—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!

Counting down the hours to the start of the season is always a bit rough. On one hand the offseason is really short and on the other it’s been too long since the intensity of a game that matters has coursed through your veins. Finding that balance is where we are all at right now. Some of us are ready and some of us aren’t. Nothing wrong with being either way. What does have to happen is all of us need to be ready on March 8th. If the season opener can’t wake you up from the offseason I don’t know what will. You all know the drill. Get up, stand up and sing for the boys on the pitch.

We wanted to share with you the press release below regarding the total contribution made by 107ist to the Bless Field project that is on the verge of completing fundraising. All of these funds were raised by the organization and our members through the various fundraisers thrown, collaborations, merchandise projects launched and individual donations of all sizes. While the dollars are impressive, the most important contribution to this project thus far has been all hands on deck mentality that you, our membership, have shown in support of this project. By each of us passing on the story of the project to friends, families and coworkers and spreading the love and message behind our participation we all made this happen together.

Thank you for all of your contributions.

- 107ist Board

PORTLAND — The 107 Independent Supporters Trust is pleased to announce a donation of $50,000 to Operation Pitch Invasion on behalf of the Timbers Army towards the completion of Bless Field. Bless Field will be a youth-sized all-season soccer pitch for the children who live in Portland’s New Columbia Housing Project. A check presentation from Tyler Segel of Factory North, a Timbers Army member and organizer of Art Takeover, will occur on March 16th before kickoff between the Portland Timbers and Chicago Fire.

“We are thrilled we are able to make this large of a contribution,” said 107ist President Scott Swearingen. “Our goal was met and it was incredible to watch the Timbers Army community rally around this project. It will be fun for everyone when the kids who live at New Columbia have this field to play the game we all love.”

About the 107 Independent Supporters Trust

The 107ist (107 Independent Supporters Trust) is a member-based non-profit organization open to anyone (regardless of where they sit in the stadium) who loves soccer, the Timbers, the Thorns, Portland, and especially the combination of the four.

About the New Columbia Housing Project

The New Columbia Housing project is located in North Portland’s Portsmouth neighborhood, the housing mix of 852 units includes public housing, affordable rental housing, elderly housing and homes for sale. In addition, the New Columbia community is home to nearly 1,200 kids from 22 countries speaking more than 11 different languages.

—by Chris Rifer

Mark Geiger got the red card on Donovan Ricketts absolutely wrong.[1]  The correct call was a yellow card on Deshorn Brown.

After Dillon Powers played a 68^th minute ball over the top in the direction of Deshorn Brown, Ricketts and Brown were placed on a collision course to the ball.  The first bounce in unkind to Brown, however, and the ball skipped away from him and toward Ricketts.

In this split second, both Ricketts and Brown had crucial decisions to make.  Brown could either pull out of the play and try to evade the collision, or he could challenge for a ball he really didn’t have a realistic chance of winning.  Ricketts, on the other hand, had to decide how to go in for the ball.  One choice was, in traditional goalkeeper fashion, to dive in headfirst and gather with his hands.  This option presented a better chance of securing the ball, but carried substantial risk for the goalkeeper.[2]  The other option was to jump in feet-first and try to clear the ball away.  This option, while safer for the keeper, is much more dangerous for the attacker as a high boot is inevitable when the ball is bouncing.

Brown chose to challenge withot in the air for a ball that, by the time Ricketts arrived, is the better part of a yard away from him.  Ricketts chose the self-preservation option and went in feet-first, perhaps getting unlucky to catch a hard boot to the knee.  The elder Jamaican got there first, but, because he tried to tackle a bouncing ball with an attackers boot bearing down on his head, whiffed or perhaps got only a very glancing touch on the ball on its way through his legs.[3]  Ricketts’ high boot catches Brown in the thigh on the way by and Geiger accordingly pulled a red card for the keeper.

Take a step back. Who was issued the card here?

Geiger apparently adjudged Ricketts made the wrong choice.  But this decision is betrayed by two indisputable facts.  First, Brown had not made a touch on the ball when Ricketts arrived; the last player to touch the ball was Dillon Powers when he hit his pass over the top.  Second, the ball was Ricketts’ to win – he’s clearly there first.  So Geiger effectively punished Ricketts for making an impossible decision between risking serious injury to himself or to Brown.[4]

Thus, the last person to make a choice was Geiger.  On one hand, Geiger could have imparted a duty on Ricketts to choose to sacrifice himself, increase his chance of making the play, and mitigate the danger for his opponent.  On the other, he could have imparted a duty on Brown to avoid going in for a hopeless challenge that brings to the fore Ricketts’ catch-22 between self-preservation and making the play.  Geiger chose the former.  The latter, however, is the only option that protects a helpless goalkeeper in this situation.

Onward, Rose City.

—by Chris Rifer

Looking across the Timbers backline heading into the 2014 season, there aren’t a lot of surprises. Barring injury, the opening day starters on the back line will be Michael Harrington, Pa Modou Kah, Norberto Paparatto, and Jack Jewsbury. And even further barring injury, it’s a good bet that those four will makeup the closing day quartet, too.

Three of the four players on the backline are incumbents from 2013. Paparatto, a newcomer from Club Atletico Tigre in Argentina, represents the only newcomer, and even he occupies the position the Timbers were universally expected to upgrade over the winter.

As such, like the goalkeepers, the Timbers 2014 backline presents few surprises at the top of the depth chart. Nonetheless, much of the Timbers success in 2014 depends on the backline’s ability to permit the team to commit the desired numbers and mold the shape of the attack to Caleb Porter’s liking. Thus, while not at all surprising, the addition of Paparatto is one of the keys to the Timbers season—and not necessarily for defensive purposes.

The Timbers’ 33 goals allowed in 2013 were the second fewest in MLS. It’s easy to imagine the Timbers putting together a trophy-winning campaign by coming close to reprising that defensive production—a prospect that is far from farfetched.

If Paparatto and Pa Modou Kah can be as reliable in back as the Timbers hope, Caleb Porter will be free to push his fullbacks at will, potentially opening up spaces for the attack and pinning opponents’ midfields and forwards in their own end. Put another way, the Timbers needed an upgrade in central defense to help them score more goals.

Early returns on Paparatto’s signing are solid. His tour of duty in Tucson passed largely without incident, and although Paparatto conceded an own goal against San Jose, a closer look at the concession reveals it was caused more by the wrath of Kah than Paparatto.[1] Considering the Timbers’ defensive accomplishments in 2013 with a MASH unit in the middle, a defense that fulfilled its responsibilities more than capably in 2013 appears to have only improved in 2014.

While the starting unit remained mostly consistent, the defensive bench underwent more changes. Out are Mikael Silvestre, David Horst, Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Ryan Miller, and Sal Zizzo. In are Paparatto, Jorge Villafaña, and Taylor Peay.

What looked like a deep rotation of fullbacks before preseason, however, has become less certain as the Timbers approach the regular season. Coming into camp, it appeared Jorge Villafaña and Alvas Powell had firm grasps on the backup left and right back positions, respectively. Both Powell and Villafaña, however, have failed to impress in camp— at least at their fullback positions—prominently including poor-to-catastrophic performances at their primary positions in the Rose City Invitational against Portmore United. And, as he said after the game against Portmore, Caleb Porter projects Taylor Peay as a centerback despite seeing minutes at fullback as a result of Futty and Rauwshan McKenzie having the backup center half spots locked down.

Who, then, is the Timbers’ third fullback? The answer is probably Ben Zemanski. Coming off a good preseason, Zemanski seems likely to get the nod to enter the starting XI should Captain Jack or Harrington go down. Considering both Jewsbury and Harrington can play on either side of the defense, Zemanski would likely step into right back while the starter left standing would play on the left.

In central defense, Futty and McKenzie have solidified the Timbers’ third and fourth spots, and Timbers supporters have reason to have confidence in those two as the immediate reserves. Behind Futty and McKenzie, however, the field becomes less certain, with Peay likely filling the fifth spot. In 2013, however, the Timbers started six different centerbacks through the course of the season, suggesting that relying on four to man the middle of the backline throughout the MLS season—to say nothing of U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League—is not necessarily a simple task.

Questions remain, then, about the Timbers depth in each of the defensive spots. It may well be that the Timbers can get through 2014 without having to dig deep into the depth chart at their defensive positions. And so long as that is the case, the Timbers backline seems likely to be at least as good as it was in 2013 when it combined with the midfield to yield the second fewest goals in MLS. If Portland has to go to the bench with regularity, however, the defense could stand on shakier footing.

Projected Centerback Depth Chart

1. Norberto Paparatto
   
2. Pa Modou Kah
   
3. Futty Danso
   
4. Rauwshan McKenzie
   
5. Taylor Peay
   

Projected Right Back Depth Chart

1. Jack Jewsbury
   
2. Ben Zemanski
   
3. Alvas Powell
   
4. Taylor Peay
   

Projected Left Back Depth Chart

1. Michael Harrington
   
2. Jack Jewsbury
   
3. Jorge Villafaña
   

Onward, Rose City!

[1]Kah first went on a bit of a walkabout out of his zone and into Michael Harrington’s to challenge for the first ball into Clarence Goodson. Although inconsistent with zone marking dogma, this isn’t the worst thing for the Timbers, as they would probably like the Kah-Goodson matchup better than Harrington-Goodson. The new half of the Great Wall of Gambia, however, completely whiffed on winning the header, allowing Goodson to cut in front of him to head the ball back in front of goal, where Paparatto then had to cover his zone as well as Kah’s. This play, however, was only indicative of a simple truth about Pa Modou Kah: For a 6’1” centerback, he is a surprisingly poor aerial ball winner. Watch, for example, the number of times Kah will venture 30 yards upfield to win an aerial ball on a goal kick, only to lose the header and leave his defense exposed.

The season opener is nearly upon us, and we someone has graciously stepped forward to donate tickets for a good cause. Thanks to Mikkel Nieto, we have four pairs of tickets to the season opener, 7:30pm Saturday, March 8th v the Philadelphia Union.

Match tickets will be raffled in service of Operation Pitch Invasion. All four pairs of tickets are general admission TA. If you would like a shot at having two opening match tickets, you can donate below. $5 gets you one chance at the tickets, $20 gets you five chances. All proceeds will go toward supporting the work of Operation Pitch Invasion.

Drawing will be held Thursday, March 6th at 9pm. Winners will be notified via email.

UPDATE: the raffle is now closed. Winners will be notified and announced after they confirm via email.

Thank you for your support for OPI!

—by Chris Rifer

The Portland Timbers opened the Rose City Invitational on Sunday evening looking to put on a good performance and give their supporters a taste of the success to come in 2014. While in many respects the boys in green delivered a solid outing, a lack of finishing quality and the old Achilles heel of set piece defending combined to send the Timbers to a 1-0 loss.

The game started as lopsided as any at Providence Park in recent memory.  The San Jose Earthquakes—donning their new red kits—couldn’t lay a toenail on the ball for the first five minutes of the game, as the Timbers effortlessly moved the rock through, between, and around the Quakes.

For all the possession, the Timbers were short on genuine chances.  All it took for San Jose was one set piece to create their first good look, as an early free kick from the right wing found a very loosely marked Steven Lenhart in the box, only to send his header wide.

Portland looked like they would draw the all-important first blood in the 20^th minute, however, until Jon Busch intervened.  After the Timbers broke out of a Quakes corner, Darlington Nagbe played Maxi Urruti beautifully through on goal, but Busch got just enough of a deflection on Urruti’s first-time finish to permit Shea Salinas to clear before it crossed the line.  Two minutes later, Gaston Fernandez found Nagbe via a give-and-go on the left wing, but Nagbe’s low, hard shot skipped just wide of the near post.

But until dominance is painted on the scoreboard, it can all be rendered moot in an instant.  And just that happened on Sunday in all-too-familiar fashion.  In the 26^th minute, the Earthquakes caught the Timbers napping on a short corner and Sam Cronin found Clarence Goodson with position on Pa Modou Kah at the back post.  Goodson nodded the ball across the face of goal where Norberto Paparatto—forced to make a play on the ball by a waiting Lenhart and Chris Wondolowski—could only manage to nod into the back of the net for an own goal in his home debut.

For the ten minutes that followed, San Jose put together their best stretch of football of the night, holding the ball in their attacking end for extended periods and keeping the dominant Timbers midfield on their heels.  But the Timbers would find their front foot again, and threaten to level the score going into halftime.

In the 42^nd minute, a dangerous ball from Ben Zemanski into the six-yard box was partially cleared only to find the foot of Urruti, but his off-balance putback wasn’t firm enough to pull the Timbers level.  Three minutes later, it was Fernandez’s turn to receive a give-and-go from Nagbe that set La Gata free on the left side of the box, but a diving Busch saved his bending back post shot.

While the Timbers strung together some nice play in the first half, they were undone by what had been their biggest defensive weakness in 2013—set pieces.  And for a team that relies upon runs and combinations to open up space, giving up an early goal makes the sledding awful tough against a team that likes to sit deep.

Sitting deep is precisely what San Jose came out to do in the second half, as the Quakes frequently packed eight field players within 30 yards of their own goal.  Only occasionally did San Jose look to get out on the break, such as when Salinas found Wondolowski on the left side of the box in the 53^rd minute, only to have Wondo’s shot skirt wide of the near post.

Starved for space, the Timbers had a hard time prodding for chances.  In the 63^rd minute a nice bit of buildup put Nagbe into an inch of space at the top of the box, but Busch was there to capture Darlington’s effort.  Ten minutes later, it was Fernandez’s turn to try virtually the same shot, but Busch was all over his far post again.

Despite having played nearly the entire half in the Quakes’ end, the Timbers could never quite find the right combination.  The packed-in San Jose defense cut off the final passing lanes and made life difficult for the Timbers to find an opening.  And even when they did find a crack, Portland was just a touch off.

Such was the case at the death, when a long ball into the box just eluded Frederic Piquionne but fell to the feet of a surprised Fernandez in front of goal.  The ball got caught up in his spokes, however, so not even Gaston could find a way to direct the ball frameward.

A longstanding weakness, a disadvantageous tactical shift, and a little bit of bad luck were the Timbers undoing on Sunday night.  On an evening in which Portland just couldn’t quite find the finishing touch, it was a set piece goal that let San Jose pack their box, which gave the Timbers’ mini-mite offense an insurmountably tall task to conquer.

Match Observations

Set Piece Defending

The Timbers showed their new zone set piece marking scheme for the first time at Providence Park on Sunday night to mixed results.  Early in the game, there appeared to be some confusion when service was delivered into the grey areas between zones, as the Timbers weren’t nearly aggressive enough in attacking the ball.  The result was a lot of lost first balls, not all of which came back to bite the Timbers, but many of which created dangerous situations.  When defending a set piece by zone, winning the first ball is especially important because you don’t necessarily have a body on each attacker.  Thus, even if you lose the first ball in such a way as to not immediately threaten goal, there are enough loose attackers milling around in the mixer that a header played back in can be much more dangerous than the initial service.

Watch the concession again.  Kah loses the first ball at the backpost to Goodson with Lenhart and Wondolowski parked in front of goal.  In a man-marking situation, those two guys would have two Timbers draped all over them to contest any ball played back in front of the goalmouth.  But as it is, only Paparatto is close to contest the header, and even he has a couple yards of space between them because his primary job is not to mark those men, but to keep his shape, read the play, and react.  He does that, but he’s a step too late, as he isn’t able to get inside the ball or high enough to redirect it away from goal.

It’s important to note zone marking has its advantages.  First, it’s a lot harder to free attacking players with picks because, well, the defense isn’t man-marking.  Simply put, in the Timbers’ second regular season game in Seattle in 2013, Eddie Johnson doesn’t score against a zone-marking scheme.  Second, assignments should be a little bit more comfortable for the players because they’re marking the set piece in their usual positions.  Third, because there aren’t strict marking assignments, zone marking is less susceptible to pre-kick shenanigans.  Finally, because the team is in its shape, the Timbers will be in better position to break out on the counter if they win the first ball, something they should be uniquely set up to take advantage of with their pacey attacking talent.

This last point was demonstrated on the Timbers’ best chance of the day; Maxi Urruti’s 20^th minute shot that scooted under Busch, but was cleared off the line.  The Timbers somewhat nervily cleared a corner and immediately fed the ball out.  Because the Timbers attacking talent was already in position to attack, they were off to the races against a disheveled San Jose defense (left winger Shea Salinas came from the right side of defense to clear the ball off the line, after all) where Nagbe put Urruti through on goal with a beautiful vertical pass.

While I expect the Timbers to struggle somewhat in marking set pieces all year,[1] it’s important to give the team time to iron out some of the wrinkles in their free kick defending.  If they can get this system sorted out, it has potential to, perhaps counter-intuitively, make them deadly out of set piece defense.  So much of it, however, comes down to winning that first ball, which the Timbers did not do well on Sunday.

Player Notes

I thought Ben Zemanski had an outstanding outing in place of Will Johnson on Sunday.  During many of the periods the Timbers had San Jose captive[2] in their own end, it was Zemanski intercepting Quakes passes from his holding midfield position and feeding the ball back into the attack.

While much has been made of the Fernandez-Urruti connection, I’m excited to see the chemistry develop between Gaston and Nagbe.  Those two connected a number of times on Sunday, and should have a natural chemistry because they both like to play in the same parts of the field—everywhere.  The positional flexibility gives these two the ability to play off of each other anywhere on the field—something which won’t please opposing defenses.  I thought the Timbers most creative attack on Sunday came through those two when Fernandez and Nagbe played a give-and-go from an unusual angle deep on the left wing, freeing Fernandez on the left side of the box where he was only denied by a very nice save by Busch.  Although the attack was really just a quick give-and-go, the angle at which it came at San Jose’s defense clearly had the Quakes flustered, as they didn’t apply any pressure to either player.

Onward, Rose City!

The Timbers Army has always taken a stand in favor of equal rights for all and would like to pass on another opportunity for members to show their support for marriage equality.

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"The freedom to marry is not a partisan issue.”

This is the stand taken by a group of Republican and center-right Independent leaders and activists joined together to form Freedom Oregon (an organization self-described as being committed to helping pass Oregon’s Freedom to Marry initiative in the 2014 election cycle).

Link to press release

Members of the Timbers Army have been invited to attend the launch party for this campaign this Thursday evening (2/20) starting at 6 pm (program to start promptly at 6:40)

Link to Facebook event

Headlining this launch event will be NBA center Jason Collins. This will be a media covered event. Food and drink will be provided.

If you wish to show that your support for Marriage Equality is not limited by political affiliation please consider accepting this invitation and represent the Timbers Army at this event by wearing your No Pity Scarf.

If you are interested, please sign up to attend using the Eventbrite link below. Attendance will be limited to the first 50 signups:

Link to Eventbrite sign up

—by Chris Rifer

A team returning the reigning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year generally does not have too many questions between the wickets at the start of the new season.  And without question, Donovan Ricketts is the Portland Timbers’ first choice goalkeeper by quite some distance entering 2014.

But it isn’t the top spot that furls some brows in the Rose City.  Rather, recognizing the Jamaican lion’s seniority, serious questions remain about the Timbers’ depth behind Ricketts.

Boasting a goals-against average of 0.97, batting away 92 saves, and recording 14 shutouts, Ricketts logged perhaps the best year of his career in 2013 and earned a split decision with Nick Rimando for the right to be called the best goalkeeper in MLS.  Despite entering the season with questions surrounding his viability as the Timbers fulltime starter, Ricketts quickly silenced his doubters and earned jealous praise from managers across MLS.

In 2013, Ricketts’ dominance was one of the most important elements of a Timbers’ defense that allowed the second fewest goals in the league despite a revolving door at centerback.  Between DieJo’s shield and Ricketts’ heroics, the Timbers were able to weather instability and imperfection on the backline on their way to Western Conference supremacy.

As such, there is no doubt about who should mind the Timbers net in 2014.  But the fact remains that Ricketts is 36 years old – not ancient for a goalkeeper, but firmly in milk carton mode, especially considering Ricketts’ relatively lengthy medical record.

Behind Ricketts, however, stand a stable of unproved keepers with a combined 14 MLS appearances.  Whereas in 2013 the Timbers rested easily with the ever-serviceable Milos Kocic waiting in the wings, the number two in 2014 appears to be newcomer Andrew Weber.  While no stranger to MLS – 2014 will be his seventh season in the league – Weber has only made eight appearances, including six in the last two years, giving up a respectable ten goals.

It may well be that Weber and Ricketts are the only goalkeepers currently with the team that wind up readily to Caleb Porter’s avail, as Jake Gleeson appears set to go out on loan and trialist Justin Luthy is apparently only being considered for the David Meves role as resident practice keeper.

In many ways, then, the Timbers’ 2014 goalkeeper situation is the opposite of what it was in 2013.  Whereas in 2013 Portland had questions at the top of the depth chart but ample starting-quality depth, the 2014 Timbers boat a clear-cut number one with uncertainties thereafter.

An MLS team, however, would much rather have questions down the goalkeeping depth chart than at the top.  Simply put, compared to other positions on the field, MLS is loaded with goalkeeping talent.  Matt Lampson, Joe Willis, Chris Seitz, Brad Knighton, Ryan Meara, Zac MacMath, and Joe Bendik all appear likely to sit on the bench in 2014.  While few of these players are world-beaters, they’re all keepers of sufficient quality that handing them the keys for a period of time wouldn’t be the end of the world.  Even if the Timbers don’t have confidence in Weber to hold down the fort, they could likely land one of these players for a reasonable price should some misfortune knock Ricketts out of the running.

At this point, however, it’s much too early to pass judgment on Weber’s prospects as Ricketts’s understudy.  Weber had a respectable record as a backup in Seattle, even if much of that time was spent at third on the depth chart.

While inexperience behind Ricketts poses a potential problem, it is far from intractable.  And so long as Ricketts stays healthy, the Timbers can be as confident in their netminder as any team in MLS.

Projected Depth Chart

1. Donovan Ricketts
   
2. Andrew Weber
   
3. Jake Gleeson
   

Onward, Rose City!

The 2014 Timbers season is upon us. And if you’re reading this, then odds are good you’ll be looking for tickets to match in the near future. Let’s talk about this, shall we?

Single-game tickets (for the first nine matches) go on sale next week. In case you hadn’t already heard, a ticket to a Timbers match isn’t the easiest thing to come by. They might not be “Wonka Golden Ticket” status yet, but sometimes it can kinda feel like that. With the Timbers’ current level of success, we find ourselves in a seller’s market, and the have’s got it much easier than the have-not’s.

Unfortunately, with a seller’s market comes the scalper. Let’s be crystal clear on this right now:

WE HATE SCALPERS!!!

How do you make garbage smell even worse? Rub it on a scalper. (Note: we don’t encourage rubbing scalpers with garbage.) If you threw dirt onto a scalper, the dirt would complain of getting too dirty. (Note: we don’t encourage throwing dirt onto scalpers.) Scalpers are lower than low, and we ask that you not buy from (or sell to) scalpers. Here’s why:

1. Obviously, scalpers keep the profit from all tickets sold to themselves. The only entity entitled to any profit from tickets sold are the Timbers themselves, who would probably take that money and put it toward things like more bathrooms at Providence Park, community efforts via their Stand Together program, or perhaps even acquiring Lionel Messi. Because that profit doesn’t find its way into the Timbers coffers, we’d rather see no profit be generated at all, especially to those who don’t deserve it, when it comes to reselling tickets.
2. Basic economics suggest that Timbers tickets are worth exactly what the market will bear. And in Portland, the market sure is willing to bear. Oh, how we bear! However, like most resale environments, the market tends to peak between now and about 48 hours before the event occurs or expires, at which point the price tends to drop rapidly in order to get rid of any existing ticket inventory. This sort of-bell curve tends to contribute a sort of false inflation, especially around higher-demand games (i.e. Seattle, Vancouver, LA, etc.). This false inflation discourages those less fortunate when trying to seek tickets to a Timbers match. We feel that anyone in our community that wants to attend a Timbers match should be able to, especially at a price that is affordable to them. That doesn’t mean getting Key Club seats at half-price. It means getting the seats you want at a fair price. We feel that original prices are fair, and that’s what the community should pay.

Have you fallen asleep yet? Sorry about that.

With these things in mind, we have listed a few methods below on how to get tickets to Timbers matches in 2014.

• Timbers Ticket Exchange on Facebook. This group is run by seven of the sexiest members of the Timbers Army. With close to 5,000 members, this is your best bet to find both sellers and buyers of Timbers tickets. The season ticket holder price for a TA-section ticket in the 2014 regular season is just $22. Scalping is not tolerated, and many a banhammer has been dropped in here. Buyers will have to work hard to find sellers, but keep at it, especially as game time approaches. (Also, follow @TimbersTickets on Twitter for occasional updates.)
• 107ist Member Forums. Are you a paid member of 107ist for 2014? If not, a $25 annual membership fee gets you all kinds of discounts at local merchants, plus a few other exclusive trinkets. You’ll also get access to a members-only forum where tickets can be bought and sold.
• The Fanladen (fan-law-den). Did you know the Timbers Army has an actual physical office? It’s true, and it’s kinda like what Pee-Wee’s Playhouse would be if he sat in the North End at every match. It’s just one block from the northeast corner of Providence Park, and open a few hours before kickoff time on every match day. This place serves as a safe location for the physical exchange of tickets, and it’s 100% scalper-free!
• The No Pity Van. Surely you’ve seen this bright yellow van across the street from the northeast corner of Providence Park. It’s in the garage at Rack Attack. It’s where we sell No Pity scarves, TA shirts, and all sorts of merch that support the TA’s community efforts. This also serves as a meeting place to exchange tickets, and is probably the best bet for your last-minute needs.

When using these options, please remember that all are moderated and maintained by volunteers. Also, we ask you to recognize that there are times when there are simply not enough tickets for everyone that wants them. The Timbers currently have a 51-match sellout streak. Nobody will argue that more tickets are desired. However, there may be times when there just isn’t a ticket to be found. If this is the case for you, please practice some restraint, take a deep breath, and try again for the next match.

And above all else, please ignore scalpers. Don’t buy from them. Don’t sell to them. Don’t interact with them. Just ignore them. The more we practice these methods, the more likely they will disappear into the ether.

#RCTID