In response to the Team Owner’s Association (TOA) announcement that the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Crystal Palace Baltimore will be joining a prospective new professional soccer league, United Soccer Leagues (USL) has issued the following statement:

The Portland Timbers today announced the club’s 2010 tryout schedule, which will include the annual invite-only combine and an open tryout. The open tryout will be held January 23-24, while the invite-only combine will take place January 30-31.

Rochester Rhinos General Manager and Director of Soccer Operations Pat Ercoli announced that the club has agreed to terms with Bob Lilley as the team’s next head coach. Lilley is a two-time USL-1 Coach of the Year with ten seasons of USL-1 coaching experience under his belt, having previously been at the helm with Hershey Wildcats, Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps.

The Portland Timbers today announced that forward Mandjou Keita will join top-flight Indian club Salgaocar Sport Club on loan during the 2009-10 I-League Division 1 season.

The National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum distributed the 2010 Player Ballot Monday to all voters. The ballot features 24 retired national team and professional players who all have contributed to the growth of soccer in the United States, including nine former players of USL leagues.

In the Austin Aztex's continuing quest to find young talent, President Phil Rawlins and director Gary Mellor recently made a scouting trip to Senegal. They were the guests of Salif Diao, who was a past captain of the Senegal national team and is currently a first-team player of Aztex affiliate, Stoke City. Head coach Adrian Heath, meanwhile, was in Haiti scouting potential new additions.