Game Preview: Final Four on the Road

Watch Live Online @ PortlandTimbers.com

The Portland Timbers (11-7-8, 41pts) will finish their final four games of the regular season on the road as they head south to take on the Carolina Railhawks (10-8-7, 37pts) this Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park. The Timber's have experienced a few ups and downs this season, but have rallied in recent weeks and are now riding a 6 game unbeaten streak, including only 2 losses in their last 12 matches. Portland is tied for 3rd overall in the USSF standings, clinching a playoff spot earlier this week, but remains in 3rd place in the USL conference, trailing 2nd place Rochester by 7 points. The Railhawks have made a small push in standing as well. Currently, 5th place in the overall league table and 2nd in the NASL conference, Carolina has crept within 4 points of Portland, placing added importance on the outcome of their match this weekend in terms of playoff positioning.

Coming off an emotional 1-0 victory over Puerto Rico this past Thursday, the last match to be played at PGE Park before renovations begin, the Timbers must maintain their focus if they hope to keep building positive momentum before the postseason. The Timbers will look to improve on their 4-4-3 record on the road as they continue to evolve and grow together as a team. Portland has added three new players in the last month as well as experimenting with changes to their system of play on the field. Defender Kevin Goldthwaite should see his first action sometime before the regular season ends and it wouldn't be surprising to see Coach Gavin Wilkinson find more playing time for midfielder Kalif Alhassan as well. Also, in an attempt to improve offensively, the Timbers have used a 4-3-3 formation in their last 3 matches, scoring 5 goals with a record of 2-0-1 in those games.

So how are the changes going overall? So far, so good it appears. Defensively, the Timbers continue to be stingy, keeper Steve Cronin and the rest of the team have held 4 of their last 5 opponents scoreless. However, Portland's resolve will be given a stern test in the final month of the season. Three out of the four teams Portland will face on the road trip are playoff teams and the one exception, Baltimore, has beaten them twice already this year. Certainly, the intensity and competitive spirit of these remaining matches will be extremely high as teams continue to jockey for playoff positioning down the stretch run.

About Carolina

In their first meeting back in June, Portland let 2 points slip from their hands in a disappointing draw to Carolina at PGE Park, allowing midfielder Daniel Paladini to score a late-game equalizer in stoppage time. The Railhawks are a dangerous team and are 2nd in the league in total goals scored with 35. Striker Etienne Barbara leads a balanced scoring attack with 7 goals and 2 assists on the year. Carolina is coming off a 3-0 win over Baltimore and is 3-2-0 in their last 5 matches. However, at home the Railhawks have struggled slightly, with a record of only 4-5-3 at WakeMed Park.

Also, Carolina has recently signed Mexican legend Claudio Suarez, who leads the Mexican national team in caps with 178, playing in the 1994, 1998, and 2006 World Cups. The veteran defender, who has been given the nickname El Emperador (The Emperor) by his fans, made his first appearance with Carolina last Saturday in a friendly against Pumas Morelos and will likely see some action against the Timbers as well.

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."

A Chance for Redemption, Baltimore Returns to PGE

Portland Timbers

(9-7-8, 35pts)

VS

Crystal Palace Baltimore

(6-12-6, 24pts)

Sunday August 28th
6pm @ PGE Park
TV on FSN
Radio on 95.5 The Game
Online Live @ PortlandTimbers.com

A team at the bottom of the league standings is coming to PGE Park to play the Timbers. For most, playing a non-playoff team would be a welcome advantage, but this isn't exactly the case for this year's Timbers squad.

Against the bottom three teams in the league Portland (9-7-8, 35pts) has an unmoving record of 3-3-1, including a record of 1-1-1 at home versus those same cellar dwelling clubs. Oddly enough the Timbers are 3-1-3 against the top 3 teams in the league - the bad habit of playing down to their competition level something that has seemingly developed over the course of the season.

Crystal Palace Baltimore (6-12-6, 24pts) in only their first year competing as a 2nd-tier level franchise, currently has the 3rd-worst record in the league, and will likely miss the playoffs. However, the Timbers are 0-2-0 against Baltimore this season with their first home-loss of the year coming to Crystal Palace back in May, followed by a 2-1 loss at Baltimore later that month. The path has been a bit bumpy this year whether home or away for Portland, sporting a record of 5-3-5 at home and 4-4-3 on the road thus far.

Lately, the season has started to take a more positive turn. The 4th place Timbers are currently riding a 4 game unbeaten streak and are 2-1-2 so far in the month of August. Portland's moment of redemption against Baltimore will likely hinge on their ability to score goals, something the team has struggled with all year. Fortunately, Baltimore's defense hasn't provided much resistance, conceding 33 goals this year (only Miami has been scored on more this season). Crystal Palace is coming off back-to-back blowout losses, falling to Rochester 2-0 before losing to Monreal 5-0 last week at home.

With 6 games remaining in the year, a strong finish would be useful in the Timber's attempt to build confidence and momentum heading into the playoffs. Portland will have to incorporate new players into the system quickly however, as the starting combination of recent signing Ibad Muhamadu and forward Bright Dike will only see its 4th pairing, and midfielder Kalif Alhassa will likely see his first action sometime this week. Without a doubt, its been a somewhat disappointing 2010 season and many questions have arisen. What's been going on exactly? Has the team been effected by the raised expectations and pressure from the fans and media? Or has luck simply not been on the Timber's side? Erase a few costly mistakes and turn a few of those draws into wins and would everyone view this season under a different light?

How Portland finishes these last 6 games will go a long way towards answering those questions. And an emphatic victory against a team that the Timbers are supposed to beat should be pretty helpful as well.

Game Preview: The Last Home Stretch

Portland Timbers
(9-7-7, 34pts)

VS

Austin Aztex
(13-3-5, 44pts)

Thursday, August 26th
7pm @ PGE Park
TV on FSN
Live online at PortlandTimbers.com
Radio on 95.5 the Game

The sun's been shining on Portland lately. The Timbers (9-7-7, 34pts) are riding a 2-game road win streak, further strengthening their 4th place position in the overall league standings, and are now facing a 3 game home stand, starting with the Austin Aztex on Thursday. Things are starting to get rosy in the Rose City and with 7 games remaining in the regular season the timing couldn't be better. Portland is unbeaten in their last 3 matches and their defense has recorded back-to-back shutouts for only the 2nd time this year. Could the Timbers possibly string together their first 3 game win streak of the season?

The Aztex (13-3-5, 44pts) will be a nice gauge of just how hot things are getting in Portland. Austin has had quite a successful sophomore year as a franchise. Currently 3rd place in the overall standings, the Aztex have been one of the better teams in the league this season and had sat atop of the points table for most of the year before being overtaken by Rochester earlier this month. Regardless, Austin and Rochester were the first two teams to clinch playoff berths after wins this past weekend and the Aztex have a record of 2-0-1 in August.

The iron may be heating up, but there are still plenty of kinks to be ironed out before the playoffs begin. Coach Gavin Wilkinson hasn't hesitated to tinker with the rotation in recent weeks, an effort to zero-in on the line-up that gives the team the best chance to win in the postseason. For instance, Portland has had 5 different starting line-ups in their last 5 matches. Not only has the rotation seen many different combinations of players, but players such as Taka Suzuki moved from position to position, seeing action upfront and in the midfield. Along with the irregular rotation, Coach Wilkinson has even experimented with formation changes in short periods, at times using a 5-4-1 formation or switching to a 4-5-1. Incorporating new signees Ibad Muhamadu and Kalif Alhassan could potentially present chemistry challenges, especially with playoffs fast approaching. All of this amounts to an atmosphere of instability. The Timbers are starting to move forward, but just how sturdy are those stilts they're standing on?

That's one way to look at it. On the other hand, the Timber's changing rotation shows the quality of depth this team possesses on its roster, and the formation shifts are just an example of the team's diversity out on the field. The signing of new blood is a boost to the club just when they need it and the team's play is starting to come together at the right time as well. A rosier perspective, perhaps. Where do you feel the state of the team is right now? Do you feel things are "coming together" or moving in the right direction at least?

Either way, it's hard to argue that the Timbers will need offensive production on Thursday night, another aspect that's been lacking in consistency this year. Earlier in the season, Portland and Austin played to a 0-0 draw in Texas, so if the backline can play tight and error free soccer again, then the pressure will fall on offense to find the back of the net. Portland has scored 23 goals this year and given up 19, while Austin has 40 goals for and 24 against. Ryan Pore leads the USSF D2 League in scoring with 13 goals on the season, however, five of those scores have come from penalty kicks. Forward Bright Dike has scored 4 goals this year and has been on a tear as of late, scoring 3 times in his last 5 games. So where will the Timbers find offense? Who's gonna step up?

Players to Watch or Who's scoring all these goals for Austin?
Maxwell Griffin #11 - A prolific scorer in college, the UCLA grad has tallied 7 goals this season, including a hat trick in Miami. One of only 18 players to ever record a hat trick for the Bruins as well.

Eddie Johnson #8 - A product of Manchester United's youth development system and in his second year with the team, the English striker has 15 goals in 45 appearances. Johnson last played for Chester City before signing with Austin.

Jamie Watson #77 - The young Texas native has been all over the US soccer pyramid, playing in the PDL, USL2, D-2, to the MLS and back again. The forward is finding success this year in Austin where he's tallied 19 total points and scored 6 goals.

Timbers Head to Minnesota for a Crucial Matchup

Portland Timbers

VS

NCS Minnesota Stars

Saturday, August 21st
5pm @ NSC Park
Live online at PortlandTimbers.com
Radio on 95.5 the Game

Portland hits the road this Saturday to play a return match against the Minnesota Stars as both teams jockey for playoff positioning with the playoffs fast approaching. Timbers (8-7-7, 31pts) are currently tied for 4th place in the USSF overall standings with 8 games remaining in the regular season. Minnesota (who played the Timbers to a 2-2 draw in their last meeting at PGE Park) trails Portland by only 3pts and in fact, there's only 4pts separating the 4th place and 8th place clubs. Every game counts the rest of the way and will have important ramifications as the teams head towards the playoffs.

The Timber's defense should see a boost with the return of team captain Ian Joy, who was forced to sit out their last match due to the red card booking he received against Minnesota on August 11th. Joy and the Timbers should be looking for some measure of revenge as they gave up a 2-1 lead at home, partly due to the ejection of Joy on a controversial call by the official. Portland's defense will need to show up with a strong performance. Minnesota has only scored 24 goals this season, but have been on a scoring tear in the last month, putting away 12 goals in their last 7 matches.

Offensively, Portland is still trying to find their groove. The team hopes that the signing of striker Ibad Muhamadu will help solve some their offensive woes and he did well in his first start last Saturday, leading the team with 5 shots on goal. The pairing of Ibad and Bright Dike has the potential to be an imposing and dominating duo upfront, a scoring punch the Timbers desperately need as they try and gain momentum before the playoffs. After Saturday, the Timbers will begin their last home-stand of the regular season with 3 games at PGE Park, starting with the 2nd place Austin Aztecs on Thursday.

** The Timbers will also play a special testimonial match in recognition of former Timber's legend Jimmy Conway. The game will be held at PGE Park at 5pm and will involve a select squad against team of former Timber players. We'll have more posted about this event in the coming week.

Game Preview: On the Road Again, Timbers Head to St. Louis

Portland Timbers

VS

AC St Louis

Saturday, August 14th
7:00 pm @ Anheuser-Busch Park
Online Live @ PortlandTimbers.com/live
Radio on 95.5 The Game

After a series of disappointing efforts, the Portland Timbers (7-7-7, 28 pts) will have no choice but to regroup on the road as they head to Anheuser-Busch Park to take on AC St. Louis, then travel up north for a return match with the Minnesota Stars the following Saturday. Portland had to settle for a draw this past Wednesday at PGE Park in a physical game against the Stars, a match that in many ways has typified the Timber's season - controlling most of the match and outshooting opponents, but a costly mental breakdown or mistake ultimately proves to be the determining factor on the game's outcome. After putting together a 5 match unbeaten streak, the team's best stretch of the season, Portland is now winless in their last 4 games heading into the crucial final third of the schedule with the playoffs on the horizon.

Consistency has been an issue, not only in terms of lack of scoring, but also in the continuity of play on the field. Playing time and rotation has also been inconsistent, as Coach Gavin Wilkinson has tinkered and tried out different players virtually all season in an attempt to find the right solution for the team's problems. With the recent signing of forward Ibad Muhamadu the Timber's hope to increase their offensive fire power, but on the other hand it simply means another player that Coach Wilkinson will have to work into the rotation and find minutes for. Will the Timber's be able to integrate a new player into their system with the playoffs fast approaching? How does this potentially effect chemistry? Offensively, the team needs to find a comfort zone, play with more rhythm and patience in order to control possession and create better scoring chances. Of course, it's not just as simple as it may sound. What do you think?

Timber's fan Doug, summed up the team's offensive woes well in a comment after Wednesday night's draw:

Inevitably this years performance will be compared to last seasons great run of unbeaten games. The difference in my mind is that we played the ball on the ground a lot more last year than this, holding possession longer and looking for the fast break. This year has seemed more about the hopeful high ball, whether it be out of the back line or from the midfield to a break away forward, the chances of keeping possession with a high lofted ball are smaller than with a ball played on the deck. Secondly, we need to support the player with the ball more. Too many times, when our player does corral a loose ball, he's left on his own to battle against 2-3 opposition players, rather than getting support, thus leaving him few options for quality distribution.

As for leaders on the field, the style of play is dictated by the training, and this years team doesn't appear to be coached as well as last years.

At times last night, Minnesota gave us a lesson on possession play. Until we learn to maintain possession and not just hoof every ball forward in the hope that it bounces in our favor, we won't achieve a fraction of last years success.

Defense will also be a concern. Portland has given up 9 goals in their last 5 matches. For a team that is built around its defensive mentality, this is an alarming statistic. To complicate the matter, defender and team captain Ian Joy will be forced to sit out against St Louis due to the red card infraction he received against Minnesota this past Wednesday. Here's where the Timber's depth really comes into play. Somebody will need to step up. Who will it be? Coach Wilkinson has few ways he could go. Veteran Scot Thompson has only made 9 appearances this year and was not on the active roster for the team's last road trip, but his experience makes him the stable choice.

"Scot's a huge part of this team, a great player, and a phenomenal person overall," Said Coach Wilkinson about the longest tenured member of the Timber's roster. "He's a leader through the way that he plays and a leader through the way he organizes."

Coach Wilkinson could go another route, however, instead opting to go with younger talent such as Quavas Kirk, a starter earlier in the season, but has slipped out of the rotation because of injuries and consistent play. Steve Purdy has played well in recent weeks, so don't be surprised if he gets the start. Younger veterans such as Stephen Keel and Ross Smith are other likely options to make the road trip as well.

"(It's a matter of) how many defender's do you want to carry?" Said Wilkinson. "If we're looking to build for next year, (essentially) we're looking at younger players that can have a career in the MLS for the next 7-8 years."

Expansion team AC St. Louis (5-10-6, 21 pts) is currently tied for 10th place in the league and struggling in their attempt to make the playoffs their first year as franchise. Portland will be looking for redemption after being dominated by St. Louis in a 3-0 loss on July 28th, the start of the current 4 game winless streak. Despite their recent struggles, this is a game the Timbers should win. The team needs to build momentum in order to make a deep run in the postseason. With only 9 games left before the playoffs, the time for excuses and explanations are over.

** Paul will be in St. Louis and in attendance for Saturday's match. He'll be writing about his experience as a Timber's fan on the road. He's looking forward to being in Anheuser-Busch Land and I'm looking forward to reading about his adventures. Look for it to be a part of our postgame report this weekend.

Game Preview: Going to St. Louis

Portland Timbers

(7-5-5)

VS
AC St Louis

(4-10-4)

Wednesday, July 28th @ 5pm
Radio 95.5 The Game
Online feed @ PortlandTimbers.com

The Timbers travel to St. Louis for the first time this Wednesday. It is our third match with AC St. Louis, as we won the first meeting 3-nil back in April and then tied them 1-1 in May. AC has been struggling on several fronts with financial trouble that put the team's future in doubt and poor play that has resulted in a 4-10-4 record.

The Timbers are red hot at moment fresh from a huge win in Vancouver and on a 5 game unbeaten streak. St. Louis won on Saturday, in a 1-nil match at home against Crystal Palace Baltimore. Earlier this month AC, destroyed the Impact in a 3 nil victory at home, but Montreal reversed that score just 11 days later when St. Louis went to Saputo Stadium.

St. Louis has the least amount of goals scored by any team this year with only 14 goals in 18 games. They also have allowed some 27 goals against them in those 18 games. This is the second match of a four game road trip and this would be a great game for someone other than Ryan Pore, to carry the burden of getting the ball in the net in league play. Pore leads the Timbers and the league with 11 goals, while five other Timbers have one goal each. Make some match predictions in our forums.

Players To Watch
Luke Kreamalmeyer - The former Timber has 2 goals and 4 assists. Also, was very impressive in US Open Cup play.
Mike Ambersley - Leads the team with 3 goals and scored the only goal on Saturday's win over Baltimore.
Alec Dufty - Goalkeeper has had some solid games blocking shot after shot.

YouTube links of recent AC St. Louis play
Vancouver 1, AC St. Louis - Some big saves by the AC keeper.
Aztex 2, Ac St. Louis 0 - Check out the save by the defender around the 20 second mark.
NSC Minnesota 2, AC St. Louis 2 - NSC score twice in the final minutes to steal the point.
Timbers 2, AC St. Louis - Pore scores 18 seconds in.

Check out then AC St Louis Fanatic blog, they do an excellent job covering the team.

Game Preview - Portland Travels to Vancouver

Portland Timbers

vs

Vancouver Whitecaps

Thursday July 22nd

7:30pm @ Swangard Stadium
Online @ PortlandTimbers.com
Radio on 95.5 The Game

The Timbers kick off a 4 game road trip against the Vancouver Whitecaps this Thursday. It will be the third match up of four scheduled games this season with the Whitecaps. In the first match, back in April, Ryan Pore found the back of the net twice as the Timbers won 2-1 at home. Then on July 3rd, the Timbers played at home to a nil-nil draw, resulting in 4 total points thus far for the Timbers in their battle for the Cascadia Cup.

The Timbers haven't had much luck in Vancouver, as their last win there was back in 2004 and the last draw in Wankcouver was in 2007. The Timbers will be battling history as they look to extend their unbeaten streak beyond 4 games.

The Timbers have been relying largely on Pore to score in league play as he has tallied 10 goals thus far. Only five other Timbers have scored in league play and each of those five have only scored once this season. Pore's performance can be inconsistent and relying on him leads to inconsistent results. Now, is the time for DK, Keita, Josten or anyone else to step up and make goals happen. Vancouver on the other hand is the exact opposite when it comes to scoring, with thirteen players tallying goals and the leading scorer Blake Wagner has only 3 total goals.

Vancouver hates to lose and loves to draw with a 7-2-8 record. They also remain unbeaten at home this year. A win by the Timbers would extend our streak while killing two streaks that we need to eliminate, such as a no wins in Vancouver since 2004 and Vancouver's strong home pitch performance. The battle for the Cascadia Cup is in full swing, lets have it boys.

Now a little time for Gary Fong.

Timbers face Vancouver Tonight - Rivalry Week Continues

Portland Timbers

VS

Vancouver Whitecaps

Saturday July 3rd
7pm @ PGE Park
Online @ PortlandTimbers.com
Radio on 95.5 The Game

The Timbers return to league action tonight against Cascadia rival Vancouver Whitecaps. This is the second of four total meetings between the two. Way back on April 29th Ryan Pore scored 2 goals for a 2-1 Timbers win at PGE Park. We were flying high and undefeated, since then we have struggled against some of the worst teams in the league and slowly finding ourselves sliding towards the bottom of the table. But fear not Portlanders, we have won our last two league matches and tonight marks the season's midpoint. This is the time to start making our run for the championship.

The Cascadia Cup is on the line tonight and this will be our final home game, as the last two matches of the Cup will be in Wankcouver. A win tonight would put us in the drivers seat of the Cascadia Cup and send us much higher in the table. Plus, a victory the night before America's birthday over a Canadian side would be a bonus.

Fitness will be key as this will be the Timbers third game in a weeks time. So how the boys recover after a long tough match on Wednesday will be seen tonight. Expect some lineup changes to deal with sore legs. I will be bold here, but Taka will not start today. Wow so bold. So come on boys lets get ourselves a win tonight.

USSF D-2 Standings

NASL Conference
NASL Conference	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	Pts
01. Vancouver Whitecaps FC	14	6	2	6	14	8	6	24
02. Montreal Impact	13	4	4	5	12	14	-2	17
03. Carolina RailHawks	11	3	2	6	14	11	3	15
04. Miami FC Blues	13	2	4	7	15	20	-5	13
05. Crystal Palace Baltimore	13	3	7	3	12	19	-7	12
06. AC St. Louis	11	2	7	2	7	17	-10	8
USL Conference
USL Conference	GP	W	L	T	GF	GA	GD	Pts
01. Austin Aztex	14	9	2	3	27	16	11	30
02. Rochester Rhinos	13	6	3	4	17	11	6	22
03. NSC Minnesota Stars	16	6	8	2	15	22	-7	20
04. Portland Timbers	14	5	5	4	13	10	3	19
05. Tampa Bay Rowdies	13	5	5	3	18	15	3	18
06. Puerto Rico Islanders	11	4	6	1	15	16	-1	13

Game Preview: Bring on the Sounders!

Portland Timbers

VS

Seattle Sounders

Wednesday June 30th
7:30 @ PGE Park
Radio on 95.5 The Game
Online at Portlandtimbers.com
TV on FSN

The biggest rivalry in American soccer will continue Wednesday evening at PGE Park as the USSF Division-2 Portland Timbers will play host to Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders in the 3rd round of the U.S. Open Cup tournament. An annual competition essentially open to all levels of American soccer, throughout the season thirty-two teams will qualify and partake in the single elimination tournament in order to crown U.S. soccer's official national champion. In the last month, Portland has defeated Kitsap and Sonoma County (both teams from lower divisions of professional soccer), to reach the 3rd round and earn a shot against Seattle, who is one of 8 MLS teams in tournament.

"It's recognized Worldwide." Said Coach Gavin Wilkinson, "The U.S. Open Cup is a chance for amateur and professional teams to see who's the best team."

This will mark the second year in a row that the Timbers and Sounders will meet in the Open Cup. Last year, the Seattle overwhelmed Portland early, scoring a goal in the first 30 seconds of play and pulling out a 2-1 victory in front of a sold-out PGE Park.

"Last year, our emotions were too high." Said Coach Wilkinson, "We came out and were very highly-strung for the start of the game, looking forward to the game a bit too much, where the energy overtook the mentality..... It's important to start this game with a little more arrogance and a little bit more concentration from the start."

Not only will this Wednesday's meeting be an opportunity for redemption against their Northwest rivals, but it will also be the last time the Timber's will play Seattle as a Division-2 team. Next season, Portland will make the jump and join the Sounders in the MLS. However, next year isn't now and the Timbers will have have to step up and muster their best effort if they intend to pull off an upset against a quality MLS squad. Although Seattle has had their struggles recently, they are a team capable of scoring goals in bunches and like to play a fast-paced, offensive style of soccer. Portland may have gotten a 1-0 victory earlier this spring at Qwuest Field, but that match was only an exhibition and Wednesday evening there will be a lot more on the line.

"Speed of play is going to be the big difference." Said defender Stephen Keel, "When we get the ball we want to be able to keep possession and not play into their frantic pace...at times we are gonna want to slow it down and play our game."

"We need to see if we can put (Seattle) under pressure early." Said Coach Wilkinson, "We need to see if we can turn their defenders and get them to lose their shape and by that we need good movement off the ball, we need to keep the ball, and we need to keep the ball moving."

Added Wilkinson, "Against Seattle we're still gonna look to get forward and we gotta keep looking to create as many chances as we have in the past, except we need to put these ones away."

The Portland-Seattle rivalry dates as far back as 1975, spanning across not only multiple decades, but also different soccer leagues including the NASL and most recently in the USL. The intensity of the rivalry has seemed to increase in recent years with the growth of soccer in the Northwest and the loss of the Blazers-Sonics rivalry both as contributing reasons. Many experts have predicted that the Timbers & Sounders will not only become the premiere rivalry in North America, but will stand out as one of the cornerstones for the continuing growth of the MLS.

"When you talk about soccer in American, it's one of the best rivalries that exists." Said Coach Wilkinson, "The rivalry is not only on the field it's off the field, it's city to city, its huge in every regard."

Added Wilkinson, "We have a huge level of respect to our fans. Our fans invest so much and our players feel obligated to give back to those fans. So the rivalry is enhanced maybe because the pressure the fans put on the players and then the responsibility the players feel to the fans."

"It's evident every time (both teams) get together that it's a blood-battle." Said Keel, "Everyone on the field is giving everything they have and everyone is fighting as hard as they possibly can."

"At first I didn't quite understand (the rivalry)," Said midfielder Tony McManus, "I knew there was a strong dislike between Portland and Seattle coming into last year, but until you come into the stadium an hour before kick-off and the whole place is packed and everyone, their fans, our fans are all excited, you feel like it's the 55th minute with how loud it is and it's like, whoa we have an hour before kick-off still? So, everyone who's new to the team will get a quick update on just how big this rivalry is..... there is a legitimate dislike from our fans to their fans and I think that's awesome, it makes it better, more fun."

So, expect a packed and passionate PGE Park tomorrow night. Expect the spirit of the Timber's Army to be on full display. Expect lots of flag waving and endless amounts of streamers. Expect songs to be screamed Expect extravagant Tifos. Expect an ocean of green. Expect Soccer City. Brace yourself cause here we go! Another chapter in the history of this important rivalry is about to be written.

"You have two passionate groups of fans who think they're better than one another," Said Coach Wilkinson with a smile, "Obviously ours are better."

** UPDATE **
The winner of tonight's Timbers/Sounders match will face the LA Galaxy in the quarterfinal round of the US Open Cup on July 7th. The Galaxy beat AC St Louis 2-0 in a competitive match last night in Los Angeles to advance onto the next round. Chris Klein and Juninho both scored goals for the Galaxy in the 2nd half, here's a short recap.

Game Preview: The Rowdies are Back

Portland Timbers

VSTampa Bay Rowdies

Sunday, June 27th
5pm @ PGE Park
Televised on Fox Sports Northwest
Online @ PortlandTimbers.com
Radio on 95.5 The Game

The Timbers return to league action, hosting the Tampa bay Rowdies for the first time since 1982, in which we won 5 nil. The Rowdies have had a successful inaugural season thus far, sitting in 5th place in total points. The Timbers are coming off their first two win streak since the beginning of the season, the last two wins we have scored 6 goals and only allowed one to be scored against us.

Where the Timbers had a rough May, the Rowdies went undefeated. June has not been so kind to the Rowdies, they have lost their last three league games and lost this past week in US Open Cup play against Miami FC. They started out June with a trip to Vancouver with a close match in which they lost just 1 nil to the Whitecraps.

The Rowdies have earned their name this year, as they have accumulated a number of cards, leading scorer Aaron Wheeler is suspended from the match against the Timbers due to yellows. They enjoy confrontation and earn stupid cards for their behavior, something the Timbers and their Army can play into.

In 1975 the Rowdies along with the Timbers joined the NASL and shocked everyone by both appearing in the Soccer Bowl in their first season. Unfortunately the Rowdies won their only outdoor championship that year and Portland has chased the dream ever since. So every match with the Rowdies is a time for revenge. The weather should perfect and old rivals will meet once more.

Players to Watch
Aaron King - Tied with suspended Aaron Wheeler as top goal scorer with 4. He had a disappointing year due to injuries, you may remember him from the 2007 and 2008 seasons with Charleston Battery, in which he scored 21 goals in 51 games.

Takuya Yamada - Iconic J-League player Takuya Yamada is nicknamed "The Terminator," for his close physical play and is considered one of Japan's great utility players. He joined the Rowdies for his first stint outside of Japan, although he had tried out with the NE Rev's to no avail.

YouTube videos of the past
The goal against shittle that put us in the 1975 Soccer Bowl
NASL Soccer Bowl '75: Tampa Bay 2, Portland 0

Teddy Bear Toss - Your Chance to Throw Something on the Pitch, Seriously
From the Timbers front office.

As part of the Teddy Bear Toss, presented by Stoel Rives, LLC, fans are encouraged to bring new stuffed animals to the match to be donated to local youth charities. Following the Timbers’ first goal of the night, fans are invited to toss their stuffed animal onto the pitch. Items will be collected and distributed throughout the greater-Portland area.

If you don't believe us, go to Portlandtimbers.com

US Open Cup Round Two - Portland at Kitsap

Portland Timbers

VS

Kitsap Pumas

Tuesday June 22nd
7pm @ Bremerton Memorial Stadium
Radio on 95.5 The Game
Twitter: TimbersFC

The Portland Timbers are in Bremerton to take on Kitsap.  Back in April the Timbers lost to the Pumas 3-2 in a pre-season matchup, but this time there is more on the line, with the winner taking on the Sounders in the next round of the cup.

Here is the complete bracket for rounds 2 through the final:

Game Preview: Timbers Return to League Action Against Minnesota

Portland Timbers

VS

NSC Minnesota Stars

Thursday June 17th
7pm @ PGE Park
Online @ PortlandTimbers.com
Radio on 95.5 The Game

The Portland Timbers will play host to the expansion Minnesota Stars (formerly the Thunder) tonight at PGE Park, as the Timbers return to league action following a 3-0 victory in the first round of the US Open Cup Tuesday evening. Winless in their last seven league matches, the Timbers (3-4-4, 13pts) have fallen into a three-way tie for 7th place in the USSF standings overall and are only one step above last place in the USL conference. Out of the 12 teams in the league, the top 8 will qualify for the playoffs.

The Timbers have failed to meet the high expectations placed on the team heading into the season, with most fans and media outlets predicting the team to win the league or at least finish near the top of the standings. Defensive lapses and breakdowns in communication have been extremely costly and has lost the team key points in the standings. Another ongoing problem this season has been the team's inability to put the ball in the back of the net. Finishing chances, offensive continuity, and a lack of scoring support, have all contributed to the team's woes. Of the team's 10 goals this season, Ryan Pore has scored 8. When will somebody else step up?

How will the team address some of these issues? Will Coach Gavin Wilkinson make more changes? The team tinkered with rotation and formation on Tuesday against lowly Sonoma County, with players like Brian Farber and Take Suzuki in a more aggressive and attacking role. Will the team experiment with a 4-3-3 formation to try and produce more goals? Should they?

The next two games could have big implications in the standings for the Timbers. After tonight's match, they'll head up to Minnesota to finish the 2nd part of a home-and-home with the Stars on Saturday. Minnesota (4-7-2) is currently sitting in 6th place with 14 points in the overall league table, not bad for a team in it's first year of resurrection. The Stars have played well recently, pulling off a draw against Rochester and upsetting Montreal 1-0 in the last game. If the Timber's are unable to gain any point this week or worse yet, they give away points to Minnesota, then the team will dangerously drop further down the table as the season nears it's halfway point. Basically, Portland has dug itself a hole and if they aren't able to turn things around soon, the hole might become too deep to climb out of.

Game Preview: A Chance to Gain Momentum in Miami

Portland Timbers
VS

Miami FC Blues
Saturday June 11th
4:30 pm @ Lockhart Stadium
Streaming LIVE @ PortlandTimbers.com/live
Radio on 95.5 The Game

Miami is (1-2-7) in league play, they love to earn a draw as they did with Baltimore this week in 3-3 high scoring game. Portland (3-3-4) has gotten their fair share of draws, including last weeks last minute heartbreaking draw with Carolina and the Wednesday draw with the Aztex of Austin. The draw with Austin was a solid performance by the Timbers, as they were the first team to shutout the Aztex.

Portland's glaring problem is the lack of finishing or in some cases luck. The woodwork has been unfriendly, as game after game we see great shots bounce off and not in. Other times great shots end right in the keepers arms. We continue to lead game in shots, but can't seem to convert that into much needed goals. The likely starts for this match will be Dike, who is coming off a solid couple games and King Keita, who at some point will light up the stat sheet. This is a big game for the offense to prove they can put up points, we'd like to see them light it up! Checkout last our post Moving Forward from last week.

Miami has only had one win so far this season, but has managed 7 draws in 10 games. That has to be close to a record, their only win comes from a 1-nil victory over the not so hot Minnesota NSC. The Miami attack is headed up by Argentinian veteran Christian Gómez and the young Brazilian Paulo Araujo Jr. Gomez had 48 goals in five years of play for both DC United and the Rapids. Paulo a 21 year old Brazilian is playing his second season with Miami FC and has tallied 4 goals and 2 assists in 10 games.

The weather in Miami is predicted to be around 80 plus degrees at game time and with a slight chance of thunderstorms. We can hope that a solid start to the road trip will end with a solid win. Come on boys!


Checkout our friends at Football in Miami and Beyond, who keep a fun blog covering all things Miami. These guys and the Miami Ultras are trying their best to keep the MLS dream alive, something some of us can relate to.

Game Preview: Legendary Boca Juniors Comes To Portland

Portland Timbers

VS

Boca Juniors

Saturday May 29th
7pm @ PGE Park

The Timbers get one more chance for a victory in the month of May, this Saturday at PGE Park. Club Atlético Boca Juniors, or better known as Boca Juniors, or simply Boca will play the Timbers in an international friendly. Boca is known world wide in soccer circles as a legendary club that has won a record 18 international titles, a record they share with AC Milan.

Some 40% of Argentinians consider themselves Boca supporters and a look at any stadium in which Boca plays tells the part. They have played their cross town rivals River Plate 327 times in the Superclásico, probably the most heated derby in all of sport. The derby started in 1908 in a friendly match, the first official match between the two was in 1913, and we like to think that the Timbers have history. The Superclásico has repeatedly been put on lists such as "what every sports fan should go see before they die".

So why am I telling you all this? Because the fact that Boca is here in Ptown, playing our beloved Timbers, is an honor. One of the most storied clubs in not just football, but sports in general is here for a friendly. The Timbers have a had rough month, and tomorrow this game is important, we need to squeeze a win in, even if its just a friendly with no implications in our league. Needless to say, this is a must attend match for anyone that wants to see something special this weekend and for the hope that May will bring at least one win our way.


Game Day Update

Looks like we might get some decent weather.  Maybe it's a sign?

Listen to Ross Smith and Steve Purdy talk about today's game on KINK:

Defending League Champions Stroll Into Town

Portland Timbers

vsMontreal Impact

Wednesday, May 19th
7pm @ PGE Park
Live online at PortlandTimbers.com
Radio on 95.5 The Game

Photo: Jeremy Olson / digitalgopher.net

The Portland Timbers will face last year's USL Champions when they take on the Montreal Impact Wednesday evening at PGE Park. Portland (3-1-2) is currently tied for 2nd place in the USSF with 11 points, 2 points behind first place Austin, and 3 points ahead of Montreal (2-1-2) who's tied for 5th in the overall standings. Coming off a pair of disappointing performances against bottom dwelling teams, the Timbers should be find extra motivation to come out focused, play well, and put the past behind them.

Wednesday's game will be last time Portland will face Montreal this season. The Timbers played L'Impact to a 1-1 draw earlier this season at Saputo Stadium, but the outcome of the match was not without controversy. In the 81st minute, defender Quavas Kirk reached out to stop Montreal attacker Roberto Brown, who instantly flopped to the ground, exaggerating the contact. Portland was called for a penalty resulting in a PK kick for Montreal, who knotted the match at 1-1. A tough call to stomach.

For Portland to pull out 3 points this time around it'll be imperative that they finish their chances offensively and score goals, something they've struggled to do for much of this season. Putting runs together and getting the ball into threatening positions hasn't been the Timber's issue. Portland has taken 33 shots in their last 2 matches, but have only 1 goal to show for it. To counter Montreal's more defensive style on the field, Portland will need to focus on being patient, keeping control of possession, and playing mistake free soccer. Montreal has one of the more experienced keepers in the league in Matt Jordan and they've only allowed 4 goals all season. The Impact, who are on a 4 game undefeated streak, have only scored 4 goals themselves which is simply a sign of what an efficient soccer team the Impact truly are.

Unfortunately, the Impact are a good team that's kept themselves in the news for the wrong reasons. The Impact had another ugly player altercation this season when forward Roberto Brown punched a Toronto FC player in the face during a Canadian Championships match late last month. Brown has been suspended indefinitely by the team.

Montreal was of course the "team that choked" in 2009 (the infamous on-field incident pictured above), although ironically enough they were incredibly clutch in the playoffs, overcoming a mediocre regular season (finishing 5th overall) to sweep through the postseason on their way to the franchise's 3rd league championship. Montreal returns almost their entire championship winning club, their only major loss, midfielder Joey Gjersten, who's been replaced by solid, international talent in Filipe Soares and Philippe Billy. Pushing hard for a MLS bid in 2012, the Impact possess a roster stocked full of talent. They're a very balanced team, good in all areas, and very dangerous when they're clicking and completely focused. Expectations are astronomical in Montreal, anything less than another championship would be viewed as a disappointment by the fans. And when it's all said and done, they might indeed be the last team standing when all the dust settles again.

* It should also be noted, to be fair, that the players involved in the choking altercation (Sandro Grande and Mauro Biello) are no longer with the team this season.

Players to Watch
Rocco Placentino - The aggressive and offensive minded Canadian is key cog in the Montreal attack, taking 33 shots in 27 appearances last season. Placentino has shifted to forward to help fill the void left by Roberto Brown's absence and is leading the team with 2 goals and 14 shots this year, the next closest player with only 6 attempts.

Stephen Deroux - In his 2nd season with the Impact, Deroux has quickly become a valuable and reliable defensive commodity, the only player on the roster to play every minute of every game this year. Deroux is smaller in stature, but is speedy, physical, and aggressive out on the field.

Leonardo Di Lorenzo - A very offensive minded midfielder, Di Lorenzo isn't necessarily the guy taking the shots, but he'll certainly make his presence felt by putting pressure on opposing backlines and creating opportunities for teammates. A Montreal veteran, Di Lorenzo will be making his 100th appearance for the Impact this Wednesday and is in his 5th season overall with the franchise.