Portland, Do We Have A Problem?

It's been pretty gloomy in Portland lately. Bits of sun overshadowed by bunches of clouds, plenty of rain, and a lot of gray, but really, just another crazy spring in the Rose City. Northwest weather has a tendency for teasing, getting your hopes up with a bright, beautiful morning only to rain on everyone the rest of the afternoon.

The Timbers started off the season a bit like that.

They gutted out a few early matches, not playing their best, but still finding ways to win. Then the clouds started to roll in. A loss to Crystal Palace at home. Giving up a last minute draw to last place AC St Louis at home. A loss to Montreal at home. Of course last Saturday's failed attempt at revenge in Baltimore where the team gave up a 1-0 second half lead. And you could mention the 3-1 friendly loss to FC Puntarenas if you really wanted to mope outside in the cold.

Despite the gray clouds, I can still remember the sun. Not too long ago it was beginning to look like July around here and the warmth just made everything seem better, didn't it? 2009 was simply amazing, a 23 match unbeaten streak and winning the Cascadia Cup. The off-season had its sunshine too with the signing of some well-hyped free agents. Then the nice sellout opening night and those early season wins that somehow came a little too easy. You knew it wasn't going to last, you could feel the rain coming. This is Portland, right?

The Timbers are 0-4-1 in their last five games and have yet to put together a full 90 minute match of their best soccer. Add to the fact that 4 of those matches were at PGE and the Timbers are supposedly in an "easy" stretch of their schedule, and then those clouds start getting even darker. The shots have been there, the effort has been there, so what's missing? Or maybe the question that needs to be asked is, could there be a storm brewing on the Timber's horizon?

Have conditions mixed together to create that infamous Perfect Storm over Portland? A Perfect Storm can be defined as a rare combination of circumstances coming together to create a drastic situation. Certainly, it's not hurricane season in the Northwest, but we're definitely past a light drizzle.

"Obviously, something needs to change." said keeper Steve Cronin after the loss to Montreal.

"We need to make some changes because what we've been doing hasn't been getting it done." said leading scorer Ryan Pore.

Also added Pore, "We need to figure out something fast..."

Like most storms it all starts with the building of pressure and the pressure's been building all around this team the last couple seasons. There's pressure in preparing for the MLS next year. There's pressure from management to perform well and increase the growth of the fanbase. Fan expectations are higher than ever before - compete for the championship, nothing less. Individually, each player's performance carries increased pressure with the future of their pro careers in the balance. Who knows what scout could be watching that particular game? So it's imperative that you're always at your best. More and more the team is being pulled in different directions, more public appearances, more interactions with fans, more responsibilities, its a balancing act. For instance, Coach Wilkinson making recruiting trips out of the country and having to manage different aspects of the team instead of just coaching it.

It's not only the weight of added expectations holding down the Timbers though. Trying to assimilate all the new players into the system quickly and without hitch hasn't been the easiest of tasks. Injuries have been a setback. The team was without its 2009 point leader in Madjou Keita, who missed the first few games because of travel issues. Even bad calls by the officials haven't been in our favor, the ball just doesn't seem to be bouncing our way. Basically, the stars haven't aligned for this team...yet.

But is it inevitable for there to be some growing pains when you're stretched out and reaching for the sky? Or is it just too difficult to avoid looking down after you've climbed up so high?

Maybe Timber fans should ignore all the bad weather and simply blame everything on bad luck instead then pray to some weather deity that everything will be okay. But it's hard to fix a problem if you don't figure out what the problem might be in the first place and clearly the Timbers have a few. Poor communication between our defense has caused problems. A lack of focus and intensity has been an issue (the slow reaction when giving up the equalizer versus Baltimore is a good example) and there's been mediocre play from the central midfield. Offensive balance and finishing chances both need some improvement. When taking in the whole picture, these may seem like little drops, but we all know how a few sprinkles can become a downpour quickly.

Some have asked, when will the rain all end? In other words, what's the solution? Which rain dance will make the rain go away?

Portland management followed the blueprint. They assembled arguably the most talented team in the league. The Timbers have out shot opponents, controlled possession, and looked solid defensively, aside from a few of costly lapses. Overall, the Timbers (3-3-1) are in a 3-way tie for 4th place in the standings with 11 total points and only 6 points behind 1st place Austin.

"I don't think it's time to hit the panic button." said Pore, stoically and with a quiet assurance.

The key is patience. Portland needs time to adjust to all the changes taking place around them, both on and off the field. Working new players into the rotation takes time and usually doesn't happen overnight. It takes time for the Jello to settle. So far, Portland's play has been a mixed bag with stretches of stellar soccer thrown in with moments when the team seems to be rushing things, pressing the action, and feeling the burden of all those expectations. Playing with more patience should help, as well as having enough confidence in your principles to know that they'll come through in the end.

It's a good thing Portlanders are familiar with exercising their patience. We know there's always sunshine around the next cloud and when it comes we'll all bask in it. Look at last season's league champions Montreal, they had plenty of thunderstorms and moments to choke at before they got to the good stuff.

So, wait out the storm, be patient, have a little faith, and soon, Portland will have its day in the sun too.