MLS

Timbers continue winning ways

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Portland has become the best road team in the MLS
May 27, 2013

Did anyone see this coming?

The Portland Timbers owning their competition ... on the road?

A year after rarely even scoring on the road, the Timbers are the best team in Major League soccer away from their home field after a 2-0 win in Washington, D.C., over DC United Saturday.

Will Johnson and Darlington Nagbe scored and the Portland defense again proved spectacular as the Timbers improved to 5-1-7 overall for 22 points in the MLS standings.

Of the teams' 13 games, its lone loss came to Montreal at home in the second game of the season. On the road, Portland is 2-0-5 and has scored 12 goals in seven road games. Portland scored just 10 goals in 17 road games in each of its first two seasons.

In terms of goal differntial in road games, Portland ranks first with a +3 rating.

The Timbers begin play in the US Open Cup Wednesday at home against Wilmington, Del.

 

 

New-look Timbers show off potential in opener

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Sun, 03/03/2013 - 9:55pm
Mike Donovan
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New coach. New style. New players.

And at halftime, it appeared to be the same old Timbers. A leaky back line and some bad mistakes left the Timbers down 3-1 heading into the locker room after 45 minutes of action.

Losing at halftime is not a new position for the Timbers in the MLS. In fact, it was the 24th time the club has trailed at the break in 69 matches since its ascension to Major League Soccer. And in 19 of those games, Portland had been unable to fight its way back for a point. But this might not be the same Timbers as in previous years.

The second half was dominated by the home side, as they made up the two goal deficit with a superior playing style. Two-thirds possession and a 13-to-4 shot advantage in the second half was enough for Timbers to gain a point in their home opener.

It’s easy to say things have changed solely due to a new coach and new players, but what actually has changed from previous editions of the Timbers? Here are a two things that have definitely changed-

1. A dynamic playmaker
In his first league match, Diego Valeri was a revelation for the club. While Darlington Nagbe has shown flashes, the MLS Timbers have never had an attacking midfielder like Valeri. While his 51 turnovers was a lot, his constant array of attacking passes and his skill on the ball was magnificent. His first half goal was also a thing of beauty and made mincemeat out of former MLS defender of the Year Jamison Olave. If Valeri can keep playing at the level he did tonight, he will be the MLS Newcomer of the Year.

2. Constant pressure
"You just get the feeling the Portland Timbers have 14 players on the field right now."

That was the quote from ESPN announcer Taylor Twellman late in the second half of the match. And that is exactly the type of pressure that has rarely been seen from the Timbers before. While counterattacks were common, a sustained wave of pressure and passing was not. Portland had 496 successful passes Sunday night compared to New York’s 249. The majority of those passes were due to the outstanding nights by Diego Chara, Will Johnson, and Valeri. Their presence on the ball was exceptional.

The trouble with overanalyzing the opening match of the season is that there are still 33 games left in league play. In 2011, the Timbers were thrashed by the Rapids in the season opener and still contended for a playoff spot until the final week of the season. In 2012, Portland beat up a Philadelphia Union side and then put together a lackluster season.

That being said, overcoming a two-goal deficit for the first time in MLS (0-19-0 in 2011/2012) is definitely something to be looked at on a positive note.

 

Mike Donovan is the Portland Timbers beat reporter for oregonsports.com. Follow him at:

www.twitter.com/TheMikeDonovan

 

The Goalkeeper kicks the ball to the leftback, who is 10 yards ahead of him to his left.

The leftback takes one small touch upfield and then taps a centering pass to a holding midfielder.  

That midfielder also takes one touch and returns a pass to the same area where the leftback was.

However, the leftback has started advancing upfield and his spot has been taken over by an outside midfielder.

After receiving the ball close to the sideline, the midfielder takes six dribbles while driving upfield towards the opponent’s goal.

In five seconds, he covers about 20 yards and then taps a pass to an attacking midfielder who had taken a run parallel to the dribbler.
The attacking midfielder lets the ball run towards the center of the pitch without taking a touch.

A defender tries to close down the space, but before he does, the attacking midfielder sends a pass through to a forward, who has snuck in between the two central defenders.  

The forward delivers a clinical finish with his left foot and gives the goalkeeper no chance of keeping the ball out of the net.

The above passage is a breakdown of the second goal that the Portland Timbers scored during their 3-3 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes Sunday night at Jeld-Wen Field.

In their first two seasons in the MLS, the Portland Timbers have never scored a goal like the one they produced in the 27th minute of their home preseason opener. While there have been lovely counterattack goals (Danny Mwanga vs San Jose in 2012, Diego Chara vs Vancouver in 2011), Portland has not been known as a team that uses a full-length possession to score a goal.

In the past, the majority of Timbers run-of-play goals have been scored by A) producing a counterattack that surprises the defense and catches them out of position or

B) from a cross from the wing. Basically, the Timbers relied on the other team to make mistakes for a likely goal scoring opportunity to come up.
If last night’s goal is any indication, this is no longer the case. Caleb Porter’s style isn’t just about forcing defenders into mistakes, but it’s also about just playing superior soccer.

After one game in front of a home crowd, it is already obvious that Porter’s style is worlds away from the previous coaching strategies. He also has seemed to find players that fit the new style.

Diego Valeri, who was signed as designated player in the offseason, was a revelation in the midfield Sunday night. He has no problem taking on defenders and is extremely clever in his decision making when attacking. He can see angles that the majority of players are unable to see.

Other new additions made their names known with newly acquired Ryan Johnson collecting a hat trick on three very impressive finishes and fullbacks Michael Harrington and Ryan Miller providing a spark from the backline.

Players like Harrington, Valeri and Johnson were brought in because Porter and GM Gavin Wilkinson thought they would be able to fit the style that Porter wants to play. Most of the returning Timbers, however, might have to adjust their games to fit the new style.

Darlington Nagbe, who played under Porter at Akron, unsurprisingly seemed comfortable with his role last night, as evidenced by his streaking run and pass to Valeri on the second Timbers goal. For players like Kalif Alhassan and Danny Mwanga, the new style is one that they should be able to play. Alhassan, in particular, has the skill-set to play in tight spaces and make nice attacking passes.

It would be unreasonable to expect the Timbers to always produce the nice on-the-ball play they had on Sunday. But if they continue to play Porter’s style at a high level, many Timbers players should be able to produce successful seasons.

Mike Donovan is the Portland Timbers beat reporter for oregonsports.com. Follow him at:

www.twitter.com/TheMikeDonovan

 

 

Nov. 8, 2012

After the final Timbers game of the year, the Portland Mercury’s Brian Gjurgevich dubbed me “Timbers stat nerd of 2012.”  This is a quite an honor for me to be bestowed with, and I take the title very seriously.

Because of this, I wanted to take a second and share some of favorite, cool or simply bizarre stats that I came across during or after the 2012 season.  

Scoring droughts coming to an end
Despite scoring fewer goals in 2012 than 2011, quite a few Portland Timbers had long scoring droughts come to an end.

When Sal Zizzo put in the Timbers first goal in a 2-2 draw against Toronto FC on August 15th, it was the first time Zizzo had ever scored a goal for a professional, non-reserve squad in a league match. Despite signing his first professional contract in July of 2007 with Hannover 96, the winger had only put the ball in the net in friendlies, cup matches or for reserve teams.

If it seemed like David Horst didn’t know how to react after heading the ball into the net against the Seattle Sounders on June 24, its probably because he hadn’t had much practice. After all, that goal was Horst’s first MLS goal despite being drafted in 2008 by Real Salt Lake. Injuries almost derailed Horst’s career but he has seemed to find a home in Portland.

Timbers midfielder Franck Songo’o ended the season in a more attacking role than he had in the beginning of the season. Yet when Songo’o scored his match-winning free kick goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps on August 25, it was his first league goal since scoring on a header for Real Zaragoza on Valentine’s Day 2009 against UD Las Palmas. Songo’o’s last goal with his feet was scored on March 29, 2008 when he scored for Sheffield Wednesday.

Other Timbers to end scoreless streaks were Eric Brunner, who in his 80th MLS match scored a goal with one of his feet for the first time on May 20th, and Kalif Alhassan, who on opening night scored a goal on the US mainland for the first time in his three seasons for the Portland Timbers

Werewolves of Portland
One of the more interesting stats that developed through the season was the Timbers penchant for playing well in Portland when under a Full Moon. With wins over San Jose (Thunder Moon) and Colorado (Blue Moon) and draws with Columbus (Flower Moon) and DC United (Harvest Moon), the Timbers ran their record to 5-0-2 in their last seven home Full Moon games.

Five goals is a lot
On consecutive Saturdays in July, the Timbers gave up five goals to their opponents. First on July 14, in Gavin Wilkinson’s first game back as the Timbers head coach, Portland fell 5-3 to the defending champ LA Galaxy, then on July 21, the club was shut out 5-0 by FC Dallas. In the previous 335 games (their entire USL tenure and previous 51 games), the club had conceded five goals in a league match just once.

North End reigns supreme
The Timbers Army section has always inspired the hometown team and seemed to bring an extra edge to the club. But in its two MLS seasons, the Timbers have taken that appreciation to a new level by scoring a huge portion of its goals in front of the North End. In 2012, 16 out of the 24 goals scored by Portland at Jeld-Wen Field were scored heading towards the North End. Add that to the 21 of 30 scored in the North End in 2011 and that brings the percentage of goals scored in the North End to 68.5 percent.

In the 34 halves the MLS Timbers have played headed towards the North End, they have scored 37 goals. In the 102 halves played on the road or towards the South End, they have scored the exact same number. That translates to 1.09 goals every North End half and 0.36 goals per half played on the road or South End.

No way San Jose

The Portland Timbers and the San Jose Earthquakes have been playing each other since 1975. And, despite the Earthquakes having the best record in the MLS in 2012, San Jose struggled to beat the Timbers, again. Portland is undefeated in five MLS league matches with the Bay Area club (1-0-4) and hasn’t lost a league match against San Jose since May 26, 1982.

Where is my penalty kick?
In 2012, the Portland Timbers became the fourth team in MLS history not to be awarded a penalty kick during an entire MLS season, but the Timbers have a longer penalty kick drought to keep an eye on in the future. Portland’s last penalty kick goal was July 30, 2011 against Toronto FC. That means in the Timbers last 48 games, they have scored zero goals via the penalty kick. In those same 48 games, Timbers opponents have score 7 goals from the spot.

If you have any favorite stats of your own from the 2012 Timbers season, please tweet me at twitter.com/themikedonovan and have a wonderful offseason.

 

Sept 15, 2012

The next time the Timbers take on a Cascadia Cup rival in Portland, they will have a new coach and likely some new players on the pitch. Saturday’s 1-1 draw might have given the Timbers a glimpse of what their future looks like in 2013 and beyond.

In the future envisioned by Timbers management, and fans alike, the Timbers will constantly play big games for trophies in front of national TV audiences. While the 2012 season has been a disappointment in many ways, the chance to win the Cascadia Cup in front of a home crowd made it the biggest and most important game of the season.  

And, in the face of all that pressure, certain Timber players seemed to rise to the occasion. With no spots on the team guaranteed for next season, players played like their jobs were on the line, in addition to the Cup.

In his last two seasons with the Portland Timbers, Rodney Wallace has been criticized so much by Timbers fans that he might as well changed his name to “Much-Maligned Rodney Wallace.” Despite showing flashes going forward, Wallace has often been the scapegoat for his penchant for playing blind long balls out of the back.

But with Steven Smith suspended, Wallace was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time in five matches. But that was in the midfield. Wallace hadn’t started at left back since the fifth game of the MLS season. Despite this, Wallace delivered his finest match of his Timbers career, turning the match into a video resume for incoming head coach Caleb Porter.

While his goal will get the headlines, it was his all-around play that will keep Wallace on the field for the Timbers. When coming forward, Wallace earned numerous corner kicks for Portland and completed 58 successful passes (to just 16 unsuccessful). On defense, he locked down his side of the pitch and had a key block of a Brad Evans cross in the 31st minute. Eddie Johnson had been left unmarked and would have had an open goal if not for Wallace’s key defensive stop.

It wasn’t just Wallace who played well on Saturday. Captain Jack Jewsbury played a nice game at holding midfield and his corner kicks completely turned the match around for Portland.

Jewsbury, who is two full years older than any other Timbers field player, is playing at a level that would certainly merit his inclusion on the team next season. If nothing else, he provides leadership and durability on the field.

Despite playing different positions, Jewsbury and Wallace provide more versatility than the majority of Portland’s current squad. Wallace is a self-described two-way player who has no problem playing close to either goal. Jewsbury on the other hand can play anywhere from right back to attacking midfield.

The match was also a key one for players like Bright Dike, Sal Zizzo, and Hanyer Mosquera to gain experience playing in such a large rivalry game. None of the three players had started against the Sounders in the MLS. While they might not have played their best games Saturday, the big game experience might come in handy, the next time they are faced with an important match.

Mike Donovan is the Portland Timbers beat reporter for oregonsports.com and he tweets at twitter.com/TheMikeDonovan. Donovan, along with oregonsports.com publisher Cliff Pfenning, host the weekly web series, No Pity City, every Tuesday night at 8:30 pm.

 

SATURDAY'S CASCADIA CUP BY THE NUMBERS

Sept. 12, 2012

0- Times that the Portland Timbers have won the Cascadia Cup when Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland have all competed in the same league. The Cascadia Cup was formed in 2004 by the supporters group of the three clubs. With a win Saturday, the Timbers would clinch the 2012 Cascadia Cup.

1- Amount of wins Gavin Wilkinson has as head coach of the Portland Timbers against the Seattle Sounders in league or US Open Cup play. His overall record is 1-6-2 and his only victory came in a 2-0 victory on April 26, 2008.  

2- The number of former Sounders who have scored for the Timbers against Seattle. Andrew Gregor and Darren Sawatzky both scored in the USL against their former clubs, while backup forward Mike Fucito could add his name to the list with a goal Sunday.

3- Away losses for the Sounders in 2012. Seattle has the fewest losses away from home this season of any MLS club. The Sounders also had the fewest away defeats of any MLS team in 2011.

4- National TV games that Kris Boyd has started in for the Timbers. In those four starts, he has four goals, all of which came at Jeld-Wen Field. Boyd has not started the last four games, but he has had a penchant to score goals in big games.

23- Games since neither Mike Chabala or Steven Smith started at left back for the Timbers. Chabala was traded to DC United on August 8, while Smith will be suspended for Saturday’s match due to yellow card accumulation. Rodney Wallace, Lovel Palmer, and Ian Hogg are among the candidates to start at left back for Portland on Saturday.

62- Fouls committed by Timbers midfielder Diego Chara. Chara leads the MLS in fouls and is just two away from his total of 64 last season, which also led the league.  Chara has only committed three fouls in his three previous appearances against Seattle.

2005- The last year Portland beat Seattle twice in the same season. The club’s 1-0 victory on August 7 gave the Timbers their second victory in a league match over their rival club.

$1,457,062.50- The difference in the amount of compensation Kris Boyd and Bright Dike will receive in 2012. Despite Boyd’s higher salary, Dike has started the last four games and scored two goals for Portland. That amount is more than the combined salaries of Seattle’s Freddy Montero, Eddie Johnson, Mauro Rosales and Osvaldo Alonso.

Mike Donovan is the Portland Timbers beat reporter for oregonsports.com and he tweets at twitter.com/TheMikeDonovan. Donovan, along with oregonsports.com publisher Cliff Pfenning, host the weekly web series, No Pity City, every Tuesday night at 8:30 pm.

 

FIVE REASONS THE TIMBERS ARE STRUGGLING

May 15, 2012

It's two months into the Portland Timbers second MLS season and the first eight games have left much to be desired. Portland is currently last in the MLS’s Western Conference and is the only team in the West with fewer points (7) than games (8).

Here are five reasons why the Timbers have struggled, and how they might be able to turn their season around.

1. Injuries

Every team gets injured, but the Timbers have dealt with the injury bug early and often. This season has seen injuries at every position, from players that have never played in Portland (Jose Adolfo Valencia) to some of last year’s stalwarts (Futty Danso, Kalif Alhassan, Rodney Wallace, David Horst, etc). So far, the Timbers haven’t been able to catch a break.

There isn't much solution to staying injury-free other than making sure players aren’t rushed back too early and sustain more long-term damage.

2. Where is Nagbe?

While second-year player Darlington Nagbe showed glimpses of his immense talent last season, his rookie year was marred by injuries and a slow start to the year. This season, Nagbe has already bested his scoring mark from last season with three goals. All three goals came from when Nagbe was playing in the center of the field. Despite Nagbe’s success in the middle, he has started three games at outside midfielder.

Ten minutes into the Timbers match vs Real Salt Lake, John Spencer moved Nagbe off the wing and into an attacking center-mid role. All Nagbe did was score two first-rate goals and play his best soccer as a professional. Despite this, Nagbe hasn’t played in the central of the midfield since.The best solution would be to stick Nagbe underneath the strikers and let him create. This would also make it easier on either Jack Jewsbury or Lovel Palmer, as they are better when playing a holding midfield position.

3. The play of the backline

The Timbers ended the 2011 season with some very stout defensive performances and gave up just eight goals in their final ten matches. However, the beginning of 2012 bodes no resemblance to the end of 2011 having conceded 13 goals in the first eight matches. Consistently poor positioning, lack of marking near the end of matches, and ball-watching have led to numerous goals that could have been prevented.

While the fullback position has been justifiably criticized by media and fans alike, the centerbacks have also been at fault on multiple goals this year. Eric Brunner has shown outstanding leadership and has had to cover for poor play on the outside, but he has also not shown the domination in the aerial game that he had last season. The budding partnership between Brunner and Hanyer Mosquera looks promising, but only clean sheets will prove the pair’s worth.

4. Late game debacles

In all but one game this season, the Portland Timbers have entered the 75th minute with a tie or a lead. Despite this, Portland has only been able to get positive results in three of those seven matches. Portland has given up six goals in the final 15 minutes, which leads the league. One reason for the late-game struggles, seems to from needless late-game substitutions. On multiple occasions this season, a second half sub has been at fault for an opponent’s goal. One of those players, James Marcelin, was waived last week to make room for Steven Smith.

One way to fix the problem is to make sure players understand their late game roles. Players such as Diego Chara have seemed to be unsure of what position they are meant to be playing in at the end of matches. Another problem, which might be harder to overcome, is changing the belief of the team at the end of the matches. It's hard to hold a lead when everything in your brain is telling you that you are going to concede a late goal. It might be easier for attacking players to continue their attacking ways instead of trying to overload the defensive half. In fact, Portland is one of just three MLS squads without a goal in the final 15 minutes of a match.

5. The Timbers just aren’t as good as their opponents

The 300-pound elephant staring the Timbers in the face is a scary one. Despite the acquisitions of Kris Boyd and Mosquera, Portland is simply not playing as well as it did in the second half of last season. It's completely possible that the majority of MLS teams have gotten better, while the Timbers have stayed the same or gotten worse.

Since opening night, only Nagbe and Boyd have scored goals. The midfield has provided little in the attack and hasn’t been able to close down on opponent midfielders away from the ball.

In almost every match, the opponents have gotten production from their bench, while the Timbers haven’t gotten much (other than Nagbe’s goal).

The lack of depth in the bench has been easy to see while teams such as Chivas USA, Real Salt Lake and even expansion Montreal have had subs be key parts of goals. In-season acquisitions of Mike Fucito and Smith might provide some much-needed support for Portland, but it still waits to be seen if the Timbers face a “talent issue.”

One positive for the club is the season is only a quarter of the way through. However, if the Timbers can’t turn their early season woes around soon, it will be a long season at Jeld-Wen Field.

Mike Donovan is the Portland Timbers beat reporter for oregonsports.com and he tweets at twitter.com/TheMikeDonovan. Donovan, along with oregonsports.com publisher Cliff Pfenning, host the weekly web series, No Pity City, every Tuesday night at 8:30 pm.

Time for the Aggregate on the 2012 Timbers

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Mike "Stats" Donovan crunches the numbers on the past season
Nov. 8, 2012 / by Mike Donovan, oregonsports.com

After the final Timbers game of the year, the Portland Mercury’s Brian Gjurgevich dubbed me “Timbers stat nerd of 2012.”  This is a quite an honor for me to be bestowed with, and I take the title very seriously.

Because of this, I wanted to take a second and share some of favorite, cool or simply bizarre stats that I came across during or after the 2012 season.  

Scoring droughts coming to an end
Despite scoring fewer goals in 2012 than 2011, quite a few Portland Timbers had long scoring droughts come to an end.

When Sal Zizzo put in the Timbers first goal in a 2-2 draw against Toronto FC on August 15th, it was the first time Zizzo had ever scored a goal for a professional, non-reserve squad in a league match. Despite signing his first professional contract in July of 2007 with Hannover 96, the winger had only put the ball in the net in friendlies, cup matches or for reserve teams.

If it seemed like David Horst didn’t know how to react after heading the ball into the net against the Seattle Sounders on June 24, its probably because he hadn’t had much practice. After all, that goal was Horst’s first MLS goal despite being drafted in 2008 by Real Salt Lake. Injuries almost derailed Horst’s career but he has seemed to find a home in Portland.

Timbers midfielder Franck Songo’o ended the season in a more attacking role than he had in the beginning of the season. Yet when Songo’o scored his match-winning free kick goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps on August 25, it was his first league goal since scoring on a header for Real Zaragoza on Valentine’s Day 2009 against UD Las Palmas. Songo’o’s last goal with his feet was scored on March 29, 2008 when he scored for Sheffield Wednesday.

Other Timbers to end scoreless streaks were Eric Brunner, who in his 80th MLS match scored a goal with one of his feet for the first time on May 20th, and Kalif Alhassan, who on opening night scored a goal on the US mainland for the first time in his three seasons for the Portland Timbers

Werewolves of Portland
One of the more interesting stats that developed through the season was the Timbers penchant for playing well in Portland when under a Full Moon. With wins over San Jose (Thunder Moon) and Colorado (Blue Moon) and draws with Columbus (Flower Moon) and DC United (Harvest Moon), the Timbers ran their record to 5-0-2 in their last seven home Full Moon games.

Five goals is a lot
On consecutive Saturdays in July, the Timbers gave up five goals to their opponents. First on July 14, in Gavin Wilkinson’s first game back as the Timbers head coach, Portland fell 5-3 to the defending champ LA Galaxy, then on July 21, the club was shut out 5-0 by FC Dallas. In the previous 335 games (their entire USL tenure and previous 51 games), the club had conceded five goals in a league match just once.

North End reigns supreme
The Timbers Army section has always inspired the hometown team and seemed to bring an extra edge to the club. But in its two MLS seasons, the Timbers have taken that appreciation to a new level by scoring a huge portion of its goals in front of the North End. In 2012, 16 out of the 24 goals scored by Portland at Jeld-Wen Field were scored heading towards the North End. Add that to the 21 of 30 scored in the North End in 2011 and that brings the percentage of goals scored in the North End to 68.5 percent.

In the 34 halves the MLS Timbers have played headed towards the North End, they have scored 37 goals. In the 102 halves played on the road or towards the South End, they have scored the exact same number. That translates to 1.09 goals every North End half and 0.36 goals per half played on the road or South End.

No way San Jose

The Portland Timbers and the San Jose Earthquakes have been playing each other since 1975. And, despite the Earthquakes having the best record in the MLS in 2012, San Jose struggled to beat the Timbers, again. Portland is undefeated in five MLS league matches with the Bay Area club (1-0-4) and hasn’t lost a league match against San Jose since May 26, 1982.

Where is my penalty kick?
In 2012, the Portland Timbers became the fourth team in MLS history not to be awarded a penalty kick during an entire MLS season, but the Timbers have a longer penalty kick drought to keep an eye on in the future. Portland’s last penalty kick goal was July 30, 2011 against Toronto FC. That means in the Timbers last 48 games, they have scored zero goals via the penalty kick. In those same 48 games, Timbers opponents have score 7 goals from the spot.

If you have any favorite stats of your own from the 2012 Timbers season, please tweet me at twitter.com/themikedonovan and have a wonderful offseason.

Timbers season draws to a close

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The 2012 campaign featured plenty of drama and a Cascadia Cup
Oct. 27, 2012 / By Mike Donovan, oregonsports.com

Portland didn’t get a penalty kick, the Timbers Army screamed their lungs off, rain fell at Jeld-Wen Field and the Timbers gave up the first goal.

So Saturday’s game against the San Jose Earthquakes played out like a mini version of their entire 2012 season. And for the third time this season, the San Jose Earthquakes were unable to knock the Timbers, as the teams fought to a 1-1 draw.

Bright Dike’s fifth goal of the season negated Chris Wondolowki’s 27th and Portland was able to end the season on a 6-game home unbeaten streak.

And while the Timbers season was certainly a disappointment, here are five positives Timbers fans can take from the 2012 season.

1. Jeld-Wen Field still has some magic

The Portland Timbers finished the season with just four home losses in their 17 matches at Jeld-Wen. Portland also went undefeated against the two MLS Conference champions at home this season (2-0-1).

2. The Timbers are young

The average age of field players in the Timbers 18 for Saturday’s game was 23.6. Numerous key players for the Timbers future are 25 and under including Franck Songo’o (25), Darlington Nagbe (22), Danny Mwanga (21) and Andrew Jean-Baptiste (20). Bright Dike, who lead the team in goals scored since John Spencer was fired, is also only 25.

3. The play of Steven Smith, Hanyer Mosquera and Songo’o

While Kris Boyd was not the player the Timbers FO had hoped, three new acquisitions had decent years for the club. Mosquera was the team’s best player for the first half of the season, while Smith and Songo’o improved immensely by the end of the season. There is no reason to believe the trio will not be improved in their 2nd MLS season.

4. Ownership that cares

Meritt Paulson cares about in-game officiating, fans and his community, while other MLS owners care about their other pro sports franchises. Timbers fans should be happy to not be owned by the Stan Kroenkes of the world.

5. Cascadia Cup

Trophies not friendlies.

 

Penalty kick only infuses energy into Timbers

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Portland responds with the energy of a Cup champion in 1-1 draw
Sept. 29, 2012 / By Mike Donovan, oregonsports.com

The ball did not strike David Horst’s arm.

Now that we have that out of the way, the fight of the Portland Timbers in the final 30 minutes cannot be overlooked by Timbers management and fans alike.
When adversity strikes Portland in 2012, they haven’t always been able to pick themselves up off the mat and throw the next punch. That was not the case for the Timbers Saturday against DC United.

After Horst was called for a handball by referee’s assistant Kermit Quisenberry and Chris Pontius blasted in the resulting penalty, the Timbers weren’t necessarily more motivated. But they were definitely pissed off.

“I thought they were more pissed off and annoyed,” interim head coach Gavin Wilkinson said after the match. “They felt they had been hard done by, they felt like they had probably dealt with this enough this season. And their response was a positive one.”

Horst, who was at the center of the controversy, agreed that the call made the Timbers angry.

“If anything it pissed us off even more, got the guys fired up a little bit,” Horst said. “And you saw we didn’t give up at all, we got after them even more and we got the goal back and kept fighting.”

And, while sometimes anger leads to disorganized play that was not the case for Portland. The Timbers dominated possession in the final 30 minutes of the game and threatened DC United’s net more than once.

The breakthrough finally came for the Timbers when Bright Dike blasted the ball over Bill Hamid’s head from a tough angle in the 79th minute.

Captain Jack Jewsbury was happy with the shape the game took after the penalty kick.

“I thought the reaction after that was very good from the group, just press, press, press, until Bright got the goal,” Jewsbury said. “To not put our heads down and continue to fight was good.”
Dike’s goal came after a Steven Smith cross was stopped by DC’s Andy Najar. However, Najar couldn’t clear the ball and Dike shot it home with his left foot.

The Timbers almost had a winner in the 87th minute when Franck Songo’o got his foot on a cross five yards from goal. However, his shot went flying into the Timbers Army and the team had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

It wasn’t just the offense that showed well after the penalty kick. In the 34 minutes that followed the call, DC United did not have a single shot.

Near the end of a trying season, the team still put in the fight of a team battling for a playoff spot.

“They didn’t feel sorry for themselves they responded positively. It just goes to show you a lot about the guys where we’re at this stage of the season,” Wilkinson said.
Despite virtually no chance of making the postseason, Portland still can win a trophy with a point in next week’s Cascadia Cup match at Seattle. Dike thinks tonight might have foreshadowed next week.

“If the boys keep fighting like that, only positive things can come in the future,” Dike said. “Take how we played in the 2nd half and bring it to Seattle.”

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The Timbers' road show bombs again, 3-0

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Portland loses at Colorado and sinks back into West cellar
Sept. 5, 2012

The winless road season continued one more game Wednesday for the Portland Timbers, who lost 3-0 to the Colorado Rapids at Dicks Sporting Goods Park.

Colorado scored twice in the first half and then late in the game to avenge a Friday night loss in Portland and leap from the Western Conference cellar in the process.

Portland fell to 7-14-6, 27 points, just behind Colorado, which improved to 9-17-2, 29 points.

Chivas USA, which has three wins over Portland, is 7-11-7, 28 points.

Portland has 10 days off before playing host to Seattle in a pivotal Cascadia Cup game.

The Timbers, with the loss, remained the lone MLS team without a road victory. and have been outscored on the road 28-6.

Portland is 2-6-2, 8 points, under interim coach Gavin Wilkinson.

 

 

A bright night leads to another win

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Dike scores to put Timbers in win column for second-straight game
Aug. 31, 2012

The Portland Timbers have slowly been knocking off targets in the past two weeks - first away goal in weeks, point at home in weeks, then win under coach Gavin Wilkinson.

Friday, a day after the franchise announced it had found a coach, the Timbers pounced on the Colorado Rapids and scored a 1-0 victory at Jeld-Wen Field, giving the team consecutive wins for the first time this season.

Bright Dike directed home a cross from Sal Zisso for the game's lone goal, Zisso having taken a solid pass from Darlington Nagbe. Dike's goal was his second of the season, the first coming Aug. 19 during a loss at New York.

With the three points from the victory, the Timbers moved out of last place in the Western Conference past Colorado. Portland is 7-13-6, 27 points, just ahead of Colorado, which is 8-17-2, 26 points. The teams meet in Denver Wednesday with Portland aiming for its first road win of the season.

Dike's goal came in his third straight start. Kris Boyd, the team's highest paid player and top scorer, played the final two minutes after subbing in for Dike.

 

 

Finally! Timbers get a post-Spencer victory

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Portland handles Vancouver 2-1 in Cascadia Cup match-up
Aug. 25, 2012 / By Cliff Pfenning, oregonsports.com

The clouds of discontent that have covered the Portland Timbers franchise for the past six weeks finally cleared away Saturday night at the most opportune time and the team scored a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps before a sold-out crowd at Jeld-Wen Field.

Darlington Nagbe scored his third goal in three games and Franck Songo'o scored his first goal in an MLS game to snap an eight-game winless streak for Portland.

The victory is the first for the Timbers under interim coach Gavin Wilkinson, who added the role to his position as General Manager when the team fired coach John Spencer, July 9. The Timbers lost their next four games by a combined 12-3, including a 5-0 disaster at Dallas, July 21. But, recently, the team has become energized by a series of line-up adjustments that have included regualr time for forward Bright Dike, who replaced designated player Kris Boyd Saturday.

"It's a lot better than losing," Wilkinson said afterward. "We've been playing hard and have worked for this, so it's good to see we got the result we've been looking for."

Portland improved to 6-13-6, 24 points, with all of its wins coming on the home pitch. The team suits up again on Friday for a home game against Colorado, which sits one spot ahead in the Western Conference standings.

Saturday's win was even more important as it put the Timbers in the driver's seat within the Cascadia Cup. Portland is 2-0-1, seven points, with three games remaining in the fan-sponsored battle among Northwest rivals. The Timbers have three games remaining in the Cup, including a Sept. 15 home game with Seattle.

Nagbe's first-half goal continued a streak of positive results for the second-year player. His tally off assists from Jack Jewsbury and Eric Alexander in the 41st minute gave him six on the season, one behind Boyd.

After Vancouver tied the game in first-half extra time, Songo'o fired in a free kick at 55 minutes for the decisive goal.

Portland dominated much of the game, controlling possession for 53 percent of the 90 mintues and winning 57 percent of duels for the ball.

Vancouver dropped to 10-10-7, and remained at 37 points, which keeps it in the fifth and final playoff spot within the West.

The teams meet for the third and final time of the season in Vancouver, B.C., Oct. 20.

Progress without success for Timbers

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Portland returns home after promising road trip, but still searches for a win
Aug. 20, 2012 / By Cliff Pfenning, oregonsports.com

It's been five weeks and seven games since Portland Timbers management fired coach John Spencer as part of a move to reinvigorate the team for a second-half run at a playoff berth.

All they've achieved, though, is a run to the bottom of the MLS standings.

Since July 14, when Portland replaced Spencer with general manager Gavin Wilkinson on an interim basis, the Timbers are 0-5-2 and lead only Toronto FC among the 19 MLS teams. They've fallen to last in the Western Conference, and have no chance at reaching the playoffs.

What's more (or less) they're at the bottom of the MLS Power Rankings, a showcase of the respect the team has generated among the league's observers.

The team traded popular goalkeeper Troy Perkins, and designated player Kris Boyd seems to play with less inspiration every game.

Can get season get worse?

Can the season get better?

If there is a better half of the season awaiting, it'll have to start Saturday when the team plays host to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the second meeting between the teams, and the third game within the Cascadia Cup, the fan-created trophy awarded to the team that scores the most points in games between Portland, Vancouver and Seattle.

With a draw against Vancouver, May 26, and a win over Seattle, June 24, the Timbers (5-13-6, 21 points) lead the chase for the Cup with two games remaining against each of the Northwest rivals.

Both Seattle (11-6-7, 40 points) and Vancouver (10-9-7, 37 points) appear headed for the playoffs, but claiming the Cascadia Cup would at least be salvaging something for the Timbers and their fans.

Taking the Cup from Seattle would be a first for Portland with all three franchises playing at the same professional level.

The recent two-game road trip to Toronto and New York produced four goals for Portland, the first time the team has scored twice on the road since it joined MLS last year.

Although the tirp produced no wins, the offense and some inspired play from across the line-up seem to show the Timbers aren't ready to simply roll up and wait for the season to conclude, although they really only have four meaningful games remaining on their schedule:

Saturday, Vancouver at Portland, 7 p.m.

Sept. 15, Seattle at Portland, 12:30 p.m.

Oct. 7, Portland at Seattle, 6 p.m.

Oct. 21, Portland at Vancouver, B.C., 6 p.m.

 

 

 

 

Late score salvages another game for Timbers

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Nagbe scores in the 82nd minute to tie Toronto 2-2
Aug. 15, 2012

The Portland Timbers opened a two-match road trip with a 2-2 draw against Toronto FC before 18,773 fans at BMO Field on Wednesday. Midfielder Sal Zizzo scored a first-half goal and midfielder Darlington Nagbe delivered a late equalizer to help Portland earn a point on the road.

The Timbers took a 1-0 lead into halftime on Zizzo’s first-career MLS goal. But Toronto FC was able to overturn the deficit early in the second half, as forward Eric Hassli recorded a goal and assist to help the home side score twice inside a six-minute span, to take a 2-1 lead in the 63rd minute. With eight minutes remaining, Nagbe headed home a chipped pass from defender Steven Smith to level the score at 2-2, helping the Timbers pick up their first road points since May 15.

Nagbe scored his career-high fourth goal of the season, Smith logged his second assist of the season, midfielder Eric Alexander recorded his team-high fifth assist and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made four saves in this club debut to help the Timbers (5-12-6, 21pts) end a five-match losing streak on the road.

Hassli’s goal and assist contributed to his first multiple-point performance of the campaign, forward Luis Silva scored his third goal of the season and defender Ashtone Morgan recorded his team-best fifth assist for Toronto FC (5-13-5, 20pts).

The Timbers struck for the opening goal in the 21st minute. A corner kick from the right side by Smith set up defender David Horst for a headed ball back in front of goal. Zizzo has his initial attempt blocked on the goal line by Toronto FC’s Eric Avila, but Zizzo was in position to drive in the rebound, scoring Portland’s first goal on the road since mid April.

Toronto FC pulled level in the 57th minute as Hassli capitalized on a deflected ball in the box to tie the score at 1-1. A free kick by defender Richard Eckersley helped put Silva in position for an open look from the top of the box. Ricketts parried Silva’s shot with an outstretched hand, but the ball fell onto the path of Hassli slashing in on the left post and Hassli converted his first goal as a member of Toronto FC.

Six minutes later, Toronto FC overtook the lead 2-1 on a goal by Silva. Morgan, from deep in the left corner, was able to beat his marker to get off a cross in to Hassli at the near post. Hassli then flicked the ball on in front of goal, where Silva knocked in the go-ahead goal with a sliding effort.

After a close chance in the 70th minute, in which forwards Mike Fucito and Kris Boyd combined for an open look on goal, the Timbers were able to knot the score at 2-2 in the 82nd minute. A throw-in by Smith into the Timbers’ attacking third led to a quick succession of passes between Boyd and Alexander to set up Smith for an open run into the box. Faced with a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Smith chipped a pass across the goal mouth to an open Nagbe in the right side of the box. Nagbe jumped up and snapped his header into an open net.

The Timbers continue a two-game road trip Sunday as they visit the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena at 4 p.m. (Pacific). The match against New York will be televised live on KPTV, across the Portland Timbers Television Work and in Spanish on EstrellaTV. Live radio broadcasts will be available on 750AM The Game and in Spanish on La Pantera 940AM.

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