Portland and Salt Lake are mentioned as potential exhibition sites for a Lyon preseason tour in the US. http://timbers.theoffside.com/friendlies/a-lyon-friendly-for-the-portland-timbers.html
i'd like to see that happen, but OL does the peace cup every year, have just set up an academy in dubaï, and one can only stretch oneself so thin. i think an even better idea would be for the OL women's team to tour the states. they're one of the best teams in the world, the states is like mecca for ladies' football, and a trip like that would be a nice reward for them. they would give the USWNT a match to remember, in front of the biggest crowd they ever saw, and probably sell some jerseys too!
Apparently there's no Peace Cup this year: it will be held next year in Spain hosted by Real Madrid. Jean-Michel Aulas is trying to convince the Peace Cup organisers to invite the female teams too…
Come hang out with us in Portland for this match. We always roll out the red carpet for visiting supporters (with one or two team exceptions), especially when it's a friendly. We'll treat you right. If another Timbers fan doesn't buy you a beverage of your choice - I will.
Wow, thanks for the invite! It's something I would definitely consider. I've never been the Pacific Northwest (but I've been to Africa twice, go figure...) and OL going to Portland might be the tip of the iceberg I need to visit.
Bad news: according to a local radio Claude Puel, our new coach, has asked Jean-Michel Aulas to cancel the US tour this summer in order to prepare the team correctly: he won't get all the players till mid July due to the players holidays after the Euro competition. The tour will probably be rescheduled later.
Well Juninho will be in Houston for the Free Kick Masters thing on July 5. Is there anyway I can contact someone at OL to find out if he's doing any public appearances in Houston? www.freekickmasters.com
i just took a look at the FKM site... too bad for juni there's no 40 meter distance! i don't think he'll be there under the auspices of OL but as a private individual, so probably no info there. and he'll probably just be flying in and out of houston for this. but my guess is that there will be autograph possibilities at the event, and he won't be the most sought after, so you might get a chance to meet him, especially if you wear an OL jersey. at a chelsea-club america match at stanford last summer we got flo malouda's attention while he was warming up and exchanged a few words that way. juninho is generally very generous in terms of autographs and such, he's one of the players who always comes over to sign a few at practices, and i remember when the spurs came here (san antonio, not tottenham) for an exhibition match, he barely got a chance to see the game, but never sent any kids away or seemed peeved.
Thanks! Good point about Juni being here as Juni, not as an OL player. I live and work a few minutes away from our "centre du commercial", the Galleria, in Houston. Maybe I can run into him there.