Thursday, November 11, 2010

Timbers Defender Thompson Announces Retirement

Defender Scot Thompson announced his retirement Wednesday after seven seasons playing with the Portland Timbers of the USL First Division and the USSF Division 2 Pro League.

Thompson leaves the Major League Soccer-bound 2011 season expansion team as the all-time career leader in games and minutes during their USL-1 era at 156 games and 12,994 minutes from 2004 to 2010 and had nine goals and nine assists.

He began his professional career by being drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft following a successful college career at UCLA, where he led them to the 2002 NCAA Men's College Cup Championship and himself to a spot on the All-Tournament Team

Thompson started 70 of 79 career games with the Bruins and had eight goals and three assists in his career.

He was a three-time All-Pac-10 Conference selection, including being picked for the First Team in 2002, and was the team's Defensive Most Valuable Player in the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

In his 2002 senior season, he was also named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's All-Far West Second Team and earned preseason All-American consideration by Soccer America.

Thompson also played for the US Men's National Team at the U-18, U-20 and U-23 teams, helping the U-23 team of 2003 to a second place finish at the Vale do Tejo International Tournament in Portugal.

He also spent time in England under trials with Sunderlund FC in 2005 and Coventry City in 2006.

Loaned to the Timbers midway through the 2004 MLS season, in which he contributed to the Galaxy's run at the Supporters Shield, which goes to the team with the best regular season record in the league, Thompson signed with Portland in the 2005 USL-1 season.

He was named to the USL-1 All-League Team twice and helped them claim two USL Commisioner's Cups for the best regular season record in the league in 2004 and 2009.

Thompson was named to the league's Top 25 Players of the Decade (2000-09) by USLSoccer.com and, in 2006, was named to represent USL in their annual All-Star Game, that year against Sheffield Wednesday of the English Premier League.

In 2007, Thompson was a member of Portland's defensive unit that set single-season franchise records for shutouts (14) and fewest goals allowed (18), playing in 27 games.

Two seasons later, he led the Timbers to a league-record 24-game unbeaten streak and shared the league lead in fewest goals allowed with 19 as they won the Commissioner's Cup.

In 2010, Thompson, besides playing in the USSF D-2, he was named the team's community ambassador.

Thompson will remain active in Portland soccer through being the girls coaching director and cach at Bridlemile Soccer Club and as girls varsity head coach at Oregon Episcopal School.

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