Previous teams:
2005-08: Kansas City Wizards
2009-10: Portland Timbers (USL)
Strengths:
Ryan Pore has a great nose for the net, whether he plays as a forward or in the midfield. His strike rate was impressive last year, and he's adept at breaking down opposing teams' back lines. Getting the ball into the back of the net is the name of the game, and Ryan Pore did that better than any other returning Portland player.
Weaknesses:
Is Pore the man who scored three goals in 58 league games for the Kansas City Wizards? Or, is he the man who scored 25 goals in 52 league games for the Timbers? He may be older and more mature now than he was before, but at the same time, Pore was playing against lesser competition. He's not much of a defender, and putting him in the midfield may put the Timbers at a defensive disadvantage.
Analysis:
Pore is likely to spend time pretty much exclusively in the midfield this year, given the abilities of Kenny Cooper and Jorge Perlaza up top. Given Darlington Nagbe's preseason injury, Pore figures to play more early in the season, and he should have ample opportunity to establish himself in the first team.
Miscellaneous:
Pore is the reigning most valuable player of the USSF D2 Pro League, and is the man who scored the Sunflower Goal, arguably the second-most-well-known goal in the Timbers' modern history. He also took some time to answer questions from Stumptown Footy earlier in the offseason.