—by Chris Rifer

Over the course of the last several weeks The Morrison Report has thrown a good number of stones at the MLS and its Roster Rules.  While the Rules’ secrecy has been the primary target of our criticism, the events of the past several weeks have also exposed some of the convolution within the current MLS Roster Rules.

But criticism without construction is just curmudgeonry.  So, here at The Morrison Report, we’re going to pretend we got our paws on the wide-ruled spiral notebook in which Don Garber keeps his No. 2 pencil-written Roster Rules.

First, a few ground rules.  We’re not going to fundamentally change MLS’s roster system.  So the salary cap will still exist in The Morrison Report’s alternate universe, the designated player rule won’t be scrapped, and allocation money is here to stay.  These are the golden calves, so to speak, that may not be slain.

A quick note on what The Morrison Report’s system attempts to do.  First, it tries to replace MLS’s convoluted system of allocation rankings and drafts with more market-oriented mechanisms such as free agency, rights of first refusal, and allocation money compensation.  This puts extra onus on the salary cap, then, to maintain parity throughout MLS and prevent it from becoming a league of haves and have-nots.  Accordingly, many of the salary cap rules have become harsher.  Simply put, The Morrison Report’s system gives teams more rope with which they can go out and sign players, but ensures that it never more than just enough for the clubs to hang themselves by.  This system thus attempts to reward good management of a club from the academy level through Designated Players, while harshly punishing mismanagement.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether the following system accomplishes these goals, or even whether these goals are well conceived in the first place.  Also, we at The Morrison Report know none of this will ever happen.

With that said, over the course of the next 2,000-odd words, we’re going to work Commissioner Garber’s No. 2 pencil eraser down to the metal and make multiple trips to the pencil sharpener.

Player Acquisition Mechanisms

Allocation Ranking

New Rule: Forget about it.  Abolished.

Commentary: A rule once designed to ensure parity has become MLS’s favorite section of the Roster Rules to skirt through less-than-transparent means.  Parity is why MLS has the salary cap, so the new rule is simple: If you have the cap space to sign a returning MLS or current USNMT player, knock yourself out.

Designated Player

New Rule: The DP rule largely remains the same, including the young designated player rules.  It is worth clarifying, however, that the DP rule is exclusively a salary cap accounting mechanism.  It is not an exception to any other allocation rule.  Teams still get two slots, with the option to purchase a third.

Commentary: The DP rule’s interaction with a handful of other rules will change, however, most notably with the Amnesty Rule.

Rookie Acquisitions

Commentary: Currently, the SuperDraft and Homegrown Player rules are the primary mechanisms through which teams acquire young American talent coming into the League.  With the growth of development academies, however, the HGP rule has waxed in prominence while the SuperDraft has begun to slowly wane.

As Nick Firchau wrote in May, the current HGP system may present a significant threat to League parity due to the regional disparity of youth talent around the country.  Thus, the rule changes below are designed to address this disparity potential while incentivizing clubs to keep building their academies.

The current system shuffles players into one of two boxes, either they must sign an HGP contract with their parent club or enter the SuperDraft.  The Morrison Report’s system largely eliminates these boxes, while maintaining some of the HGP benefits.

New Rules:

Eligibility – A player may be an HGP if he plays at least two seasons for a club’s official U-16 or U-18 development academy team. [1]  During those two seasons, the player must be on the academy team’s active roster for 60% of its official games, excluding games that a player misses as a result of a call from a national team.[2]

Academy Player Acquisition – Teams may still sign as many of their HGP eligible players as they want every year.  One such player every year is eligible to be an HGP whose salary does not count against the team’s salary cap for the first two years of the player’s first professional contract.

Teams no longer have the exclusive right to sign their HGP-eligible academy players, however.  Rather, any club can sign them, provided that the parent club has a first right of refusal on any contract an HGP-eligible player signs with another MLS club.  So, for example, if a Portland academic signs with Real Salt Lake for $100,000 per year, the Timbers would have the opportunity to sign the player on those same terms.

Moreover, if another team signs one of a club’s HGP-eligible academics, the parent club shall receive allocation money in the amount of the player’s average annual salary – 50% paid by the purchasing club and 50% paid by the League.  The total amount of allocation money a club can earn through this method annually is capped at the amount of salary cap space occupied by a designated player.  Thus, if an academy is cranking out MLS-ready prospects left and right, it can turn that into a salary cap cash cow that can pay for up to a DP’s cap hit every year.  It promotes parity, however, because teams in talent-rich areas can’t monopolize their academy players, as other teams can sign academics subject to the first right of refusal and compensation provisions.[3]

Because clubs will now be able to sign other club’s academy players, we should also provide a scouting mechanism.  It is my pleasure to introduce the MLS Academy Cup; two 10-day tournaments (one U-16, the other U-18) played over the course of 17 days in December after the MLS Cup Playoffs.[4]  This would give MLS teams an opportunity to scout other clubs’ academy players in person.  Additionally, every game would be broadcast on MLS Live, making the Academy Cup a medicine four-out-of-five doctors would recommend to remedy Offseasonal Affective Disorder (O-SAD), and an opportunity to showcase talent to college coaches across the country.

Non-Academy Player Acquisition – The SuperDraft is gone.  Teams are welcome to recruit and sign as many rookies as they can accommodate within their salary structure.

MLS Signing Day – Rather than the SuperDraft, MLS has a two-hour special where each club reveals its annual rookie class – HGPs, other academy players, and non-academy players – and the top 20 players announce their signings live on national television.  Teams are prohibited from announcing signings of rookie players before Singing Day.  This is the drama of NCAA recruiting, the absurdity of silly season, and excitement of the NBA Draft all rolled into one process culminating on MLS Signing Day.

Trades

New Rule: No change to the substantive rules.

Discovery Signings

New Rule: The language will have to be tinkered with to clarify its applicability, and there are certainly mechanisms in the current rule that aren’t spelled out publicly,[5] but the only major change is that a discovery claim no longer gives a team an exclusive right to sign a player.  Rather, it only serves to give the team a first right of refusal on the player for one season.

Commentary: For example, if Portland puts a discovery claim on a player, but Seattle offers the player a better contract than Portland and the player agrees to the terms of the Seattle contract, the Timbers would have the choice of signing the player on Seattle’s terms or relinquishing the discovery claim and letting the player go to the Sounders without any form of compensation.

Re-Entry Process

New Rule: Abolished.  An MLS player whose contract expires or whose option isn’t picked up just becomes a free agent.

Commentary:  I don’t even understand why this exists now.

Waivers

New Rule: No change.

Weighted Lottery

New Rule: Abolished.  Any player that would have been eligible for Signing Day, but that chooses to enter into an MLS contract after Signing Day is a free agent.  If such a player is HGP eligible with one club, but signs with another club after Signing Day, the parent club retains the first right of refusal and, if the right is not exercised, must be similarly compensated.

Commentary: Notably, there will be little incentive for young players to do this because waiting longer only makes it more likely that their desired club would lack the salary structure to accommodate their contract.

Player Release Mechanisms

These are the mechanisms for getting a player off of a club’s salary cap books.  These really aren’t especially controversial.  Accordingly, there are only a handful of significant changes in The Morrison Report’s universe.

Buyout of a Guaranteed Contract (Amnesty Rule)

New Rule:  At any time during an offseason, a team may buy out the guaranteed contract of one player, and the player’s contract will no longer count against the salary cap.  A team that exercises the Amnesty Rule, however, may not use the Rule to buy out another contract in any of the next four offseasons.  If a team uses the Amnesty Rule to buy out the contract of a Designated Player, the team will receive relief from the salary cap space that player occupied, but the Designated Player slot filled by the former player’s contract will remain occupied until the natural expiry of the original contract.

Commentary:  The Amnesty Rule is one of the potentially largest disparity creators in the MLS rulebook.  Currently, it permits teams to buy out one contract per offseason, and have the balance not count against the salary cap.  While the team is still responsible for paying the balance of the contract to the player, it can serve to free up substantial salary cap space every year.

This is a huge advantage for wealthy clubs that can absorb the financial hit of paying a player to do nothing.  Currently, such a club can roll the dice on major signings, and if the player doesn’t work out, cut them loose in the offseason without any salary cap consequences.  For many clubs, however, sinking major costs like that is financially infeasible.  Thus, this makes it much easier for big clubs like L.A. Galaxy, Seattle, and Portland to be aggressive, perhaps reckless, with major signings.

The Morrison Report’s rules cut this back by allowing a team to exercise the Amnesty Rule only once every five years.

Designated Players in Trades and Contract Renegotiations

New Rules: If a Designated Player is traded among MLS teams, he must occupy a DP slot for either the buying team or the selling team for the natural length[6] of his DP contract.  A buying team may minimize the DP’s salary cap hit if the selling team swallows a portion of the contract – which counts against the selling team’s salary cap allocation – but the player’s contract must still occupy a DP slot for either the buying or selling team.

Similarly, if a DP renegotiates his contract with his current club at any point during the period of the contract so as to drop his compensation below DP levels, the player will continue to occupy a DP slot for the natural length of the original contract.  The team may free up salary cap space by renegotiating the contract, but it may not free up a DP slot.

The End.

Onward, Rose City.

—by Chris Rifer

It’s nice to have this feeling again in the Rose City.  Looking out over Jeld-Wen Field on Saturday evening, with the Timbers Army in full pregame voice, and Portland and Dallas warming up below, it was impossible to escape the feeling that this game carried significant consequences.  Win, and the Timbers would look poised to make a serious run at the Supporters Shield in the final third of the season.  Lose, and Portland’s playoff hopes would dangle perilously above the red line with the team mired in its most serious slump of the year.

On Saturday night, behind a dazzling performance from Diego Valeri, a tireless outing from Diego Chara, and clinical finishes from Darlington Nagbe and Ryan Johnson, the Timbers gained a vital foothold in the Western Conference playoff race and downed FC Dallas 2-1.

It wasn’t for lack of trying on the Burn’s part, however.  Themselves stuck in a rut, Dallas come out buzzing in the midfield behind Jackson and Fabian Castillo.  In the 15^th minute, Jackson found space 25 yards from goal and ripped a hard, swerving shot from distance, but Donovan Ricketts got a shoulder in front of it, and parried away.

That spark that had been missing from the Portland attack was found early on, however.  21 minutes in, Ben Zemanski came up with an interception in the midfield and played a give-and-go to Valeri to set the Argentine through on goal in the box.  Valeri’s first touch betrayed him, however, and he pushed his open effort well wide.

If Valeri has been out of his element with his own finishing touch recently, he’s been nothing short of spectacular in creating chances for others.  In the 26^th minute, Valeri sent a picture perfect corner into the center of the box, where Ryan Johnson easily out-jumped George John at the top of the six to emphatically nod home.

The tension that had mounted as a result of the stretch of middling results and the gravity of the game seemed to evaporate with Johnson’s headed finish.  Perhaps even a little bit too much.

Two minutes later, Dallas got back in the game.  After Fabian Castillo worked a quick give-and-go with Blas Perez, the Colombian played Mauro Diaz into the box, where, unlike Valeri, he coolly slotted past a helpless Ricketts.

And Dallas wasn’t done.  Four minutes later, it was Jackson causing problems for the Timbers backline.  The Brazilian beat Andrew Jean-Baptiste and worked his way to the byline, where he cut a pass back across the box for David Ferreira.  Ferreira gathered and fired, but in a moment of good fortune for the Timbers, his shot sailed just over the bar.

If the Timbers’ initial reaction to conceding was nervy, their reaction to the near miss was decisive.  In the 33^rd minute, Valeri was back to magic making.  After Diego Chara won two aerial balls in a matter of seconds, Valeri gathered and played a perfectly weighted pass to Nagbe on his right.  Nagbe, with room to take his habitual touch, controlled and fired past Raul Fernandez to put Portland back in front.

Despite plenty of vivacious play from both teams, neither side could continue the torrid pace that saw three goals in seven minutes, and the teams retreated into halftime at 2-1.

There was no retreat in Dallas out of the locker room, however.  In the 50^th minute, David Ferreira got in behind Alvas Powell and eventually found Michel on the left side, but Perez made a mess of the ensuing cross.

By the hour mark, Portland had their foot back on the game.  In the 63^rd minute, Portland broke out and set Rodney Wallace free down the left.  Nagbe and Johnson’s runs in the box were well-covered, however, so Wallace took a crack himself that Fernandez did well to knock away.

The pressure largely relieved form Portland’s backline, FC Dallas were left to hope that they could grab an equalizing goal against the run of play.  Their prayers were almost answered in the 75^th minute, when Ramon Nunez gathered a long ball and found an inch of space 25 yards out, but his shot skidded just wide of the far post.

Three minutes later, Ramon Nunez smashed a dangerous free kick into the wall, but it bounced right to Castillo on the left side of the box.  Despite a whole wave of Hoops at the back post, Erick’s header went high.

From there, Dallas looked burned out, as the Timbers comfortably played the game out by holding the ball far from Donovan Ricketts and the Portland defense.

The three points put Portland within striking distance of the top of the table with the Conference leading Claret-and-Cobalt coming to town on Wednesday.

It looks like it’s time to get used to that feeling.

Notes & Observations

• While Saturday wasn’t the Timbers’ most dominant performance, a lot of that had to do with Dallas playing pretty well. Castillo and Jackson were really feeling it, causing the Timbers real problems in the middle for pretty good chunks of the game. Nonetheless, the 2-1 result was well deserved; as for most of the game Portland was the better team.
• Portland’s first half tactics were interesting considering the lineup they put on the field.  As we’ve seen before, the Timbers stretched their center backs out wide when they were attacking and dropped a central midfielder into the hole just in front of the backline. This allowed both fullbacks to get forward and opened up the spaces in the center that Valeri had a field day in. It’s not that this tactic is unusual for the Timbers, as they’ve employed it a number of times, but it is unusual with Rodney Wallace in the lineup, as he seems to enjoy chalk on his boots.
• I would be surprised if Portland didn’t reprise this strategy against RSL.  With Kyle Beckerman suspended, the Timbers will be eager once again to exploit central spaces. If Portland’s center backs are again spread out, Salt Lake should counter by starting Joao Plata for the second consecutive match. Plata’s pernicious pace is potentially poised to punish Portland’s protective positioning.

Timbers Grades

Donovan Ricketts, 6.5 He didn’t make any amazing saves, but his placement on Saturday was outstanding, as a number of otherwise dangerous FCD shots hit him right in the numbers.

Alvas Powell, 4 Calmed down in the last half hour, and put in some nice work during that period, but Powell was the defense’s weakest link by some distance on Saturday, including being one bookend of the considerable space that Diaz ran into to equalize.

Pa Modou Kah, 6 One of his better games as a Timber.  Although his grade is deflated a little because he and Powell left the space for Diaz, Kah generally dealt well with the extra brunt of Dallas’s attack he absorbed as a result of Powell being to his right.

Andrew Jean-Baptiste, 5 Not AJB’s best outing, as he was beaten once or twice more than we’re used to.  Still, he didn’t make any major mistakes and frustrated the daylights out of Blas Perez.

Michael Harrington, 5.5 Another solid performance from Harrington.  Got forward a little bit, though he didn’t necessarily make the most of that.  His defending, however, has been nothing if not reliable over the last several weeks.

Diego Chara, 7.5 This was a difficult game for Diego, as the combination of Portland pushing numbers forward and Dallas’s variety of options in midfield made it so that Chara had to cover a lot of ground.  Even when Dallas’s offense was clicking, however, Chara was up to the task.

Ben Zemanski, 6.5 It was clear Dallas didn’t regard him as much of an offensive threat, and he showed why on a couple occasions.  But he was disrupting things in the midfield like a man possessed, which ultimately led to some of Portland’s best opportunities.

Darlington Nagbe, 6 Didn’t terrorize Dallas like he normally does, but his finish on the Timbers’ second goal was fantastic.

Diego Valeri, 8 Tough man of the match contest between he and the other Diego, but other than his badly missed chance, Valeri was electric.  If the Timbers finish 2013 strong, it will be hard to argue that Valeri was anything but the signing of the year in MLS.

Rodney Wallace, 5.5 Rodney was very effective on Saturday night until he got near the box.  Once there, he made a few decisions that were less than ideal; usually calling his own number rather than dishing to an open teammate.

Ryan Johnson, 6.5 Four shots, three on frame, one in the net.  Basically, a standard night at the office for Ryan.

Jose Valencia, 5.5 Was his usual aggressive self in the attacking third on Saturday, racking up three fouls in 17 minutes.  But Trencito generally did his job nicely in keeping Dallas’s backline occupied to prevent them from throwing too many numbers forward.

Kalif Alhassan, 6 I didn’t like his substitution, but Kalif proved that’s why CP—not CR—is coaching the Timbers.  Kalif was very good in his role on Saturday, completing all 16 of his passes and helping to kill off the game.

Preseason Prediction: Timbers 1, Dallas 1. Cooper and Ryan Miller (!).

Actual Result: Timbers 2, Dallas 1. Ryan Johnson, Mauro Diaz, and Darlington Nagbe.

Onward, Rose City!

—by Chris Rifer

It’s quiet on Morrison Street.  Some would say too quiet.

In a summer stocked with major MLS moves, each seemingly tabbed as the next big sign of the League’s maturation, the Portland Timbers have stayed uncharacteristically quiet.

Michael Nanchoff went off on loan.  So was Jose Valencia.  Then he wasn’t.  Then he was.  Then he wasn’t.

The Timbers brought in Alvas Powell, a smart early move to bring up a very promising youngster, but in as wet a summer as we’ve seen around MLS in some time, the Timbers’ moves were decidedly un-splashy.

Unfortunately coinciding with the Timbers’ summer transfer inactivity has been a stretch of play that, when compared to Portland’s torrid start, can only fairly be described as a slump.  Okay, maybe a mini-slump.

The combination of the activity around MLS, Portland’s lukewarm performances, and a tight Western playoff race have some in and around the Rose City understandably ruing the passage of the transfer deadline as a missed opportunity to compete with the other contenders in the West that added to their roster at the deadline.

The consensus among those who desired a move at the bygone deadline seems to be that Portland should have targeted a striker or fullback.  For what it’s worth, it appears Portland did target a striker, as Merritt Paulson revealed that a designated player deal fell apart at the eleventh hour, and that Valencia’s long-rumored loan became off-again when the Timbers were left at the altar.

The downside to not making a summer move, however, may not actually be that great for the Timbers for two reasons.

First, summer moves do not bring with them any guarantee of significant second half success.  In 2012, six teams made designated player signings in the summer.  Of those teams, two got markedly better,[1] two were only marginally better,[2] one was marginally worse,[3] and one was markedly worse[4] after making their midsummer move.  Major midseason transactions, then, only appear to have made a significant positive difference in the table for two of the six teams that made them in 2012, suggesting the transactions are far from a golden ticket to the playoffs.[5]

Second, when you look at the construction of the Timbers’ 2013 roster, there really isn’t an easy place to make an upgrade.  I agree that fullback and forward make the most sense from an immediate perspective, but in taking a closer look at the Timbers’ roster, making any move short of a no-brainer would have been difficult.

At fullback, Michael Harrington’s early season showers have turned into summer flowers for Portland, as he has been one of the most consistent Timbers over the past two months.  On the other side, while the rotation of Jack Jewsbury, Ben Zemanski, and Ryan Miller has left something to be desired, the addition of Powell makes a signing there impractical and imprudent.

With respect to forward, the Timbers have primarily relied on Ryan Johnson up top, with Rodney Wallace, Diego Valeri, and Darlington Nagbe not far behind in the attack.  Simply put, signing a forward midseason would have relegated one of these guys to the pine.  Considering their universal fine form, the Timbers would have been foolish to disrupt their attack for anything less than a home run signing.[6]  The lack of an obvious spot to fill in the lineup made it all the more likely that the Timbers would end up on the minus-side of teams making a midsummer move, something that could have been disastrous in a tight Western race.

This explains why the Timbers were quick to throw in the towel when their DP forward bid didn’t come to fruition.  It’s a safe bet that the Timbers’ target was a wish list sort of guy; the kind of player that would have made the MLS media gush once more about how far the League has come.  But when that didn’t pan out, the risk of moving onto a Plan B would have outweighed the potential reward.

So the Timbers stood pat.  And maybe that quiet isn’t such a bad thing.

Onward, Rose City.

Announcement Below

Announcing the 107 Independent Supporters Trust Lending Library and Literary Outreach Project.

Portland, OR is a city of many pleasures; outdoor recreations, craft beer, soccer watching, and book browsing among them. With the new BOOKED! Lending Library and Literary Outreach Project, the 107ist seeks to promote literacy related to the beautiful game of soccer. Literature from the grassroots of the sport all the way to the global influences the sport holds in everyday life.

With the craftsmanship of 107ist board member Abe Goldman-Armstrong we have a bookshelf in place at the Fanladen and we have begun cataloging book donations, found online at LibraryThing.

To kickoff the BOOKED! Lending Library Project we will need help from our loyal 107ist compatriots to fill the shelves with donations. On Saturday, August 17, from 2-6pm at the Fanladen, the 107ist BOOKED! Lending Library Project will be collecting books from anyone interested in donating. We are seeking books relative to the sport, culture and history of soccer.

At the time of donation, you can opt to have your name, the date and a comment added to the inside cover of the book. This information will be archived as standard procedure for all donations to the BOOKED! Library. All accepted donations will then become property of the 107ist Library Project.

How this will work....

Books will be available to be checked out by all Official 107ist members in good standing. A limit of two books per member can be check out at a time. The check out period per item is three weeks, with a grace period of two weeks past due.

The BOOKED! library is viewable online so anyone will be able to see what is available in the database collection.

There will be a binder at the Fanladen, that will need to be filled out at the time of check out. This information includes: verification of your 107ist membership, name, email address or phone number, title and author of the book, and the date of check out. When returning books please have the 107ist rep. on duty initial the “Returned” box next to your name and check out info.

Future Goals.....

Beyond just a lending library we are aiming to have BOOKED! become an influential partner in bringing authors of football to Portland as well as encourage and help support better coverage of football in the local writing, bogging, and journalism community.

We also are looking to extend our literary outreach past just the Fanladen and help with reading programs in schools throughout the Portland metro area.

Important Dates....

Book Drive at the Fanladen

Saturday August 17, 2013

2-6pm

We would like to have the BOOKED! Lending Library open for business by the end of September.

Keep in touch with us on Twitter @Booked107

The 4th Annual Timbers Army Homebrew Competition will be held August 11th, at 9am at Lompoc Sidebar 3901 N. Williams.

Categories:

Pride of Cascadia (winning entry to be brewed at Lompoc) Pale Ale, IPA, Imperial IPA, Cascadian Dark Ale, Northwest Red

Full 90 (winning entry to be brewed at Widmer Brothers Brewing-Rosequarter Brewery) anything sessionable, the goal is a beer that you can drink for the full 90 minutes of watching a match. blonde ales, golden ales, Kölsch, pale lagers, would be good examples, but this is a sessionable summer beer category, so whatever you think fits.

We are still seeking judges. Email abram.goldman-armstrong@107ist.org if interested in judging. Entries may be dropped off at Lompoc Fifth Quadrant until Extended Deadline! closing on Saturday August 10th. Please enter 2 bottles per beer. Fee is $10 per entry, $5 per entry for 107ist members. Please make checks payable to 107ist, and include a completed BJCP entry form.

It was inevitable that at some point this season the results would not come as easily as they did in the euphoric early going.  On Wednesday night in Sandy, Utah it became official—the Timbers are in a slump.

It isn’t that Caleb Porter’s crew is playing poorly.  Indeed, in many respects they’re playing as well as they have all year.  But when the final ball isn’t quite right and set piece defending is dirtying sheets, it’s difficult to find results.

It was set piece defending that bit the Timbers early on Wednesday.  After Portland failed to full clear a Real Salt Lake corner, Kyle Beckerman did some neat work on the right wing to free himself from Rodney Wallace’s block attempt and cross toward the back post.  There, despite the cross being a touch heavy, Alvaro Saborio climbed the ladder and nodded off the far post and in for the opening goal.

After a rough first ten minutes, however, the Timbers slowly seized control over the first half.  But even if Portland was cool and controlled in the midfield, time and again they were inches off in the final ball.  A ninth minute run into the box by Darlington Nagbe saw his cross to Ryan Johnson for an easy finish barely cut out.  On the ensuing corner, the ball bounced deliciously in front of goal, but the Timbers couldn’t find the finishing touch.  In the 28^th minute, Rodney Wallace used some fancy footwork to earn him space diving centrally on the left side, but his right footed cross was just out of Ryan Johnson’s reach.

In the 40^th minute, however, the Timbers should have been on the board.  After Andrew Jean-Baptiste streaked up the right wing, he patiently waited until Will Johnson ran into the box with his hand raised.  Jean-Baptiste called on him with a perfect pass and Johnson’s strike was goal-bound before Nick Rimando made a tremendous save diving to his left.

Five minutes later it was Diego Valeri doing the work on the right and finding Ryan Johnson at the back post, but the cross was a yard too deep and Johnson’s header deflected off Tony Beltran’s side—and perhaps arm—before striking the outside of the post.[1]

Whereas the chances came in spades in the first half, the second half turned into a nip-tuck affair between two teams that couldn’t unlock one another despite playing some impressive soccer.

Neither team had a clear-cut chance until the 72^nd minute, when the Timbers once again should have drawn level.  After Kalif Alhassan—who had come on for an injured Will Johnson—played back to Ryan Miller, the left back debutante found Valeri in the box with a nice cross, but Valeri’s free header from eight yards was poor and went well wide, leaving the Argentine sprawled in a prone position.

Despite several good chances, the Timbers just couldn’t find the equalizer.  And in the 78^th minute, Joao Plata made them pay.  After RSL won a second ball, Kyle Beckerman sent a penetrating ball forward to Saborio who teed the ball up perfectly for Plata, where he struck it perfectly inside the post.  The Timbers had a half-dozen better chances than Plata’s, but as Caleb Porter discussed postgame, the game is about goals, not chances.

The Timbers would find their goal in second half stoppage time, but ultimately it was too little, too late.  After Jose Valencia found Valeri in the box with a nice vertical pass, the newly permanent Timber[2] freed himself from three defenders and unleashed a shot that was again remarkably denied by Rimando.  The rebound went right to Valeri’s head, however, and this time he looped it past everybody and into the back of the net.

Despite a frantic last four minutes, the Timbers couldn’t find their equalizer.  After brutal back-to-back U.S. Open Cup road fixtures at Dallas and Salt Lake, the Timbers slumped out of the Cup on Wednesday.

It’s not that the Timbers have played poorly at all.  On Wednesday, they surely didn’t.  It’s simply that they’re not winning results right now.  And that alone is enough to put the Timbers in a slump.

Notes & Observations

• Looking back at the game, my notes, and the highlights, the Timbers played pretty well in taking it to a team that doesn’t get it taken to them very often. It’s inaccurate to say, as some have said, that the Timbers weren’t dangerous.  Portland had a number of good chances throughout the game on Wednesday that just didn’t fall for one reason or another. Yes, the Timbers are in a slump with only five points in the last five weeks. Yes, the Timbers aren’t filling the nets like they did through June.  And yes, the Timbers are making mistakes—especially on set pieces—that they weren’t making two months ago.  But they’re really not that far off, which—at this point at least—makes me think this is nothing more than a run of the mill rough patch.
• I really liked Portland’s game plan. As Porter discussed after the game, Portland tucked Darlington Nagbe inside, as he’s naturally inclined to do, and were aggressive in bringing Michael Harrington forward on the right. By using Harrington on the right as an attacking fullback and letting Rodney Wallace float toward the left touchline, the Timbers stretched RSL’s midfield diamond and found spaces both inside and out. This led to extended stretches during which RSL were pinned back in their own end, unable to generate much of anything in the attack.

Timbers Grades

Donovan Ricketts, 5 For a game in which he got scored on twice, Ricketts really didn’t have that much to do.  Nothing he could do about either concession.

Ryan Miller, 4.5 Settled in and actually looked pretty comfortable at left back by the second half, but had a little bit of a rough start.  Diego Valeri owes him a beer—and probably a point or two in his grade—for not finishing his nice 72^nd minute cross.

Pa Modou Kah, 3 The grade might be harsh, but the first concession was on him.  He was marking Saborio, but left him to cover . . . nothing in particular.  This is what Caleb Porter was talking about when, after the game, he noted that set piece defending is “a one-v-one battle.  It’s that simple.  You gotta stay with your guy.”  Sometimes it’s hard to believe Jean-Baptiste is the youngster and Kah is the veteran.

Andrew Jean-Baptiste, 7 RSL folks are understandably really high on Carlos Salcedo.  But Andrew Jean-Baptiste is the one of the best young centerbacks the United States has seen in a long time.  He has turned himself into a disciplined, physical, and intelligent defender.  And then you see him make a play like he did in the 40^th minute, when he bombed up the wing and sent a perfect cross to Will Johnson for what would have been a goal but for Rimando’s heroics.

Michael Harrington, 6 Another nice game from Mikey.  His contributions weren’t always around the play, as he spent a lot of time making runs to open space and defending beyond the midfield stripe, but Harrington was very effective at both.

Diego Chara, 6 Both he and Will Johnson had their hands full with a very good RSL midfield even without Javi Morales.  Chara did most of his offensive work from a deeper lying position, and moved the ball very nicely from there.

Will Johnson, 5.5 Really rough night for Will, and by no fault of his own.  Picked up a shoulder knock that eventually led to his substitution.  Moreover, he was denied a sure goal by his buddy and former teammate, Nick Rimando.

Rodney Wallace, 5.5 Not Wallace’s most dangerous night, but he put in a pretty good shift playing pretty tight to the touchline.  Maintained spacing well and generally did a good job of getting the ball back into a good spot.

Diego Valeri, 6 For much of the match, he was tremendous, breaking down RSL defenders left and right.  But should have pulled the Timbers level in the 72^nd, even if he did get one back late.

Darlington Nagbe, 5 This was one of those games in which Nagbe only popped up in spots.  Had his most success early on, when RSL repeatedly lost him in the midfield.  When he did get on the ball in a dangerous spot, though, Darlington was a little slow in his decision-making.

Ryan Johnson, 6 The Timbers game plan called for him to work back into the midfield to take advantage of the open space created by Harrington coming forward, and then make late runs into the box.  He made several of those good late runs in the first half, only to have his teammates just miss him or RSL nervously clear.

Kalif Alhassan, 5 Sort of a strange spot for Kalif to come on in, as it was forced by Will Johnson coming off.  Kalif didn’t make a huge impact, but he was perhaps unlucky not to get the secondary assist when Valeri missed his header.

Jose Valencia, 5.5 Great ball forward to Valeri in the box that led to the goal.  Valencia showed once again that he’s starting to figure out what Caleb Porter likes from his forwards.

Alvas Powell, INC. Had a fair amount of time, but really didn’t make a huge impact.

Onward, Rose City!

So you want to go to Seattle for the now sold out match on 8/25/2013, but you want to know details. We've got it. We were trying to firm up buses for the trip and that's why it has taken so long. As it stands now there are 750 tickets available for the bus and the game and 750 tickets available for the game only.

When do tickets go on sale?

This Friday 8/9/2013 in the evening. Time is still being firmed up with Eventbrite as we don't want to crash their website but it's looking to be around 6:00-8:00pm.

How will I know when tickets are set to go live?

You will receive an email to the email address associated with your 107ist account containing information about the sale and the password in order to access the sale. THE LINK TO THE SALE WILL NOT WORK UNTIL THE SALE IS LIVE. PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL US ASKING WHY THE LINK IS NOT WORKING UNTIL THE TIME SPECIFIED THE SALE IS LIVE IN THE EMAIL.

Who can buy tickets?

107ist members can purchase 1 ticket per membership. If you need to join please do so before Friday 8/9/2013. Please don't give away the password to your non-membered friends. We double check and make sure everyone is a 107ist member and boot those who aren't.

Will you offer tickets to non-members?

As always members will have first crack at the tickets. Our membership is larger than it ever has been at well over 3,000 107ist members. Being able to have first chance at Seattle away tickets is a big benefit of that membership. This will be a sold out CenturyLink Field and Clint Dempsey's home debut in Seattle. We don't expect there to be many tickets left over after members have first chance. If there are we will open to non-members, but please do not think there are going to be a lot left. There is no firm date as to when we will open to non-members. We will monitor sales and announce once they have slowed to 107ist members. Monitor our website, Facebook and Twitter accounts for information.

If I buy a ticket without the bus ride do I have to meet the buses or can you mail me the ticket?

You have to meet the buses at the stadium to pick up your ticket. This is a security precaution and we all need to enter and exit the stadium in one group.

All the bus tickets are sold out and I don't have a ride to Seattle. What do I do?

We booked all the buses available and there aren't any left in the area. I have created a Facebook group for those looking to ride share. If you have a car and want passengers or are a passenger and looking for a ride you can join this group and start looking. It is nothing official but just a means to help some people out. We encourage carpooling. There are several other options such as Amtrak, Greyhound, or Bolt Bus.

I've heard CenturyLink has new security procedures. Is that true?

Yes it is. We anticipate longer entrance times. They wand people for metal and probably have pat downs. So you know that will slow down entrance a bit. We are going to need to be there a bit earlier than normal.

—by Chris Rifer

In many respects, Seattle’s signing of Clint Dempsey to a four-year, $32 million contract with a reported $9 million transfer fee on top is a sign of significant progress in MLS.  For years, Dempsey – fueled by a sour experience with the League’s structure in his first MLS go-round – has been one of the MLS’s iciest American spokesmen abroad.  Seven years and $41 million dollars after he left MLS, however, and Dempsey has been won over by progress in the League and the Seattle Sounders organization.[1]

While the signing of Dempsey marks another checkpoint on MLS’s path to international competitiveness on the field, it also exposes an institutional immaturity that poses perhaps the greatest obstacle to MLS standing alongside the footballing elite.

The MLS allocation rules provide a clear – if perhaps beef-headed – process for allocating returning former MLS players and U.S. Men’s National Team program players.  Currently, Portland stands first in the allocation order with Seattle sitting second.  As of August 3, 2013, the Allocation Ranking rules published in the Roster Rules provide, in full:

The allocation ranking is the mechanism used to determine which MLS club has first priority to acquire a U.S. National Team player who signs with MLS after playing abroad, or a former MLS player who returns to the League after having gone to a club abroad for a transfer fee. The allocation rankings may also be used in the event two or more clubs file a request for the same player on the same day when the discovery period opens in December. The allocations will be ranked in reverse order of finish for the 2012 season, taking playoff performance into account.

Once the club uses its allocation ranking to acquire a player, it drops to the bottom of the list.  A ranking can be traded, provided that part of the compensation received in return is the other club’s ranking. At all times, each club is assigned one ranking. The rankings reset at the end of each MLS League season.[2]

As a national teamer and former MLS player, Dempsey plainly fits within the class of players allocated through the Allocation Ranking provisions.  Yet, on Saturday, MLS released a statement indicating that the Timbers did not have the first right of refusal on Dempsey because, as a Designated Player, he was not subject to the allocation process.  Citing the signings of David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Robbie Keane, and Claudio Reyna,[3] MLS stated publicly for the first time that Designated Players are not subject to the allocation order rules, even if they otherwise qualify.[4]

The problem, however, is that neither the published Allocation Ranking rules nor the Designated Player rules[5] contemplate such an exception.  This is not a matter of ambiguity, as the published Rules are clear that Dempsey is subject to the allocation process.  There is simply no room for reasonable disagreement within the plain language of the provisions.

Rather, it appears the League has withheld important roster rules from public knowledge for reasons that can charitably be described as baffling.[6]  This mindless secrecy, however, is the starkest example to date of a league that is desperately out of touch with its fanbase and its own influence.

The reality in MLS today is that its supporters no longer treat matches merely as a decent way to pass the time on a summer weekend evening.  Across the country, tens of thousands of MLS supporters browse blogs, listen to podcasts, and stalk the internet for transfer rumors on a daily basis.

The product the League is selling is no longer just ninety minutes of soccer, cheap beer, and bobblehead dolls.  Rather, MLS has grown to a point where its product is a year-round sporting experience that includes not only the matches themselves, but also a relationship between the supporters and the League involving everything its clubs do – from on-field performance, to personnel moves, to development academies.

An important part of MLS’s product, then, are the rules and regulations that govern roster transactions, as those rules are an inextricable part of the daily buzz the League ravenously craves, and ultimately are a significant aspect of what shapes supporters’ relationship with their respective clubs and MLS.

In that way, the Roster Rules are part of a sort of informal contract between the League and its supporters.  In exchange for supporters’ time, energy, and money, the Competition and Roster Rules serve as the baseline that guides supporters’ everyday following of the League and their clubs.  It’s understandable, then, that supporters feel duped when the League facilitates transactions that exist not in the grey areas of the Roster Rules,[7] but rather are contrary to the published rules.  Supporters invest a great deal into following and understanding the League, only to have MLS pull the carpet out from under their reasonable, well-informed expectations by invoking unwritten – or at least unpublished – rules at climactic moments.

For supporters, it feels like the difference between following competitive sport, where the playing field is more-or-less level and the drama is authentic, and watching made-for-TV entertainment where the rules, and ultimately outcomes, are subject to the whims of its promoters.  Put another way, it’s the difference between following the Harlem Globetrotters and the NCAA Tournament.  And if MLS chooses to follow the Globetrotters’ model, it will flounder.

There is little incentive for supporters to read the blogs, tune into the podcasts, or peruse the internet when the information and insight they seek can be rendered useless seemingly at the pleasure of the League office.  And in a soccer world with increasingly diverse options, with rapidly expanding access to television broadcasts of foreign leagues, and increasingly infinite sources of web-based information about overseas competition, the withering of such incentive could be devastating to MLS’s upward trajectory.

In a league in which the fans showed up to the gates – or not – just to have a nice Saturday evening, MLS could get away with the shell game that are the current Competition and Roster Rules.  Few knew better, or, even if they did, cared all that much.[8]

But that’s not the state of support in MLS today.  And if the League continues on its current path of keeping supporters in the dark and insulting their intelligence with patronizingly worded press releases explaining their most recent riff on the Roster Rules,[9] it may again be the state of MLS support tomorrow.

It’s time for MLS to grow up.

Onward, Rose City.

That time of year is upon us when we combine our community outreach efforts with the FO for the second annual Stand Together Week. As a part of this week long celebration of Team and Town involving 26 events, we have chosen 4 events throughout the week that align with the type of volunteer efforts the TA currently undertake. There is no charge to volunteer for these events this year, so come on out and join us. Let’s take these over and show Our Boys how we do what we do.

All volunteers need to sign up individually (even the kids) and all volunteers under the age of 18 will need to bring this signed waiver.

Link to waiver form

TA-PTFC Stand Together Schoolhouse Supplies, August 5th (16 Spots)

Eventbrite signup for Schoolhouse Supplies

Schoolhouse Supplies is an award-winning nonprofit that supports public education in Portland by giving students and teachers free classroom supplies. Their mission, “to serve classrooms in need by operating a volunteer-run Free Store for Teachers, which is stocked with supplies donated by the community,” is based on the belief that every child deserves school supplies and has the right to a quality education. From humble beginnings, Schoolhouse Supplies has grown to serve all 130 Portland Public Schools and has now distributed an estimated retail value of more than $15.4 million dollars in needed supplies. While they have strong contributors, they need help with what is our greatest asset, sweat equity.

Volunteers will work together to sort, tally and prep donated school supplies for the Free Store for Teachers. Volunteers that are 10 to 15 years of age will need to be accompanied by an adult.

TA-PTFC Stand Together Kateri Park, August 7th (10 Spots)

Eventbrite signup for Kateri Park

Wake up your inner artist and join us for an afternoon of fun! Help an art class for 20 kids - they work on individual and collective art projects like drawing, cut outs, and collages. We need some awesome volunteers to come and add your creativity and assistance to the class which will have a soccer theme! You will have a great time exploring art with kids from Somalia, Ethiopia, Burma and Nepal, and you'll really make a difference. Unfortunately, only those over 16 years of age are allowed for this event. Volunteers, please bring lots of used colored plastic bags!

TA-PTFC Stand Together Tryon Creek, August 7th (100 Spots)

Eventbrite signup for Tryon Creek

Oregon’s only state park within a major metropolitan area, Tryon Creek Natural Area is a jewel of our city and is a great place to explore with the coming summer heat. The many efforts of the Friends of Tryon Creek have actually seen the fish population return in recent years but, there is much more work to be done to return this phenomenal habitat to where it should be and they need our help. English ivy is the bane of any local naturalist and would choke every living thing in this town if left unchecked. Given the sensitive nature of this ecosystem, chemicals cannot be used thus; removing the ivy is a hands-on process.

TA-PTFC Stand Together Harrison Park SUN School, August 10th (50 Spots)

Eventbrite signup for Harrison Park

Come out and help beautify of the school grounds: New plantings and caring for the present gardens. Some highlights involve the more than 40 blueberry bushes that were planted last year that need to be tended to prepare the harvest later in the year. Adding this crop to the school will give us nutritious fruit for our families. The school garden is 2200 square feet of vegetable plantings and will need attention to be ready for the fall so volunteers will be helping with that. All around the school grounds we need to add bark chips and clean-up to make the facility ready for the start of school in September. Brighten up to school interior: Paint inside the school to make the hallways more attractive for the students.

—by Chris Rifer

Another Monday.  Another rumor about Jose Valencia debunked.  Another snarky rebuke from Timbers leadership.

Surer that the arrival of the train in “Coming ‘Round the Mountain,” the rumors of Trencito’s departure on loan took another cyclical turn on Monday, as the day came and went with the young Colombian still in the Rose City.

But the rumors won’t go away after another non-denial denial, and not just because Merritt Paulson previously implied they were considering making such a move.  The rumors of Valencia’s loan won’t go away for a more fundamental reason: loaning Valencia into the right situation makes sense.

Too often, those in tune with the soccer world see a loan spell as an impeachment of a player’s performance.  The player isn’t helping his team, the thinking goes, so they send him elsewhere with the possibility of bringing him back if he succeeds.

This doesn’t fit Valencia’s situation because Trencito is helping the Timbers.  Any realistic expectations for Trecito have been met, or perhaps exceeded, this year.  Without question, the prodigy has established himself as a nice MLS player and genuine late-game threat that is oozing with upside.[1]

Rather, the loan would be justified solely on the premise of getting the youngster some first team playing time while the Timbers are busy chasing the playoffs.  So justified, a loan would be about the opportunities the Timbers aren’t creating for Valencia rather than any lack of opportunities Valencia is creating for the Timbers.  Also, so justified, a loan makes a lot of sense.

What Valencia provides the Timbers right now is relatively easily replaceable.  He’s the third forward on a team that uses his athleticism late in games in which they’re chasing a goal.  For D.C. United, that player gets a good amount of run.[2]  For the Portland Timbers, less so.  Search the roster of just about any MLS team and you can find a reasonably priced player who can capably fill that role.

More important for the Timbers’ future, however, is that using Trencito in this way isn’t optimal for his development for two related reasons.  First, and most obviously, the lack of first team minutes limit competitive opportunities.  Despite the Timbers missing two forwards[3] for much of the summer, Jose has only logged 108 minutes over 9 appearances in 2013.  The reserves league is insignificant relief, as games are sporadic, shoddy, and tactically deficient.[4]

Second, the Timbers tactical usage of Valencia in the first team does not develop the skills that need developing, and may even reinforce some youthful bad habits.  Valencia has largely been coming on for Portland late in games in which the Timbers are chasing a goal.  The combination of tired midfield legs, tight defenses, and ticking clocks has meant that Portland has done a lot of searching for Trencito with long balls and very direct play.  Jose fills this role well, as his athleticism and finishing talent make him a danger to tired defenses.

But what will determine whether Valencia turns into a nice MLS player on one hand, or a top-class striker on the other, is whether he can learn to play 90 minutes within an offense, making clever combinations and incisive runs.  Repeatedly putting the youngster in situations in which he’s being asked to break down defenses by his lonesome does little to develop these skills and understanding.  If anything, it encourages him to rely on his talent to beat opponents one-on-one and make a play by himself.

If Portland can find a good fit for Jose, then, loaning Valencia out for nine months makes a lot of sense.  Finding such a fit is no small task.  Portland needs to find a taker that 1) wants Trencito; 2) will play him consistently in their first team starting eleven; 3) is willing to take him without an option to buy; 4) will take good care of him without said option; and 5) is a good systemic fit to develop the aspects of Valencia’s game that need work.  Simply put, there likely aren’t that many clubs that meet all five of those criteria.

Nonetheless, I think a suitable loan partner likely exists, and I would venture to guess the Timbers are in talks with at least one party of mutual interest.

Finally, before any move is made, the Timbers need to have a replacement for Valencia on the line.  While this isn’t the tallest order, sending Jose out on loan without a suitable replacement would be reckless with Ryan Johnson and Rodney Wallace likely set to receive another call to international duty during a crucial part of the stretch run.

If these stars can align, however, expect Valencia to spend the fall and winter overseas on loan.  But don’t expect this because some foreign media source said so, or because Paulson implied via Twitter that he was considering it.

Expect it because it’s the smart thing to do.  And if the Timbers’ front office has been anything in 2013, it’s been smart.