—by Andrew Brawley

Last year I wrote a few posts about what to expect for the 2011 season. Those pieces were geared toward both veterans and rookies of the Timbers Army. I felt (at that time) that both groups needed to have a few issues addressed before we launched into the (now verified) stratosphere of American soccer supporter culture.

Well here we are, one year later. Last year’s rookies are no longer rookies. Veterans are now even more “veteran-ier.” In addition to the many role changes in the North End, we will have a new batch of rookies to indoctrinate into our way of life. (Is this sounding like a cult, yet?)

I don’t think we need to draw this out over a series of blog posts, so we’ll just get right to it. Feel free to add your own input in the comments section below. Keep it polite and respectful. Bonus points for being clever.

VETERANS, or those who attended Timbers matches in the pre-MLS era:

You’ve been coming to these games for how long? Man, that’s impressive! Y’know, I truly feel that this whole experience wouldn’t be the way it is today without your contributions, so thanks for all your hard work. Remind me to buy you a beer at the next match.

What’s that? No, I don’t remember when that guy played here, so your reference went over my head a little bit. Well I’m sorry, but I've only been on the planet for so many years, making it impossible for me to naturally acquire such in-depth knowledge. I’ll try better next time if you promise not to roll your eyes next time we chat.

Seriously, you know Pong outside of Timbers games? What's he really like?

LAST YEAR’S ROOKIES, or those attended their first Timbers match in 2011:

Welcome back! Thanks for sticking around and making another go of it.

Who, those people? Well I guess they’re just sitting there. I’ve never seem them before, either. Maybe they’re new this year. Well, I understand that was “your seat” toward the end of last season, but I guess it’s not your seat today. Well that’s because they got here before you did. I dunno, maybe they have a better job than you where they get out of work earlier. Maybe you could just sit behind them and show them a thing or two.

Oh don’t worry, Pong’s still gonna be right there. Hopefully he doesn’t remember you from last year.

THIS YEAR’S ROOKIES, or those who will attend their first game in 2012:

Who let you in here?! Just kidding. Thanks for joining us. Say, how did you even get tickets this year? Hopefully you didn’t buy them from scalpers.

Here, have a chant sheet. (Or, watch these videos.) Give yourself some time to learn the chants.

Well I guess you COULD sit in section 107, but you really don’t have to. We have 16 sections to choose from, and even more seats than last year, so there’s plenty of room for everyone in the whole North End. Yeah, I used to sit in the 100’s, but sometimes I just need some space, so now I tend to sit in the 200’s. OK, I might be a little older than you, but I’m not that old. It’s just where I like to watch the game from. Sure I still chant and sing and jump and scream. Why wouldn’t I?

Oh, that guy down there yelling at everybody? That’s Pong. He’s great, but you might wanna wait a few weeks before you sit in his section. And by his section, I do mean HIS section. Just watch a few games from within viewing distance and see if you’re up for it. You might think he’s scary now, but if you've got the goods, he’ll be your best buddy by the end of this season. I promise. (And no, he’s not a hair farmer…at least I don’t think he is. You never know with that guy.)

GUYS:

There will be more of us in the stadium this season, but the number of urinals has not increased with us. Let’s cut the chit-chat and get our business done in a brisk, hygienic fashion. And please, for the love of all that is sacred and holy, wash your hands. (Clean hands = more goals.) Also, don’t bring your beer into the bathroom. It’s gross.

LADIES:

Honestly, I got nothin’ for ya’. Keep up the good work.

KIDS:

The lyrics are actually as follows:

“thank your woman and bring her beer”

“and we’ll yearn to study lots”

“you’re so silly it’s unbelievable”

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

—by Chris Rifer

If Sunday night is any indication, this could be a fun season.

For those wondering how long it would take for Kris Boyd to notch his first Timbers goal, here is your answer: Six minutes and change.

The Timbers and AIK spent the first moments of the match feeling each other out; getting a feel for opponents they had seen before but never met on the pitch.

Kris Boyd apparently isn’t one for feelings.  In the seventh minute, Rodney Wallace found Jorge Perlaza on one of his signature runs down the right side. Perlaza looked up, saw Kris Boyd running into the middle of the box, lifted the ball, and put it on Boyd’s head. A striker does the rest. The ball glanced off Boyd’s cue and nestled into the far side netting.

From there the Timbers midfield established control over the first half. Portland wasn’t creating chances at will, by any means, but the Timbers midfield kept AIK largely pinned in their own end. Portland’s best chance came when Kalif Alhassan found Perlaza streaking up the right side again, but Jorge cut across his shot too much and it flew wide of the near post.

The Gnaget came out in the second half looking substantially more dangerous than the first, but the Portland defense had an answer for every question AIK asked of them. The Swedish giants, however, only mustered a couple dangerous moments. The Gnaget’s best moment came when veteran midfielder Daniel Tjernström hit a swerving left footed shot from the top of the box, only to see it parried away by a diving Troy Perkins.

The Timbers weren’t done creating chances of their own, as Kris Boyd and Rodney Wallace each saw goal-bound efforts tipped wide by AIK keeper Ivan Turina.

After weathering AIK’s miniature second half storm, the Timbers salted away the victory with a final fifteen minutes of consistent possession. It wasn’t long on scoring chances for Portland, with the exception of Bright Dike getting a head to an Alhassan cross only to see Turina answer the call again, but it was short on anxiety.

In the end, Boyd’s goal was all the Timbers needed to secure a well-deserved victory and close the preseason on a high note. From now on the games count. The offseason is officially over.

Match Notes

• The Portland Timbers Football Club has not lost a preseason match in its MLS history.
• There was a fair amount to like offensively on Sunday, but at times the Timbers midfield seemed to get a little bit greedy in their passing. Very often midfielders—Diego Chara was probably the biggest offender against AIK— would look to spring the big run or send a ball through the defense when a simple pass would have done the trick. A little bit more offensive patience could really pay off. That said, AIK’s defense is partially to credit for this—they did a great job of sealing off the seams that many MLS defenses would leave open. And, with Boyd lingering in the box, can you really blame the midfield for being a little bit antsy in the pantsy to send the ball in?
• I was surprised to see Hanyer Mosquera in the starting lineup with Futty back from Gambia. The defense, however, played very well. Even in the second half, when AIK looked to have some more intent going forward, the Timbers backline limited the Gnaget[1] to only a couple real chances and a handful of half chances.
• My second favorite postgame tradition—next to the presentation of the log slices—has to be Kalif jumping on James Marcelin’s back. The look on his face is just precious. Perhaps with the exception of his tendency to over dribble, there is literally nothing about Kalif I don’t enjoy. Not only can he be thrilling on the pitch, but he has turned into one of the club’s most vibrant characters as well.
• Finally, the Tournament was absolutely fantastic. The soccer was a little tedious at times,[2] but downright thrilling at others. Just as importantly, though, the Tournament gave the Army a chance to meet a very classy club with some very classy supporters. Best wishes to AIK this season and beyond. With luck, they won’t be strangers.

Timbers Grades

Troy Perkins, 7 Rarely called upon, but more than capable when he was. Made one great save diving to his left in the second half and was in perfect position to corral another potentially dangerous shot.

Mike Chabala, 5.5 Good night in defense getting pressure on AIK’s wide players trying to send crosses in. Had a few crosses and nice overlaps, but really didn’t contribute a whole lot in the attack, but to be fair that was partially because the ball moved up the right side much of the evening.

Eric Brunner, 6 Quiet night for Eric; exactly what he would like to hear. Lead a very well organized backline, and was rarely called upon to do any emergency defending – something he unfortunately became rather expert at last year.

Hanyer Mosquera, 6 Made a few more plays than Brunner did, but also had one mistake that led to a dangerous situation where he let an AIK attacker turn on him and have a free shot at goal. On the whole, though, a very positive evening for Mosco.

Lovel Palmer, 6.5 Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a night where Lovel has looked better as a Timber. Very solid in defense and paired up well with Kalif on the right side. Even his usual worm-burner crosses were getting airborne.

Rodney Wallace, 7 Had some absolutely brilliant moments in the midfield going forward, but primarily I thought his defense was superb. He was picking pockets and clearing balls—not to the middle of the field—better than at any point in recent memory.

Jack Jewsbury, 5 Maybe the quietest Timber on the pitch on Sunday—which is pretty common stuff for a true holding midfielder. If the tactics shape up like it looks like they will, Jack will be the most underappreciated guy on the team.

Diego Chara, 5.5 I thought Diego was great defensively. The Sidler was in fine form, as many an AIK midfielder found themselves spinning around to see Diego going the other way with the ball. Still, didn’t have his best night in distribution, where he has looked a little rusty in each of the matches at home. Once he polishes that back to where it was late last season, Diego is poised for a stellar MLS sophomore year.

Kalif Alhassan, 6 I never know how to grade Kalif because his best asset is also his biggest liability. The ball is absolutely Velcroed to his feet, for better and for worse. Absolutely impossible to dispossess, but also has a hard time finding the right pass or proper moment to pull the trigger. For extended periods, though, he was the most dynamic player on the field. His solid week may just reopen the Alhassan-Alexander debate that seemed settled coming home from California.

Jorge Perlaza, 5.5 Great assist on the goal, but otherwise had a fairly quiet evening. Seemed a little reluctant to fancy himself at times, as he chose to pass or take an extra dribble a couple times when he could have had a good rip at goal. He also sent the ball wide in the one good chance that he took. I understand it was from a tough angle, but that has to be on frame.

Kris Boyd, 7 Fantastic number nine stuff on the goal. Put yourself in a spot where your strike partner can find you and finish it clinically. He wasn’t done, though, as all three of his shots on goal were dangerous. But for some stellar goalkeeping from AIK’s Ivan Turina,[3] Boyd may have made a couple entries into the scorebook. He will get criticized this year for poaching too much—hanging out around the box and giving marginal effort elsewhere. That criticism[4] will be unfounded. Boyd is here to do one thing—score goals. His play is beyond reproach as long as he’s doing that.

Bright Dike, 5 Came on for a gassed Kris Boyd and was his usual disruptive self. Until his quality in the attacking third improves, however, he’s going to find himself in a role where he’ll only see time when Spencer wants somebody to wreak havoc on the opponent’s backline.

James Marcelin, 5.5 Came on as a defensive substitute for Chara in the 79^th minute and did his job. Before his introduction, AIK seemed to be pinning their ears back a little bit and looking for the equalizer. After James came on, the result was rarely in doubt. Maybe it’s a little bit of post hoc, ergo propter hoc reasoning,[5] but Marcelin was almost certainly a factor in the Timbers’ late dominance.

Onward, Rose City!

Last year old a rain soaked night we welcomed MLS to Portland and ushered in a new era with the "It Takes an Army to Raise a Club" tifo everyone remembers so well. That very same night the Timbers Army sang the Star Spangled Banner rather than having a performer sing the National Anthem. As a board we thought it was a fantastic idea and supported it wholeheartedly. It turns out singing the national anthem as a group was one of the more memorable events in an evening sopping with memorable events.

This year the club asked the board if we wanted to repeat the performance. We respectfully declined the offer for a few reasons, which at the time made a lot of sense to us. The main reason being we didn’t want to try and recreate such a singular and memorable event. In other words we were thinking that the cover is never as good as the original.

We received a lot of feedback about that decision. Some of it in support but much of it expressed a lot of disappointment that we weren’t going to sing the National Anthem at the home opener again. We have heard your feedback loudly and clearly. We’re happy to announce than upon reconsideration we’ve decided that we will sing the National Anthem again at the home opener because the Timbers Army wants it. We decided to be the sole ones responsible for singing it, as we already sing it every game with the talent on the field. Let’s make this year louder and even better. You have a little over a week to get your voice ready to welcome in the 2012 campaign.

—by Owen Longstreet

For quick reference I will link to this blog post. WARNING: You will be directed to a blog with a color scheme similar to that of irradiated goat urine.

Running commentary below.

But while we stood in line, we watched as the Timber's Team ambassadors scaled the lines and decided to kick people out of the line if they were obviously not a Timber fan, and showing support for another team. We saw a poor couple who drove over 3 hours from Seattle and then sat in line for at least a couple of hours in the cold rain to get told they would not sell them tickets.

They pulled out known scalpers and people wearing Sounders gear. Pulling out known scalpers is a no brainer and should be applauded. Secondly, Seattle Sounders supporters have a set of tickets allocated to them by the Portland front office, the same as Seattle allocates tickets for Timbers supporters. There are requirements of all those supporters that travel down. Additionally, how stupid do you have to be to show up in your biggest rival's ticket line decked out in Rave Green?

Sure, good strategy on Portland's part to only sell tickets at the box office, thereby limiting the opportunities for away supporters to obtain tickets. But to kick people out of line, supporters who have traveled hours to obtain tickets for these matches, because they are fans of another club. This is wrong in so many ways.

As I just explained, supporters are required to purchase tickets through their supporters groups, where they have to abide by a certain set of rules put in place by both respective front offices and the supporters groups of both teams. Why don't you cry about this some more on the internet?

The actions of the Portland Timbers organization is so blatantly despicable that there is really no need to embellish.

—by Sherrilynn "Sheba" Rawson

February 29th only comes around once every four years, so it's only fitting that something special happens on such a special day. This February 29th, students at Woodburn's Nellie Muir Elementary were treated to a visit from members of the capo crew--Rob Jerand, Matt Talley, and Frank Oteiza--as they celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday and Read Across America week.

The 502 students at Nellie Muir Elementary School had a worthy goal this month--read at least 200,000 pages for the month of February. They had been told that if they met their goal, they would get a special surprise. Fortunately for the students, they were match fit when it came to reading, and together they logged over 300,000 pages of reading in February. Their treat? a visit from representatives of the Timbers Army capo crew.

Braving freezing temperatures and a crazy busy schedule, Ice Funk, PC, and Fog spent the day at Nellie Muir. They settled right in, selecting a few of their favorite (or newly favorite) Dr. Seuss titles to read in fifteen different classrooms. Many of the children celebrated the occasion by wearing green in honor of the Timbers Army. Since most of the students are bilingual, it was also a treat to have Frank reading a couple of Dr. Seuss titles that had been translated into Spanish.

After their whirlwind classroom reading visits, it was time for a well-earned lunch. The boys stopped in at Luis's Taqueria, *the* go-to spot for Mexican cuisine in town. Although I can't remember what everyone ordered, I'm sure the crew would agree that it was universally a hit. (Yours truly ordered the birria de chivo, in anticipation of the upcoming match against Chivas USA.)

Next, it was back to school and into the gymnasium, where over 500 students packed in and awaited leadership from the capo crew. Accompanied by student helpers, the boys led several rousing cheers, including "PTFC," "Somos Timbers," and "When I Root I Root for the Timbers. " After they understood that yes, they were actually being encouraged to jump and clap and sing, the students enthusiastically responded. Some even approached the capos afterward for autographs, and staff members eagerly posed for pictures with the crew. The students who were scarfed that day cherished their new TA gear and wore it proudly back to class.

It takes a special group of people to volunteer several hours of their day to go out of their way to read in classrooms and lead a gymnasium full of school children in cheers. From the bottom of my heart, thanks, guys, for making the day such a special one for so many youngsters. It's already a soccer mad town; now I know that for many of these children, they will also be able to say with pride: when I root, I root for the Timbers.

Thank you, Rob, Matt, and Frank. You guys rock!

—by Chris Rifer

No, it wasn’t pretty. Yes, it is still preseason. But no, it wasn’t awful either.

The Portland Timbers played the San Jose Earthquakes to a draw on Monday night in front of some 16,000 supporters eager to catch the first glimpse of their team in 2012.

What they caught a glimpse of was something akin to their team, but ultimately fell short of the real deal.

The Timbers, missing somewhere between five and seven likely opening day starters, started the chances off early when Diego Chara burst through the Quakes defense into the box looking poised to tap the ball by keeper Jon Busch. At the last moment, however, San Jose defender Justin Morrow slid in from behind, whiffed on the ball, but took Diego to the ground. It was an obvious foul on a reckless tackle that ended a clear scoring opportunity. Penalty and straight red, right? Wrong. Play on.

From there the Quakes established several minutes of dominance in the Portland half, with the Timbers defense—starting a group that likely didn’t include a single regular starter—looking dodgy at the back.  A few strong saves by early All-Star candidate Troy Perkins, however, bailed out the Timbers defense and kept San Jose off the board.

In the 15^th minute the Timbers got one against the run of play in perhaps the unlikeliest fashion possible. After sending a short corner to Chara, Kalif Alhassan got the ball back five yards from the endline outside the box and curled it just inside the far corner. It was a brilliant effort from a guy who couldn’t get off the goose egg in 2011.

The rest of the first half turned into an up and down affair, with both sides playing some entertaining soccer, but neither side creating anything substantial in the way of chances.  A header off a cross here, a scuffle between Jack Jewsbury and Steven Lenhart there, and the Timbers headed into intermission with a 1-0 lead.

The lead wouldn’t last long after halftime, however, as the 59^th minute brought a needless Andrew Jean-Baptiste giveaway. After Tressor Moreno intercepted the rookie’s ill-advised pass, he sent it to Chris Wondolowski on the byline. Wondo sent the ball in front of goal, where Hanyer Mosquera took an unfortunate touch past Troy Perkins and in for an own goal.

The Timbers midfield, having fallen dormant through most of the second half, finally awoke in the final fifteen minutes. It was too little, too late to earn a winner, however, as the best Portland could do is create a series of half chances—the best of which was a Bright Dike header off an Alhassan cross that bounced torturously off the cross bar.

In the end the sides settled for a just split of the points. The Timbers advance to play Chivas USA on Thursday before a finale against AIK Sunday evening.

Match Notes

• The result and the effort were passable, all things considered. Sure, there were some things to gripe about. The midfield was nonexistent for substantial portions of the match and the defense had some forehead slapping moments. Considering the number of stand-ins, however, supporters shouldn’t come away from the match with too bitter a taste.
• I was a little bit surprised to not see more changes from John Spencer. Considering the number of key players missing, I thought Monday night was a prime opportunity to get guys like Sebastian Rincon, Brent Richards, Chris Taylor, and Charles Renken some run in a regular season-like atmosphere. Instead, Spenny opted for a regular season rotation.
• After watching the second half of the AIK-Chivas match, I’m convinced if the Timbers want to be competitive on Sunday they will have to have more experience in central defense. The dynamic way AIK move the ball around the final third requires a lot of discipline in the back line to handle the short, quick passes off of short, quick runs. Good thing both Brunner and Futty seem likely to be back in the lineup by then, because while AJB and Mosquera were impressively physical, they were by no means disciplined.

Timbers Grades

Troy Perkins, 7 Had the challenging task of managing a very green backline in front of him, and rose to the occasion. Was very strong during the early onslaught and can’t be faulted for the own goal. Overall a very promising start to the season for an in-form looking Perkins.

Mike Chabala, 5.5 Decent outing for Chewie in back. Didn’t make any great contribution to the attack, but gave a passable effort as the only MLS-experienced player on the backline.

Andrew Jean-Baptiste, 4.5 This is a tough grade, because AJB was solid for the vast majority of the outing. His mistakes, though, lead to the Quakes’ best chances. This was overall an encouraging performance for the youngster whose mistakes are correctable, and who showed substantial physical capabilities.

Hanyer Mosquera, 5 AJB bears the bulk of responsibility for the concession, but Mosquera’s touch probably should have been better. Still had a good, but not great performance in back. In my mind, it’s clear Futty will start the season as the Watson to Brunner’s Sherlock. That may change as Mosco gets more comfortable in the States and the MLS.

Ryan Kawulok, 5.5 Very promising effort from the unsigned right back. Something tells me that unsigned tag will be coming off shortly. Showed a pretty decent soccer IQ and very good physical tools. Has some touches he needs to refine to succeed at the MLS level, but given a couple years work he should be there. It is a little shocking, considering some of the garbage you see coming out of the second round of the SuperDraft at times, that a guy with the size and athleticism of Kawulok can slip into the Supplemental Draft.

Kalif Alhassan, 5.5 Had some absolutely brilliant moments, most notably the goal. That said, he showed that he is still the biggest head down dribbler on the team. Too many times Kalif was caught with the ball on his foot rather than finding the open runner. That, ultimately, is why he will likely lose his spot to Songo’o and Alexander. That goal was pretty sweet, though.

Jack Jewsbury, 6.5 From the beginning of the match to the end, Jack was the only guy in the midfield that didn’t disappear for stretches. Because of the 4-1-4-1 (to start at least), Jack was playing a little bit higher up than usual and was very effective in doing so. For a while I recognized as rational the questions about whether Jack is really the best option in the center of the midfield. I am off that bandwagon. He belongs. I also love his feistiness. Preseason be damned.

Diego Chara, 4 Had one of his toughest games as a Timber. It could be because he’s not completely in form yet. Yesterday, though, I think it was that he was playing out of position all day long. Even in the first half, when he was in a central role, he was playing way higher than he usually does. He was essentially in the withdrawn striker position many clamor to see Darlington Nagbe in. I think he was a little uncomfortable there. In the second half he got moved out to the left wing after Alexander was brought off for Nagbe. He was middle-school-dance-uncomfortable there.

Eric Alexander, 4.5 I like what he brings to the wings. I think he’ll end up there if, for no other reason, but because he seems very eager to get wide and send crosses in. That said, I just think he didn’t have a great day on Monday. By all accounts that sounds like an aberration from his previous form.

Jorge Perlaza, 6 There have been criticisms of Jorge’s first touch, and not for no reason. But mind you this: the Timbers offense works best when Jorge is making runs that bend defenses out of shape. Throughout the first half Perlaza made runs that attracted attention from the San Jose backline and created space for himself and others. This is the argument for Perlaza accompanying Boyd in the strikeforce. That space that Jorge creates with his pace and fantastic movement is exactly the kind of space a poacher like Boyd feeds on.

Bright Dike, 5 Actually did pretty well to get a head to Kalif’s cross, which was a bit high. Still, his hold up play needs to improve if he wants to make a serious bid to start at this level.

Darlington Nagbe, 4.5 Never really got involved. To be honest, looked like he was going half speed out there. Because he has missed so much time the last few weeks, I imagine that will be the case until the start of the regular season.

Lovel Palmer, 3.5 If Nagbe was going half speed, Palmer was going quarter speed. He looked far from healthy. If he was as healthy as he was saying beforehand, right back is Steve Purdy’s spot to lose.

Onward, Rose City!

—by Chris Rifer

Boyd…Boyd…No! Come on! The [freaking] password is Boyd!

So that was fun.

I know there is a tournament coming up and all, but let’s face it, from here until October the Timbers will rightfully be dominating this space. Sure, we’ll spout off about things around the league here and there, but this week represents perhaps our last best chance to cover topics from around the league.

Without much further adieu,[1] then, here are a half dozen predictions – some bold and some not so bold – for 2012.[2]

I. The New York Red Bulls will not make the Playoffs.[3]

Starting off bold – especially considering there will be staggeringly little competition for the five playoff spots in the tepid Eastern Conference. You would think a team featuring Thierry Henry, Juan Agudelo, Dane Richards, Dax McCarty, Rafa Marquez, Kenny Cooper,[4] and Luke Rodgers would figure to do well in its powder puff conference. What’s missing from that list?

Defense. That’s what’s missing. Okay, so the presumptive fullback combination Jan Gunnar Solli and Roy Miller is inoffensive – if perhaps uninspiring. And yes, New York has brought in a few defenders that may be able to step in and be serviceable in the center. But seriously, look at their roster and observe the number of guys on their defense that don’t have a picture. Then consider the guy they will be counting on to anchor their defense – Wilman Conde – is soon to be 30 and coming off pretty serious foot surgery. Uh oh. And don’t get me started on the goalkeeping situation. In the end this is a largely revamped defensive unit full of question marks.

But oh, did you hear they’re looking to add another geriatric DP in the summer transfer window? This isn’t going to end well. On the bright side, the Timbers own their SuperDraft pick for 2013.

II. Montreal will have a rough go of things in their maiden voyage.

I haven’t exactly minced words with what I think of Montreal’s offseason strategy. And as I look at their roster now I see a list of nice players – Davy Arnaud, Mike Fucito, Bobby Burling, Justin Mapp, Sanna Nyassi, Zarek Valentin, and certainly Donovan Ricketts – but nobody that jumps off the page. I think their midfield will be competitive, but they are sorely lacking up top right now.

The amount of youth on the roster lends itself to laying a foundation for the future, but the immediate future doesn’t look all too promising  Montreal promised to bring in a DP during the summer transfer window, but by July things may already be out of hand.

III. The Houston Dynamo will win the Supporters Shield.

I’ve said this before, but the great tragedy of the 2012 Playoffs was Brad Davis going down in the SKC series. I don’t know if Houston would have beaten Galaxy with him, but it certainly would have been a more watchable affair.

The Dynamo return everything of note from the team that caught fire at the end of 2012. Andre Hainault, Geoff Cameron, Bobby Boswell, and Corey Ashe may be the best backline in the league – to say nothing of more-than-capable netminder Tally Hall. Brad Davis will be the best midfielder in the league and will post a fourth-straight double digit assist season. Will Bruin will have a breakout season on the receiving end of Davis’s doorstep service.

All told, don’t be surprised if, after feasting on a platter full of Eastern creampuffs, the Dynamo win the Shield this year.

IV. Kelyn Rowe will be Rookie of the Year.

The MLS’s worst franchise will have its best rookie. Well, sort of. I don’t think Rowe is necessarily the best player of this year’s rookie class, but it appears as though he will be given a spot on the wings in 2012. With a perfectly respectable midfield of Benny Feilhaber, Shalrie Joseph, and likely Clyde Simms, the Revs may have the creative ability in midfield necessary to score some goals. I think Rowe will be the beneficiary of some of that, to enough of an extent that he’ll beat out Andrew Wenger for top billing.

Don’t get me wrong, New England will still stink, though.

V. It’s do or die time for Real Salt Lake. They will (almost) do.

Over the course of the last three years, Real Salt Lake have been the best franchise in MLS. Jason Kreis[5] and company built a core of talent that made RSL the deepest team in MLS. Here’s the problem, though, they’re getting on in years. Javi Morales is 32. Nat Borchers and Jamison Olave are 30.  Kyle Beckerman is about to turn 30. So are Chris Wingert and Alvaro Saborio. This group, though, has one more run in it. If Morales can successfully come back from his broken ankle, the Claret and Cobalt will put together one more deep playoff run before Father Time comes calling. Will they be able to capture that elusive second MLS Cup? No.[6]

VI. The Seattle Sounders will be a one-and-done…again.

After a successful 2011 regular season, many have their eyes on Seattle to make the next step toward being an MLS Cup contender. The Sounders have taken steps in the opposite direction, however. After earning a CONCACAF Champions League berth, the Sounders decided to unload depth in bringing in Eddie Johnson. That, combined with the unsettled status of Steve Zakuani and O’Brian White, leaves Seattle a bit thin for what promises to be a crazy early season full of matches in various competitions.[7]

Seattle has recovered from slow starts before, and they certainly have enough talent in the Starting XI to do so again, but in a West as packed as this one, dropping points early could doom the Rave Green and their customers to an unfavorable matchup in the first round and another early playoff exit.

Timbers Notes

• One interesting development of the past couple weeks has been the flipping of Eric Alexander and Franck Songo’o on the wings. Against Oregon State Eric Alexander reportedly spent most of his time on the right while Songo’o occupied the left. Early reports from training and the scrimmage are positive, although, considering both guys can play on either side of the field, it seems likely they will be moving around quite a bit. Regardless of exactly where they end up, the two of them seem to have developed a pretty firm hold on the two outside mid positions.
• The emergence of Alexander and Songo’o leaves Kalif Alhassan and Sal Zizzo – when he returns to full form – in a bit of a precarious position. Barring injuries, at least one of them will not get consistent minutes. Considering his potential, between the two of them Kalif is likely to get the better of the minutes, but Sal is a very legitimate MLS winger. If this pattern holds true – and Songo’o and Alexander hold down the wings – it’s easy to imagine a scenario in which Portland may shop Sal midseason.
• The second striker position has also become one of intrigue. Before the preseason, I sort of presumed Darlington Nagbe would step into the second striker role if he lost out on the right wing. By all means, that may still happen. But while Darlington has been slowed by a series of nagging injuries, Jorge Perlaza has put together a pretty nice camp. At this point it seems likely that Darlington will start 2012 where he was for much of 2011, as a frequent sub.
• Oh, and in a non-Timbers note, if you haven’t seen this already, read up on how excited Darren Mattocks is to score a preseason goal. He is the early favorite to win this year’s Victor Estupinan Sweepstakes.

Onward, Rose City!

—by Andrew Brawley

Without exploring the fine details of today’s little dust-up over single game tickets being pre-sold to season ticket holders, I think we can discuss one way of returning power to the people:

Ignoring scalpers.

Don’t buy from them.

Don’t sell to them.

Don’t acknowledge them.

I’m not about to start a new Occupy movement over this. I don’t want to start pointing fingers over who’s to blame for these tickets practically evaporating within minutes of release. But I do think that we, as members of the Timbers Army, have a responsibility of ensuring that any tickets we have in our possession (whether you’re a season ticket holder or not) are re-sold to those who are genuinely enthusiastic  about going to a Timbers match, rather than those who are more interested in making a profit at the expense of others.

I understand there’s a marketplace out there for tickets. Despite ticket prices increasing for “premium” matches (home opener, Seattle, Galaxy, etc.), it looks like people are still willing to pay more for those seats. I can’t blame them. It’s a hot ticket in this town, and market demand justifies it.

However, in order to maintain a sense of balance within the community, we must do what we can to ensure the “beautiful game” remains accessible to all. If you look around the world, this game is played by both rich and poor. If we start raising prices on our own tickets, we’re only diluting the quality of experience that we care so much about in the North End.

If you need to sell your tickets, do so by selling to friends, or asking around on Twitter or Facebook. Avoid reseller sites like StubHub. Even CraigsList is becoming a no-no. Put some elbow grease into it, and your effort will be greatly appreciated.

We may make fun of the east stands during games, but if we don’t maintain some order, those in the east stands will soon be joining us in the north.

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

We all bleed Rose City Red; now it's time to bleed for a worthy cause: The Timbers Army Blood Drive, Friday, April 6th, from 2-7 pm at the 18th St plaza outside of Jeld-Wen Field.

No matter the season, the American Red Cross is always in need of blood donations:

• Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
• More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day.
• More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
• One donation can help save the lives of up to three people.

If you are healthy, at least 17 years old, and weigh at least 110 pounds, you are probably eligible to donate (if you are a minor you'll need your parent's or guardian's permission to donate). Whether you're an experienced donor or you'll be donating for the first time, you can find out more about the donation process here. You can read more specifics about eligibility requirements here.

If you are interested in donating, send an email to: TABloodDrive@gmail.com with the following information:

First/Last Name

Email Address

Phone Number

Preferred Time 1/Preferred Time 2

We will try and give everyone their 1st preferred slot, but it's possible someone may beat you to it. Please wait for a confirmation email with your scheduled time.

We also need volunteers for various things, so if you're interested in volunteering in addition/instead of donating, drop a message to the same address above with whatever times you're available and the best way to contact you.

What about tattoos? If I have ink can I still donate?

Since this was mentioned in a discussion thread, we'll mention it here as well: If you have tattoos, yes, you can donate, as long as you got inked at a licensed tattoo parlor. If you got your tattoo in Oregon you are in luck, as Oregon licenses and regulates tattoo parlors. If you got your tattoo in another state, you will have to check to see if that state regulates tattoo parlors. If you got your tattoo in another state that does not regulate tattoo parlors, you can donate as long as it has been at least 12 months since you got tattooed. For more information, you can contact the Red Cross, or read more about eligibility requirements and blood donation here.

Any other questions, feel free to ask.

Donations and prizes for donors include:

(1) FREE PIZZA AND SODA to all who donate!

(2) A drawing from among all donors for TWO PAIRS OF TA TICKETS to the 4/7 match against Chivas USA the following day!

I know I am, I'm sure I am, Rose City Til I Die. In the meantime, we can give life by giving blood. We invite you to do the same.

This is the week the Timbers Army becomes famous!

OK, maybe not famous. Perhaps a bit more than internet famous, but not quite Lana Del Rey famous. I’m willing to bet we’ll become about as famous as a critically-liked Friday night extended cable sketch comedy show will allow. And that fame will last about a week, right up until next week’s episode hits the air. And that’s fine by me.

The full court press is on for this week’s episode of Portlandia (Friday, Feb. 24, 10/9c on IFC), and Major League Soccer’s own web site kicked it off with a nice piece (and great photo) to preview the TA’s appearance. (Watch for even more publicity around this week’s episode also featuring Trail Blazers all star LaMarcus Aldridge. Apparently the producers of Portlandia felt this season needed an obligatory sports episode.)

Not all Portlanders will admit this, but Portlandia’s a pretty good show. Like most shows, it has its share of hits and misses. But when it hits, it’s REALLY hits. The only people I know who dislike it are those the show tends to mock frequently: people I refer to as “extreme Portlanders.” These tend to be the people who ONLY shop at second hand stores and food co-op’s. (They’re usually vegan, too.) That’s probably not even 1% of Portlanders, but we all know at least one person in town who fits this bill.

I truly believe I’m in the most desired target demographic for Portlandia: married, childless suburbanite who frequents the downtown core. Basically, I’m repeatedly exposed to the wackiness that Portland has to offer, while concurrently able to “breathe suburban normalcy” and view that same wackiness from my front row seat. Trust me when I say most of Beaverton finds nearly every Portlandia sketch to be pretty funny.

The thing that I enjoy most about the TA’s involvement in Portlandia is that it shows we’re not afraid to take the piss out of ourselves. Nothing turns a crummy day around like a clever Twitter meme started by the TA, especially those where we rip our own to shreds for something posted on Twitter / Facebook / 107IST Member Forums / etc. Nobody makes fun of the TA better than the TA themselves. Of course, as good as we are at making fun of ourselves, we’re even better at mocking our enemies (i.e. #LacksSounders).

This is why I tend to get a little frustrated with our Cascadian rivals. Canadians are funny by default (see The Kids In The Hall, Picnicface or Strange Brew). Seriously, it’s in their DNA. I hold the Southsiders to a pretty high standard for being clever. The recent video from the Whitecaps FO to the Timbers FO was pretty good, but they kinda missed the mark with that “Round 2” reference at the end, because this is actually Round 30-something. Plus, that was from their FO, and not the supporters group. C’mon guys and gals! If our own FO did something more clever than us (and remember…we’re awesomely clever), we’d probably have an emergency 107ist board meeting to discuss how to rebound and out-clever them.

As for ECS, don’t get me started. I’m sure they have a few clever apples in the basket, but they tend to be overshadowed by stuff that’s generally unoriginal and borderline offensive. My Sounders-fan friend (who shall remain anonymous) is one of the most clever guys I know, but he’s not involved with ECS. Trust me, he could really help them out, but he has distanced himself from them, and I can see why: they don't have a sense of humor. Even a prominent Seattle-based web site, one that I know numerous TA members read many times daily, missed the overall point of that aforementioned #LacksSounders meme. Nothing riles up the TA like a total misunderstanding of a Twitter meme. If Seattle can give us timeless laughs in the form of Almost Live, then ECS is surely capable of adding some wit to their punchlines and comebacks.

(Side note: I realize I’m feeding the trolls a bit here. But hey, the season starts in three weeks…time to #HTFU.)

As the regular season nears, the Twitstreams will be pinned with smack-talk between all three Cascadian sides. We'll steal each others hashtags. We'll feed the trolls. We'll argue on message boards. It’s all supposed to be in good fun. If you can’t have fun doing it, you’re basically setting yourself up for an online massacre, which is essentially the equivalent of getting an abnormally large amount of junk mail on one day. Yeah, it’s annoying, but it bears no actual burden on your reality, and it’s easy to click “delete” and be done with it.

Watch Portlandia this Friday, and happy trolling!

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