The

announced today that the club has acquired Ugandan forward Brian Umony (oo-MO-nee) on loan from South African club University of Pretoria FC for the 2011 season.

As part of the loan agreement, the Timbers will have the option of purchasing the rights to Umony upon the conclusion of the loan term. The forward has been in camp with the Timbers throughout preseason and scored a goal in the club's preseason draw with the LA Galaxy.

Umony, 22, joins the Timbers after playing parts of the last two seasons in South Africa. He was awarded Uganda's 2007-08 FUFA Footballer of the Year award, scoring 15 goals in a standout season with Kampala City Council FC that season. Umony has also been a notable scorer for the Uganda National Team, amassing eight goals in 11 international appearances.

Born in Kampala, Uganda, Umony burst on to the international scene for Uganda, making his national team debut during the 2008 Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) Cup. He scored five goals in the tournament, including the game-winning goal in the final, to lead Uganda to the tournament championship and capture the golden boot award. Umony recently represented his country in a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Sept. 4, 2010, against Angola.

The Timbers open the

Saturday at Colorado.

More on this later.