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The defending MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids have started the new year by adding some defensive depth.
The Rapids announced the signing of veteran defender Tyrone Marshall on Monday. Colorado acquired Marshall's rights in the second phase of the MLS Re-Entry Draft last month. A 13-year MLS veteran who began his career in Colorado, Marshall most recently spent two years with the Seattle Sounders.
In other MLS news:
Portland ticket sales pass 10K
The Portland Timbers have surpassed 10,000 in season ticket sales, and have already sold out its allotment of stadium suites, the club announced on Monday.
The Timbers also announced that the club will cap their season ticket sales at 12,000.
Cunningham testing waters in Europe
Jeff Cunningham, the second-leading scorer in MLS history, is ready to search Europe for a contract as he makes full use of his free agent status.
After turning down an offer from the Columbus Crew, and subsequently having his counter-offer turned down, Cunningham is now set to train with Danish club Randers as he pursues a contract.
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What do you think of these developments? Surprised to see Colorado add Marshall, or think he adds good depth? Think Cunningham will catch on in Europe, or do you see him returning to MLS in 2011?
Share your thoughts below.
It appears you don’t know the stadium that well or the environs around it. There is not space to build extra facilities in a 1926 stadium. The 20th and 18th streets plus the conditions placed on it by the original owners, the MAC club, limit the options.
The facilities were fine for 1970 standards and thus 30k inside were fine, but by today’s standards those expectations have vastly increased over those times.
14k is the real cap, if they hit 12k expect them to rais it.
+1
They’ll move Marvell Wynne back to rightback likely. But, strangest thing to me is labeling them “dirty.” Playing hard and taking cards are part of the game or there wouldn’t be yellow, just red.
It may be boring, but the fact is the best clubs defend first, especially with an Englishman at the helm.
i have always truly hated that this stadium has more seats than they allow people to sit at. why build the seats if you aren’t going to fill them? why not build extra facilities to accommodate for total capacity since they are adding those seats right now in the first place. i really do not understand the point behind adding seats you won’t use.
a goal is a goal. Doesn’t matter how it goes in, it still counts, unless it’s during the world cup.
Yeah, I’m far more psyched about Vancouver than Portland.
Historically, it has been Portland that has been playing the little brother to Seattle and Vancouver..
Yeah, let’s go try to play in Europe at age 36, that makes a ton of sense.
Trivalry makes sense, as long as Vancouver plays the younger brother who the other two notice but don’t really take seriously hahaha
I saw someone at sounderatheart.com call it the TRIvalry. That has to stick.
you forgot de jong
The PDX stadium has a great atmosphere, I was there for a US Nat game.
I don’t like the Timber’s Army but that is because I am a Sounder. A credit to them.
Great news about the ticket sale. They will almost surely sell out. I wonder if you will start to see a bump in other cities too.
Vancouver will have huge attendance. I heard they have sold over 15k season tickets. Expected. They had great NASL attendance, and the city is beyond rich.
And add Franck Ribery and John Terry while they’re at it.
The stadium is not far from Trendy-third [NW 23rd St.], and the Tanner Creek area is a good part of town near Washington Park.
john cena would be a great addition to their midfield
Around 20k with a true capacity at 24k. The reason for the lower capacity for soccer has more to do with the stadium being old with narrow causeways and difficultly with ingress and egress. They don’t want to make the experience bad for some by having a sour time at PGE Park. Concessions and bathrooms would be extremely packed at 24k.
One block out of the free rail zone about 10-15 blocks from Pioneer Courthouse Square. Very urban. Here’s a link to the area w/soccer related spots. http://tinyurl.com/2amokrd
Moreno is a class act, but almost half of his goals are PKs. Where as Cunningham scored most of his on the run of play.
Even as a NY fan I’d rather Moreno have it than Cunningham.
Hey that is nice of them to cap it, it will make it easier for out of town guests to get tickets.
How many is the new place going to hold?
How close to downtown Portland is the stadium / is it a nice area?
The real choice was between a $200 million dollar stadium the city [nor any other city in the region] would *never* pay for, or a $31 million renovation and a $100 million +/- AAA baseball stadium.
Your car wont get keyed, it’s too hard to tell the difference between all the Vancouver/Camas tax free shoppers and a flounder.
Sadly, because of this buffoon [http://www.examiner.com/soccer-in-seattle/so-far-timbers-whitecaps-no-match-for-sounders-fc-season-ticket-sales] I must invoke some comparisons
PDX metro: 2.2 million
SEA metro: 4.0 million (+81% difference)
Jan 2011 PTFC: 10k
Jan 2009 SSFC: 19k (+90% difference)
Well, in ratios, they’re up 9%. Woopee!
Good to see Portland selling tickets. The only gripe I have about Portland is their old stadium. Assuming the new stadium field has a width large enough for grown ups to play on, then Portland is doing everything right. I love that Portland decided to remodel their current downtown location instead of moving to a suburb. Makes it easy as a Seattle fan to head down, get a hotel room, hit the bar, and take in the match. With luck, my car won’t get keyed.
In the USL days a lot of tickets were single game-day tickets. Especially among the Timbers Army. Plus, it was already stated that they wanted to allow as many people as possible to see a game during the first season, which means holding down the number of season tickets. With less than 4 months before the first home opener they could easily get up to 14k or more but will choose not to it appears.
Note, for a city with this kind of wealth and population size [I mean it’s not a lot for both] to have this many STH is amazing! However, it’s not surprising given the numbers the Blazers have had since the ’77 championship.
You “things” he is more than he is.
Typical Cunningham- Things he’s worth more then he is. Some guys just need to when to when.
Good luck with your new team, Tyrone. Was time to let you go, but you’ll be remembered fondly.
They should sign Dema Kovalenko and then play with 3 Defensive Midfielders and become the dirtiest team in MLS history.
Great move by portland to cap the season tickets at 12K. Should allow for more exposure to fans
…and more and more boring.
Rapids getting more and more dirty
seems like Randers will take just about any american. First freddy, now jeff.
Wish he would break the MLS goal record first.