Man City Bringing World Cup Stars to Portland

Written by Editor. Posted in England, Portland Timbers, Top Local Stories

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Published on July 12, 2010 with 2 Comments

Adebayor, Vieira and both Toures Among Squad

City are a Huge Coup for the Timbers

Top English Premier League club Manchester City today unveiled their 31-man roster traveling to the USA including a game on July 17th in the Pacific Northwest against the Portland Timbers.

The match takes place next Saturday at the University of Portland’s Merlo Field as part of a preseason tour of the United States. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Manchester City’s squad includes three players who played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, including England’s Shaun Wright-Phillips who played against the USA, and as well as two Ivory Coast stars defender Kolo Toure and younger brother midfielder Yaya Toure.

But some world class individuals whose nations did not make the World Cup are also set to entertain. Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo) and legendary Welsh international forward Craig Bellamy, will be joined by Irish goalkeeper Shay Given, England defender Wayne Bridge, and France’s 1998 World Cup winning captain Patrick Vieira.

Vincent Kompany, Micah Richards and Joleon Lescott who will be in the Pacific Northwest for the second year running are also on a star studded travel roster. Lescott was part of the Everton squad who trained in Seattle for a couple of days prior to the All Star game.

Manchester City begin their preseason tour of the United States with a nine-day training camp in Portland and makes the only appearance on the West Coast in the exhibition against the Timbers, at a stadium that holds just 4,900 people.

Joleon Lescott in Seattle in 2009
Greg Roth

Founded in 1880, Manchester City are one of the most historic clubs in England with leaguie and FA Cup honours. The Citizens finished the 2009-10 Premier League season in fifth place and earned a berth into the 2010-11 UEFA Europa League, formerly known as the UEFA Cup.

Many Legends in Man United Squad for USA Tour

Interview with MLS Portland COO Mike Golub

Manchester City Travel Roster
Goalkeepers (4): Shay Given, David Gonzalez, Joe Hart, Stuart Taylor

Defenders (12): Dedryk Boyata, Wayne Bridge, Greg Cunningham, Javier Garrido, Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott, Ben Mee, Nedum Onuoha, Micah Richards, Kieran Trippier, Kolo Toure, Pablo Zabaleta

Midfielders (9): Abdisalam Ibrahim, Stephen Ireland, Adam Johnson, Michael Johnson, Scott Kay, Yaya Toure, Andrew Tutte, Patrick Vieira, Shaun Wright-Phillips

Strikers(6): Emmanuel Adebayor, Craig Bellamy, John Guidetti, Jeremy Helan, Alex Nimely, Jo Silva

2 Comments

Comments for Man City Bringing World Cup Stars to Portland are now closed.

  1. Tacoma

    July 13, 2010 at 1:17 pm

    I just don’t understand how Portland was able to pull this off. How did it come to be that City agreed to come all this way and then play in front of such a small crowd?

    I am slightly envious, that Portland can watch City play and San Jose have Tottenham. We’ve got Celtic. Ugh.

  2. seanfenn

    July 14, 2010 at 12:51 am

    It was the Nike connection. Read the interview of new Timbers GM Golub.