Portland Timbers 2010 USSF Season Preview

Great Expectations
Excitement is building. If you close your eyes you can feel it in the air, smell it. The Timbers are becoming harder to ignore. They're on the sides of buses, on Max trains, and on billboards. You see them on fliers and posters, hear them talked about on the radio, or maybe even notice them pasted on the side of the Foosball table at your local bar. People in this city are starting to talk Timbers and for good reason. The Portland Timbers are about to show the world why this franchise and its amazing fan base have earned the moniker Soccer City USA. And that's exciting.

With the team's recent success and the MLS in their sights, the enthusiasm generated has placed questions in many people's minds. Can the Timbers repeat their regular season best 16-4-10 record this year? Can they pull through in the playoffs and bring Portland its first championship? Is it possible to match the historic 24 match unbeaten streak from last season? Is it possible for ALL of Portland to become apart of Soccer City USA? How incredible is it going to be when the team's playing in a newly renovated PGE Park? And will God part the Willamette River for the Timbers in 2011? Sometimes the problem with excitement is it can carry with it the burden of heavy expectations. The anticipation of something great. The feeling of enthusiasm or expectancy a child might have before tearing open presents on Christmas morning. When the Timbers cut the ribbon on this season and burst out of the box, will they be headed for something great?

A Tremendous 2009
One certainty is that the 2009 season was truly great. The team blazed into the record books with a 24 match unbeaten steak, either winning or doing enough to earn a draw for over 4 months. They won the regular season's Commissioner's Cup with the USL's best record. And for a franchise that has had a recent history of tough defense, but minimal offense, the Timbers were a legitimate offensive juggernaut last year. They scored 43 goals in 30 games. Mandjou Keita lead the league in total points. Steve Cronin was a star in front of the goal and the defense only allowed 19 goals all season. The team wasn't the only bright spot though. We saw the Timber's Army continue to gain recruits as attendance numbers increased once again. We saw the growth of the Timber's U-23 team and the benefits of such a program with players like Rodrigo Lopez. And of course 2009 was the year that it became official - the Timbers will be be promoted to the big leagues in 2011.

2011? How about 2010!?
Heading into this season, Portland has accumulated an incredible roster full of talent from all over the world. It's natural for players looking to find their way into the MLS to find a stage where their accomplishments will be noticed by those who matter. The Timbers will possess a great deal of depth which should pay dividends as they play their way through the 30 game plus season (including friendlies and the potential postseason). Of course, the drawback anytime you add 11 new players to your roster is the potential for chemistry issues. How long will it take to incorporate them into the system and how long will it take the team to gel again? One thing the new Timbers should realize quickly is that this is a team that plays unselfish, efficient soccer with an emphasis on aggressive, shutdown defense and most importantly this is a group of men who place team over everything else. The foundation is well built.

Returning Players
It all starts with the defense. Keeper Steve Cronin had a career year and don't expect much to change. Knowing there's such a reliable wall behind you allows the defense to take chances and make plays. The Timber's backline returns most of its core players in Scot Thompson, Stephen Keel, Cameron Knowles, Mamdou Danso, and Josh Cameron, but lose Takura Nishimura and David Hayes. The loss of veteran David Hayes to retirement has the potential to sting the most and the Timbers will need to fill the void with the loss of his consistent and steady play. Also, popular and talented defender Cameron Knowles remains out due to the fractured knee he suffered last season and targets a mid-season return date, possibly late in July. Until then, Portland will have to rely on the experience of guys like Stephen Keel, who returns for his 2nd year. Keel became a vocal leader by the end of last season and his tenacity and physical play really help to set the tone for the backline. And of course, any conversation about the Timber's defense requires mentioning of Scot "with one t" Thompson. Thompson will play his 7th season for the club this year, making him the longest tenured player on the roster. His leadership, passion, diligence, and work in the community are invaluable to this team and to the city in general.

For the most part, the midfield returns in tact. The only losses being Tom Poltl and Shaun Higgins, who only combined for 165 minutes last season. Likely starters in the middle will include Brian Farber, Tony McManus, Johan Claesson, and the team's 2nd leading scorer Ryan Pore. McManus and Farber both bring a relentless and energetic style of play, as well as excell at creating opportunities for their teammates. Look for them to set the tone of the game, their energy is often contagious and rubs off on the rest of the team. Swedish product Johan Claesson also returns for his 2nd season with more experience under his belt and if health isn't a concern, anticipate a huge year from him. Ryan Pore remains one of the team's most exciting players and it'll be interesting to see if he can keep up his success and avoid a 2nd year slump. Depth is solid in the midfield. Alex Nimo and Keith Savage both played key minutes for the team and don't be surprised to see them each start a handful of games as the season wears on. Alex Nimo is an exciting, young spark-plug of a player on loan from MLS champions Real Salt Lake who also has local ties.

Upfront Portland possesses Mandjou Keita, a dynamic scoring machine, who's literally a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Production from him will be vital, but more difficult this year as opposing teams will surely throw tougher defensive schemes at him this season. Keita will get plenty of help from his fellow starting forward, George Josten. Josten is a young stud, who although inconsistent at times, still managed a solid year recording 5 goals and 4 assists. They'll also find quality bench support from veteran Taka Suzuki, a fan favorite because of the Japanese import's thrilling play on the field.

The New Guys
Eleven new players means competition for minutes will be strong. Most of the logjam will occur on the defensive side. Newcomers Ian Joy, Steve Purdy, and Quavas Kirk are all big-time talents and add to what was already possibly the league's best defense. The responsibility of replacing David Hayes goes to Ian Joy and Joy seems up to the task. A wealth of experience in Europe, Joy brings confidence and strong leadership qualities, all of which have helped to earn him captain status even before he's played a single home game for this team. Kirk and Purdy are both players that have generated excitement among fans in the offseason and both should both get opportunities to contribute in major ways this season as well.

Other additions to the 2010 roster include midfielders Derek Gaudet and James Marcelin. Don't be shocked to see Marcelin earn a lot of minutes. He's a big, athletic player, who's recently played his way onto the Haitian National team. The Timbers also added a few new scoring options upfront in Bright Dike, Doug DeMartin, and Gabe Obatola. Minutes could be tough to come by, but Bright Dike is the one to keep an eye on. Dike is a promising young prospect who was drafted 12th overall in this year's MLS Draft, but was cut from the Columbus Crew's roster after their preseason camp ended. Keepers Matt Pyzdrowski and Adin Brown have also joined the team, but will see limited time behind Cronin.

As for coaching, General Manager Gavin Wilkinson is at the helm again with respected assistant coach Amos McGee also returning to the sidelines. They've brought on goal keeper coach Adam Smith who brings with him experience from the English Premiere League system. Quality coaching is not something the Timbers are short on.

Outlook
With the collapse of the USL and finally the formation of the USSF, the whole complicated mess worked out for the most part. But in some ways, the future of the league is still somewhat unstable. Expect the unexpected. With a handful of new teams and couple of clubs like Rochester completely re-tooling their roster, there are a lot of questions marks around the league. More teams are surely to go and others will have to be found or created. Defending champions Montreal has made an aggressive bid for the MLS. Also, the Vancouver Whitecaps will be joining the Timbers in the MLS next year, so much like our team they should be well stockpiled with capable talent. Expect the playoffs to be a minefield again and expect Vancouver and Montreal to be there near the end.

Portland also has a favorable schedule this year. Expect them to finish near the top of the league. They'll begin the season with 7 out of their first 9 games played at PGE Park. The Timbers are absolutely dominant at home. They'll have a great chance for a winning start and will also have an early opportunity to build that necessary chemistry. Unfortunately, they'll be forced to finish their last 4 games of the season on the road, with the last match-up being a showdown in Vancouver. By then however, the team should have momentum built and be ready for the challenges of playing away from home or at least that's what one might.....expect.

Expectation can be a funny thing though. To achieve success you must expect success? Did someone famous say that? On the other hand, expectations create pressure, which can lead to disappointment. Sometimes you open up that beautifully wrapped gift under the tree and get a sweater. Expectations can often make people feel a sense of entitlement as well. I expect this because it is rightfully mine. Hmmm.....Yeah, come to think of it, Portland does deserve that league championship this year, don't they?