Game Preview: The Last Home Game

Portland Timbers

VS
Puerto Rico Islanders

Thursday September 2nd
7pm @ PGE Park
Online live @ PortlandTimbers.com
Radio on 95.5 the Game

It's almost here. Thursday evening the Portland Timbers will not only play their last home game of the season, but will also play their final regular season game at PGE Park. Next season, the Timbers will be promoted to the MLS and their stadium will be upgraded with them. Along with a new name and sponsor, the park will be redesigned during the offseason, transforming it into one of the top soccer-specific venues in the country. Since its creation in 1926, PGE Park (originally Multnomah Stadium) has been a landmark site, full of tradition, and meaningful sports moments for this city. Get ready to add another one to the list. When Portland hosts Puerto Rico tomorrow evening expect a sellout crowd. Expect excitement. Expect the fans to honor the franchise and this organization for all the great times they've provided and for all that they've done for the community. Expect the team to return those sentiments with some passionate play on the field. Expect something special.

"It's gonna be very special." Said Ryan Pore when asked about his expectations for tomorrow evening. "These fans have helped to put Portland on the map soccer-wise and we gotta go out and try to thank them for that, and that starts with our performance on Thursday."

"We're really excited to play in front of these fans," Added Bright Dike. "They give us energy in the games, so its just exciting and fun to play your best for them."

However, as jubilant and emotional as an occasion that the last home game might be, the Timber's opponents Puerto Rico could probably care less. Bottom line, there's still a soccer game that needs to be won.

"It's exciting, but it's just another game." Said midfielder Keith Savage. "Hopefully, we'll have a big crowd - we wanna go out of this stadium with a win."

The Timbers (10-7-8, 38pts) have sole possession of 4th place in the league table and are 6pts ahead of sixth-place Puerto Rico (8-7-8, 32pts). With only 5 games remaining in the regular season, Portland continues to build positive momentum as they move closer and closer to the postseason. So far so good. The Timbers are currently unbeaten in their last five matches. And perhaps more importantly, they've managed to score 8 goals in the last 5 games, a sign that their offensive is becoming more comfortable, confident, and cohesive.

"We're on a roll right now," Said Savage. "We haven't been beaten in a little while and we've been playing better and better. Our attitude is right and that's what's important."

The 4-3-3 Formation
The Timber's debuted a new formation this past Sunday in their 3-0 victory over Baltimore - the 4-3-3. For most of the season, Coach Gavin Wilkinson has opted to use the traditional 4-4-2 system, perhaps the most widely used formation in soccer. However, with the team's lack of offensive production, the team needed a change, something to consistently create better chances, and the 4-3-3 seems like a possible answer.

How does this system work and how does it specifically help the team? On Sunday, Pore was moved from his usual midfield position up to left-forward, putting 3 players in front and leaving 3 in the midfield.

"It puts me in my natural position as a left winger." Said Pore. "We're able to keep possession in the midfield more with Johan (Claesson) and Keith in the attacking midfield and with James (Marcelin) or Tony (McManus) underneath protecting from behind us. It gives us a lot of options."

"It frees us to go forward a little more and we can be a little more creative." Said Savage. "We have two strong holder-mids to sit behind the guys up front and (that makes) us tougher to defend and more exciting to watch."

Portland played one of their best games of the season using the 4-3-3. In fact, Coach Wilkinson said that is was maybe the "best 20 minute of soccer he's seen in the last 2 years". The Timbers looked fluid and were able to pass the ball efficiently, keeping possession for long stretches. With only three players at midfield instead of four, there seemed to be more space for the team to operate, allowing for more scoring chances, and allowing the team to bring more players up on the attack.

"It gives us more options going forward and we start higher on the field," Said Savage. "Instead of sitting back in our own half and having a lot of side-to-side, we're able to do a lot up and down the field and get in behind the forwards. So it's fun to play in. "

"When you play a 4-3-3 its gonna give a (defender) more space." Added defender Steve Purdy. "For instance, with Ryan Pore on my side and he's stretching the (opposing) team's defense then I have all that space in between. So I can take that space and use it to my advantage."

And on the defensive side of the ball? How does the 4-3-3 effect the job of the backline?

"For the most part it's pretty much the same," Says Purdy, "But you do gotta be aware of different runners coming in from different angles and different positions out on the field."

It wouldn't be surprising to see the Timber's use this formation again Thursday evening, as they matched their highest scoring output of the season Sunday. Still, the team could make changes to their system at any point, depending on the opponent or the strategic need for that game.

"When everyone's playing off each other it really doesn't really matter what (formation) we're in as long as everyone's in tune and playing well." Said Dike.

Mixing with the New Blood
Along with adapting to changes in the playing formation, the Timbers must also incorporate new players into the system with only a month left before the playoffs. In the last couple weeks, Portland has signed 3 new free agents, including forward Ibad Muhamadu, midfielder Kalif Alhassan, and defender Kevin Goldthwaite. Top talent with a chance to move up to the MLS in 2011. How has bringing in "new blood" effected the team's chemistry this late in the season?

"We've all been around professional franchises enough to know that their gonna bring in different players and evaluate them." Said Pore. "It is what is, but you just gotta concentrate on what you're doing, your job, and do your best for the team."

"The players that are coming in are quality players, so it's not as hard as you might think." Said Dike. "It's not like college where you're bringing in a freshman to try and learn a new system. They're professionals and veterans, people that I can still learn from."

Overall, the players have kept a positive attitude about all the adjustments going on around them. Said Savage: "We've got a lot of talent, but it's a good problem to have. The level of practice is only better because of it. Whoever is put on the field is gonna play their hardest and if they don't play well then someone else can come in. So it's not a problem and I don't think it effects chemistry, it just makes everyone play harder."

"Change is always tough, but this whole year has been change for everyone." Reflected Purdy. "At the beginning of the season with some of the games that came down to the wire maybe we didn't get the best result, but we're a team that kinda thrives off a little bit of adversity, so now I feel like we can adapt to any kind of change that's (put in front of us)."

About The Islanders
Portland's not the only team in the USSF that's been playing well recently. Puerto Rico is riding a 9 match unbeaten streak and are coming of a 3-2 win over Carolina this past weekend. The outcome of Thursday's match could have a significant impact on the standings, a possible 6 point swing in either direction. A win puts Portland 9pts ahead, but a loss would leave Puerto Rico only 3pts behind with enough games left on the season to still catch up.

"They're right on our heels points wise." Said Pore. "It's important for us to jump on them early and get the crowd involved and feed of (that energy)."

"They're a good team," Said Dike. "We've gotta focus and make sure we play our game."

The Islanders have a solid offensive team, scoring the 5th most goals in the league, finding the back of the net 31 times this season. Forwards Nicholas Addlery and David Foley have lead the way offensively - Addlery with 6 goals, 4 assists and Foley scoring 8 goals this season. However, Addlery could be the biggest handful for the Timber's backline. The former DC United player, is an imposing and athletic Jamaican born striker, who has scored 2 goals and recorded 2 assists in his last 3 games.

"They like to play off their top guy, they have a strong forward and they're gonna be trying to find him most of the time, so we have to dig deep in the back and physically match up against him. If he does win some of those balls, we gotta make sure we win those second balls, just make sure we control the second balls and clean things up. "

"It's just a huge game." Said Pore. "There's a lot of importance in this game and we know that and the fans know that, so we're looking (to do all we can) to get a win."