—by Chris Rifer

Sometimes matches are won with ninety minutes of dominance. Sometimes they are won with a moment of brilliance. And sometimes they are won with dogged pragmatism.

Friday night, the Timbers won with the latter. Facing a desperate, physical Colorado side, the Timbers made a bet that their wings could make enough plays to put Portland ahead and their defense could keep Colorado’s recently muted attack quiet. That’s exactly what happened.

From the outset, the Timbers displayed a much more direct attack than they have showed over the course of the past month. While Colorado and Tony Cascio earned the first opportunity with a shot from the left side of the box that Donovan Ricketts snuffed out, the most influential player in the early going was Sal Zizzo. After repeatedly terrorizing former Sounder Tyson Wahl on the right side of the Timbers midfield, the majority of Portland’s first half chances came from Zizzo’s crosses.

Portland couldn’t find the finishing touch early on, however, and Colorado did nicely to earn themselves a couple half-chances as the half went along. In the seventeenth minute, Martin Rivero turned Jack Jewsbury around and pulled the trigger form twenty yards, but Ricketts made the diving save.

Portland’s first great opportunity wouldn’t come until the thirty-fifth minute, when Diego Chara deflected Tyrone Marshall’s pass and found Bright Dike running into the box. The former USL man, however, couldn’t steer his left-footed shot on frame.

That breakthrough was a harbinger, however, as before halftime the Timbers unleashed a triumvirate of chances that put them on top. In the forty-fifth minute, Kosuke Kimura flew forward on the right wing and laid the ball off for Zizzo. Sal switched the ball to a lonely Franck Songo’o on the left wing. Songo’o’s first-time shot took a deflection off of Drew Moor and was seemingly destined to nestle inside the near post, but Matt Pickens made a remarkable kick save to preserve the draw.

Not even Pickens could come to the Rapids’ rescue a minute later. After Diego Chara started the break by finding Darlington Nagbe near midfield, Nagbe took the ball into the attacking third and laid the ball off the Sal Zizzo. Zizzo—after having so many good crosses wasted early on—sent a perfect ball to the top of the six, past Pickens, where Bright Dike was waiting on the end of a brilliant run for the easy finish. Textbook stuff.

The Timbers weren’t done, however. Seconds later, with smoke wafting in the Jeld-Wen Field air, David Horst intercepted a Colorado pass in the defensive third and went on a mad dash forward into space. After giving to Songo’o on the left wing, Darlington Nagbe made a big run from the right wing where Songo’o found him in behind the defense on a magnificent through ball. The stubbornly right-footed youngster, however, couldn’t quite turn the ball on frame past a helpless Pickens, as his chip sailed just wide.

Overwhelmed by Portland’s pace on the wings, Colorado came out in the second half looking to turn the match into a brutishly physical affair. The Timbers were more the happy to oblige.

For much of the half, the Rapids enjoyed plenty of harmless possession, as their midfield was incapable of breaking down a stout Timbers defense. The best chance of the half for Portland came in the fifty-fourth minute, when Jewsbury collected a clearance thirty yards out and stung a shot from distance that was only kept out by another great Pickens save.

Colorado couldn’t create anything of note until the eighty-fifth minute, when they would finally ask a couple questions of the Timbers defense. After Andre Akpan found a sliver of a step on Steven Smith on the right wing, he picked out Omar Cummings in the center of the box. The veteran Jamaican striker, however, made a mess of his header, flashing it well wide of the far post.

The Rapids earned another chance off the Timbers’ left wing in stoppage time when Omar Cummings played a ball forward for Jaime Castrillon. The Colombian midfielder cleverly laid the ball off for Akpan, but his low shot went harmlessly wide.

From there, the Timbers’ defense regained its footing, keeping Colorado comfortably at bay for the rest of the night. The win, remarkably, marks the first time in 2012 that the Timbers have won back-to-back games, and momentarily pulls Portland out of last place in the Western Conference.

Match Observations

• First, a word about Caleb Porter. I won’t go so far as to say it’s a bad hire, as Porter is certainly one of the hottest young coaching prospects out there. But for an organization that was lamenting a lack of MLS experience in the front office a few short months ago, it is a little bit surprising. Porter’s hire is nothing if not risky. Porter has no professional experience, and the only major project he undertook with professional-level players ended in embarrassment. Still, Porter has extensive experience developing young players—something that will come in handy with a Timbers team with several key young pieces.
• The tactics on Friday were much more Wilkinsonesque. For much of the match the Timbers were content to concede a fair amount of possession with Portland often having eight players behind the ball.  The defense was much better as a result. When your wing players are as hot as Sal Zizzo and Franck Songo’o are right now, it’s not a terrible strategy. Odds are those guys are going to break out at some point and set up a goal. It was less than aesthetically pleasing, but ultimately produced three points.

Timbers Grades

Donovan Ricketts, 6 Good positioning throughout the night made a few dangerous spots relatively routine. Struggled a little bit in distribution, but that’s pretty much baseline around Morrison Street.

Steven Smith, 5.5 Had a good game. Got beat once which led to a dangerous Omar Cummings header, but was otherwise solid.[1]

David Horst, 6.5 The mercurial center back was very much in form on Friday. Physically dominant, disciplined, and decisive.

Hanyer Mosquera, 7.5 Constantly in the right spot, winning the right ball. Dominant in the air all night, making Colorado’s seven corner kicks mostly routine. Outstanding stuff from Mosco all night.

Kosuke Kimura, 5.5 Got beat a couple times defensively—and got nutmegged again – but had an especially good night coming forward.

Jack Jewsbury, 6 I’ve come to really enjoy watching Jack play in this role. Very solid defensively, but his sharp, simple passing is what has made him so effective as a true holding midfielder. Also, heck of a crack from distance in the second half, as he was a little bit unlucky to get robbed by Pickens.

Diego Chara, 7 As fun as it is to watch Jack, nothing compares to watching Diego Chara. He was his typical sharp self on Friday, even getting out of the match without a yellow card.

Darlington Nagbe, 6 Nice game from Darlington. Whereas his central runs in the past always seemed to lack direction, Darlington is clearly developing a number ten’s instincts. Now his runs are setting up other players, and Darlington has his head up to find them. That said, still has to learn how to use the left foot.

Franck Songo’o, 6 Had a tough task taking on Drew Moor on Friday, but did reasonably well. The highlight of the night—and perhaps of the season—for Franck was his incredible through ball for Nagbe at the end of the half. Unfortunate not to get an assist for his remarkable efforts.

Bright Dike, 7 Great movement, clinical finish. I must admit, I was wrong about Bright. I didn’t think he had the technical ability to be a legitimate MLS contributor. While he still struggles with his touch once in a while, he’s improved it and his striking instincts enough to become a force up front.

Sal Zizzo, 7.5 Where has this guy been all my life? Had his way with the left side of Colorado’s defense and was rewarded with another quality assist.

Eric Alexander, 5.5 This move made some sense, as Darlington had put in good miles throughout the game and Eric provides a little more defensively.

Rodney Wallace, 2.5 The previously well-axled wheels started wobbling a little bit the moment Rod stepped on the field. He basically ran around, gave the ball away needlessly, and showed reluctance to defend his position.

Kris Boyd, INC. Oh yeah, and then there’s this guy. He didn’t do much.

Preseason Prediction: Timbers 1, Rapids 1. Songo’o, Larentowicz.

Actual Result: Timebrs 1, Rapids 0. Dike.

Onward, Rose City!

No Pity Originals is proud to announce the winner of our first ever design contest: Alexah Moore!

Alexah's "You Can't Stop Us" design took home the most votes with her unique print placement, and bold Timbers Army imagery. Look for her design to be featured at the No Pity Van in the near future.

All of our finalists produced top-notch designs and we'd like to recognize Colin Powers, Jeff Prymowicz, Matt Leamy, and Joshua Burd for their efforts. The Timbers Army has always prided itself on it's DIY mentality, and the number of submissions was a testament to that. We look forward to doing this again next year, and continuing to grow our design community within the North End.

As we hit the final stretch of the season, keep your eyes peeled for some brand-new items from No Pity Originals. We've been hard at work putting together the new Fall/Winter collection, and we can't wait to share it with you. As always, ever penny spent on No Pity Originals merchandise goes directly back into the Timbers Army/107ist, and the community we all love so much. Thank you for all your support!

Good morning all,

MLS is working with EA Sports ahead of the release of FIFA '13 in Sept. We are doing a 4 part series called 'Soccer 101.' The idea is that we're illustrating basic soccer rules and customs through off the field situations. In all four spots, MLS players with be playing the parts of other professionals.

They need you, the Timbers Army, to help. In this case they want extras. Much like Alaska Airlines did for their commercials EA and MLS needs you as an extra. If you are free this Wednesday August 29th from 1:30-5:30 please sign up. Wear your Timbers gear and help them out. Food will be provided and many thanks will be given. More details to follow once you are signed up. We are limited by space confines so only 30 TA members are needed. Send this link onto your friends and get them signed up as well!

If you have any questions feel free to email me at garrett.dittfurth@107ist.org

To sign up please follow the link below. Thanks for your help!

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4219853696

—by Chris Rifer

Over the past two seasons, the Timbers have shown a penchant for reacting well with their backs to the wall. Time and again in 2011 the Timbers brought themselves back from the brink of playoff elimination with a big result, only to be eliminated in the last week of the season.

In 2012, until the wheels fell off the wagon before John Spencer’s firing, the Timbers again showed their ability to pull out a win when times are desperate; beating Sporting KC, Seattle, and San Jose in must-win situations.

On September 15^th, for the first time in their MLS history, the Timbers will play with something meaningful to win instead of everything to lose.

On Saturday night the Timbers beat the Vancouver Whitecaps for the third time in two years to move within a win against Seattle of securing the Cascadia Cup.

The match started as competitively as it would remain throughout. While Vancouver would win their fair share of possession, it was Portland that created the chances early on. The Timbers earned their first chance in the fourth minute as Darlington Nagbe dispossessed Alain Rochat on the right wing, dribbled toward the box, but sent his slicing shot high and wide of the far post.

Nagbe would reaffirm his intention to put his mark on the game ten minutes later, as a darting run through the center of the Whitecaps midfield set up Franck Songo’o for an effort from the left corner of the eighteen that Joe Cannon saved at the near post.

In the forty-first minute Nagbe’s influence would be rewarded. After Jack Jewsbury sprung Bright Dike on the right wing, the big striker played the ball back into the center to Eric Alexander. Diego Chara’s stand-in cleverly played it forward to a running Jewsbury, who sent a brilliantly weighted ball for Nagbe running into the box. Darlington found himself in behind the ‘Caps defense and cooly slotted behind a helpless Cannon. It was the Timbers’ third brilliant goal in as many games, a sign that the offense has truly turned a corner.

As has been the case so often in 2012, however, the Timbers would yield the lead in short order. After the referee awarded Vancouver an apparently erroneous corner in the forty-fifth minute, Camilo sent the set piece to the far post. Hanyer Mosquera managed to head away, but only as far as the top of the box. After the ball bounced around, Jay DeMerit found a wide-open Kenny Miller in front of goal, who easily found the net at the near post.

Unlike previous concessions, however, the Timbers did not follow this one up with another. Instead, Portland came out after halftime and largely reestablished control of the game.

The first chance of the second stanza, however, went to the ‘Caps. After another Vancouver corner, a ‘Caps player got a touch toward goal, but was denied by Ricketts with a diving save. The rebound fell to Andy O’Brien, but the English defender’s second effort was also stoned by Ricketts after apparently flying in from nowhere. For a few moments, it looked like the Jamaican keeper had himself a second consecutive Save of the Week candidate.

Portland found its winner in the fifty-fifth minute when Songo’o bent a free kick from thirty yards out over Vancouver’s wall, through Joe Cannon’s hands, and just inside the near post. While the shot certainly should have been saved by Cannon, it resulted in a very just first goal for Songo’o, whose recent brilliance has been a integral part of the Timbers’ offensive renaissance.

Vancouver would come back looking for the equalizer, however, and very nearly find it in the seventy-fourth minute. After Dane Richards sprinkled a little nutmeg on Kosuke Kimura and found himself near the byline, he looked to send a cross to Miller at the far post. A dubiously prudent onrushing Ricketts, however, blocked the cross. Unfortunately again for the Timbers, though, the rebound fell for the ‘Caps Camilo, who sidestepped Ricketts and sent a ball toward the seemingly open net. At the last moment, however, an aware Steven Smith jumped back toward goal and cleared the net-bound effort off the line to preserve the lead.

There, friends, is your Save of the Week.

Vancouver would be at it again three minutes later. This time Barry Robson collected a ball from Miller just past the center circle, found space in the Timbers midfield, and unleashed a shot from distance that Ricketts could only awkwardly parry away.

Any chance Vancouver had for a comeback found its end in the eighty-third minute, when second half substitute Darren Mattocks was sent off after catching David Horst in the face with an errant elbow.[1]

From there, the ten-man Whitecaps couldn’t maintain enough possession or find sufficient space to break down a Timbers team desperate for their first victory in more than six weeks.

The result sets up a speciously simple task for the Timbers. Beat Seattle and win the Cascadia Cup. In a season in which seemingly everything has gone wrong, the Timbers have a legitimate shot at silverware for the first time in their MLS history.

Match Observations

• This was a pretty darn good game. I thought the Timbers had the better of the play, but Vancouver did nicely to give themselves three really good chances at goal – one of which they put away. Ultimately the 2-1 victory was a just result for Portland, but this was a vastly different game from the 2-1 walkover against the Whitecaps in 2011. And yes, that was a backhanded compliment to our kindly northern neighbors.
• I can’t help but be shocked at the stunning incongruity between Gavin Wilkinson’s USL-era tactics and those he has employed—to, admittedly, some success—with the MLS Timbers. During the USL days Gavin earned a reputation as a doggedly defensive tactician, committed to getting goals by being conservative in the midfield and playing direct on offense. Today, he has the Timbers playing a fluid 4-3-3 with a disconcertingly exposed defense. I’m not sold on these tactics with this group of players as a long-term solution,[2] but it has been successful in revitalizing the offense and making the Timbers less of an eyesore.

Timbers Grades

Donovan Ricketts, 5 Three weeks in, we’re getting a good idea of what we have in Ricketts. He’s been nothing if not mercurial. One moment, he makes a seemingly impossible double save. The next, he’s unnecessarily abandoning his post in front of goal and requiring heroics from Steven Smith to keep the ball out of the net.

Steven Smith, 7 He’s officially out of his slump. Aside from the clearance off the line—which was fantastic—he had an otherwise solid game in defense. Isn’t getting forward as much as he used to, but with the Timbers working better through the middle of the field he doesn’t need to.

David Horst, 3 Fell asleep on the concession and the Timbers were punished for it. Horst’s once-per-match facepalm has cost Portland again and again. You have to think Eric Brunner has a one-way ticket back into the starting lineup when he’s fully fit.

Hanyer Mosquera, 6 Nice game from Mosco. Dominance in the air and solid marking make for a successful outing for a central defender.

Kosuke Kimura, 3.5 Also fell asleep on the concession, as both he and Horst were marking nothing but turf. Had a little impact going forward, but nothing terribly appreciable.

Jack Jewsbury, 6 We saw Captain Jack getting involved in the attack a little more than usual on Saturday, as we seemed to be playing a more box-to-box than he has in the past. It paid off on the first goal, as Jack registered his third assist of the season with a  magnificent pass to Nagbe.

Eric Alexander, 6 Nice game playing in a little bit of an unfamiliar spot for Eric. Had a hand in the first goal, and generally did well to orchestrate offense and get back defensively.

Darlington Nagbe, 8 Man of the Match. Man of the Month. The kid is just on fire right now.

Sal Zizzo, 4.5 After two remarkable outings last week, Sal came back down to earth a little bit on Saturday. Vancouver seemed to be respecting his pace a little bit more than Toronto or New York, which made things harder for Sal, but opened up some space for others. Maybe that grade is a little bit harsh.

Bright Dike, 4 I actually thought this was a pretty anonymous performance from Dike. Showed a little bit better touch a few times, but otherwise was dramatically upstaged by Nagbe’s brilliance.

Franck Songo’o, 6 A little bit lucky on the goal, but was still very active for Portland on the left side. Great to see him open his Timbers account, though. He still needs to work on his fitness, however, as he was getting awfully friendly with the turf in the late stages.

Rodney Wallace, 4 I thought this was a peculiar substitution considering Franck looked gassed. Rod didn’t make much of an impression playing square pegly[3] in the center of midfield.

Danny Mwanga, 5 Came on late, but had a couple moments of good hold up play as the Timbers were salting the match away.

Lovel Palmer, INC.

Preseason Prediction: Timbers 2, Whitecaps 0. Boyd brace.[4]
Actual Result: Timbers 2, Whitecaps 1. Nagbe, Miller, Songo’o.

Onward, Rose City!

2012 tifo display against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC

On a wild night full of unexpected goals, refereeing blunders, and intra-club controversy, the Portland Timbers found a way to lose to the New York Red Bulls on Sunday.

Things started off swimmingly for Portland. In the eighth minute Sal Zizzo collected a nice long ball from Kosuke Kimura on the right wing. After taking the ball into the box and stepping over a couple times, Zizzo sent a well-placed low cross to Bright Dike who chipped past Bill Gaudette.

Despite yielding a fair amount of possession, Portland was by far the more dangerous team for the next twenty minutes. The Timbers’ danger came to a head in the thirty-second minute when Franck Songo’o corralled a ball on the left wing, came into the corner of the box, and laid it off across the box for Zizzo. The suddenly on top-form winger found Darlington Nagbe on a perfectly timed run through the Red Bulls defense, who tapped inside the far post.

After a season and two-thirds of away ineptitude, this looked for a moment like it may just be the Timbers’ coming out party.

New York would begin the task of dismantling that in the forty-second minute. After Songo’o lost his mark on the Red Bulls’ right wing, Jan Gunnar Solli crossed to an unmarked Kenny Cooper in the box for an easy headed finish.

Things got worse—and stranger—two minutes later. After David Horst deflected a Dax McCarty shot from twenty-five yards, Jason Anno, the referee, blew his whistle to signal what would have been an awful penalty call for handball.[1] Simultaneously, however, the rebound bounced straight to Tim Cahill who cracked into goal from the top of the box. Anno, having blown his whistle as the ball was struck and rushing toward the spot to signal a penalty, changed his mind, allowed the goal, and lumbered his way back to the center circle.

After the match, Anno claimed only to have blown his whistle to signal a goal, despite the fact the whistle sounded well before the ball went in. In the end, even if the referee doesn’t change his mind after blowing the whistle, the result would have been an improperly awarded penalty that likely would have been converted. Thus, Anno’s error—albeit embarrassing and inexcusable— was likely harmless to the end result.

Nagbe nearly put Portland back in the lead a minute later when he collected a Songo’o ball on the run, but his crack from distance sailed just high.

After giving up two goals in quick succession once again, it wasn’t unreasonable to think the Timbers would come out in the second half and flop. On Sunday, however, this team was full of surprises.

The Timbers avoided a will-killing concession in the 52^nd minute when Donovan Ricketts did well to kick save a Thierry Henry header, then did extraordinarily to block Sebastien Le Toux’s put back from the ground.

From there, however, the Timbers would again become the more dangerous side. After a brilliant ball forward from Steven Smith, Songo’o found himself in space on the left wing. Franck sent a centering ball toward Nagbe with room at the top of the box, but Nagbe’s soft shot was saved by a diving Gaudette.

Five minutes later, in the sixty-sixth minute, Gaudette again came to the Red Bulls rescue. This time, Diego Chara—who had been dominant in the center of the midfield—sent a magnificent ball through to a free Zizzo. Gaudette cut down the angle on Sal, however, and blocked a surely goal-bound effort.

Four minutes later, Nagbe would spring Chara with another extraordinary through ball, but the ball got caught up in the clearly uncomfortable Chara’s feet a little bit, allowing Gaudette to make another one-v-one save.[2]

In the eighty-second minute, the Red Bulls would make Portland pay for failing to finish their opportunities. After an Henry corner was partially cleared, Solli gained control on the Red Bulls’ right wing. The Timbers did a poor job of reattaching to their marks, and Solli found an unmarked Heath Pearce in the box to nod past Ricketts.

The Timbers would have a great chance at an equalizer, however. After Smith got loose on the left wing in the ninety-fourth minute, he sent a fantastic ball that picked Rodney Wallace out in the middle of the box. Wallace’s unmarked header in the face of goal, however, sailed well wide.

Like Wednesday’s fixture at Toronto, the match leaves Timbers fans searching for the proper response. The result was the Timbers to take, and somehow they booted it away. But, unlike so many recent away matches, the Timbers had the opportunity to take this one. That, in and of itself, marks some progress. But still, not enough.

Match Observations

• First, about Anno. It’s one thing to blow a call like that. If he had copped to it when asked about it after the match, I would easily forget about it. But he didn’t. Instead he lied. Anno said afterward that he blew the whistle to signal a goal, despite the overwhelming video evidence to the contrary. This is actually the second time this season a referee has blown a call in a Timbers game and lied about it afterward. Against Vancouver in May, Jorge Gonzalez claimed to have an obstructed view of Jay DeMerit’s tackle on Kalif Alhassan when, in fact, he had a perfect view (fn. 2). Somebody needs to make noise about the lack of professionalism among the referees. It’s one thing to be bad at your job. It’s another thing to then lie about it.
• Don’t forget about Eric Brunner. While there have been repeated mistakes in the center of defense by the Timbers in the last couple weeks, Brunner should be working his way back to fitness within the next couple weeks.[3] While Eric isn’t the cure to everything that ails the Timbers, he has been a very consistent presence in central defense when healthy.
• With Kimura out for the foreseeable future with a broken nose and concussion and Diego Chara suspended against Vancouver, it will be interesting to see what Gavin rolls out in his XI next week. In my view, Jack Jewsbury is the more reliable duct tape at right back, but that inevitably brings Lovel Palmer back into the central midfield – causing a relapse of PTSD symptoms for Timbers supporters caused by Beckham’s first goal at Jeld-Wen Field. If Jewsbury does move, the Timbers will have a shortage of competent central midfielders. In that instance it will be interesting to see if Gavin moves to a more traditional 4-4-2 (or some variation thereof), or if he tries out somebody like Eric Alexander, Franck Songo’o, or Kalif Alhassan in an attacking central role for likely the remainder of the season.
• Finally, don’t let all the drama drown out the fact that the Timbers are progressing. If the Timbers play at New York three weeks ago it’s likely a bloodbath. Now, the Timbers have strung together a series of games where there has been continuity in the midfield which—in the last two games—has led to goals. If Portland can get the defense back afloat, a Cascadia Cup is very much within reach.

Timbers Grades

Donovan Ricketts, 5 Nothing he could do on the first or second concessions. On the second, he was only out of position because he dove to save McCarty’s first shot. His two saves in the fifty-second minute were maybe the best goalkeeping sequence we’ve seen from a Timbers keeper this year. Unfortunately, the third concession was saveable, which significantly deflates his grade.

Steven Smith, 6 His mark was loose on the third concession—although, whose wasn’t—but otherwise had a good outing. Combined with Songo’o nicely and delivered a beautiful ball to Wallace for what should have been an equalizer in second half stoppage.

David Horst, 3 Had his paws all over the first concession, as he chose to mark grass instead of Kenny Cooper. Then he let Henry get on the end of a cross only to be bailed out by Ricketts’ saves. Not Horst’s best outing.

Hanyer Mosquera, 5 His rating takes a little collateral damage from the defensive lapses, even though Mosco wasn’t directly responsible for any of them. Otherwise he would have been a little higher, as Mosco had a decent night himself.

Kosuke Kimura, 7 Maybe Kimura’s best game as a Timber. Had several nice tackles defensively, and—more importantly—sprung Zizzo on the right wing multiple times. Cahill should be suspended three games for his elbow to Kosuke’s face. It wasn’t as malicious as Mosco’s punch earlier this year, but it looked at least reckless, if not intentional, on the broadcast replay and may have cost Kimura the rest of the season with a broken nose.[4]

Jack Jewsbury, 5.5 Another solid night for Jack. Nagbe and Chara did most of the playmaking in the central midfield, but Jack was one of the Timbers’ most consistent defenders on the evening.

Darlington Nagbe, 6 Had a nicely taken goal, and it was a result of Darlington finding his confidence in making the runs you want to see from an attacking central midfielder. I’m reluctant to pose this question, because we’ve been here before, but is Darlington starting to live up to his potential? He did this week.

Diego Chara, 6 This would have been much higher but for two crucial moments in the second half. The first, obviously, was when he failed to finish a golden opportunity to score the go-ahead goal in a one-on-one situation with Gaudette. The second was when he picked up a yellow card very late for clipping Kenny Cooper from behind.[5] Otherwise, Chara was dominant in the midfield and dynamic is springing the attack.

Franck Songo’o, 5 Had another strong offensive showing against New York, but was partially culpable for losing Solli on the first concession. Also, PTFC has to get Franck’s fitness to a place where he can go a full 90. Despite making 12 starts, he has only played the full 90 twice. He’s too important to this team now to require a substitute.

Bright Dike, 6 Nicely finished goal off of a perfect cross from Sal. Dike was being disruptive with his runs, but also got the Timbers in trouble a little bit with his passing and technical shortcomings. Basically, that’s Bright. Still, you take the good with the bad with Dike, and on Sunday the good came out on top.

Sal Zizzo, 8 What a week! After being lost in the muddled midfield for most of the season, Zizzo contributes a goal against Toronto and two assists against New York. If he can keep up anything close to this form, Sal will consistently find a featured role in the XI.

Mike Fucito, 4 Came on against Toronto and made a difference. Came on against New York and disappeared. Considering his performance against TFC, you can’t fault Wilkinson for this substitution.

Lovel Palmer, 5 He was fine. I’m trying to talk myself into accepting the reality that he’s probably going to be a frequent fixture in the lineup as long as Kimura is out.

Rodney Wallace, 3 Now this substitution you can fault Wilkinson for. Songo’o had to come off, but why Wallace instead of Eric Alexander? EA had a really nice appearance against TFC, provides more defense than Songo’o, but is still useful in the attack—which would have been nice considering the match was tied and the Timbers were making some offensive hay. Rod repaid his coach’s faith by very casually closing out Solli on the third concession and making a mess of Steven Smith’s silver platter service in stoppage time.

Preseason Prediction: Timbers 2, Red Bulls 1. Perlaza, Alexander.

Actual Result: Red Bulls 3, Timbers 2. Dike, Nagbe.

Onward, Rose City!

—by Nick Brock

Once again, it's time to load up on the sunscreen and fulfill your childhood dream of being a traffic crossing guard! (Don't try denying it, we all had that dream once..) This is by far the most popular of all the Sunday parkways, so we're really hoping to get a large turnout. To that end, we're attempting a complete afternoon takeover of Colonel Summers Park. As of this posting, there are 26 volunteer positions available for the 12:30 - 4 shifts and we'd like to fill all of them with TA members.

Go here, select Col Summers park 12:30 - 4pm and enter Timbers Army as your organization.

Now once you've gotten drunk on power from preventing bicyclists from being crushed under car tires, you can head over to Bazi Bierbrasserie at 32nd and Hawthorne, where the No Pity Van will be parked. Check in at the van, then head inside where you can get $1.00 off your drink when you show your 107ist membership card. The fun doesn't end there, however! At 6pm, the Timbers Reserves take on the SJ Earthquake reserves at Jeld-Wen. If you don't already have tickets, check out the nifty deal from AC Portland:

AC Portland deal for reserve match tickets

So to recap:

• Sunday, August 26th. Afternoon Shift, Col Summers park
• Post-shift, Bazi Bierbrassiere, check-in, $1 off beer.
• 6pm, Timbers reserves, AC Portland deal on tickets.

Bring sunscreen, plenty of water and No Alcohol Allowed (until you get to Bazi)

With 30 entries there was some stiff competition in the Timbers Army Homebrew Competition held today at Lompoc Sidebar. In its third year the Timbers Army Homebrew Competition is a fundraiser for the 107ist Tifo Fund.

There were two overarching categories Pride of Cascadia (India Pale Ale, Imperial India Pale Ale, Cascadian Dark Ale, and Northwest Red), and Full 90/Summer Ales and Lagers. Entries were judged blind by panels of judges ranging from novice to National ranked BJCP judge, and professional brewers. Special thanks to Van Havig of Gigantic Brewing, Ben Dobler, Joe Casey, Doug Rehberg of Widmer Brothers Brewing for lending their judging expertise.

The Pride of Cascadia winner was “Tribute to Kelso” Cascadian Dark Ale brewed by Jeremie Landers and Jenn McPoland of the Oregon Brew Crew homebrew club. Lompoc will brew the CDA in the coming months.

The winner of the Full 90/Summer Ales and Lagers category was Kö Kölsch brewed by Abram Goldman-Armstrong, also a member of the Oregon Brew Crew. Widmer Brothers Brewing Company will produce the Kölsch for release in time for the 2013 Timbers season opener.

The competition was organized by 107ist members Austin Southard and Abram Goldman-Armstrong. Big thanks to Lompoc owner Jerry Fechter and the Lompoc staff for hosting. Both Fechter and Widmer’s Ben Dobler played for their respective brewery teams in yesterday’s Timbers Corporate Cup at Jeld-Wen Field.

—by Chris Rifer

For a few moments on Wednesday it appeared as though the Timbers may be poised to capture their first road win of 2012. Then, for another few moments, it appeared as though Portland would continue its absurd away ineptitude and capture the inside track to the wooden spoon. And finally, the Timbers pulled even for a deserved draw against their cellar-dwelling colleagues.

The Timbers found success in the early going, as they dominated the ball and found the better of the chances. In the eighth minute, the Timbers opened their opportunities when Sal Zizzo sent a corner toward David Horst at the far post, but Portland’s first choice set piece target’s header went just over the bar.

In the nineteenth minute, Donovan Ricketts nearly made his first mistake in Timbers baby blue, as an Eric Hassli shot squirted through the enormous Timbers’ keeper’s hands but sailed just over the bar.

Two minutes later, Zizzo himself would make some corner kick magic. After Steven Smith found Horst’s head again, Zizzo poked the ball toward goal only to be denied by Eric Avila. The ball rebounded back to the food carteur, who tapped the opener home.

While Toronto saw more of the ball in the remainder of the first half, neither team could break through to create anything significant in the way of chances.

Portland nearly seized control after the break, however, as another neatly placed Zizzo set piece found a diving Horst at the far post, but Horst couldn’t quite steer the ball back toward goal.

Two minutes later Kris Boyd put the ball in the back of the net, but was called offside after Darlington Nagbe held the ball a step too long before sending it through to the Scot.

The previously competent Timbers defense, however, would fold in the fifty-seventh minute. After Toronto earned a free kick just inside their defensive half on the right wing, Richard Eckersley popped his free kick forward onto the head of Reds’ defender Adrian Cann. Cann nodded down to the feet of Luis Silva in prime position, but the rookie was denied by a diving Ricketts. Hassli was apparently the only player interested in the rebound, however, and he easily tapped in.

So many times this year, when the Timbers concede on the road, they have conceded again in short order. Such was the case in the sixty-third minute, as Kosuke Kimura lost Ashtone Morgan on the Timbers right side. Morgan’s cross was met at the near post by Silva who easily redirected home.

Things should have been leveled in the seventieth minute, when the newly introduced Mike Fucito raced onto a perfectly timed through ball from Diego Chara. Fucito found himself behind the defense, but was clipped and taken down from behind by Eckersley. On his way down, Fucito found Boyd all alone twelve yards from goal, but the one-time Timbers’ talisman tamely tapped toward Toronto ‘tender Milos Kocic.

In the eighty-second minute, however, Portland did pull level. After Smith threw to Fucito on the left wing, the active striker laid it back to Smith, who gave to Boyd, who then found Eric Alexander twenty-five yards out. Alexander slipped a beautiful through ball to Smith, who crossed to a wide-open Darlington Nagbe for an easy headed goal. It was one of the better buildups of the season, as the Timbers have rarely showed such short passing verve in the attacking third.

Two minutes later, the Timbers should have had a golden opportunity to lock up three points. In the eighty-fourth minute, Fucito again found himself through on goal. For the second time, Eckersley took down Fucito when he was through on goal. This time he jumped on Fucito’s back, taking the diminutive forward down and allowing Kocic to collect the loose ball. Of course, referee Geoff Gamble failed to give the clearly appropriate penalty and straight red card.

Gamble did find it appropriate, however, to book Hanyer Mosquera seconds later after he got tangled up with Keith Makubya while pursuing a 50-50 ball. With the Timbers’ chance at a winner snuffed out, Toronto nearly found their winner on the ensuing free kick. After Torsten Frings’ free kick deflected slightly off of the Timbers’ wall, Makubya got a touch to the ball, but his redirection sailed a foot wide of the near post.

Wednesday’s match largely left Timbers supporters searching for the appropriate response. On one hand, it was a vastly better result on the road. On the other, it was against a weakened cellar-dwelling Toronto team. On one hand, the Timbers melted down and allowed two goals in a six-minute period. On the other, the Timbers battled back from the deficit to tie the game and, but for some incompetent officiating, probably would have won it.

In the end, however, the Timbers find themselves on Thursday in largely the same position they were in on Tuesday: hopelessly out of the playoff race and in a neck-and-neck race for the wooden spoon.

Timbers Observations

• While the Timbers success on the wings on Wednesday can be seen as a sign of progress —and it may well be— it should be pointed out that Toronto’s fullbacks are awful. While Reds’ supporters may point to the absence of Jeremy Hall as a reason for their vulnerability, Timbers’ fans know better. Toronto’s fullbacks just stink.
• I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a player escape two near misses with a straight red card in a game without even so much as a foul. Although Fucito probably bailed him out on the first by laying the ball off for Boyd, Eckersley clearly clipped the striker, fouling him to diffuse a clear goalscoring opportunity. Similarly, when he jumped on Fucito’s back in the box in the second instance, he was denying Mike another clear opportunity. Such fouls are supposed to be automatic red cards, out of the discretion of the referee. Then again, this is the MLS.

Timbers Grades 

Donovan Ricketts, 5 Had a nervous moment early when he fumbled Hassli’s eighteenth minute shot, but was otherwise competent in goal. Did well to save Silva’s shot on the first concession, and would have snuffed the opportunity if his defense had been interested in helping him out. Overall, a decent but unspectacular debut for Ricketts.

Steven Smith, 6 Had a little bit more cover from Rod Wallace on the left than he does from Songo’o, and had a decent game defensively. His biggest contribution came on the Timbers’ equalizer, where his combination play was vital to the run up.

Hanyer Mosquera, 4 Up and down game for Mosco. Had several nice moments, but it was hard not to notice him getting beat to the rebound on the first concession.

David Horst, 6 Has surprisingly become the Timbers’ set piece target, and has done very well in that role. May have been able to do better on the second concession to cut off the cross, but the cross shouldn’t have been sent in to start with.

Kosuke Kimura, 3 Bears the vast majority of the responsibility for the second concession, as he never should have allowed Morgan to get free.

Jack Jewsbury, 6 Jack’s 2012 appears to be a mirror image of his 2011. Whereas Jack started well and faded in 2011, he started poorly and is now coming on in 2012. He didn’t do anything flashy on Wednesday, but has become the guy that does lots of little things right.

Diego Chara, 6 I was surprised to see Diego get a little bit of flak for his performance on Wednesday. Yes, some of his passes were a little bit looser than normal, but he also had a few nice through balls, was—as usual—very active, and was the most influential player in the central midfield for either side.[1]

Darlington Nagbe, 7 He’s still dribbling too much, and actually got dispossessed a couple times more than I would like, but scoring a goal and completing 48 of 51 passes is a good game for an attacking central mid. It’s been a rough summer for Darlington, and hopefully this can help him snap out of it a bit.

Rodney Wallace, 4 Wasn’t effective going forward, and occasionally looked confused about his defensive responsibilities. Still, provided decent cover for Smith and—surprisingly—won a good number of headers on Toronto set pieces to avert a ratings disaster.

Kris Boyd, 2 Was largely anonymous when he wasn’t set up with a nice chance, and when Fucito did set him up, Boyd made a mess of it. Had a couple helpful flicks on, but otherwise was pretty useless. A benching wouldn’t be out of order.

Sal Zizzo, 7 Oh yeah, and then there’s Sal.[2] Great offensive game from Sal. Aside from using his pace well, Sal unleashed some previously unknown set piece prowess. Also, showed some creativity by wearing camouflage, as Toronto clearly couldn’t see him in the six yard box.

Mike Fucito, 7 Perhaps his best game in a Timbers uniform. Criminally unfortunate not to draw a penalty and red card on Eckersley. He may soon get another chance in the XI.

Eric Alexander, 6 Was otherwise only solid, but had a moment of magnificence in the build up to the Timbers’ equalizer.

Preseason Prediction: Timbers 2, Toronto 0. Boyd, Dike.

Actual Result: Timbers 2, Toronto 2. Zizzo, Nagbe.

Onward, Rose City!

3^rd Annual Timbers Army Homebrew Competition

Fill your mash tuns ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time again, the Timbers Army Homebrew Competition will take place Sunday August 19^th, at Lompoc Sidebar 3901A N. Williams Ave in Portland.

In its second year as an official BJCP competition, the event will be limited to three categories; Pride of Cascadia (India Pale Ale, Imperial India Pale Ale, Cascadian Dark Ale, and NW Red Ale), Summer Beers (open to beers you’d want to drink for 90 minutes at a match (including but not limited to Blonde Ale, Pale Ale, English Summer Ale, Kölsch, Cream Ale, Irish Red Ale, Scottish 60 Shilling, Mild Ale, etc)*, and Lagers. Lompoc Brewing will produce a 15-barrel batch of the Pride of Cascadia winner, and brewmasters from Widmer Brothers Brewing Company will pick one of the winning “Full 90” Summer Beers or Lagers to brew on their 250-barrel system. The Widmer Brothers beer will be sold in Jeld-Wen and released in 22-ounce bottles throughout Oregon and SW Washington.

Judging will be held at Sidebar from 9am- 4pm on August 19, with the winners announced at half-time during the Timbers-NY Red Bulls match at Sidebar that evening.

Judges are needed, please contact Abram Goldman-Armstrong at the email below to sign up.

Please include the BJCP style number (in the case of CDA or NW Red simply write CDA or NWR in the spot for a number) Visit www.bjcp.org for style guidelines . Please submit four 12-ounce bottles, or three 22-ounce bottles. Entries are due to Lompoc 5^th Quadrant or Sidebar by 5pm Friday, August 17. NEW! F.H. Steinbart's homebrew shop on SE 12th and Pine will also be accepting entries until 4.30pm Friday August 17.  (2 bottles are needed for the competition, and 2 bottles are needed by Widmer for lab analysis if your beer is selected).

Cost is $5 per entry for 107ist members, $10 for non-members (please note that only 107ist members are eligible to have their beer brewed at Widmer). Make Checks payable to the 107 Independent Supporters Trust

Please include a BJCP entry form: downloadable here: bjcp entry form and identify bottles with a BJCP bottle ID form

The Timbers Army is one of the most renowned groups of soccer supporters in the US and Canada. The 107 Independent Supporters Trust is a non-profit organization founded by the Timbers Army to support soccer in Portland from the grass roots to the highest professional level.

For more information contact Abram Goldman-Armstrong abram.goldman-armstrong[AT]107ist.org

 

* We don’t want to stifle creativity, so you are welcome to enter whatever style you like in this category, but you may have a hard time convincing judges that your 13% imperial stout is a beer you could drink pints of for an entire match