At times in our lives we have to take a step back and look at what is really important in our lives and do what is best for ourselves. As many of you know one of our board members, Joanne Couchman, was recently diagnosed with cancer. The latest tests revealed the need for chemotherapy as part of her treatment program. Chemotherapy is a multi-month process and very physically draining. Due to the inclusion of chemotherapy into her treatment program she has decided it is in her best interests to step away from the day to day business of 107ist and focus entirely on her recovery.

As someone who has worked with Joanne over the years from the group that worked on the foundation of 107ist in those days we spitballed ideas at the Watershed through serving as a board member with her I can unequivocally say 107ist would not be the organization it is today without her dedication and tenacity. She has worn every hat there is to wear on the board and has done every single one of them well. The board wishes to thank her for her time, commitment and attention to detail over the years. Here’s to a speedy recovery and seeing her back in her normal spot in section 108 as soon as possible.

The board will be meeting shortly to discuss next steps and will communicate those as soon as they are available.

—by Chris Rifer

Since the introduction of Caleb Porter, most of the tactical and personnel talk has centered around the midfield and strikeforce.  After conceding a net-busting 56 goals in 2012, however, the defense needed as much work as anything.  How did the FO do?  Well, we’ll see.

The Returners

Of the players returning from 2012, nobody seems to be a mortal lock to start on opening day at this point.  Conventional wisdom heading into camp was that David Horst and Hanyer Mosquera would be the starting center backs, but injuries, rust, and solid play from Andrew Jean-Baptiste called that a little bit into question.

As it stands right now, the fullback positions seem the most stable, with Ryan Miller and Michael Harrington – if perhaps by default – almost certain to occupy their respective spots on the flanks come March 3^rd.

The battle for the center back spots is a little bit more fluid now, however.  The Timbers’ depth at the position left with Eric Brunner.  The club made up for the departure of Brunner by adding veteran French international Mikael Silvestre.

At the moment, the race for the starting center back positions is wide open, as Andrew Jean-Baptiste has made an interesting case for himself in training and the Tucson friendlies, but faltered some against San Jose on Sunday.  AJB has shown improved – although still imperfect – decision making, and surprisingly good feet.[1]  While Bright Dike is the best known L.A. loan success story, it is clear the time in L.A. greatly benefitted Jean-Baptiste, who, in a year, has transformed himself from a raw talent to a viable – perhaps promising – option in the first eleven.

In many ways, Jean-Baptiste is a better fit for Porter’s system than David Horst.  The risk in playing a high-pressure style is that you leave your backline a little bit more exposed, especially to attack coming at you with pace.  Simply put, because your midfield is trying to win the ball back higher up, if the opponent gets through they’ll likely be running at your defense with a little more intent than if you sat back a little bit more.

Say what you will about David Horst, but that isn’t his style of defending.  When Horst is forced to defend on the run he has a tendency to take questionable risks to try to compensate for his slight athletic disadvantage.  The result is often disastrous missed tackles.  When Horst can sit in his box and organize it, he can be dominant.  But pull him outside and force him to defend in space, and Horst becomes beatable.

Now, I’m not sure AJB is much better than Horst in this respect right now.  But his superior athleticism gives him more potential in this regard, and if his development continues, he may become a more and more attractive option as the season progresses.  In any case, Jean-Baptiste has shown himself to be an interesting option in the apparently likely event either Mosco or Horst aren’t ready to go.

The Newcomers

Whereas the center back ranks right now are largely populated by returners – one of the few positions on the field for which you can say that – the fullback positions look to be filled by newbies.

Ryan Miller came in as a likely – though not certain – starter at right back and has put a stranglehold on the position in camp.  While Miller has struggled early on to meaningfully contribute to the attack, his defense on the right flank has been as good as any the Timbers have had in the past two seasons.  While he’s been protected to an extent by a dominant central midfield, Miller’s work in shutting down Steve Zakuani was impressive in the first half against Seattle.  On Sunday against San Jose Miller had a little bit of an offensive renaissance, getting forward with regularity early on and assisting on Ryan Johnson’s first goal.

The left back spot seems similarly locked down, although in somewhat less impressive fashion.  Michael Harrington came into camp as the anointed one at left back, and has done nothing to talk Caleb Porter out of that, but has hardly affirmed the Timbers’ faith in him.  The left side of Portland’s defense, through the three matches at least, has been its weakest point and frequently been the target of counterattacking opponents.

That said, we’re all of four matches into Harrington’s Timbers career.  Considering his largely reserve role with Sporting Kansas City last year, it wouldn’t be surprising if Harrington just needs a little bit of time to work his way back into being the man at fullback.  Nonetheless, considering left back became a point of strength at the end of 2012 with stellar play from Steven Smith, Harrington’s early lukewarm impression should give Timbers supporters a very little bit of concern heading into 2013.

The backup spots at fullback have some familiar faces for the Timbers, however.  Rodney Wallace, one of the longest serving Timbers with two years of service, looks to be the second choice at left back.  On the right, captain Jack Jewsbury, when healthy, seems to be the likely backup.  If Ben Zemanski fails to catch on in the midfield – either in the center or on the right – he could wind up being the backup right back considering his experience there for Chivas USA.

On Tuesday Merritt Paulson finally addressed the elephant in the room when he announced the signing of Mikael Silvestre.  I approach the Silvestre situation with a little bit more trepidation than most.  Nothing that I’ve seen thus far makes me think he’s any more than an average MLS center back.  His distribution in Tucson was good, and his defense was solid, if his a little hairy at times.  Given the Timbers’ congested sounding 2014 salary cap situation, it is a little bit troublesome that the Timbers are bringing a 35-year-old defender for a “reported” $230,000 per year for two years with a team option for a third.[2]  The risk is somewhat mitigated, however, considering the Timbers have shed many of their high risk contracts and will have another free offseason buyout next year.

At his point, however, it’s hard to call the Timbers 2013 offseason successful in upgrading the defense.  The primary area of concern was fullback, and the results there are mixed.  While the disaster at right back appears to be somewhat ameliorated, it’s hard to imagine Harrington matching Smith’s late 2012 form anytime soon.

In some ways more disconcerting, however, is that the center back situation is more uncertain than anybody expected at this point.  Yes, ALJ has been a positive, but Mosquera and Horst’s disappointing preseason introduces uncertainty to one of the few positions that seemed settled coming out of 2012.

And additional uncertainty is not what this defense needed.

Left Back Depth Chart

1. Michael Harrington
   
2. Rodney Wallace
   
3. Chris Taylor
   

Center Back Depth Chart[3]

1. David Horst
   
2. Mikael Silvestre
   
3. Hanyer Mosquera
   
4. Andrew Jean-Baptiste
   
5. Dylan Tucker-Gangnes
6. Futty

Right Back Depth Chart

1. Ryan Miller
   
2. Jack Jewsbury
   
3. Ben Zemanski
   
4. Ryan Kawulok
   

Onward, Rose City!

—by Chris Rifer

The John Spencer Era is over.  That much was clear early on at Jeld-Wen Field on Sunday evening, as the Timbers displayed an attacking verve that was conspicuously absent from Spencer’s Timbers teams.

San Jose drew first blood, however, after Shea Salinas crosses to Mike Fucito in the box.  Fucito tapped a seemingly meek ball toward Donovan Ricketts, but it was intercepted by the arm of Andrew Jean-Baptiste for a clear handball.  Chris Wondolowski buried the penalty, and San Jose was in business in the 3^rd minute.

It wouldn’t take long for this Timbers team to respond, however.  Two minutes later, Darlington Nagbe settled the ball near the center circle and the Timbers played a couple quick passes out to Ryan Miller on the wing.  Miller played to Alhassan at the byline, who chipped back to the near post where Ryan Johnson was waiting to send a looping header across the face of goal and inside the far side netting.

Over the course of the next twenty minutes, the Timbers gave the Rose City its first taste of its high-pressure defense and quick-passing attack.  For extended periods San Jose looked lost on the field, as the Timbers moved through the midfield at will.

The attack nearly found a second in the 20^th minute, as Diego Valeri stared things by playing Miller out wide. Miller sent in a hard cross, which found a diving Will Johnson ten yards out, but Johnson’s diving header was tipped away by Jon Busch.

Portland wouldn’t wait long to pull ahead, however.  In the 27^th minute Nagbe again brought the ball into the center of the field were he played ahead to Diego Valeri.  The newly signed designated player played a through ball to Ryan Johnson who found himself in behind the San Jose defense.  Faced with an oncoming Busch, Johnson fooled the Quakes keeper by chipping the ball with the outside of his left foot and into the net for a brace.

The Quakes didn’t go away in the face of Portland’s dominance, however, and after their second concession seemed to settle in and begin to handle Portland’s pressure.  San Jose pulled level in the 39^th minute after Alhassan needlessly chopped down Salinas on the Timbers’ right flank.  Salinas got even by sending a great bending ball into the box, where Victor Bernardez beat Hanyer Mosquera and nodded inside the near post.  Two shots, two goals for San Jose.

Portland opened the second half with more pressure, and it was Johnson again reaping the spoils of a beautifully weighted ball from Valeri.  Dylan Tucker-Gangnes picked off a lazy Justin Morrow pass twenty yards from the Timbers’ goal and played forward for Ryan Johnson.  Johnson laid it to Valeri, who returned it to Johnson playing it ahead to the top of the box.  The Jamaican international beat Busch coming out in the first half, and did it again in the second, as he chipped the diminutive keeper to polish off his hat trick.

Just like the first half, however, the Timbers couldn’t hold the lead for long.  And again, the concession would largely be their own doing.  After Miller did well to strip Salinas on the wing, Kalif Alhassan made a mess of his clearance, sending it back toward the Timbers box.  Morrow picked up and played to the middle for John Bostock.who had his shot parried by Donovan Ricketts.  The rebound, however, fell straight to Mike Fucito who did what he has never done before at Jeld-Wen Field.

Shortly thereafter the substitutions began en masse, and the nature of the game changed dramatically.  The flow of much of the first sixty minutes turned into a choppy mess of half chances and missed connections.  In the end, neither team seriously threatened to notch the winner in the last half hour.

The result leaves supporters with a little bit of an empty feeling.  While the play was at times thrilling, the Timbers’ mistakes in defense numbed what could have been a very promising first home performance.  On the whole, however, while there are still questions to be answered about whether this is a playoff team, there is no doubt that 2013 will be very different from 2012, and likely a whole lot more entertaining.

Match Observations

• Despite the draw, I thought it was pretty clear the Timbers had the better of the play.  They outshot San Jose 15-10, including 6-4 on goal.  More important than raw shot numbers, however, is that the Timbers created the higher quality chances.  The Quakes capitalized on every play in which they had a shot on goal, a fact Donovan Ricketts almost certainly won’t be proud of tomorrow.  The clear theme, however, was that San Jose’s best chances came directly from Timbers mistakes, and the Timbers chances came from the quality of the Timbers attack.
• After the game, Porter noted that “[t]he nice thing is, those [mistakes] are things that are easily addressable.  If we weren’t generating goals and generating chances, that’s harder to address. It’s easier to clean up the defensive side, its easier to sort out a giveaway that can’t happen, its easier to sort out getting your back four tightened up, it’s easier to sort out marking a guy on a set piece.  And those things will be sorted out.”
• While nominally in a 4-3-3, the Timbers shape through the first hour more resembled the 4-2-3-1 they rolled out against Seattle last week. Diego Chara and Will Johnson were deployed as a pair of holding midfielders, with Chara having a great deal of freedom to move where he pleased.  Although listed in the midfield three, Diego Valeri often played higher than listed forwards Nagbe and Alhassan; at times looking like a second striker underneath Johnson.
• The fullbacks, especially Ryan Miller, were much more active getting forward in the first half hour than they were throughout much of the rest of the game.  After the game, Miller said that had more to do with personnel than tactics or a reaction to San Jose.  “You gotta’ kind of adjust to the players you’re playing with.  When I have Kalif up there, I know he likes to come inside and get the ball as almost a central midfielder type player, which allows me to have a lot more freedom on the wing so I can get forward a lot more.”  Considering the starters on the wing are far from settled, it is very much up in the air how much Miller and Michael Harrington will get forward.  On Sunday, however, some of the Timbers’ best moments came when they established possession in the center, then Miller came forward to relieve pressure or spring an attack.  If Miller can replicate that success, don’t be surprised if Porter keeps his midfield narrow to allow him to join the attack.

Timbers Grades 

Donovan Ricketts, 4 Giving up three goals on four shots on goal is never a good night for a keeper.  None were primarily his fault, but he also didn’t play the hero.

Ryan Miller, 6 A nice shift from Ryan saw him more active down the wing in the first half than he was in Tucson, leading to his first half assist.  San Jose committed to attacking down their left side, and Miller generally held his own under duress.

Hanyer Mosquera, 3 Got beat on the set piece and otherwise looked out of sorts.  Keep in mind, however, that Mosco missed substantial time in camp and is playing in just his second game.  All is not yet lost.

Andrew Jean-Baptiste, 4 He’s still in his pattern of making one major mistake per game, and this time it was the handball in the second minute.  If he can break that habit, he will very likely find himself in a starting spot.  If not, he’ll struggle to find himself in the lineup on a regular basis.

Michael Harrington, 5 San Jose really didn’t get much going down their right side, which meant Harrington had a quiet night overall.

Diego Chara, 6 Porter’s set up on Sunday gave Chara free reign to be virtually anywhere he wanted to be.  He took advantage by effectively covering much of the field—from stepping back to be a makeshift center back to flying forward in the attack.

Will Johnson, 6 Held a little bit more than Chara did, but did so effectively.  Between he and Diego, San Jose had nothing going through the middle.  Was also robbed of what would have been a highlight-reel diving header goal.

Diego Valeri, 7 Portland hasn’t had anybody nearly as effective in making the final pass as Valeri.  Had one or two giveaways he would probably like back, but his two assists more than make up for it.

Darlington Nagbe, 6 We’re starting to see a very different Nagbe emerge.  Whereas the old Nagbe would receive the ball in the midfield and try to dribble his way into a good spot, Darlington did a much better job of playing quick to Valeri or another of his midfield colleagues.  The unsung spark of both first half goals, Nagbe’s contributions are likely to be a little bit subtler this year.  And also more significant.

Kalif Alhassan, 4.5 There was a lot of good and a lot of bad from Kalif in his 64 minutes.  It was his run and cross that set up the first goal, and he generally combined well in the midfield with Valeri, Chara, and Nagbe.  But, he committed the bad foul that led to the second concession and whiffed on a clearance to set up the third.  On balance, the bad slightly outweighed the good on Sunday.

Ryan Johnson, 10 Three shots, three goals, and very good high defense earn Ryan the first perfect ten in Morrison Report history.

Onward, Rose City!

—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