PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced that forward Byron Alvarez will join the club as a guest player for the international exhibition match against Mexican club U.A.N.L. Tigres on Tuesday at PGE Park. Alvarez is the Timbers’ modern franchise scoring leader with 41 goals.

 

Kickoff for the Timbers’ exhibition match against Tigres on Tuesday, July 15, presented by The Oregonian, is set for 7 p.m. Tickets, starting at $15, are available through the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (503) 224-4400.

 

A native of Mexico City, Mexico, Alvarez was a member of the Timbers from 2003-06 and ranks among modern franchise career leaders in goals (41), points (91), games (96) and minutes (6,773) played. During his time with the Timbers, Alvarez was a two-time all-league selection and notched a career-high 16 goals in 2004 to help the Timbers capture the USL First Division Regular-Season Championship. He scored eight goals in 25 matches with the Charleston Battery last season.

 

Alvarez, 29, began his professional career at the age of 16 and played for Mexican clubs La Piedad, Astros and Tampico before signing with the New York Red Bulls, then called the MetroStars, of Major League Soccer in 2002. He began playing professional indoor soccer in the Major Indoor Soccer League in 2005 and led expansion club La RaZa, based in Monterrey, Mexico, to the 2007-08 MISL championship match.

 

Tigres competes in the Primera Division, Mexico’s top tier, and features several players with international experience including forward Francisco Fonseca, who competed in the 2006 World Cup for Mexico, and Panamanian National Team striker Blas Perez. Tigres is the only Mexican club to have earned two berths in to the Copa Libertadores, a prestigious South American tournament. The Timbers are one of eight preseason matches for Tigres as they gear up for the 2008 Apertura season.