—by Garrett Dittfurth

This is huge people. We have committed to the largest project we've ever done. We can do this with all of your help. We need to engage the community and need all of you. Real talk. This is huge.

I can't argue with any of this. It's a pretty big honor to end up in a list with these teams. Mike Golub needs to be called out in a good way. He is as top notch as they come. We are lucky to have him working for the club. He is a top notch guy and is nothing but a service to the club. He is a guy that will rarely get the praise he deserves because he constantly works behind the scenes. I may poke a lot of fun in these blurbs because it is meant as entertainment but Mike Golub is a gem. We really couldn't be luckier to have him here. All credit to Merritt for making an incredible hire and hopefully Mike is with the club long term. He is genuine and someone that gets it. We couldn't be luckier.

Bruce Lee was suspended for an extra game. Despite the efforts of the FO to award him save of the week for the karate kick of the year it isn't exactly the same competition. I imagine there was some consternation from the digital media team this week as they couldn't produce a mediocre save to set the masses on to vote for (I kid FO if there were an award for karate kicks he would win). To them I give them this music video, which I imagine won't go over well. Guys guys guys...at least you get to nominate him for karate kick of the year! That's an award right!!!

(I guarantee you they're laughing at this but they can't say anything publicly)

Daniel Winthrow joined the club from the MLS keeper pool. Andrew Weber will be starting and Jake Gleeson is apparently still not MLS quality so he's on loan. I hear Josh Saunders is available. Last time he took over for Ricketts the Galaxy won back to back MLS championships (I kid guys because I love).

Valid point raised from the guys at Stumptownfooty. So we have a lot of players who are very good and all like to play in the middle of the field rather than in the wings. It's sort of hard to argue after watching the pre-season and first few games seeing everyone drifting to the center. Could be a tough year if it doesn't get sorted soon.

Want to have a laugh? This makes me laugh. I guess they could pull it off. But it's crazy funny considering the human rights and gay rights record in Texas against the one in Qatar. I guess they don't just straight execute people in Texas so that's a step up...right...RIGHT?

It's a good question. Can MLS get past European soccer viewing?

The new stadium in Orlando made some progress. Looks like a good destination to start planning for in 2015. Kennedy Space Center is a pretty cool side trip...my 14 year old self just sayin'....

To say interesting doesn't even cut it on this one. I don't even want to pretend this is me being a fan of the Timbers. As a fan of the league I'd straight up call bullshit on this if it happens. In order for it to happen they have a few scenarios possible. They have to magically make Ozzy Alonzo a non-DP. I'm sure the league can magically come up with a rule to make it happen. Of course that would mean Seattle gets 4 DPs...but there would be some magic rule making Alonso a non-DP somehow cause they aren't going to lose the best defensive mid in the league for this. They may have a rule somewhere but much like the Clint Dempsey signing they might not tell us it exists until after it happens. The other possibility is they "magically" find another club willing to take on Obafemi Martin's terrible contract to get it off their books. Don't think this won't happen. Last I checked Chicago was the last sucker to take Freddie Llungberg and Alvaro Fernandez off Seattle's hands so they could sign a bigger free agent DP. Why is this important? When big clubs make decisions they regret so far they get to pass their regret off to other clubs. Recently Toronto just passed Matias Laba off to Vancouver when they signed some more DPs with bigger names. If you're going to sign a DP teams need to own it. If they sign an aging veteran that has a name but can't perform then tough shit. Can you tell I am passionate about this? Contracts are contracts and just because a league wants their biggest clubs to look good on television doesn't give them credibility. At least the NBA doesn't reward mismanagement on the contract side. If they did the Knicks would be coasting their way to their 15th championship in the last 20 years. The NBA grew because clubs like San Antonio were able to be a smart mid-market club that made great decisions.

I have to give them props for keeping the league afloat during some dark years but its about time they got called out. Since Jorge Vergara was run out of Chivas the Krafts are actually the worst owners in the league. Do something...anything...act like you care for the good of everyone or find someone that does care and sell.

Hey they won't fly you to Israel. It doesn't even exist to them. But they're now a league partner. Makes sense since they're basically blowing money on NYC2. They even do racial profiling as a part of their training. It does beg a certain question from MLS front brass that I guarantee Don Garber will never actually address. Simon Borg might actually yell about it though since he's good at that but it probably won't make any sense. Serious question to the brass at MLS HQ. What happened to your actual souls? Are they at a party in Dubai you just can't take yourselves out of?

So Arsenal is playing in the US for the first time since 1989. That's pretty cool and a good send off for Thierry Henry. Sort of begs the question as the American owner who also owns the Rapids doesn't have them playing there to promote the game...but the boss is the boss.

The Timbers play Dallas this weekend. Want to watch Darlington shred Dallas over the years? Well here is your opportunity. Let's hope he does it again.

Ok that's the blurb for the week. Have fun kids and please realize the sarcastic nature of most of my posts. Have a laugh and kid around a bit...except for that stuff about Ethihad. Some things aren't worth the money.

—by Mike Coleman

It just seems like yesterday we announced successfully funding the largest project the 107 Independent Supporters Trust and Timbers Army had undertaken to date: Bless Field. It was a remarkable moment in our organization and one that would not have happened without you.

However, the demand for places to play the beautiful game in Soccer City USA doesn’t rest and neither does the Timbers Army.

Today we are very excited to announce that, through the 107ist, the Timbers Army has agreed to be the primary community partner with Portland Public Schools for the Jefferson High School field and track replacement.

Located in NE Portland, Jefferson High School is an historic high school in a diverse community. In recent years 107ist/Timbers Army has helped the Boys and Girls soccer programs at Jefferson through direct donation of uniforms and equipment and volunteer coaching.  During that time it became obvious that the field facilities at Jefferson were badly in need of an outright replacement.  Last year the 107ist approached Portland Public Schools about working together on a project and this opportunity seemed an obvious fit for our organization.

What does primary community partner mean?

As the primary community partner for the Jefferson project we have committed to raising $50,000 towards a new all-weather field. Portland Public Schools has agreed to make the Jefferson High School field the home of the Timbers Army Football Club’s current 13 teams and allow for more teams to play under its umbrella. As a community partner we also plan to utilize field time for 107ist and our partner organizations who facilitate after school camps and programs in the neighborhood.

When will this happen?

Pending approval from Portland School Board, construction is slated to start in mid-June and scheduled to be completed by Labor Day.

What does this mean for you as a member?

Over the 2014 season we will be hosting a number of opportunities to donate to this project from special fringe scarf sales to fundraising events.  We hope you will participate in one of those opportunities to fund this unique project.

We also have an upcoming opportunity for you to show your support!  Next Monday, March 31 at 6:00 p.m. 501 North Dixon Street, Portland, Oregon, 97227 the Portland Public School Board will be voting on this proposal (Jefferson is one of three high schools proposed to get new fields this summer).  Show up, wear your Timbers Army scarves and show your support for our next big project!

Team. Town. Timbers Army.  The golden triangle.  This is what makes us the best supporters in North America.

 

—by Chris Rifer

The last thing the Timbers needed on top of their tepid form was bad luck.  While the Timbers were less than overwhelming on Saturday, bad luck is exactly what they got from the linesman’s flag, the referee’s whistle, and even Mother Nature herself.

In subzero temperatures with occasional snow flurries, the Timbers’ high-speed offense was asked to operate in cold weather on a slick field; the worst conditions imaginable for Portland’s ground-based attack.

All things considered, however, the Timbers managed the match well.  Aside from two early Deshorn Brown shots that should have been routine for Donovan Ricketts, but posed a challenge for the frozen Jamaican lion in the cold and wind, the Rapids had little to speak of in the attack.

After weathering an initial 10-minute spell from the Rapids, the Timbers warmed into a nice rhythm and began to put their foot on the game.  While they predictably didn’t create much in the way of chances, the Timbers’ control kept Colorado at bay.

After some patience and persistence, the Timbers eventually found some opportunities.  In the 30^th minute, Diego Valeri got head to a poor Rapids clearance 40 yards from goal and nodded into the path of a through-on-goal Gaston Fernandez, but the linesman incorrectly raised his flag for one of seven times against the Timbers to nullify the advantage.

The Timbers couldn’t blame the linesman two minutes later, however.  After Portland set up their corner attack high in the box, most of the Timbers hung deep while Will Johnson streaked near post and Futty dove to the mouth of goal.  The plan worked perfectly, as Futty was free to get on the end of Valeri’s corner kick but put his open header wide.

Sitting deeper in the attack opened up a number of spaces for the Timbers to operate in the final third, perhaps never more than the 52^nd minute when Valeri found Nagbe driving toward the byline where he laid the ball in front of goal for Fernandez.  Fernandez slowed his run to the near post, however, and Marvell Wynne stepped in for the emergency interception.

No matter how well the team is executing, however, in soccer things can fall apart in a hurry.  And boy did they ever on Saturday.

In the 68^th minute, moments after Ricketts made a nice save on a Drew Moor shot off a corner, Dillon Powers played Deshorn Brown through with a ball over the top.  The ball skipped away from Brown, however, and Ricketts looked to be in position to clear or gather, but bracing for the impact of Brown coming in hopelessly with studs flying high, Ricketts missed the ball on his flying clearance attempt and caught Brown in the thigh with his boot.  Referee Mark Geiger, unmoved by Brown’s recklessness, whistled for a penalty and issued a straight red card to Ricketts for his karate challenge before the goalkeeper required a stretcher after taking Brown’s boot to his knee.  Vicente Sanchez chipped the ensuing penalty past Andrew Weber for a commanding opening lead.

It only got worse for the Timbers moments after the ensuing kickoff.  After two Timbers slips freed Sanchez down the right side of the box, Weber came out to challenge for the ball.  Sanchez scooted the ball wide of the keeper, dragged his back foot, and caught Weber on the way by.  Geiger unmercifully, but correctly whistled for another penalty, which Weber saved off the foot of Brown only to have the penalty taker put back the rebound.

The remainder was academic.  A man down and trailing two goals, the Timbers never had an opportunity to claw back into the game.  What in many respects was a demonstration of good game management went very awry on Saturday for a Timbers team that can’t seem to catch a break.

Match Observations

Ricketts’ Penalty

I covered this subject in full in a post on The Morrison Report, so I won’t go into significant detail here.  Suffice to say, however, while I don’t blame Geiger for what I think was an incorrect judgment on a nearly impossibly difficult call, I think it was the incorrect judgment nonetheless.

Match Management

Saturday was always going to be ugly for the Timbers, as their attack is poorly suited to operate in such conditions.  Nonetheless, for the vast majority of the match the Timbers did a nice job of managing the game in midfield, holding the ball a little bit deeper to limit space in behind, and holding Colorado shotless for the better part of 40 minutes on either side of halftime.  In fact, aside from the penalties, Colorado’s only legitimate goalscoring chance was Drew Moor’s 66^th minute header that Ricketts saved.  In conditions that heavily favored Colorado’s direct attack, the Timbers rendered the Rapids relatively punchless for much of the afternoon.

Preseason Prediction: Timbers 1, Rapids 1.  Moor, Valeri.

Actual Result: Rapids 2, Timbers 0.  Sanchez, Brown.

Onward, Rose City!

—by Chris Rifer

The wait for the Timbers to find their offensive mojo continues for another week.  In a game of two distinct halves, the Timbers sleepwalked out of the gates in the first half to fall behind then rediscovered some of their form in the second to earn a 1-1 draw against the Chicago Fire.

The Timbers’ best chance of the first half was also indicative of their biggest problem.  In the fourth minute the Timbers broke out and Diego Valeri magnificently fed Darlington Nagbe through on the left side of the box in seemingly promising shooting position.  Rather than pull the trigger, however, Nagbe inexplicably fed the ball wide to Diego Chara where the Fire put it behind for a corner.

The Fire showed no such reluctance to go at goal.  In the 9^th minute, Alex gathered a long goal kick at the top of the box, spun, and fired a volley that looked momentarily destined for the upper corner before Donovan Ricketts palmed it just wide of the post.

Seven minutes later, Quincy Amarikwa took on Norbert Paparatto one-on-one and won, freeing himself on the byline to rip a dangerous cross across the box, but nobody could find the finishing touch.

Paparatto wouldn’t be so lucky in the 19^th minute.  After Amarikwa out-maneuvered Papa to another long ball, he cut in front of the Argentine and stopped, causing Paparatto to bowl over the much-obliged forward.  Jeff Larentowicz stepped to the spot and slotted the ball home in the bottom right corner for the opener.

The concession didn’t immediately wake the Timbers up, however, as they continued to mope through most of the first half.  Even in the rare instance an opportunity presented itself, the Timbers were maddeningly reluctant to seize the moment.  For the most part, however, Portland was outplayed by a team that, even to the naked eye, was its technical inferior.

As halftime neared, however, the Timbers stared to right the ship.  And on the brink of the intermission, they nearly found their equalizer.  After Valeri played a Jewsbury throw to Urruti in the box, the young striker’s shot was deflected.  Not giving up on the play, Urruti managed to squeeze the rebound through to Will Johnson on the left side of the box, but Sean Johnson kick saved his dangerous low shot.

Out of halftime, the Timbers looked like a different team.  In the 56^th minute, after being moved to great effect to the right wing, Valeri played a magnificent ball across the box where both Urruti and Gaston Fernandez had a chance to get a finishing touch on it.  Neither could get his feet right, however, and the once-dangerous ball skidded sheepishly through the box.

Ten minutes later, after Sean Johnson could only deflect a Valeri shot from the right side, Steve Zakuani gathered looking at an open net beyond the far post, but Lovel Palmer blocked his putback and Will Johnson’s bicycle effort—under a little push from Gonzalo Segares—found nothing but air.

It got worse for Will in the 71^st minute, as Chicago did their best to gift the Timbers the equalizer.  After Bakary Soumare and Sean Johnson combined to make a mess of what should have been a routine recovery, Will Johnson found the ball at his feet with nothing but net to look at.  In a wildly uncharacteristic moment for the unflappable Johnson, he put the easy finish just wide of the post in the sort of moment that seemingly only happens to the snakebitten.

But snakes weren’t the only things biting on Sunday.  Turns out there was a cat bearing teeth, too.  In a goal reminiscent of his equalizer a week ago, Gaston Fernandez was sitting at the back post in the 79^th minute when Sean Johnson spilled a hard Nagbe shot.  Though he used his feet this time, just like last week La Gata slotted the sitter into the open net to pull his team level.

Despite further help from a Patrick Nyarko red card, however, the Timbers couldn’t put together a genuine push for an equalizer.  Of Portland’s three must-finish chances in the second half, they could only capitalize on one in a backend performance that, but for finishing folly, entitled the Timbers to a win.

Unfortunately, however, that “but for” has been a hulabaloo for the Timbers in the very early going of 2014, resulting in four dropped points at home to start the campaign.

Match Observations

Spring Struggles

While comparisons to 2013 are easy to draw with the sluggish start—and they certainly aren’t without merit—it’s worth noting that the Timbers opening homestand this year was much more favorable than a year ago.  Although Philadelphia looks poised to surprise some people this year, the Fire are not of the quality of the 2014 Union or 2013 Impact or Red Bulls.  While a pair of draws is far from a disaster and disappointing dropped points are inevitable to some extent, it’s reasonable to think the Timbers left more on the table as a result of their spring struggles this year than in 2013.

Tactical Tweaks

Rarely have we seen Caleb Porter’s tactical moves pay such dividends as they did on Sunday.  After a disappointing first half in which the Timbers really struggled to create any genuine chances, Porter’s halftime switch of Valeri to the right and Nagbe in the middle immediate changed the Timbers’ tempo, as putting Nagbe in the middle opened up space for him to drive at the defense rather than move laterally looking for central space.

The shift had an even greater effect when Steve Zakuani came on and moved Gaston Fernandez up top.  With a creative engine of Valeri and Nagbe aided by solid overlapping play from Jack Jewsbury, the Timbers dominated the second half and put together their most potent spell of offense of the young season.

Porter spoke postgame about the improved chemistry of the attacking group including Zakuani.  “It’s worked better chemistry-wise the last two games, certainly.  Whether it will work better chemistry-wise long-term, I think that remains to be seen.  But it’s a real positive that when we’ve inserted Zakuani, Gaston has found two goals in that spot.  Hopefully Zakuani continues to progress to where he’s able to start.”

Stay tuned.

Set Piece Defending

Caleb Porter’s frustration at having to repeatedly answer questions about set piece defending has been thinly veiled over the past several weeks.  After an improved performance in that respect against Philadelphia—with one significant exception—the Timbers were quite good at winning the first ball on Sunday.

And Porter wasn’t about to let the assembled media forget it.  “Didn’t give up a set piece today.  I know some of you guys call PKs set pieces, but it’s really not.  It’s a penalty kick.  But we didn’t give up a goal on a corner or a wide free kick, so I feel good about that.  I hope you guys do, too.  And I know you talk about it all the time when we give up one, but it’d be nice to hear you talk about it when we do well on those.  So I’m pleased about that.”

Although an endorsement from this space is certainly little—if, realistically, any—consolation to Porter, the Timbers’ improvement defending set plays since the preseason game against San Jose has been marked.  Whereas against San Jose, the Quakes were able to get their head to seemingly every first ball, against both Philadelphia and Chicago the Timbers won the vast majority.  There is still some room for further improvement in this respect, but what was once a serious liability looks to be well on the road to mitigation.

Timbers Grades

Donovan Ricketts, 6.5 Although he didn’t get as much love this week as he did last, Ricketts put in an even better performance.  Had a couple shots from distance that required some of his usual quality goalkeeping, and his save to deny Soumare in second half stoppage time was textbook.

Michael Harrington, 5 Didn’t have a whole lot to do defensively, as the Fire largely targeted the centerbacks.  Also didn’t do a whale of a lot offensively, though he had a couple nice moments when he tucked inside a little bit and played back into the center.

Futty, 6 Solid performance from Futty.  The Fire tried to go at him a couple times, but the dean of the Timbers was more than up to the task.  His partner on the other hand…

Norberto Paparatto, 3 Had a pretty horrible five-minute spell in the first half in which Amarikwa de-pantsed him twice.  While the penalty was largely of Amarikwa’s own creation, Papa is responsible for getting in that spot.

Jack Jewsbury, 6.5 A sneaky candidate for Man of the Match.  Could have lent an additional hand or two defensively, but his offensive play in the second half was quietly fantastic.  By providing a consistent touchline presence, Jack stretched the Fire defense and opened spaces for Valeri and Nagbe to operate.

Will Johnson, 4 The obvious need not be rehashed.  Johnson screwed up. Valeri did it last week. It happens—obviously even to great players.  While Johnson had moments in the late-first and second halves where he was able to contribute in the attack, his holding role for much of the first half limited his influence when it could have been handy.

Diego Chara, 7 There was a decent amount of sidling on Sunday, but more important for purposes of his grade were two expert switching balls that set up two great chances—one of which was La Gata’s goal.  Sending him instead of Johnson forward in the first half didn’t seem to work, but that’s no massive surprise.

Gaston Fernandez, 6 Quiet until he moved up top, Fernandez looked much more comfortable at the nine.  While poaching back stick isn’t fancy, as the last two games have demonstrated, it can be fruitful.

Diego Valeri, 6.5 Absolutely dominated Chicago after his move to the right.

Darlington Nagbe, 5 A tale of two halves for Nagbe.  Reverted to some of his old passive ways in the first, as when he picked the ball up on the right side Nagbe frequently took negative or unproductive touches searching for a preferred channel rather than using his ample capabilities to drive at the defense.  Found his keys in the center in the second half, however, which put Chicago’s defense on its heels.

Maxi Urruti, 3.5 It’s just not working right now for Maxi.  The finishes aren’t there and, more important, the runs aren’t there.  This offense relies on excellent and unselfish movement from its striker to open up lanes for the midfielders.  That’s not happening.

Steve Zakuani, 5 Zakuani is going to get a lot of credit for the Timbers second half resurgence, but that’s a confusion of correlation and causation.  Zakuani was fine, but the Timbers’ improvement was more about his attackmates shifting to positions in which they were more effective.

Frederic Piquionne, 3 Came in to be a target.  Frittered his precious minutes on the wing.

Preseason Prediction: Timbers 1, Fire 1.  Nagbe, Magee (penalty).

Actual Result: Timbers 1, Fire 1.  Fernandez, Larentowicz (penalty).

Onward, Rose City!

—by Garrett Dittfurth

I'm going to try to do this at least once a week during the season. It's going to be full of stuff you should probably pay attention to as a fan of the mighty Portland Timbers. No I am not going to flaunt endorsements of keeper of the week, which is one of the biggest jokes on MLSSoccer.com. As we all know the winner of that is going to be us, Seattle, or whatever other team is able to activate (drink!) their fan base. Mostly Seattle but we're definitely in that hated world over at MLS HQ by everyone employed there that looks at the comments sections (real talk hurts doesn't it?). I'll try to repeatedly drag this on every weekend with snippets of stuff you should look at..

Anyway. Here's your weekly.

Ummm 5mtko podcast. Why are you not subscribed and why are you not listening by now? It's possibly the best podcast out there by anyone following the Timbers. Nevets and Roberto give you humor and have been kicking around the north end since pickle buckets were the preferred percussion method. Rumor has it they also still have Roger Lavesque's phone number from when he stayed at the Double Tree written down on a napkin.

On another side Toronto FC is going to be fun to watch this season. It will either be a fabulous success or a GIGANTIC train wreck. Considering Toronto's last 7 years I'm not so sure which side I'm going to lean to considering the historical ineptitude. Honestly I do feel for their supporters. Poor bastards!

Our captain signed a new contract that will keep him here long term. Are you excited or are you excited? I am always a fan of the good players that can piss everyone off because they're just good. As an example I hate the Seahawks yet love Richard Sherman. Will Johnson is just my kind of guy. Everyone hates him but us. That isn't a bad thing.

There is absolutely no place for discrimination of any kind. Thankfully MLS agrees. I am glad MLS is at the forefront of this. They will be on the right side of history.

Obviously he was a fan favorite. I also liked running into him at my local grocery store. David Horst seems to be off to a good start in Houston. Good for him!

Kip Kesgard gives an always in depth preview of the match against Chicago.

As always Rifer's match reports are better than you'll find in most of the local papers. If you aren't tuned into him start now.

The more you know about our players the better. Here's a nice little bit on Gaston Fernandez (La Gata).

Life happens. We celebrate the life of Conner Firstman (Kim Sung Ho). A dedicated fan and friend to many. May you rest in peace!

As always be well!

Hey Timbers Army supporters! The official soccer library of the TA, Booked!, is collecting footballing books and other media (mags, vids, DVDs,...) at the Fanladen before the match this Sunday (3/16) and before the 4/3 match vs the fishing village to the north.

Lending for 107ist members will begin 4/12 before the Chivas USA match! We will also have a monthly Booked! Night! once a month at the Fanladen (date TBA) for lending and other literary events.

So bring your media to the Fanladen (1633 SW Alder) on Sunday and help make the Booked! library awesome!

To check out our list of current titles, see the Booked 107 Library Thing webpage: https://www.librarything.com/catalog/Booked107

You can also follow them on Twitter at @Booked107

—by Chris Rifer

Sometimes preseason performance is indicative of early regular season performance.  Just as the Timbers dominated the ball, controlled much of the game, and came away disappointed against San Jose and Vancouver, Portland failed to earn a result despite an on-paper advantage and dominating possession against the Philadelphia Union.

Like Vancouver, Philadelphia put on a performance at Providence Park that surprised many.  Rebuilt with Austin Berry in defense, Maurice Edu in defensive central midfield, Vincent Noguiera in a central attacking role, and Cristian Maidana on the wing, the Union side that walked into Portland on Saturday bore no resemblance whatsoever to the listlessly direct side the Timbers battled to a stalemate last year.  And for much of the game, the Timbers looked surprised by what their opponents presented.

Things could have been very different for the Timbers, however, if Pa Modou Kah knew he was allowed to use his feet.  After Will Johnson flicked a header off a Gaston Fernadnez corner kick across the box in the 4^th minute, Kah dropped to his knees at the back stick to inexplicably try to head a ball one foot off the ground.[1]  Not surprisingly, it didn’t work.

In many ways Kah’s blooper reel attempt at a submarine header was typical of the Timbers’ day in the box, as time and again Portland was foiled by last minute Union defending or their own clumsiness.

Like Vancouver a week before, Union came to press, but the Timbers’ ball movement forced them to drop off.  That, however, didn’t make Philadelphia any less dangerous.

After a 20^th minute ball pinged around in the Timbers’ defending box off a hopeful cross from Edu, Maidana picked it up at the top with his back to goal, turned Diego Chara, and fired a low shot toward goal, but Ricketts reacted well to parry away.

Fifteen minutes and another spell of Timbers possession later, Jack McInerney found his way onto a long chipped pass on the left side and turned on the byline under little defensive pressure.  He chipped the ball over a stranded Ricketts, but Norberto Paparatto cleared off the line at the far post.

The end of the half belonged to the Timbers, however.  In the 39^th minute it was the ball bouncing around the Union box where Nagbe controlled and fed Maxi Urruti twelve yards out on the right side of goal, but Amobi Okugo made the first of a number of saving interventions on the day to deflect Urruti’s goalbound shot away.

Four minutes later, the Timbers got out on the break after a timely Diego Chara interception where Gaston Fernandez fed Valeri thirty-five yards from goal.  Valeri took two touches and whipped a hard shot toward the near corner that had Zac MacMath at full stretch, but the shot buzzed just wide of the near post.

All told, the game at halftime looked a lot like San Jose two weeks before.  The Timbers had a lot of the ball but the poorer of the chances, as Portland repeatedly showed reluctance to pull the trigger in the final third.  And when possession isn’t turned into goals, games that should be filed into the win column can slip away in a hurry.

After dodging a bullet a moment before as Ricketts picked up a Noguiera shot late and could only push behind for a corner, the Timbers got their just desserts.  In the 65^th minute, Maurice Edu caught the Timbers flat footed in attacking the ensuing corner and nodded to the back post where McInerney was waiting for the finish.

The Timbers came right back, though.  Off the ensuing kickoff, Nagbe drove to the byline and put Urruti in goalscoring shape inside the box, but MacMath was quick off his line to get his body in front of Maxi’s finish.

Over the course of the next 20 minutes, the Timbers looked like they might be starting to figure it out.  Whereas they had previously been unable to generate anything genuine in the final third, the Timbers started to play teammates into promising positions.  But every time they did, the Timbers would always find a foot between them and the goal, even if sometimes one of their own.

But as the game progressed into stoppage time, the Timbers looked out of gas.  But oh the value of one last gasp.

After a dangerous Steve Zakuani shot was deflected out for a corner well into the third minute of stoppage, Will Johnson’s quick corner deflected off Brian Carroll’s foot and straight to the head of Fernandez at the far post where he nodded into the open net.

On one hand lucky and on another deserved, the Timbers had their equalizer.  On Saturday night the Timbers showed some of the flaws that caused hands to wring in preseason as well as some flashes that perhaps suggest light at the end of the tunnel.

Just how quickly those flashes turn to flames, however, will go a long way to determining the Timbers success in 2014.

Match Observations

While it’s easy to look at finishing as the problem for the Timbers—and indeed, on Saturday it was contributory—Portland’s offense has not done a good job of keeping pace in the transition from middle to final third.  In many respects, the middle of the field has looked as good early on as it did in 2013.  While Will Johnson and Diego Chara each had a little bit of an off day on Saturday, recent experience suggests that was more fluke than trend.

But Nagbe, Fernandez, Valeri, and Urruti have been wonderful…until they get 30 yards from goal.  They’ve been effective at moving the ball quickly through the midfield, cutting defenders out of the play and finding the spaces the defense gives them to put them in prime position to attack the box.  But then, for some reason, the Timbers have shown a tendency to slow down.

Once the Timbers have launched into their midfield run, opponents have learned to back into a tactical retreat to their own box; giving Portland plenty of room outside, but nothing inside.  Slowing down, then, often undoes the advantage gained by stellar work through the midfield, as cut out defenders recover and pack the final 15 yards—leaving the Timbers, already without a genuine direct threat, looking for an inch of space to pass their way into a decent shot.  Even when that space is found, however, more often than not somebody like Okugo is there to make sure it never gets anywhere near goal.

There really isn’t any remedy to this problem short of improving the transition from middle to final third.  The good news is fixing this problem is probably just a matter of time—once Urruti, Valeri, Nagbe, and Fernandez all get on the same page, they should be able to markedly improve their transitional efficiency. But the bad news is it’s probably a matter of time.  Time, now that the regular season has begun, comes at a cost.

Timbers Grades

Donovan Ricketts, 6 After the game, a funny story started spinning around the press corps about Ricketts once again being a hero.  While, yes, his first save was good, it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for a good goalkeeper like Donovan.  Of the Union’s other five shots on goal, only one troubled Ricketts, and that was because he picked a ball up late.  In the end, it was a solid, but far from heroic outing for Ricketts.[2]

Michael Harrington, 4.5 Harrington was quite good for the first sixty or sixty-five minutes, but struggled in the late stages.  Mikey fluffed a couple crosses he normally whips and even had a couple defensive lapses that—while ultimately not costing the team—were uncharacteristic.

Pa Modou Kah, 4 Decent defensively, but making a mess of the finish on the corner in the 4^th minute was a big missed opportunity.

Norberto Paparatto, 4 Had the clearance off the line, but that was partially precipitated by a lack of communication between he and Jewsbury in handling a 2-on-2 situation.  Also shares some culpability for the concession, as he let Edu come across him.

Jack Jewsbury, 5 Made the mistake in letting McInerney go down the left on what ended up the clearance off the line, but otherwise had a passable game defensively and contributed nicely on the offensive end after Alhassan came on to give the Timbers more of a threat down that right side.

Will Johnson, 5.5 Was in some respects the Timbers’ biggest offensive threat for much of the day, as his late runs were one of the few things the Timbers did that required emergency defending from the Union.  Joined his midfield companions in having a couple loose passes out there.

Diego Chara, 4 It’s been a long time since I’ve seen somebody get the better of Diego like Noguiera and Maidana did.

Gaston Fernandez, 5 Rescues his grade—and the team—with the finish at the death, but otherwise was a step or two slow in offensive movement for much of the day and had a number of loose touches and passes.

Diego Valeri, 4.5 Had a frustrating night, as his touch betrayed him and seemed perpetually out of synch with the attack.  Probably mostly a matter of getting in rhythm, but the Timbers would really like to see Valeri back in form soon.

Darlington Nagbe, 6 The only guy that really asked questions of Philly all night.  Led the team in key passes and kept up his stellar completion rate in attacking areas. Also have to admire his lack of bellyaching after suffering another five fouls.

Maxi Urruti, 4.5 Had moments where he was presenting himself nicely in the box, but with a bunch of self-proclaimed passers around him, Urruti needs to be the guy providing the direct threat or pulling defenders out of position to give his teammates no choice but to take the space he creates.  He’s done neither consistently since Tucson.

Futty, 5.5 Spelled Kah nicely after coming on in the first half.  Classic Futty performance; solid defending, a couple sprayed passes.

Kalif Alhassan, 6.5 Brought a new dimension to the Timbers attack when he came on, as the right side opened up a lot more than it had been.  Won more than his fair share of corners, too.

Steve Zakuani, 5 Took a few minutes to settle into his Timbers debut, but did nicely to pop up in a nice spot on the shot that led to the equalizing corner.

Preseason Prediction: Timbers 3, Union 1.  Johnson, Urruti, and Nagbe.

Actual Result: Timbers 1, Union 1.  Fernandez.

Onward, Rose City!

Featured for the 2014 MLS home opener against the Philadelphia Union.

The tifo drew on the heritage of the Portland Timbers through time and the iconic look of the Portlandia statue. Earlier in the afternoon before the match, the Timbers Army twitter account shared a beautiful poem which accompanies the actual statue. The poem, by Ronald Talney, can be found here.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Kesgard

Photo Credit: Jennifer Kesgard

Photo Credit: Jennifer Kesgard

Photo Credit: Jennifer Kesgard

Timelapse of the tifo taking shape and its unveiling by sama093

—by Chris Rifer

The Timbers play jazz. Most of MLS plays classical.

In the Portland Timbers’ system, the distinction between the various midfield positions and forward is largely one of degree, perspective, and circumstance. Will Johnson is the perfect example. In any given game, he can sit in front of the backline, step up centrally to join the attack, dovetail a wide run to create space like a winger, or even make a run off a player holding the ball up like a deep-lying second striker. While Johnson primarily spends his time as a box-to-box midfielder whose defensive responsibilities are paramount, this role is better viewed as a starting spot than an inflexible positional assignment.

Understanding, embracing, and loving this distinction is necessary to understating, embracing, and loving the Timbers attack. Because while Johnson is extraordinary vis-à-vis the rest of MLS in this respect, the flexibility in his positional duties is thoroughly ordinary in Caleb Porter’s system.

In one respect, the team sheet it easy to fill out. Darlington Nagbe starts on the right wing. Gaston Fernandez starts on the left wing. Like Johnson, Diego Chara starts in defensive central midfield. Diego Valeri starts at attacking central midfield. Maxi Urruti starts at striker. Each player in the Timbers’ first choice starting eleven has a natural role that fits nicely with the others; giving great satisfaction to napkin lineup sketchers and Twitter semicolon connoisseurs alike.

But if you look down at the Timbers’ shape at any given moment, you’ll likely notice the Timbers attacking shape looks little like your napkin. Maybe one of the wingers has floated central or even to the other side to unbalance the formation. Maybe Valeri has dovetailed with a winger—or even fullback—and effectively made an overlapping run. Or maybe Urruti has come back into the midfield and Fernandez assumed a position up top. Or maybe Caleb Porter made a substitution and shaken the proverbial etch-a-sketch that is the Timbers attack.

The point is Caleb Porter has effectively built a modular attack with a base of Johnson and Chara—who just as easily could have been discussed in the defensive preview—a pinnacle of Urruti, and a trio of interchangeable attackers who can float between spots by design and at will to bend defenses out of shape and create space to take the decisive touch.

Defenders like predictability. They like to know who is going to pop up where and what they’re going to do when they get there. Put another way, they like to read the opponents’ sheet music to know where in the song they are and what’s coming next.

The Timbers attack is intentionally built to be unpredictable, force defenders to react rather than predict, pull them out of their spots, and capitalize on the mistake. To their opposing Timbers’ dismay, Caleb Porter doesn’t give his players sheet music.

The challenge with such a modular offense is it is difficult to assemble and execute. It’s relatively easy to teach a unit discrete roles to be executed together to create a larger system. Reading sheet music, while a nice skill, isn’t rocket science. It’s much more difficult to teach a unit the system and set the individuals free to execute the proper role the situation calls for in that moment.

Put another way, most MLS attacks are a string quartet; they have distinct instruments precisely playing pre-written parts with little room for variation. The Timbers’ attack is a jazz combo; a collection of players playing a variety of instruments with general starting points, but only bound by a general chord chart and the expectation that they will improvise and trade functions throughout the tune.

Once healthy, if Caleb Porter wants to add another instrument to Chara and Johnson’s bass,[1] Valeri’s piano, Nagbe’s drums, and Fernandez and Urruti’s guitars,[2] Porter can look to Steve Zakuani on saxophone or Rodney Wallace on trumpet. Smooth and soaring, Zakuani can take on solos as well as anybody in green and gold, even if he perhaps isn’t the player you’d look to support the combo. Similarly, Wallace isn’t going to slip into playing gentle combinations, but can more than effectively—if perhaps awkwardly—deliver the headlining punch that transforms gentle chordal combinations into direct attacks that turn defenders kind of blue.

There’s a special place in any combo for jazz flute, or in the Timbers’ case, Kalif Alhassan. Jokes aside, Alhassan is the ultimate studio player; capable of coming on and competently laying down tracks at multiple positions and even providing a flare of his own once in a while. And in reserve, the Timbers can look to backup bassist Ben Zemanski or secondary saxophone from the horn of Schillo Tshuma.

But regardless of which pieces Caleb Porter[3] puts into his combo, the general chart and expectation of improvisation remains the same. The instruments and roles may change, but the combo’s expectation of continuity, fluidity, and improvisation are constant.

And that’s what makes the difference between the Timbers attack and most of the league Night and Day.

Defensive Central Midfield Depth Chart
1. Will Johnson
1a. Diego Chara
3. Ben Zemanski
4. Steven Evans
5. George Fochive

Left Midfield Depth Chart
1. Gaston Fernandez
2. Steve Zakuani
2a. Rodney Wallace
2b. Kalif Alhassan
5. Jorge Villafana
6. Michael Nanchoff

Attacking Central Midfield Depth Chart
1. Diego Valeri
2. Kalif Alhassan
3. Michael Nanchoff

Right Midfield Depth Chart
1. Darlington Nagbe
2. Kalif Alhassan
3. Schillo Tshuma
4. Aaron Long

Forward Depth Chart
1. Maximiliano Urruti
2. Frederic Piquionne

Onward, Rose City!

[1] While the undeniable captain and metronome of the combo, anybody who thinks bassists can’t take outstanding solo runs hasn’t listened to enough Ray Brown.

[2] Come on, they’re Argentine.

[3] Um, Cole Porter.

—by Chris Rifer

This time of year, the forests of the Pacific Northwest are shrouded in mist, and a dense layer of grey covers the skies of Portland.  But here at The Morrison Report, the clouds obscuring our vision into the 2014 Timbers have parted, and the Crystal Log has revealed its secrets.

March 8 – Philadelphia Union

Timbers 3, Union 1.  Catching a confident Union team before its backline has time to gel is fortunate for the Timbers, as Portland dominates possession and runs circles around the Union.  Will Johnson’s 22^nd minute strike off a late run into the box opens the lead which Maxi Urruti doubles eight minutes later after catching Austin Berry in possession.  Urruti completes his brace in the 64^th by finishing a brilliant through ball from Nagbe to put the game so far out of reach that Sebastian Le Toux’s late strike from the right corner of the box can’t dampen the spirits at rainy Providence Park.

March 16 – Chicago Fire

Timbers 1, Fire 1.  Chicago came into the game looking to play for the draw, and for 75 minutes Bakare Soumare and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado kept a persistent Timbers attack at bay.  But in the 75^th minute, Darlington Nagbe picked up a partially cleared ball at the top of the box and fired it past Sean Johnson for the opener.  Chicago’s push for an equalizer paid off, however, as Juan Luis Anangono draws a penalty from Pa Modou Kah and Mike Magee slots home.

March 22 – @ Colorado

Timbers 1, Rapids 1.  Drew Moor puts the Rapids up by nodding an early corner past Donovan Ricketts, but the Rapids’ search for a second goal is their undoing as Diego Valeri takes advantage of openings in the Rapids midfield just before halftime and bends a ball home from 20 yards.  The second half features up-and-down play and several saves from Ricketts and Clint Irwin, but no winner is forthcoming.

March 29 – @ FC Dallas

FCD 2, Timbers 0.  The first truly poor performance form the Timbers in 2014 unnerves the Rose City somewhat heading into their first Cascadia match, as Mauro Diaz and Blas Perez notch goals on either side of halftime to send the Timbers to their first loss of the season.

April 5 – Seattle

Timbers 3, Seattle 0.  Hopes were high in Seattle after a promising preseason, but their reshaped roster has stumbled at the start of the real thing.  Will Johnson loves games like this, and bends a free kick past Stefan Frei to open the scoring in the 12^th minute while the Timbers go up 2-0 just before halftime when Gaston Fernandez finally opens his Timbers account.  Steve Zakuani makes his season debut as a substitute in the 73^rd minute and ten minutes later dumps a bucket of salt in the Emerald City Supporters’ wounds by beating DeAndre Yedlin one-on-one and finishing past Frei.

April 12 – Chivas USA

Timbers 1, Goats 0.  Coming off their Cascadian triumph the week before, the Timbers fight a little hangover in the first half of Andrew Jean-Baptiste’s return to Portland.  The Timbers come out of the locker room on fire, however, and Valeri finds Maxi Urruti as he slips past Carlos Bocanegra for the finish.

April 19 – @ RSL

RSL 1, Timbers 0.  Just like the last time these teams met, the story is RSL’s backline.  The Timbers control much of the game and find more success among the Claret-and-Cobalt’s midfield than they have in the past, but a stout backline and an Alvaro Saborio goal off of a set piece are the Timbers’ undoing.

April 27 – @ Houston

Timbers 3, Dynamo 1.  A Dynamo defense that hasn’t come together is absolutely shredded by a Timbers offense that finds its road form.  After Norberto Paparatto and David Horst trade first half free kick goals, the Timbers attack bludgeons the Dynamo defense out of the locker room with 49^th and 55^th minute goals from Fernandez and Nagbe.

May 3 – D.C. United

Timbers 1, D.C. United 0.  A genuinely improved D.C. United team hangs in there with the Timbers, but ultimately can’t overcome an Urruti 34^th minute goal after he breezes by Jeff Parke to finish a feed from Fernandez.  Things get nervy in Providence Park in the 62^nd minute when Eddie Johnson finishes a set piece, but Kyle Porter is whistled for pulling Paparatto down on the play.

May 11 – L.A. Galaxy

Timbers 2, Galaxy 2.  Nothing about this game disappoints…other than the result.  The Galaxy stun Providence Park with early goals from Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes, but it’s all Timbers thereafter.  Valeri pulls one back in the 41^st minute with a juggling finish reminiscent of his golazo against Red Bulls a year before and Nagbe finishes in tight quarters on the byline to level the score in the 57^th.  Portland pushes hard and thinks they have the winner in the 83^rd, but Urruti is flagged offside.

May 17 – Columbus

Timbers 2, Columbus 1.  Dominic Oduro catches the Timbers out early by slipping between Paparatto and Kah and slotting past Ricketts, but the Timbers quickly equalize via a Will Johnson penalty in the 39^th minute.  Everybody in the stadium can see the winner coming in the 67^th minute when Gaston Fernandez flattens out the Crew line with a deep run, then steps back to receive a pass from Nagbe, turns, and fires into the side netting.

May 24 – @ New York Red Bulls

Red Bulls 2, Timbers 1.  The Red Bulls and Timbers appear headed to a 1-1 draw after Portland goes up on a Rodney Wallace goal in the 23^rd minute and Peguy Luyindula equalizes fifteen minutes later, but a controversial Red Bulls goal in second half stoppage time breaks the deadlock when Thierry Henry appears to handle the ball before laying off for Tim Cahill to bury the winner.

May 28 – @ Chivas

Chivas 1, Timbers 0.  Coming off the disappointment in New York, the Timbers sleepwalk through a trip to the StubHub Center. Cubo Torres’s goal on the edge of halftime is the difference in a game in which a tired, listless Timbers team never shows a pulse.

June 1 – Vancouver

Timbers 2, Whitecaps 2.  The Timbers are beat.  After seemingly coming out of their road trip-induced funk by way of first half goals by Kalif Alhassan and Valeri, Portland melts down after they run out of gas late in the game, giving up goals in the 83^rd and 88^th minutes to Darren Mattocks and Kekuta Manneh to drop two points.

June 7 – @ RSL

RSL 3, Timbers 1.  A trip to Salt Lake is the absolute last thing the Timbers need right now.  This one is never close; RSL scores in the 17^th and 36^th minutes to put the game seemingly out of reach by halftime, and tacks on one more by way of Joao Plata in the 62^nd minute.  A late Frederic Piquionne goal – reminiscent of his goal in the 2013 Playoffs – is little comfort.

June 11 – FC Dallas

Timbers 4, Dallas 0.  The punditry are unanimous that the Timbers can’t get to the World Cup break fast enough.  Dallas – looking better under Oscar Pareja – has been playing well lately.  But then there was Maxi Urruti.  Goalless for a month, he burns Dallas for a hat trick with goals in the 8^th, 41^st, and 62^nd minute before being chanted off the pitch three minutes later.  Gaston Fernandez adds one more for good measure in the 71^st minute to cap a game that was just what the doctor ordered for a previously struggling Timbers team.

June 27 – Sporting KC

Timbers 3, SKC 1.  The schedule makers ruin what should have been one of the games of the year in MLS.  With Zusi and Besler having been eliminated along with the U.S. National Team the night before, the Timbers jump all over SKC scoring goals on either side of halftime by way of Nagbe and Fernandez.  The Wiz make a cameo in the game in the 64^th minute by way of an Aurelien Collin header, but Valeri puts an end to the suspense six minutes later with a brilliant curling finish from 25 yards.

At the midway point of the season, the Timbers 30 points have them tops among the West and in the thick of the Supporters Shield race.  Maxi Urruti’s seven goals lead the way, but balance is again the Timbers’ strength with five players – Urruti, Johnson, Nagbe, Valeri, and Fernadnez – having each logged three or more.

July 4 – @ L.A. Galaxy

Timbers 1, Galaxy 1.  Another instant classic from the two leaders of the pack in the West.  With Landon Donovan back from the World Cup, both teams create enough chances in the first half to justify a goal, but both Ricketts and Jaime Penedo each make a handful of saves to keep things scoreless.  The Timbers come out of the locker room on the front foot, but can’t find the go-ahead goal before Donovan breaks through for the Galaxy against the run of play in the 77^th minute.  All seems lost for Portland until Will Johnson buries a free kick from 25 yards to level the score in the 89^th minute.

July 13 – @ Seattle

Timbers 0, Sounders 0.  After a dry spell in May and early June, the Timbers have been playing some of the most exciting soccer in MLS over the last month.  That stopped abruptly, however, when the Timbers faced the Sounders.  In a game filled with many more tackles than chances, neither team seriously threatens to break the stalemate.

July 18 – Colorado

Timbers 1, Colorado 0.  It’s been a rough go for Colorado in 2014, and they come into Providence Park playing scared, negative football.  Bunkering in works for Colorado until the 53^rd minute when Gaston Fernandez – becoming more comfortable in MLS by the day – breaks through Colorado’s line to gather a Valeri pass and slot past Clint Irwin for the winner.

July 27 – @ Montreal

Montreal 2, Timbers 0.  Twitter is positively toxic after Troy Perkins stands on his head to deliver a shutout for the disappointing Impact against his “upgraded” former team.  In reality, though, this was just one of those games in which the Timbers dominate everything except the scoreboard.  The Timbers brass gets the last laugh, however, when the Impact crash out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture two months later.

August 2 – @ Los Angeles

Galaxy 2, Timbers 1.  The Galaxy finally break the deadlock between these two teams by way of goals in the 22^nd and 25^th minutes that have Caleb Porter fuming about his team’s focus.  The rest of the game plays out largely like the last two fixtures, including a beauty of a Will Johnson crack from distance in the 70^th minute to pull one back, but the hole is too much for the Timbers to overcome.

August 9 – Chivas USA

Timbers 4, Chivas 1.  Frustrated after tallying no points and giving up four goals on a key late summer road swing, the Timbers get it all back in one swoop in their final game against the Goats.  Goals by Urruti, Nagbe, Zakuani, and Kalif Alhassan pave the way for a steamrolling of the Rojiblancos that leaves a victimized Jean-Baptiste red in the face.

August 16 – @ New England

Timbers 1, Revs 1.  For the second game in a row, the Timbers play excellent soccer, but this time they just can’t find the finishing touch to run away.  New England jumps out by way of a Teal Bunbury goal against the run of play in the 17^th minute, and for a period it appears the Timbers might just be cursed on the night.  But Urruti pulls things back even in the 60^th to begin a frantic finishing 30 minutes in which Portland rocks the post twice and is stoned by Bobby Shuttleworth three more times.

August 24 – Seattle

Timbers 2, Seattle 0.  It hasn’t been a fun ride for Seattle in 2014, thin on talent and unable to find continuity.  Sigi Schmid’s coaching grave diggers already have their shovels out before the game, but are compelled to stick them in the dirt in the 9^th minute when Nagbe slices through a porous backline and finishes smoothly past the inexplicably starting Marcus Hahnemann.  The Timbers don’t put away a game that isn’t really that close until the 77^th minute when – you guessed it – a substitute Steve Zakuani gets out on the break and finishes the Sounders.

August 30 – @ Vancouver

Timbers 1, Vancouver 1.  Sometimes two good teams play a good soccer game and, to be honest, there just isn’t much to say about it.  Good offense and good defense leads to an entertaining game for the most discerning supporters and leaves casual fans wondering what all the fuss is about.  Jack Jewsbury reprises his crack from distance that won the 2012 Cascadia Cup in the 33^rd minute, only to have Russell Teibert level it for good eight minutes later.

September 7 – San Jose

Timbers 0, Quakes 0.  This team is a bit of a hulabaloo for the Timbers.  This is essentially a flashback to the preseason tournament sans set piece concession – which the Timbers have improved significantly as 2014 has gone on, by the way – as Portland dominated possession and created oodles of half chances, but they couldn’t fracture the packed-in Quakes defense.

September 13 – @ Colorado

Timbers 2, Rapids 0.  The Timbers caught the Rapids in Colorado at a good time, as the Commerce Citizens have entered full meltdown mode in what has turned into a lost year.  The Timbers’ two first half from Urruti and Johnson goals are enough to put the Rapids out of their misery and let the Timbers pass their way through the second half.

September 20 – Vancouver

Timbers 2, Whitecaps 1.  A win or tie brings the Cascadia Cup back to the Rose City, and the Timbers secure the win in dramatic fashion.  Pedro Morales opens the scoring for Vancouver, but Will Johnson levels things before halftime by converting a penalty awarded – albeit a couple years late – after Jay DeMerit takes down Kalif Alhassan in the box.  The heroics are Piquionne’s, however, as he rises above Andy O’Brien to find the end of a Rodney Wallace cross in the 88^th minute to seal the win.

September 27 – @ Toronto FC

Timbers 2, TFC 2.  It’s been a better year for the Reds, but not they are clearly still looking up at the Timbers and the MLS elite.  The Timbers jump out to an early lead by way of a Will Johnson 23^rd minute goal, but Jonathan Osorio pulls Toronto back level just before halftime.  The Timbers take a deserving lead again in the 64^th minute by way of a Darlington Nagbe driving wonder goal, but Michael Bradley erases the advantage in the 81^st minute to finalize the scoreline.

October 4 – @ San Jose

Timbers 3, Quakes 0.  Talk about your ultimate backfires.  Emboldened by a string of positive results against Portland and being at home, San Jose comes out trying to play football with the Timbers.  Bad, bad idea.  Valeri, Fernandez, and Urruti make it, in Caleb Porter’s postgame words, an “Argie Hat Trick” as the loss sends San Jose out of playoff contention for good.

October 8 – San Jose

Timbers 1, Quakes 1.  You have to hand it to the Earthquakes.  After getting walloped four days earlier, the Quakes come into Providence Park playing for pride.  The Timbers put one up early by way of Nagbe, but San Jose is resolute and their 73^rd minute Shea Salinas goal isn’t entirely undeserved.  It can’t pull the Quakes back into the playoff picture, but it substantially weakens the Timbers’ chances at the Supporters Shield.

October 17 – Real Salt Lake

Timbers 1, RSL 1.  The Timbers just can’t shake the Claret-and-Cobalt.  Again, Portland looks awfully good in the home draw, but Joao Plata’s early goal makes Portland climb out of a hole against the still hyper-organized MLS royalty.  The Timbers get their heads above water in the 51^st minute when Gaston Fernandez streaks through for the equalizer, but neither team can break through in the final forty minutes.

October 25 – @ FC Dallas

Timbers 2, FCD 1.  Portland needs a win, a Galaxy loss or draw, and a Kansas City loss to take home the Western Conference and MLS crowns.  The Timbers take care of the former, as Urruti and Nagbe score first half goals to put the Timbers well out of the gate.  Fabian Castillo pulls one back for the all-but-eliminated Burn, but it’s not enough to keep their season from going up in flames.  Earlier that morning, however, the Galaxy knocked off Seattle in the Emerald City to clinch the conference crown, and the next day Sporting stomps New York to capture the Supporters Shield.

Second in the West.  Third on the league table.  The Timbers’ 57 points on 15 wins, 7 losses, and 12 draws don’t mark a plateauing from 2013, but rather progress against the backdrop that is the reality of an even stiffer Western Conference.  Despite playoff optimism based on a 12-game unbeaten streak to finish the season, the Timbers meet their end in the Western Conference Finals on the Galaxy’s way to the MLS Cup, but a US Open Cup title, Cascadia Cup reunion, and routine run through the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League sweeten the bitter pill that was falling just short in MLS play.

The Timbers’ spread the scoring load once again in 2014, with Maxi Urruti leading the way with 12 goals, but five players over five and three with seven or more.  The Timbers goalscoring is up three from 2013 with 57 and their concessions stayed flat at 33, giving the Timbers the goal difference crown for the second year in a row.

From the perspective of December, cooler heads look back in 2014 as a success.  Despite a brutal conference schedule, the Timbers matched their 2013 point total, won a pair of trophies, had the best goal difference in MLS, and have positioned themselves as one of the teams to watch for the regional crown in the spring.  In the end, the combination of league disappointment but Cup success positions puts the Timbers in perfect position for their prime run in 2015 and ’16.

Onward, Rose City!