Cascadia Cup Preview - A Battle for 1st Place this Thursday

Portland Timbers

VS

Vancouver Whitecaps

7pm @ PGE Park
Thursday April 29th
Online @ PortlandTimbers.com
Radio on 95.5 The Game
TV on FSN

The 2010 Cascadia Cup begins on Thursday, as the Vancouver Whitecaps must make their first trip inside the confines of PGE Park this season to face the Portland Timbers and their army of rabid supporters. Thursday's contest will mark the first of four meetings between the Timbers and the Whitecaps this season, essentially a four game series for the right to be called the best soccer team in the Northwest. This will be the 7th time the 2-foot tall silver Cup will be contested for and will also be the 2nd year in a row that the Seattle Sounders will not be apart of the competition. Traditionally, the Cascadia Cup has been an ongoing tournament between the Portland Timbers, the Vancouver Whitecaps, and the Seattle Sounders, the championship awarded annually to the team that finishes with the best record after all the regular season matches between the teams are played. Last season, as a result of the Sounders moving to the MLS, the Cascadia Cup was played for by only the Timbers and the Whitecaps, with the Timbers winning 2 out of the 3 match-ups and capturing their first-ever Cascadia Cup Championship. However, it was the Whitecaps who eliminated Portland from the playoffs later that year, so be ready for a spirited contest and a revenge-filled atmosphere when these two heated rivals finally kick off again. You can go here if you'd like a more thorough history of the Cascadia Cup.

Thursday will also be a meeting between the two teams that are currently tied for 1st place in the USSF Division-2 Po League. Both the Timbers and the Whitecaps have totaled 7 points by earning records of 2-0-1 so far this season, as the Timbers sit atop of the USL division and the Caps are leading their respective NASL division. Portland is coming off a disappointing 1-1 draw against Montreal this past Sunday, in which a controversial foul called on Quavas Kirk resulted in a late-game penalty kick for the Impact.

The key for Portland will be scoring goals. Offensively, the Timbers have struggled at times, execution and consistency hasn't been perfect, and the team could really use some more production out of their forwards. So far, they've been too reliant on midfielder Ryan Pore, someone else needs to step up soon. Finishing in the final third will have to improve. Eventually, if they don't show better offensive cohesiveness, it's going to come back to bite them. The worst news? Vancouver has yet to give up a goal in 3 games played this year.

Although, Vancouver reached the league finals last year, eventually losing to the reigning champion Montreal Impact, head coach Teitur Thordarson and the Caps management still decided to make significant changes to their roster in the off-season. In a similar position to Portland, with both teams existing as MLS scouting stations, the Whitecaps are heavy on new talent, but are still searching to improve their overall chemistry. Fortunately, returning keeper Jay Nolly has provided a steady and reliable influence. As the team's 2009 MVP, Nolly played in every minute of every game for Vancouver last season and so far, nothing has changed this year. Still, Vancouver's solid defensive play has been somewhat surprising considering the handful of new additions to their backline. New starting defenders Nelson Akwari and Greg Janicki both bring MLS experience with them and have filled in smoothly thus far. On the other side of the ball things haven't been as accomplished for Vancouver. With leading scorer Charles Gbeke gone, the burden of offense has fallen to injury prone forward Marlon James, who has only 1 goal so far this year and overall, the Whitecaps have only scored 3 goals in 3 games. So, don't be surprised to see a grinding, defensive battle on Thursday. The team that can make the least amount of errors, display some clutch play, and capitalize on their offensive opportunities should be able to pull out the victory.

Players to Watch
Jay Nolly - Vancouver's excellent goal keeper already has 9 saves to go along with his 3 shutouts. The Timbers will have to really apply the pressure to get a goal past Nolly on Thursday.

Martin Nash - Nash stands as one of the few returning veterans from Vancouver's 2009 squad. The midfielder is the younger brother of NBA star Steve Nash and has played with the team since 2004.

Marcus Haber - The 21-year old forward already has a wealth of experience at such a young age. A promising local prospect from Vancouver BC, Haber fired 3 shots on goal last match. Could be a wild card.

Extra Notes: Vancouver defender Mouloud Akloul scored the game-winner in the Whitecaps 1-0 victory against AC St Louis on Saturday, then he fractured his ankle. Akloul underwent successful surgery this week and is now expected to be out 4 months. Tough luck........ The Blazers will play an elimination playoff game on Thursday, once again conflicting with the Timbers scheduling. How is this going to effect attendance? Unfortunately, I'd only expect around 5,000 again.