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

The first batch of 2014 mugs arrived in Portland today! What does this mean for you?

If you are an out of area member (45+ miles) your membership packet will ship this weekend and include your 2014 membership mug.

If you are local to Portland you can now come by Fanladen for office hours to pick up your mug and purchase extras; 1 extra for $5, 3 extra for $10. We have scheduled four pickup times over the next three weeks. We can accept cash or cards and we love exact change.

Sunday, Feb. 16 11am-1pm (just added)

Wednesday, Feb. 19 7pm-9pm

Wednesday, Feb. 26 7pm-9pm

Wednesday, Mar. 5 7pm-9pm

Fanladen will also be available for mug pickups on regular season match days for several hours before the match.

Local members will need to come by to pick up mugs as we will not be shipping them locally. We realize this is different than in years past, but the mugs are both heavy and fragile and we want to minimize the cost of shipping and the inevitable breakage that would occur.

One man.  Two sides.  And a World Cup soccer match that could change everything...

Portland’s new Irish theatre company proudly presents smash hit tour de force A NIGHT IN NOVEMBER by internationally acclaimed Belfast playwright Marie Jones (author of the long-running Broadway and West End hit STONES IN HIS POCKETS, among others).  In the divided community of early 1990’s Northern Ireland, one Protestant soccer fan makes the fateful decision to abandon his inheritance of bigotry and intolerance - and the home team - and journey to New York City to support the Republic of Ireland in the 1994 World Cup.  This universal story of personal freedom and reconciliation, told through the medium of soccer, is uplifting, whip smart, and irrepressibly funny.  A delightful evening of unique cultural content and unforgettable craic at Portland landmark location Kells Irish Pub downtown.  Food service available before show, and drinks available before, during, and after! Starring Portland favorite Damon Kupper.

The show will run:

Mon-Wed Feb 17-19, Feb 24-26, and March 3-5

Doors at 7:00, Curtain at 7:30

107ist members can save up to $10 off normal ticket prices.

• Present your card on opening night only (Monday, February 17) and receive $10 off (so your cost = $15).
• Present your card at the door to get $5 off the price of admission (normally $25 - so your cost = $20) on any night.

Shows are limited to 75 seats a night and will sell out, so be sure to make a reservation in advance before showing up (no cost or payment online) at:

More info here: corribtheatre.org

—by Andrew Brawley

Hey Alexi, don't take this the wrong way, but it's a Friday afternoon, and you're arguing with a professional soccer team about philosophy. Over the Internet.

Actually, I take it back. You're arguing about WHO created the philosophy. And about whether it's portable or not. And if there's a posted link where you can see it.

Are you bored right now? Does ESPN not have enough work for you to do right now? Did you clear out your inbox early enough that you're looking to create more work?

It's Friday! Leave early. Go be with your kids. Get some ice cream. Run an errand. Surprise the family and bring home dinner. Hit up a happy hour. There's gotta be a bunch of other things you could be doing right now than pointing your Internet sword at another Internet sword.

Don't get me wrong. I'm actually a fan of yours. But I figure you at least have a rolodex. Make a phone call. Ask for a fax. Maybe the philosophy is more than just a word doc or a tumblr post. Maybe it's a state of mind. Maybe it's in the hearts of little kid soccer players everywhere. Maybe it's like Jesus. You don't know, and odds are good you don't need to know.

2013 was an unexpectedly good year for us. We're not used to it, and we're still cautiously optimistic going into 2014. One thing I think I can say on behalf of all Timbers fans [officially] nobody except myself is that sometimes a little faith in the unknown is a good thing. We don't know the recipe behind what Caleb Porter's cooking, but we're OK with that because we love what he's been serving up. Maybe there's a difference between how supporters and broadcasters approach the beautiful game, but we're still on the same side here, which just happens to be on the outside looking in.

We get it, you're an accomplished player with great access around the league. Nonetheless, just because someone doesn't share something with you doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If you're dying to know the Timbers' philosophy, put down the mic and join the coaching staff.

On second thought, please don't. We prefer you in the broadcast booth, where we can assume you're rolling your eyes at Kasey Keller non-stop.

This is an opinion piece and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the 107ist or the TA.

It's time for the annual 107ist Annual General Meeting.

Come out to hear a recap of what we all accomplished in 2013, as well as a preview of what we'll be working on in 2014. If you're interested in volunteering with the 107ist, board members will be providing information on the various committees that will need assistance. Finally, there will be ample opportunity for both formal and informal Q&A with this year's board members, as well as socializing with fellow 107ist members.

Here are the details:

What: 107ist Annual General Meeting

When: Saturday February 1st 2014
Doors: 11:00 am
Meeting: Noon - 2:00 pm
Volunteer sign-up/mingling: 2:00 pm

Where: McMenamin's Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St, Portland, OR 97209

One of the amazing benefits of being a member of the 107ist are the discounts you get from dozens of merchants in and around Portland every day. However, we've got a special opportunity that's only available to our membership for a limited time.

Anyone who is a member of the 107ist today, or (re)joins before 1/26, will be able to shop at the Nike Company Store one time during the month of February. The Nike Company Store offers a HUGE selection of Nike gear at deep discounts. Heck, if you buy one pair of shoes, you've paid for your membership with the savings.

Note: Existing 107ist members as of 1/14 should have received an email with details  on how to register to shop. If, after checking your spam folder, you find you didn't receive the email, let us know.

Here's how this works:

1. Purchase or renew your 107ist membership today (or at the very latest, by January 26th)! (Click Here to renew)
2. Within 72 hours of renewing, you'll get an email from EventBrite at your 107ist address allowing you to register to shop
3. After registering, your name will be placed on the guest list and you can shop one time during the month of February

Here is some additional information about shopping at the Nike Company Store

• You must renew by 1/26 and register by 1/29  to ensure access (registration email will come within 72 hours of renewing)
• You can shop one time between February 1st and February 28th. Store hours are Mon-Sat 10:00am-7:00pm and Sun 10:00am-5:00pm
• You do not need to bring your eventbrite confirmation, Nike will have your name on a list at the store.
• Your spouse / domestic partner and dependent children may accompany you on your shopping trip so long as the following conditions are met:
  • Photo ID MUST be provided by all shoppers for check in (spouse, permanent partner, and any dependent children AGE 15 AND OLDER. Children under 15 do not require ID)
  • The guest’s spouse/partner must provide proof of the same address to accompany the guest into the store
  • The guest’s dependent children must be: 22 or younger with the same address OR 24 or younger with a valid college ID
• Nike kindly asks that you refrain from wearing any competitor brands in their store
• Select merchandise may be available to employees only.