Jose Balcazar - No position announced (Deportivo Cali)
Joe Bendik - Goalkeeper (Sogndal)
Lance Davids - Midfielder (Lierse SK)
Miguel Ibarra - Midfielder
Ryan Kawulok - Defender
Brendan King - Midfielder
Sebastián Rincon - Forward (Santa Fe, Colombia)
Franck Songo'o - Midfielder (Albacete Balompie)
Per the Timbers site, here are the non-roster/trialists that are in California with the Timbers.
4 months ago
Geoff Gibson
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Lance Davids is a dmid from South Africa. Belgian league is pretty decent, also played in the Bundesliga awhile back (he’s 26). If he is just a dmid, I’d have a hard time believing he can make the roster, but maybe if he can also play some fullback. Has 23 caps for the SANT. He also hasn’t appeared in other MLS team’s camps, so we are probably actually taking a look at him, vs. having a spare player to have in camp (since they are headed to LA, a few players might make the rounds to all the camps).
Pretty sure Jose Balcazar is Juan Jose Balcazar, a defender who played last year for Valledupur in the Colombia B-league. Sounds like hes a CB actually, per some of the match reports, but I’m not certain.
Thanks for the additional info!
When I write, I write for the Timbers. Contributing Editor of Stumptown Footy
by Andrew Wheeler on Feb 6, 2012 11:50 AM PST up reply actions
Interestingly
Balcazar was still with his (newly apparently) promoted Valledupur like a week ago
Pretty sure this is him, unless he has a little brother that hasn’t played any pro games or games with the national team, but that would be pretty weird to say the least. Not out of the realm of possibilities.
Interesting
Given all the dmid talk on his wiki page, but with the greater mystery of the guy with almost no info consuming my search, it makes sense. Really good pedigree for a 26 year old, would love to see him perform in camp, especially as a RB.
I was searching around..
at football-lineups.com and found out. Seems strange though, he played on January 28th in a league match. He must have walked, because he is still on a contract till June 2013
Maybe them giving us a chance to preview
Before buying this summer/next offseason? He’s young enough that’s a consideration, but yeah, if the Balcazar info is right, he was getting ready just a week ago to play for his newly promoted club.
Davids could also be on a relatively large wage bill. If he’s surplus, perhaps they are ok loaning him out to try and offload him or even cutting him to get away from his contract, especially if they don’t see him fitting longer term.
Its an interesting move for a player like him though….really on the fringes of some good teams, surprised he isn’t making a better go of it (unlike Songo’o, who MLS appears to be a good move for)
Here a translated version of http://www.voetbalprimeur.be/site/nieuws/207947/Lance_Davids_naar_Portland.html
Lance Davids to Portland?
Lance Davids moves as possible to the Portland Timbers. The South African defender of Lierse to a contract with the American hopes can decorate Ligue 1.
Lance Davids played his last Matchday in the Belgian first division possible final minutes. The 26-year-old defender was in the lost match against Standard still exchanges. Today, he went on stage to Los Angeles, where he wants to decorate a contract with the American Portland Timbers.
Ruud Kaiser, technical director at Lierse, gave more explanation of this test period. "We were asked whether the player should go in Los Angeles since the testing and we have him permission. It is now up to Portland to decide if it wants to attract our advocate or not. "
Juan has a different BD (is younger)
Than what the Timbers are listing on their roster. Apparently there is another Fernando Balcazar, but I’m not finding ANYTHING but youtube videos, which is weird.
Does anyone know anything about the missing supplemental draftees?
Keeper Doug Herrick had been training with the team at JWF, and Logan McDaniel was expected to join the team in LA after finishing his final term at Loyola — maybe he’s still got a week of school…
If Herrick truly isn’t around and won’t be, that pretty much guarantees Joe Bendik will be our 3rd keeper, I would think.
When I write, I write for the Timbers. Contributing Editor of Stumptown Footy
Makes sense though
With the #3 guy very likely to see time if/when Gleeson misses a month or two for the Olympics, we need someone who could actually step in. Tough for a rookie straight out of school.
Just to be clear (and with apologies)
We presently have one available international slot… correct?
volatilelyle.com
I believe we have 2
That’s assuming the one we traded (officially) today to Montreal was already accounted for in Merritt’s tweet from before.
Yes 2
He said something to the affect that the nature of the trades made it not official until now.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
From GCA at Olive on this topic
“Currently, the Timbers have nine players – Jake Gleeson, Lovel Palmer, Hanyer Mosquera, James Marcelin, Kalif Alhassan, Darlington Nagbe, Eddie Johnson, Kris Boyd and Diego Chara – occupying international slots on the roster. The Timbers are expecting Nagbe and Chara to receive their green cards in the near future. Once they receive green cards, they can be removed as international players on the roster.”
If we have 9 spots this year and 10 next year (getting one back from Montreal after this year) then we need to first have Nagbe and Chara be successful in gaining their green cards. If this happens we have two spots. Until it happens it seems as if we have 0. If Perlaza already received a green card this year and Chara will too it would seem that any Colombian playing one year can get a green card. So keep the Colombians coming. Maybe this means Kalif (Ghana) and Marcelin (Haiti) take longer because of the countries they come from? Who knows what formula the State Department uses to say how long someone must work (ie play football) in the US to get the green card but maybe it is different lengths of time for citizens of different countries?
another thought
Gleeson (New Zealand) has been here awhile so it must not only be about time in the states because someone from NZ who has been here more than one year should not get a green card after someone from Colombia who has only been here for one year.
I guess all I am saying is who knows….seems like a crapshoot.
Also
They just traded for another slot so this brings the number up to 10 this year. There is also the fact that Chara is supposed to get his this year not next year and I believe once he gets it he no longer occupies the slot.
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
I think that's the slot they traded to Montreal
When I write, I write for the Timbers. Contributing Editor of Stumptown Footy
by Andrew Wheeler on Feb 7, 2012 7:13 AM PST up reply actions
Ok quick breakdown -
Assuming in 2012, the number of international spots per team stays at 8, we should have 9 spots. I get there with the following:
-8 team spots
-1 spot from LAG (from a 2 year trade when we were coming into the league, expires after this year)
-1 spot from DC united (this one is for 2 years)
however, we subtract one of these, as we traded it to Montreal, so 9 total spots currently available, barring any other trades we don’t know about.
Last year, we also got a spot from Seattle, but that was a 1 year trade, so that spot has reverted back to them.
Currently, we are set up to have 9 spots this year and 9 spots next year.
I hate to pick favorites
As I know as much about these guys relative qualities as I do the wing spans of the various species of hummingbirds,
BUT, I’m really hoping to see both King and Songo’o make the roster. Songo’o because I’m hoping he has the consistent mad skills to justify the hype from the first few days of training, and King because he’s Irish, like Bright Dike, and I’m a huge ND soccer fan.
your opinion doesn't count anymore
Marquette 4 Life!
just kidding, not sure about king make the senior squad but it sounds like he’ll stick around, spencer’s been praising him
by #1 Leverage Fan on Feb 6, 2012 8:11 PM PST up reply actions
I found it amazing
How many of the Superdraft picks were from the Big East. Some good soccer in our league.
In re: Jose Balcazar
If it’s Jose Fernando Balcazar, the most likely option, it looks like he has played several places in his career, including some training in Argentina and a couple of clubs in Spain. Looks like he plays center mid or right back. Am still checking sources, will post what I find.
West Side, West Side, sing us a song!
Do you have any links?
Just curious…usually I can find some stuff and all I came across was some grainy footage of him playing in a reserve or youth game in Cali and it could have been 10 years old for all I could tell. Curious, given most of the guys we look at, even Rincon, have legitimate info out there on them. Felt like I was back looking up Oceania players ;)
I read the comments on this video link...
…and it had a list of teams he’d played for in the video description. I know a guy who lives in Asturias, Spain, so I also sent him a message asking if he’d seen Balcazar in 2007 when he played for the other club in town (not Real Oviedo but ACF).
http://www.vxv.com/video/R2785grXMOYl/jose-fernando-balcazar-jugadas.html
I’m busy running down the teams mentioned in the description. I loves me some good google monkeying. :)
West Side, West Side, sing us a song!
Its pretty weird though that a 24 year old
Worthy of a spot in our camp, has basically no senior roster starts for any club, no soccerway or transfermarket profiles, no wiki pages, no mentions of BS, no trace on Deportivo Cali’s website, etc….SA usually has a pretty good soccer media that you can find this stuff on, plus at 24, he’s not exactly much of a prospect.
I’m feeling alot better about Davids coming into camp.
Yep
Although it looks like he spent more time at Club America de Cali rather than Deportivo Cali (likely his latest stop before us), so that might be a better place to look. Am still searching. :)
West Side, West Side, sing us a song!
Looks like
The FO is calling him an attacking midfielder, so its not that Juan Balcazar. Still weird to me that we have a 24 year old that has seemed to have never played a significant match.
OT
Though I’m not sure it merits a fanshot.
Anyway, Merritt is apparently hinting at a Rangers friendly this year.
@AdFoster503 a couple. a mexican team that wont be in ticket package, AIK (pre-season) and a team that should be interesting w/ Boyd/Spencer
He notes that nothing is done, but it would be a pretty cool friendly, regardless of which side you’re on.
Oklahoma State will beat LSU in the National Title game by more than 7 points.
He's hinting at a Scottish friendly, not necessarily a Rangers one
by pdb on Feb 6, 2012 8:24 PM PST up reply actions
Celtic?
That would be interesting…..
Contributing editor to Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.
Kilmarnock?
When I write, I write for the Timbers. Contributing Editor of Stumptown Footy
by Andrew Wheeler on Feb 7, 2012 7:14 AM PST up reply actions
Inverness Caledonian Thistle?
Let’s name ’em all!
by pdb on Feb 7, 2012 9:20 AM PST up reply actions
I think
This or Rangers makes the most sense. I lean towards Celtic, given the likelihood of Rangers being in real trouble bankruptcy-wise by this summer making it almost impossible for us to guarantee they’ll show. Plus Celtic have been over here in the past. Celtic is also with Nike, though Rangers is with Umbro (owned by Nike last time I checked)
by zaggy on Feb 7, 2012 8:43 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
I'd be very interested in seeing either
Rangers or Celtic. It’s the one league where i refuse to take sides, even for giggles. The Old Firm has great teams with great histories, but I want to stay as far away from that conflict as possible. I hope whichever team shows up, Timbers fans welcome them with nothing but pure Portland class.
If it’s Hearts, then… meh.
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