By Paul Kennedy

Most MLS clubs must devote all their energy trying to fill their seats. The Portland Timbers are trying to figure out what food carts will serve food at home games at Jeld-Wen Field. Do you want bao or reindeer sausage or a gyro with your Widmer?

That's the luxury you have when every game is a sell-out.

Through the Portland Timbers Food Cart Alliance (PTFCA), a program designed to promote the Rose City’s food cart culture,  the Timbers conducted a poll of fans to pick the food carts that will have the opportunity to serve their fare on Timbers and Thorns FC match days.

The five carts that received the most votes will serve at three events:

1. Big Ass Sandwiches (the name says it all)
2. Basha's Mediterranean Cuisine (falafel sandwiches, mezzas, gyros and the like)
3. Stumplings Dumplings (steamed dumplings and bao)
4. Grinds (traditional Hawaiian plate lunches)
t5. Timber's Doghouse PDX (tator tot bowls)
t5. Nong's Khao Man Gai (famous khao man gai -- Hainan chicken)

ORLANDO LAND BUY. The Orlando city council approved the purchase of land a block west of the Amway Center, home of the NBA's Orlando Magic. The price tag for the four parcels is $4 million and was labeled a "strategic acquisition," believed to be the first move in the city's bid to attract an MLS franchise with a soccer-specific stadium.

Orlando City has designs for a 18,800-seat stadium with a price tag -- including land costs -- of about $110 million. Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer would not be specific about the plans for the land.

"It is one of the premiere blocks in Parramore," Dyer told the Orlando Sentinel. "It's one of the blocks that was identified by the Parramore Task Force about eight years ago for a public purpose, so it's a piece that we have wanted to have for a long time."

Separately, Orlando is looking to help the Magic find land in the same area to build a new arena.

NWSL HIRES DONNELLY. The National Women’s Soccer League named Patrick Donnelly as its director of communications responsible for all communications and media relations for the new league.

Donnelly was the Los Angeles Galaxy's director of Communications for eight years (2005-2012), leading all communications efforts for the club during the David Beckham era.

He spent the last five months in the Sports Information Department at UCLA, working with several teams as well as assisting with the opening of the new Pauley Pavilion.
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