—by Chris Rifer

The mindset has shifted slightly at Timbers practice.  Since returning from Tucson, Caleb Porter has raised the intensity level in preparation for the Portland Timbers Preseason Tournament and the ever-closer season opener against New York.

“I would say we’ve just turned the screws up a little bit more this week.  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, those were hard days – we’re pushing it a little bit more than we have because it’s time for us to push a little bit more.”

The focus has now shifted from general training – fitness, passing, and basic tactical work – to a greater focus on getting the players prepared for games and the rigors of 90 minutes of competitive soccer.  On Saturday the team for the first time looked to prepare for a particular opponent, as the Timbers went through a video session to start training, and appeared set to do tactical work before the media gaggle was shepherded down to the media room beneath the North End.

Porter praised the team’s mentality since returning from Tucson, saying, “You could see in the guys, too, their level of focus, concentration, and intensity was a notch higher, as it should be.”

Nonetheless, it is clear the Timbers have not decided on a formation or definite group of guys to play on March 3^rd.  “No, we’re still looking at things.  I think we have a better sense now than we did prior to Arizona because we’ve seen guys in games.  But we’re always going to kind of tinkering, if we need to.  But like I just told the group that’s not starting [against San Jose], I want to have hopefully 18 guys who could be starters, and we make decisions based on what we think is best in that game.  But it may be we rotate our group because a 34 game season means that we need to manage minutes for guys, we can’t be playing the same 11 every game.”

As such, Porter reported that the Timbers would start one group against San Jose, another group against Dallas, and then reevaluate for AIK.  The group of nonstarters Porter referred to included the usual suspects, but also Jose Valencia, Futty Danso, and, perhaps notably, Ben Zemanski.[1]

On the whole, it’s clear Porter has been pleased with the team’s consistency during training camp.  “It’s a solid group.  It’s a very solid group, and they’re very consistent.  That makes me happy because I want a group that’s going to be consistent, where you know what you’re get every single day and every single game, and I think we have that in this group.”

The added intensity and consistency has Porter confident heading into the Preseason Tournament and the season at large.  “You’re going to see a very solid performance, I think, game-in and game-out out of most of these guys.”  In this same vein, Porter noted that “there’s a reason we kept those guys, you know, and a reason we didn’t keep some guys – because we wanted consistency.”

It’s starting to feel more like the regular season every day.  Porter plans to only use three subs per game this week.  The feeling I get is Sunday will feature close to a best eleven, while Wednesday will primarily be those who don’t play significant minutes on Sunday.  Then, expect the Timbers to treat Saturday against AIK as a dress rehearsal for March 3^rd.

It’s almost here.

Onward, Rose City!

—by Chris Rifer

Not many batted an eye on Monday when Eric Alexander was shipped to New York in exchange for allocation money.  Soccer By Ives reported the Timbers received the league minimum $75,000 in allocation for Alexander and will pay a portion of Eric’s 2013 salary.[1]  While Eric played well at times for Portland, and was one of the few players whose deliverables met his aesthetic effectiveness, it was clear in the first three preseason games that he was having a hard time making an impression on Caleb Porter.  The compensation, however, seems light for a guy that led the team in assists in 2012.

The unsurprising turned perplexing at lunchtime on Wednesday, however, when Portland traded allocation money and the rights to Jonathan Bornstein to Chivas USA for Ben Zemanski.  Zemanski is primarily a defensively minded midfielder who can play either in the center or on the right.

Whereas Alexander had six assists in 1302 minutes over 24 appearances and 14 starts in 2012, Zemanski had two assists in 1649 league minutes over 22 appearances and 18 starts.  So Zemanski’s measurables don’t compare favorably to the guy the Timbers traded on Monday for $75,000 of allocation money.

So, then, why did the Timbers trade at least that much allocation money and the rights to a former U.S. national teamer that has extensive experience in a position of need in exchange for a guy who is less proven than the one they shipped out and plays a position of relative surplus?

Well, the most reasonable explanation would be that Caleb Porter is familiar with Zemanski from his days at Akron, rates his former player highly, thinks Zemanski fits well within his system, and likes what he brings as a leader and teammate.

That might be reasonable to everybody except the Timbers.  On Twitter, Merritt Paulson suggested the idea that Porter was looking to bring players he’s familiar with from his days at Akron was a conspiracy theory.  And as The Oregonian’s Geoffrey C. Arnold reported, Caleb Porter chafed at the notion as well, saying “It has nothing to do with [Zemanski] being at Akron . . . I’ve seen [what he’s capable of doing] in MLS.  He’s one of the most underrated midfielders in the league.”  Porter added, “The perception is I want a bunch of Akron players here.  I could care less about having Akron players here.  By no means is that going to be the basis for decisions.”

Apparently in completely unrelated news, the Timbers later on Wednesday traded a 2015 second round Supplemental Draft pick to Vancouver in exchange for the rights to former Akron midfielder Michael Nanchoff.  Oh, and earlier this offseason the Timbers traded Kosuke Kimura to New York for allocation money and the Homegrown rights to Akron defender Bryan Gallego.  And the Timbers drafted former Akron goalkeeper David Meves in the Supplemental Draft.  Coincidences, all.

The troubling thing about this is not that the Timbers seem predisposed to bringing in players with whom Porter has experience.  Instead, it’s that the Timbers are going to such strained lengths to deny it.  Such a predisposition would be natural, to say nothing of completely rational.  In soccer, just as in the real world, managers want to bring in players they are familiar with and like.  And as long as the team isn’t making absurd moves to bring former Zips in, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it.  At least until today, all the moves made perfect sense. You could even say some were a steal.

Bizarre denials aside, however, it’s hard to see how the Zemanski trade pencils out in the context of letting Alexander go.  Zemanski’s natural spot is either on the right wing or, although somewhat less likely, at right back.  The spot on the right wing is the most crowded position on the team, with Darlington Nagbe, Sal Zizzo, and Kalif Alhassan all making legitimate claims to it.  Will Johnson and Diego Chara have a mortal lock on the true defensive midfield spots, with Jack Jewsbury likely sitting on the bench as an enviable backup.  And Ryan Miller has looked more than capable of providing the Timbers the best right back play they’ve had in MLS, with, again, Jewsbury and a decent looking Ryan Kawulok there to back him up.

So, in the last 72 hours, the Timbers have traded away their 2012 leading assistant and the rights to a former American national teamer who plays a position of need in exchange for a borderline starter.  And we’re all conspiracy theorists for thinking it might have something to do with Porter’s experience with Zemanski.

Onward, Rose City.

—by Chris Rifer

Nobody knew what to expect when the Timbers boarded a plane to Tucson two weeks ago.  A new roster, new coach, and new system left the Timbers a mystery to even themselves.  The keep away and short-sided games of the first week of camp did little to shed light on this Timbers team’s identity.

Two weeks and four preseason games later, many of those questions have begun to be answered.  Here’s the good, the bad, and the still unknown coming out of Tucson.

The Good

The Central Midfield

It took a little bit of shaking out, but by the end of the trip Caleb Porter seemed to have found his best central midfield combination.  While Diego Chara and Will Johnson initially showed a little bit of confusion playing with each other, their full potential was revealed when deployed in a 4-2-3-1 with the two of them holding and Diego Valeri in the middle of the higher three.  With Valeri, Chara, and Johnson patrolling the center – and Darlington Nagbe floating inside with regularity – the Timbers dominated Seattle’s largely second-choice midfield, and neutralized Mauro Rosales by forcing him into the center to contend with the Timbers midfield.  While this unit certainly won’t be quite so dominant against better opposition, if the midfield can come close to replicating that effectiveness, 2013 will be much more enjoyable than either of the previous two seasons.

Ryan Miller

When Miller was signed, I was one of the few that was skeptical that he would come in and win the starting job right away.  Through three weeks, Miller already looks like the best defensive right back in Timbers MLS history.  Although he has not provided as much going forward as I’m sure Caleb Porter would like, that hasn’t been as much of a problem with the Timbers dominance in the middle.

The Second Unit

Between an on-form Andrew Jean-Baptiste, a healthier Jose Valencia, and an impressive trial from Michael Nanchoff, the Timbers are leaving the experimental phase of the offseason with substantially more depth than in the prior two years.  Add in Danny Mwanga, Jack Jewsbury,[1] Rodney Wallace, and Sal Zizzo, and the Timbers have viable second options at almost every position.

The Bad

Michael Harrington

The Timbers looked to the former Sporting backup left back to replace Steven Smith and hold down the Timbers left back position.  While it is far too early to write off The Hair, his modest start as a Timber doesn’t compare favorably to his fellow newbie on the right.  Harrington has been ineffective in the attacking third and the weakest link in a defense whose jury remains sequestered.  Harrington’s brightest play has been in the midfield, where he has occasionally provided a little bit of a relief valve for the men in the middle.  Still, Mike has a good amount of work to do to justify his substantial salary and make us forget Steven Smith’s late 2012 form.

ACLs, MCLs, and Menisci

Seriously, what the heck?  First Brent, then Bright?  Go ahead and knock out two of the TA’s most beloved, why don’t you?  Dike’s injury is particularly disappointing, however, as he was starting to look more and more comfortable with his opportunities coming through the middle.  The Dike v. Johnson debate was going to be the most interesting on the last couple weeks of camp. Now, we just hope for a speedy recovery for both of these guys, although, considering the timing and nature of their injuries, it seems like a relative longshot to see them back in the eighteen this season.

The Unknown

The Last Two Roster Spots

With Eric Alexander gone and Franck Songo’o all but officially shipped out, the Timbers have two remaining available roster spots.  One seems likely to go to a defender.  Mikael Silvestre stated his case with a decent couple weeks in Tucson.  The question with Silvestre must be price, as in Tucson he looked like he could still fill the role of a decent MLS center back, but at what cost?  If it’s much into the six figures, expect the Timbers to look elsewhere.

Word broke last week, and Monday’s practice confirmed, that the Timbers were bringing in English-bred, American-educated, and Swedish-employed center back Calum Angus.  Angus has played significantly over the last three years with GAIS in the Swedish first division, appearing 61 times, and earning a trial with West Ham at the end of 2011.  Because his team was relegated in 2012, Angus has been set free to seek opportunities elsewhere, apparently including Portland.

In addition to reinforcement at the back, Porter has stated that he intends to take a look at a few more strikers in the wake of Dike’s injury.  In that vein, and to my personal delight, the Timbers have brought Belizean talisman Deon McCaulay into camp on trial.  Considering he’s spent most of his career in the Premiere League of Belize, McCaulay is a little bit of a longshot to earn a roster spot, but 15 goals in 26 international appearances aren’t completely insignificant, especially considering Belize just shocked the Yucatan by taking fourth in the Copa Centroamericana.  But, still, Belize.[2]

The Formation

This is a little bit academic, but we still don’t have a strong indication of how the Timbers will line up.  Entering the preseason tournament, one could still make a case for a diamond 4-4-2, a 4-3-3, or the 4-2-3-1 we saw against Seattle.  What’s more important, however, is that we do have a good idea of how the Timbers are trying to play – high and central.  So, regardless of how Porter constructs his lineup, expect to see a number of guys in the midfield given an invitation to float into the interior and control the game from there.  Conveniently, that suits much of Portland’s wing personnel just fine.

Onward, Rose City!

—by Chris Rifer

Coming out of 2012, the 2013 goalkeeper position wasn’t supposed to be an especially interesting one.  Although he didn’t exactly overwhelm in 2012, Donovan Ricketts looked to be the prohibitive favorite for the starting job.

Then, on December 12, apparently tired of being hung out to dry with regularity in Toronto, Milos Kocic was thrown into a deal between the Timbers and the Reds in exchange for youngster Joe Bendik.

While bringing in a keeper that allowed 47 goals in 27 appearances during the past season isn’t the traditional method of creating a goalkeeping controversy, a combination of Kocic’s partial innocence in Toronto’s defensive ineptitude and Ricketts’s modest effectiveness raised reasonable questions about whether the Jamaican would be between the posts on March 3^rd.

Add to that the fact that Jake Gleeson appears to be simultaneously healthy and not in New Zealand for the first time in most of a year, and many at the start of camp handicapped Ricketts an only modest favorite to be the Timbers 2013 first choice goalkeeper.

The first three weeks of training have done little to disprove that prediction.  Through three preseason games, both Ricketts and Kocic have been underwhelmingly passable.  Ricketts’s best performance – as has become a habit for Timbers who moonlight for their national team – has been with Jamaica where he was semi-heroic in preserving the draw at Azteca.  Jake Gleeson hasn’t had much of a chance to feature in a game situation, save for one largely dandelion-picking half against Seattle’s trialists on Tuesday morning.

Despite the mini offseason turmoil, then, Portland’s immediate goalkeeping future looks likely unchanged: hardly confidence-inspiring, but no cause for great despair.  An otherwise good team can have some short-term success with the sort of average goalkeeping we can expect from Ricketts or Kocic.

The long-term future is cause for greater concern, however.  Ricketts is thirty-five and not getting any better.  While both Kocic and Gleeson have potential, neither appears to be either a can’t-miss prospect or able to step in immediately and take the helm of a playoff-caliber team.

The Timbers also added former Akron keeper David Meves in the Supplemental Draft.  While reports of Meves have been solid thus far, it’s hard to imagine the Timbers carrying him as a fourth goalkeeper.  Don’t be surprised, however, if he surfaces in the lower divisions next year, and the Timbers keep his rights and a watchful eye cast in his direction.

2013 is a particularly important season for Jake Gleeson, as his lost 2012 campaign has warmed his seat a little bit.  If Jake doesn’t show signs of development in 2013, he can’t be considered a viable candidate for the goalkeeping job in the short or medium term.  With the current state of the Timbers’ goalkeeping situation, if you’re not such a candidate, you’re probably also not on the roster.

Simply put, considering Ricketts’s age and diminution in value over the past two seasons, a regime change in goal seems to be on the horizon, if perhaps not yet imminent.  If neither Kocic nor Gleeson steps up, the Timbers could suffer through a painful interregnum.  And nobody likes a painful interregnum.

Projected 2013 Depth Chart

1. Donovan Ricketts
   
2. Milos Kocic
   
3. Jake Gleeson
   

Onward, Rose City!

—by Chris Rifer

Coming out of 2012, the 2013 goalkeeper position wasn’t supposed to be an especially interesting one.  Although he didn’t exactly overwhelm in 2012, Donovan Ricketts looked to be the prohibitive favorite for the starting job.

Then, on December 12, apparently tired of being hung out to dry with regularity in Toronto, Milos Kocic was thrown into a deal between the Timbers and the Reds in exchange for youngster Joe Bendik.

While bringing in a keeper that allowed 47 goals in 27 appearances during the past season isn’t the traditional method of creating a goalkeeping controversy, a combination of Kocic’s partial innocence in Toronto’s defensive ineptitude and Ricketts’s modest effectiveness raised reasonable questions about whether the Jamaican would be between the posts on March 3^rd.

Add to that the fact that Jake Gleeson appears to be simultaneously healthy and not in New Zealand for the first time in most of a year, and many at the start of camp handicapped Ricketts an only modest favorite to be the Timbers 2013 first choice goalkeeper.

The first three weeks of training have done little to disprove that prediction.  Through three preseason games, both Ricketts and Kocic have been underwhelmingly passable.  Ricketts’s best performance – as has become a habit for Timbers who moonlight for their national team – has been with Jamaica where he was semi-heroic in preserving the draw at Azteca.  Jake Gleeson hasn’t had much of a chance to feature in a game situation, save for one largely dandelion-picking half against Seattle’s trialists on Tuesday morning.

Despite the mini offseason turmoil, then, Portland’s immediate goalkeeping future looks likely unchanged: hardly confidence-inspiring, but no cause for great despair.  An otherwise good team can have some short-term success with the sort of average goalkeeping we can expect from Ricketts or Kocic.

The long-term future is cause for greater concern, however.  Ricketts is thirty-five and not getting any better.  While both Kocic and Gleeson have potential, neither appears to be either a can’t-miss prospect or able to step in immediately and take the helm of a playoff-caliber team.

The Timbers also added former Akron keeper David Meves in the Supplemental Draft.  While reports of Meves have been solid thus far, it’s hard to imagine the Timbers carrying him as a fourth goalkeeper.  Don’t be surprised, however, if he surfaces in the lower divisions next year, and the Timbers keep his rights and a watchful eye cast in his direction.

2013 is a particularly important season for Jake Gleeson, as his lost 2012 campaign has warmed his seat a little bit.  If Jake doesn’t show signs of development in 2013, he can’t be considered a viable candidate for the goalkeeping job in the short or medium term.  With the current state of the Timbers’ goalkeeping situation, if you’re not such a candidate, you’re probably also not on the roster.

Simply put, considering Ricketts’s age and diminution in value over the past two seasons, a regime change in goal seems to be on the horizon, if perhaps not yet imminent.  If neither Kocic nor Gleeson steps up, the Timbers could suffer through a painful interregnum.  And nobody likes a painful interregnum.

Projected 2013 Depth Chart

1. Donovan Ricketts
   
2. Milos Kocic
   
3. Jake Gleeson
   

Onward, Rose City!

—by Chris Rifer

Coming out of 2012, the Timbers midfield was one area of the field that seemed at least competently put together heading into 2013.  Diego Chara had a second solid season, and Darlington Nagbe, Franck Songo’o, Eric Alexander, and Sal Zizzo had all shown flashes of being at least legitimate MLS contributors, perhaps on the brink of breaking out.  There wouldn’t have been much dissent if changes were made elsewhere, but the midfield stayed largely intact.  It was a midfield full of competence and potential, if maybe not excellence.

Nonetheless, Caleb Porter targeted the midfield as his top offseason priority and, in the course of just a few months, gave the unit a complete makeover.  The early returns are tremendous.

Out are Songo’o and Alexander; in are Valeri, Zemanski, and Will Johnson; and completely reshaped is the unit’s playing philosophy.

Caleb Porter’s reputation – earned or not – as a 4-3-3 coach has been upheld in name only in Portland.  Early indications from training were that Porter preferred a diamond 4-4-2, with Chara and Johnson playing as narrow wings, Jack Jewsbury at the back, and Diego Valeri at the point.

That plan lasted all of five minutes into the preseason opener against Colorado, when Jewsbury suffered what is believed to be a fairly serious hamstring pull that will likely keep him out for several more weeks.

Since, Porter has preferred a functional 4-2-3-1,[1] with Johnson and Chara sitting behind two (theoretically) wider midfielders and Valeri.  This has provided an opening for Darlington Nagbe and, at least against San Jose, Kalif Alhassan to step back into the starting midfield.

The beginning of the end of the 4-2-3-1 experiment, however, may have been the acquisition of defensive midfielder Ben Zemanski.  While Zemanski spent most of his days at Chivas on the right side of the midfield or defense, early indications are that Porter sees him as more of a defensive central midfielder, potentially taking Jewsbury’s hamstrung place at the back of a diamond.

The problem with the Timbers’ 4-2-3-1, especially playing as high pressure as they do, is that all of the Timbers’ logical choices for wide players in the higher midfield level like to float inside.  This isn’t anathema in Porter’s centrally based system, but causes problems because it relies on the fullbacks to both be the only real line of flank defense and provide width for the attack – two often mutually exclusive objectives.

Don’t be surprised on Saturday if the Timbers roll out a four-man midfield of Chara, Zemanski, Valeri, and Will Johnson.  Moving to a diamond 4-4-2 will allow Chara and Johnson to still play relatively centrally, but wide enough to provide cover when either Tetris Harrington or Ryan Miller get forward to add width to the final third.

The 4-4-2 base formation also opens the options box for late substitutions.  Kalif Alhassan right now looks to be the first attacking midfield option off the bench, as Porter went out of his way in the San Jose postgame presser to praise Kalif’s preseason work despite his culpability on a pair of concessions.  The logical move if the Timbers are stretching for a late goal would be to lift Zemanski for Alhassan, move Johnson and Chara back a little bit and shift into the 4-2-3-1 look that flummoxed the Quakes’ defense for extended stretches of the first half on Sunday.  Defensively, this set up allows either Jack Jewsbury or Ben Zemanski – whichever isn’t already on – to come on and move the Timbers into a more defensive looking 4-5-1 to put a late lead on ice.

Simply put, the 4-4-2 maximizes the Timbers’ options while providing ad additional bit of cover for a defense that was torched against San Jose.  Whichever formation Porter ultimately goes with, however, it’s clear his philosophy is to play high and central.  So far, this has led to a much more aesthetically pleasing attack than the direct style of the Spencer Era.

Look for Valeri and Darlington Nagbe – assuming he slots in a second striker – to be fluid in how high they play.  Considering Nagbe’s penchant for picking the ball up deeper in the midfield and making vertical runs, and Valeri’s nose for making the final pass, don’t be surprised to see Valeri frequently float higher than Nagbe.

If Valeri ends up being the dominant force he appears to be capable of being, this dynamic will cause problems for teams that try to man-mark the Argentine.[2]  By moving him between a couple levels of the attack, Portland can create inconsistency in aggressive opponents’ defensive shape, and cause goal-inducing confusion.  If teams try to defend straight up, well, San Jose can testify to the dangers involved.

What Porter has created, then, is an opponents’ defensive nightmare.  He has a midfield stocked with talent, that defends aggressively, and is fluid formationally with attractive options off the bench.

Simply put, if the early indications hold true, the midfield makeover is Caleb Porter’s first major success in Portland.

Defensive Central Midfield Depth Chart

1. Ben Zemanski
   
2. Jack Jewsbury
   
3. Rodney Wallace
   
4. Mobi Fehr
   

Left Midfield Depth Chart

1. Will Johnson
   
2. Michael Nanchoff
   
3. Rodney Wallace
   

Right Midfield Depth Chart

1. Diego Chara
   
2. Kalif Alhassan
   
3. Sal Zizzo[3]
   

Attacking Central Midfield Depth Chart

1. Diego Valeri
   
2. Kalif Alhassan
   
3. Michael Nanchoff
   

Onward, Rose City!

We all had a great time visiting with folks at the Fanladen the other day, handing out membership packets and swag and giving folks the chance to have a special moment or three with the Cascadia Cup. It was a wonderful day. Thank you to everyone who came out and shared the time with us.

Here’s the link to the entire picture gallery where you can browse to your heart’s content, locate your own pic and download it for free. Once again, we expect to see Facebook plastered with even more Cascadia Cup goodness shortly.

Cascadia Cup Picture Gallery

Huge thanks once again our exceptional photographers, Steven Lenhart and Liv Schelly, professionals who volunteered their time and talent for the event. Please consider using them the next time you want any sort of portraits or sessions done.

NOTE: The gallery expires February 28th, so get those free downloads while they last!

Steven Lenhart's website

Liv Schelly's website

—by Chris Rifer

One week into the 2013 preseason, and the tone of Timbers practice is already beginning to change.  The exuberance of the first practice session on Monday has faded somewhat; replaced by a sense that the team’s potential is matched by the great deal of work it has to do between now and March 3^rd.  Nonetheless, one week in, Caleb Porter is clearly very pleased with the team’s work ethic and fitness.

The Timbers opened practice with its typical warm-up session.  Unlike pregame warm-ups, which typically constitute stretching, passing, and a modest set of drills in the northeast corner, pre-practice warm-ups covered most of the width of the field on the north side.  The drills themselves are also more dynamic, concluding with a set of running pace-change drills to alternating cones.  And nobody asks Kalif to put his hands up.

As Caleb Porter said after practice, the focus shifted on Saturday to the high-pressure defensive scheme so much ink has already been spilled over.  After warm-ups and a set of two-man passing drills, the Timbers broke into the games of keep away that would consume much of the training session.

Beginning with six small square games of four-on-two keep away, Porter blew his whistle every few minutes to add a wrinkle to the game.  Eventually, the six groups were merged into two, which were still split into three teams.  One team would be on offense in each box, with the third team split defensively between the two boxes.  If the offensive team completed six passes, they could send the ball to the team in the other box.  If they gave up the ball, however, they became the defensive team.

Again, however, Porter threw wrinkles into the game, until finally the two groups were playing eight-on-four games spanning much of the width of the field.  Again, the players were split into three different colored teams, with two teams on offense and one on defense.  Whenever the offensive team would turn the ball over, the offending player’s team would rotate into the middle and play defense.

When the keep away games finally ended, the team was split into teams for modified eight v. eight short field games on the north side of the field.  As they often do, they played with modified scoring scheme where a goal counts for two points and six consecutive completed passes count for one.

Darlington Nagbe drew a tough assignment for his skill set, lined up on the left wing for much of the day. Despite his lack of left foot, Nagbe did well using his speed and showing a little bit of impressive quick passing for January.  Nagbe’s efforts were rewarded in the last game of the day, as he got loose on the left and blasted a shot past Jake Gleeson inside the far post.

Young Colombians Sebastian Rincon and Jose Valencia also shone during the eight v. eight sessions.  Trencito, in particular, is starting to look more comfortable, and today began putting his considerable size and speed to good use.

The Timbers depart for Tucson on Sunday for a four game, twelve-day training camp.  Portland will put its perfect preseason record to the test for the first time in 2013 on Tuesday.

Notes

• After practice, Porter sounded very pleased with the team’s fitness and work ethic in the first week of practice.  Caleb indicated that the team was further along than he expected at this point, and called the team’s fitness “tremendous”.
• Porter was also pleased with the team’s approach to Saturday’s defensive session, saying “It was a hard session, and they worked their asses off the entire time.”
• One theme that has come out of interviews in the first week is using the Timbers’ recent past as a motivator. Porter brought it up again today, saying that the good work ethic in the first week “shows that the guys that were here – that are back here – are dissatisfied with the past and want to make amends.”
• Porter indicated that the four games in Tucson would allow him to test out a couple different schemes and hopefully return to Portland with a better idea of what the team will run.
• As for the games in Tucson, Porter said that some would have three 45-minute halves.  As is to be expected, many, if not most players still need more fitness work before they’re ready to play a full game.  Accordingly, don’t be surprised to see a lot of players get time on the field – especially in the first few games in Tucson.
• Finally, Porter said Hanyer Mosquera will return from a knee injury shortly.  Brent Richards, however, went down with an apparent knee injury during practice.  No update was immediately available.
• Although such plans are notorious for being subject to change, as of right now it appears MLS will stream every game in Tucson.

Onward, Rose City!

—by Chris Rifer

What people speculated about after the Timbers traded for Will Johnson, and what people suspected after PTFC signed Diego Valeri, and what people feared after an absence at the first day of training, was finally confirmed by the club on Wednesday.  Frank Songo’o is on the outs.

And it’s the right move for the Timbers.

Now, that’s a bold statement.  And like any bold statement, it needs to be qualified.  Songo’o is a good player.  He showed very nicely at times last year, especially late last season.  And there’s a good chance he was poised to take another step forward in 2013.

But here is what we know.  Franck’s $70,000 2012 salary was to “skyrocket” in the second year of his contract.  We don’t know how much, obviously, but it’s safe to assume it was going to be six figures.  We also know, per the club’s admission, that his 2013 contract was only partially guaranteed – meaning the Timbers could waive Franck and only the guaranteed portion of the contract would count against the salary cap.

If, as reported today, Franck has been waived, we can guess his 2013 salary was to be well over $100,000.  Simply put, for $100,000 some MLS team would have given up a draft pick, allocation money, or an international spot for Franck.  He’s a good player.  He has value, and that salary number is about right for a player of his quality.

But the current status of the Timbers’ midfield made Franck a luxury.  Considering the considerable salary cap constraints the Timbers will be under this season and next, Songo’o was simply a luxury the Timbers couldn’t afford.

It’s hard to know exactly how the Timbers midfield will take shape.  It seems likely that it will be either a diamond 4-4-2[1] or a 4-3-3.  We also know that Will Johnson will occupy Franck’s 2012 spot on the left side.  We know the Diegos will take up two more spots in the midfield.  And, even assuming for a moment there is a fourth midfield spot, the Timbers still have the likes of Darlington Nagbe, Sal Zizzo, and Kalif Alhassan to fill the spot on the right.  While Franck probably could beat out Kalif for that spot, and maybe even Zizzo despite his incumbency, it’s unlikely he would have prevailed over Nagbe considering the club’s commitment to Darlington going forward.

The next question is whether Franck could fit up front somewhere.  But, there, too, the Timbers have a gaggle of players they are committed to.  Ryan Johnson, Bright Dike, Danny Mwanga, Jose Valencia, and – if he’s not already slated in the midfield – Darlington Nagbe are all more obvious fits up front that Franck.  The club is already committed to a number of guys who can capably fill every position at which Franck could have been of use.

Instead, Franck’s most likely fit on the team was as a utility midfield sub.  After all, in a four-man midfield he can play on the left, right, or in the attacking central role.  Franck is a great fit for such a position.  But, then again, so is Eric Alexander – who can play on the left or either central midfield position.[2]  And what ultimately gives Eric a huge edge over Franck is his $56,925 2012 salary.  Sure, Eric isn’t as natural a fit on the right as Franck would be, but that loss is substantially mitigated when you’re looking down the bench at Zizzo and/or Alhassan.

Simply put, Franck didn’t fit a need.  Even had he come back, he faced an uphill battle for consistent minutes on a relatively deep attacking roster in a club that couldn’t afford him.

It’s not fun to lose a guy like Franck.  He’s an easy guy to like – a good player who clearly enjoyed playing in Portland.  But sometimes, as here, it’s a good move for the club to wish a good player well in his future endeavors.

Good luck, Franck.

Onward, Rose City!

Portland, OR., Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, WA. — January 22, 2013 —The supporters groups in Seattle, Portland and Vancouver had a productive and respectful conference call with Major League Soccer’s representatives that opened important dialogue. The supporters groups in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver look forward to working with MLS to resolve this issue. The Cascadia Cup Council continues to believe that it is well positioned to represent the interests of the Cascadia Cup trademark and the supporters who created it.