Soccer Fan Pro

For the second time this season, the Austin Aztex of the USSF Division 2 Pro League have acquired a player on loan from the league’s Crystal Palace Baltimore.

This time, the player on loan to them is Japanese midfielder Tsuyoshi Yoshitake, who has three goals and an assist in 24 games with Baltimore this season.

Before joining Baltimore, Yoshitake played for the Charleston Battery in the USL First Division as well as for Tokyo Verdy 1969 and Yokohama FC in Japan’s J-League.

Recently, the Aztex received forward Randi Patterson on a loan deal for the rest of the season.

The Portland Timbers, who will join Major League Soccer as a 2011 expansion team after playing this season in the USSF Division 2 Pro League, announced Thursday the signing of a multi-year deal with Alaska Airlines.

The airline will become the team’s Official Airline and Official Jersey Sponsor, the presenting sponsor for all team youth soccer camps, a partner with the team’s community foundation on youth fitness and educational initiatives, and will donate 25 tickets to each home game to area youth.

Despite the wishes of his doctors that he not return to playing for Major League Soccer’s best team this season, the Los Angeles Galaxy, until October 1, midfielder David Beckham said in an interview Thursday on the team’s website (http://www.lagalaxy.com/) he will return to playing September 11 when they host the Columbus Crew at The Home Depot Center.

Beckham has not played for the team since tearing his left Achilles tendon March 14 while on loan to AC Milan of Italy’s Serie A, but has been undergoing rehabilitation for the injury.

He does admit “I’ll be on the bench, and hopefully, I’ll get on the field for 15-20 minutes. That’s what I’m looking at.”

The Vancouver Whitecaps, currently of the USSF Division 2 Pro League but who will join Major League Soccer in the 2011 season, announced Thursday they will keep current head coach Teitur Thordarson to lead the franchise.

Since joining the organization on 2008, Vancouver has a record of 44-27-37 and won the 2008 USL First Division Championship, but were not able to defend the title, losing in the 2009 USL-1 Championship Game to the Montreal Impact, also now a D-2 member.

Vancouver currently leads the D-2′s NASL Conference with a record of 9-3-13 and 40 points and will host the Puerto Rico Islanders Sunday at Swangard Stadium.

The Chicago Red Stars of Women’s Professional Soccer announced prior to Wednesday’s play forward Ella Masur, who scored a team-high eight goals this season over a 12-game stretch, would miss Wednesday’s game against the expansion Philadelphia Independence at Toyota Park and Sunday’s home match against the Washington Freedom after choosing to undergo surgery on her septum last week while the team was on a break.

Masur will still be sent, as planned, on a loan to Norway’s LSK Kvinner FK and will return for the Red Stars’ third season in WPS in 2011.