception was granted by MLS.
Yep
Also the fact that he played for Eastside United who has a technical director named Gavin Wilkinson.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
Nice signing
Hopefully he develops well and can start contributing to the first team by the end of the year or early next year.
Oklahoma State will beat LSU in the National Title game by more than 7 points.
Agreed, really good to see a homegrown signing
We're going to turn it on, we're going to give you the power.
by yepyou'reright on Jan 4, 2012 3:29 PM PST up reply actions
Seven strikers now on the roster
including Nagbe as well as both offseason acquisitions so far. Certainly it’s an indication of where the management saw deficiencies in 2011, and, given all the other needs the organization has on the wings and defense, one must wonder whether one of our current strikers might be traded away before the season starts…
When I write, I write for the Timbers. Contributing Editor of Stumptown Footy
In fairness
A few of those players are really tweeners. Richards has potential, but he is small for the role of striker, and is a ways away. Nagbe is more of a forward midfield, and will probably be used in mid, at least until Zizzo is back. Johnson might have a tough time coming back as well, and Valencias is also likely a sub at this stage. I agree with you on the strategy though, nice to see the team try and fix what was a problem.
Oklahoma State will beat LSU in the National Title game by more than 7 points.
Cooper?
Maybe even Dike. I doubt it would be Perlaza, given what they had to do to sign him. I suppose Richards could be on the wing, similar to Landon Donovan? But I wouldn’t be surprised if no forward is traded and I’d be okay with that. More competition among the guys expected to score goals is a good thing.
We're going to turn it on, we're going to give you the power.
by yepyou'reright on Jan 4, 2012 3:10 PM PST up reply actions
Forwards
Personally, I don’t think of Nagbe as a forward, though his brief pairing with Cooper certainly benefited Cooper. So unless we go for 3 forwards, in which case I could see Nagbe being that linking forward/playmaker, I think he is a midfielder. Also, and sadly, I do not think Johnson will be back. We are starting to see – justifiably – much more caution with concussions. Look no further than Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who was out forever, and is once again out because of concussion symptoms.
I think we still might see another signing, or trade, and I also think this will be Dike make or break year with the Timbers, given even more time to recover from his injury, and put himself in line for 90 minutes.
I think we will still see one more midfield signing, and ultimately, it will be our starting midfield, and the chemistry they create with our various, and all completely different playing styles, that will decide our starting forwards.
But have others have said, an embarrassment of riches at forward is a good thing given our lack of scoring at times last season. And that intangible chemistry that will come from playing together. I have never, and still do not, think that Perlaza and Cooper are a good fit together up front, and it will be interesting how that shakes out in the pre-season.
Eddie Johnson...
Was fully participating in practices at the end of the season last year. While the league is taking concussions much more seriously than they have in years past (definitely a good thing), I think that EJ will be back this year. He is medically cleared, wasn’t waived, and showed well last year in the brief moments he actually had on the field.
Contributing Editor for Stumptown Footy
by William Conwell on Jan 4, 2012 11:47 PM PST up reply actions
Still...
he’s at a higher risk now. Another knock to the head could end his 2012 campaign as well.
When I write, I write for the Timbers. Contributing Editor of Stumptown Footy
by Andrew Wheeler on Jan 5, 2012 8:45 AM PST up reply actions
Hmm. I suppose 6.5 strikers could support a 4-3-3 lineup pretty well.
Interesting…
When I write, I write for the Timbers. Contributing Editor of Stumptown Footy
by Andrew Wheeler on Jan 5, 2012 8:50 AM PST up reply actions
Merritt winning the int3rn3ts
http://twitter.com/#!/MerrittPaulson/status/154657575676293120
@SoccerByIves that was an fyi add on. Eastside + PDL does mean a thing. Not debating this. You can be the expert but thems the facts
http://twitter.com/#!/MerrittPaulson/status/154662740680646656
@JeremiahOshan as I said…its now well beyond esufc. Its part of academy system now. Our PDL head coach also runs ESUFC
http://twitter.com/#!/MerrittPaulson/status/154661410977226754
@JeremiahOshan we have taken over state’s entire ODP program and the “academy” has been ESUFC for yrs. Its now expanded #rctid
http://twitter.com/#!/MerrittPaulson/status/154658530526380032
@MerrittPaulson Is Eastside an official affiliate of Timbers?
3 hours ago
in reply to @JeremiahOshan ↑
@MerrittPaulson
Merritt Paulson
@JeremiahOshan yes
http://twitter.com/#!/MerrittPaulson/status/154656988427591680
@SoccerByIves he was coached by my GM/head coach for 5 yrs at eastside united while I paid gm’s wages. Eastside was feeder to timbers.
So, we have at least 5 years time when Eastside United was affiliated with the Timbers. There’s the connection.
Jag kom, jag såg, erövrade jag.
If there is one thing I've learned about the American soccer fan
is that they whine more than a 3 year old. Must be a slow news day. I’m ignoring the noise.
We're going to turn it on, we're going to give you the power.
by yepyou'reright on Jan 4, 2012 4:01 PM PST up reply actions
It wasnt whining
Nowhere was there anybody crying that Seattle should’ve had him. It was genuine confusion at how hr qualified for an HGP contract.
by chrisperry1983 on Jan 4, 2012 4:34 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
There would be no confusion
If that was stated from the get go. Per the rules, as they’re written, this transaction looked suspect. I realize this situation is unique but it makes MLS look like they’re making it up as they go along.
Go banana!
That's what I was getting at
It looked suspect, nobody (even experts like Ives) knew how it could have worked. The league seems notorious for making things up at they happen, so naturally people didn’t understand. All anybody wanted was clarification. I’m not even sure if Seattle was looking at him, so IF there was whining, it was misplaced.
by chrisperry1983 on Jan 5, 2012 8:45 AM PST up reply actions
There was plenty of whining
When it was first announced as a possibility and on Twitter. It’s interesting how everyone acknowledges how opaque and confusing MLS roster rules are yet act like they’re Garber when something happens to the benefit of their rival.
I'll give you that, roster rules are complex
But there is a lot of whining too, bordering on anger. I ought to know. (smiley thingy)
We're going to turn it on, we're going to give you the power.
by yepyou'reright on Jan 4, 2012 5:29 PM PST up reply actions
Well..I didn't see it
I followed a lot of the twitter conversation (such as what was posted above) but purposely didn’t follow any comments on other message boards or MLSsoccer.com. Not sure if there was a story there or not, but I’ve really just about had it with the morons that troll the site.
Anyway. I think we can all agree that it looked weird based on how things are written. I bet before that clarification was written by Paulson, nobody here could have even explained how it worked.
by chrisperry1983 on Jan 5, 2012 8:44 AM PST up reply actions
Ignoring the whining..
I’m kind of stoked about this. If Richards was named the MVP of that U-23 squad, that’s excellent news considering how well one of the best players from that squad (A Mr. Jake Gleeson) played in spot duty this past year for the Timbers. Richards could be a great player, I wonder if he can play CAM or if he is strictly a striker? We really need some guys who are box to box mids and can push forward if needed.
GOAL! And now for our guest Timber, Steven Seagal, who will now cut a slab.
Jag kom, jag såg, erövrade jag.
Excited about the recent homegrown signings around the league
Hope that we can finally begin producing some serious quality players here in the States. By the way, I’m a new Timbers fan (though I’ve followed soccer for years). First post, nice to meet you all.
Welcome to SF
Glad to have you on board. Who have you been following before joining the ranks of the Timbers Army?
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
I've just been a fan of soccer
I’ve watched MLS and international soccer for years, and have always been a huge player of the Football Manager series (resulting in me knowing WAYYY too many soccer players around the world than I should).
I was a casual fan of the MLS, watching it to support American soccer, until the Timbers came into the league. I was thoroughly impressed with the fanbase and decided that was the team for me.
Football Manager
Played that back in 1995 when I was an exchange student in England. Now I play Championship Manager. I love that game and I, like you, know way too many players from around the world. I can’t play it too often now because it just sucks me away from everything.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
Since we're doing introductions and making connections with Ryan...
I’m also new to the Timbers family having moved to PDX a couple years ago. Big USMNT fans for years, followed the Metrostars for a a bit, got bored and started paying attention to Europe a bit more. Very happy to have a local team to follow.
Also, I just started working at the same school as your mom Ryan. She was very stoked when she found that gnome for you.
(And I might also waste too much time on Football Manager)
There's a "your mom" joke in there somewhere...
Welcome to SF, smorris.
When I write, I write for the Timbers. Contributing Editor of Stumptown Footy
by Andrew Wheeler on Jan 5, 2012 11:07 AM PST up reply actions
True Story
So once at my High School game a huge brawl started because a fan spit on a teammate of mine and my teammate took exception and threw a punch. Since I was the closest teammate to him I started to enter the fray. Only to have arms come around me and pull me out. I looked back and there was my mom, she had run through the fighting and with her loud teacher voice had stopped half of the fights with a single “Stop”. She even turned around to tell the rest of my team to stop and go back to the bench with just her voice and a pointing of her finger.
I always say if a fight broke out I would want my mom next to me cause she could make anyone stop and plus the fact that would get my Dad involved and he is Irish….. We all know they love to fight :)
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
Bravo and welcome.
If it sounds like I know Ryan all too well, it’s because I do! Portly bro!
Jag kom, jag såg, erövrade jag.
Jarhead
Can’t believe my little bro is a Jarhead.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
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