Friday, March 9, 2012

2012 Portland Timbers "Personal" Bios

ERIC ALEXANDER
Was a finance major in the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University

JOE BENDIK
Was a NSCAA High School All-American at Edison Academic Center High School in Bradenton, Fla.

Attended the U.S. U-18 National Team camp in Los Angeles and the Elite Soccer Program (ESP) camp in Hartford, Conn., while in high school

Majored in management at Clemson

FREDDIE BRAUN
Enjoyed studying video productions in school

Wrote a blog for the Louisville website during his time on campus

Lists golfing, snowboarding and wakeboarding as some of his hobbies.

ERIC BRUNNER
Attended Dublin Scioto High School

Majored in Communications at Ohio State

Enjoys playing video games

Played for the Ohio Thunder club team from 1998-2003

Played for the Michigan Bucks of the Premier Development League in 2007, making 11 appearances and scoring two goals

MIKE CHABALA
Began playing soccer at the age of four

Traveled on a team trip to Europe as an eight-year-old

If not playing soccer, would be living in New York and working on Wall Street

Lists snowboarding, golf, and politics among his hobbies

Lists Brazilian midfielder Kaká as one of his favorite athletes

Favorite music genres are indie rock and techno

Majored in economics at Washington and graduated in three-and-a-half years

Interned at Pacific Capital as a financial planner in 2005

DIEGO CHARA
With the Timbers, is reunited with countryman Jorge Perlaza, whom he has known since he was 12 and has played with previously

FUTTY DANSO
Has two sets of families, one in the United States and his biological family back in The Gambia

Favorite soccer clubs include Italy’s Juventus and England’s Chelsea

Is also a talented volleyball and tennis player

If wasn’t a professional soccer player, would likely be an engineer, working on fighter planes

BRIGHT DIKE
Is an avid sports fan

Favorite sports teams are Arsenal and Barcelona

Both hip hop and R&B top his list of favorite music genres

Likes to travel and visit new places

Has met President Obama

Loves working with computers, would be in information technology if not for soccer

Enjoys cooking


JAKE GLEESON
A native of New Zealand, also grew up playing cricket, a sport he likes watching

Enjoys playing guitar and listening to music

Is a fan of TV shows “Jersey Shore” and “Flight of the Conchords”

Golfs in his free time

DAVID HORST
Majored in Civil Engineering while attending Old Dominion

JACK JEWSBURY
Favorite international club is Liverpool

Is an avid golfer

Loves to play basketball during the off-season

Scored 59 goals his senior season and 124 for his career, both marks are state records, at Kickapoo
High School in Springfield, Mo.

Traveled three-and-a-half hours every weekend to play youth soccer for Busch S.C. in St. Louis

RYAN KAWULOK
Grandfather, Anthony Kawulok, played professional soccer in Poland prior to World War II and cousins played collegiate football at Colorado State and San Diego State

JAMES MARCELIN
Is an avid video gamer, and particularly enjoys playing PlayStation

Likes a variety of music

Claims favorite movie to be ATL

Favorite things to watch on TV are soccer channels

DARLINGTON NAGBE
Father, Joe, is a former captain of the Liberian National Team

Member of the U.S. U-15 National Team pool in 2004

LOVEL PALMER
Enjoys listening to music, watching movies, and going to the beach

Played cricket as a youngster

Did not begin playing soccer until the age of 10 and did not join a competitive team until he
was 13


TROY PERKINS
Lists carpentry as a hobby

Is a skilled chef, specializing in southern dishes.

STEVE PURDY
Speaks three languages, including Spanish and German

Grew up playing basketball, baseball and soccer

From the Bay Area, lists the San Francisco 49ers as one of his favorite sports teams.

CHARLES RENKEN
Before agreeing to a deal with TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, trained with English clubs Arsenal and Reading as well as German side 1860 Munich

SEBASTIAN RINCON
Is the son of recognized Colombian soccer player Freddy Rincón, who played in three World Cups for the Colombian National Team

FRANCK SONGO'O
Father, Jacques, played professionally for nearly 20 years for clubs in France, Spain and Cameroon
and was a member of the Cameroon National Team that competed in the 1984 Olympics and four FIFA World Cups

CHRIS TAYLOR
Graduated with a degree in management with a specialization in entrepreneurship and family business

Lettered in soccer, cross country, track and football at Casady High School in Oklahoma City

Enjoys listening to country music, listing George Strait and Kenny Chesney among his favorite artists

Is an avid outdoorsman, partaking in fishing, hiking, mountain biking and skiing.

JOSE ADOLFO VALENCIA
Nicknamed “El Trencito” (the Little Train), Valencia is the son of popular former Colombian international Adolfo Valencia, who played in the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups

Adolfo Valencia, known as “El Tren” (the Train), had a 16-year professional career (1988-2004),
which included stints with Santa Fe, Germany’s Bayern Munich, Spain’s Atlético Madrid and in MLS with the MetroStars from 2000-01.


RODNEY WALLACE
Played with former Timbers midfielder Jeremy Hall at Maryland

Enjoys watching movies

SAL ZIZZO
Lists Manchester United forward Michael Owen as one of his favorite athletes

Was also a four-year letterman in baseball at Patrick Henry High School

Likes all types of music

Enjoys playing video games

In the offseason, opened an Italian foodcart, Zizzo’s FC, in downtown Portland

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