Face-to-Face: Portland Timbers goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey

Goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey arrived in Portland during the offseason following a successful career with Norwegian Tippeligaen side Strømsgodset, where he won a league title and goalkeeper of the year honors in 2013. Over an eight-year career with Strømsgodset, Kwarasey made 154 league appearances and helped the club to a top-four league finish in each of his final three seasons while also serving as the team’s captain in 2013 and 2014. On the international side, Kwarasey represents Ghana, his father’s home country. The 27-year-old has made 23 appearances for the Ghana National Team since earning his debut for the Black Stars on Sept. 2, 2011, including an appearance in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Fatherhood
“My son was born on June 7 and I was actually in Miami for the pre-World Cup camp. They met me at the airport in Norway when I got back (from the World Cup) and that was the first time I held him. He was sleeping. It was a nice feeling. It was like no other feeling. I’ve never felt anything like it. It was definitely the best feeling I’ve ever had.”

Last Thing I Read
“It’s a book about Vladimir Putin (current president and former prime minister of Russia), about his upbringing and how he made it to his position, his way from bottom. I’ve heard he’s quite a character and I wanted to read people’s thoughts about it and read a book about his life.”

Getting Into Nature
“The nature here is unbelievable, like the mountains. I’m from Norway and we have a lot of mountains, but to be in the city and see a mountain like that (Mt. Hood), it’s unbelievable. Hopefully, we will get plenty of time to explore the nature here in Oregon. It’s just different from the other parts of the states that I’ve been to – especially the climate and the nature. I’ve been to a lot of cities (in the United States) and have never seen anything like this. People say it rains a lot, but since we came back from Tucson (in preseason), the weather has been maybe as nice as in Miami. It’s just great to be here.”