—by Chris Rifer

The Portland Timbers continued their 6-week long skid in deflating fashion Sunday afternoon after losing to Seattle 3-2, once again conceding two goals in the final 20 minutes. What for 70 minutes seemed to be an epic match that the Timbers might just be able to salt away turned sour in a hurry, as Portland’s dodgy defense let the Rose City down again.

The first half was a tactical nip-tuck affair. Before the match Portland unexpectedly went to a 4-5-1, replacing striker Eddie Johnson with James Marcelin. The Timbers were looking to control the midfield, provide a little bit more cover for the defense, and let Jorge Perlaza roam the Sounders defense looking for a seam. Seattle, on the other hand, seemed content to let Portland play in the midfield, but played stiff defense and looked to get out on the counter.

The result was a half in which the Timbers seemed to have the better of possession, but the Sounders had the better of the chances. While Portland struggled to create much in the attacking third, Seattle created a number of half chances with a couple Fredy Montero efforts sailing wide and Roger Levesque breaking free behind the Timbers backline once. Still, when the Sounders came calling, the Timbers defense was up to the task, preserving a 0-0 draw at the half.

The stalemate was broken immediately after intermission, however, as in the 46^th minute James Marcelin freed Kalif Alhassan up the right side. Kalif streaked into the box and sent a low cross near post to Jorge Perlaza. Jeff Parke had to make a play on the ball, but the momentum of the cross carried the ball off of Parke’s foot, through the wickets of Kasey Keller, and into the net.

Seattle would answer back in the 57^th minute, as Montero struck a bending, dipping free kick from 25 yards out over the vertically-challenged Timbers wall and into the corner of the net.

For the first time in weeks, however, the Timbers would show a bit of pluck. In the 69^th minute, Diego Chara took possession of the ball in the midfield and played it forward on the right wing to his countryman Perlaza. Just as Jorge appeared to be overrun by the Sounders defense he played a shot that deflected off Tyson Wahl’s leg and into the net. Relief, delirium, and—cruelest of all—hope.

If we have learned one thing over the past several weeks, however, it is that with the Timbers, no lead is safe. This was no exception. Just five minutes later, in the 74^th minute, after the Timbers repeatedly failed to clear Sounders chances, Mauro Rosales found Montero standing alone at the mouth of the goal and Fredy converted the easy chance for the brace.

Relief turned to anxiety, delirium to despair, and hope to resignation. Finally, in the 83^rd minute, the seemingly inevitable happened in familiar fashion. After Eric Brunner let Lamar Neagle slip behind him, Brunner took a final desperate hack to try to tackle the ball away. The result was a predictable red card in the box and a penalty for the Sounders. Osvaldo Alonso stepped to the spot and buried the Timbers.

Match Observations

• It is dizzying to think of how quickly this season has turned from being one that fills the bandwagon to one where supporters earn their stripes. It is a blessing for the franchise to have a strong, loyal fan base—many of whom have been through lean years before. As a Cubs fan, I feel like I know a thing or two about losing, but what has been especially torturous about this stretch has been the way it has happened—two second half stoppage time goals and an 83^rd minute penalty after coughing up a 70^th minute lead. Those go the other way and the Timbers have 24 points and are sitting on the cusp of the playoff picture. So yeah, it’s hard not to think what might be right now.
• This is stating the painfully obvious, but the defense right now is in shambles. Nine goals allowed in three games. Opposing strikers have found space in front of, within, and behind the Timbers defense repeatedly, leading John Spencer to announce the unimaginable today—Kevin Goldthwaite will start the next game, and not completely out of necessity. To date I have been pretty positive about Spencer’s performance, and I certainly don’t think he is the only or even proximate cause of what ails the Timbers. That said, we have seen this defense perform very well at times this year—namely against RSL and Philadelphia, where they were dominant. When a once-formidable unit turns sour without major personnel changes or injuries, you have to look to the coaching. So, here’s looking at you, Spenny.
• One semi-positive note. I liked the 4-5-1 (or some variation of it). I thought the introduction of James Marcelin was helpful, as he was pretty fantastic in the midfield at times on Sunday. I also think that Jorge Perlaza can benefit from it, as he will have lots of room to roam in front. The one downside is that with the introduction of Marcelin and loss of Cooper/Johnson, we lose a target. Still, it’s not like those guys were producing anyway, so why not trade some ineptitude up front for a little possession in the midfield? It will be interesting to see how this evolves, but I give it early passing marks. Speaking of marks…

Timbers Grades

Troy Perkins, 5 I agonized over this one a bit because he was magical at times and none of the goals were really his fault. That said, you conceded three goals and you are the keeper. You can’t get a really positive grade.

Rodney Wallace, 5 Was probably our best defender on the night. That’s troubling. Actually had an okay night. Wasn’t directly culpable on any of the goals and didn’t unleash any Rod Wallace Specials on us.

Futty, 4 Just sort of looked lost in defense in the second half. The Sounders are a good, but not great, offensive side. Futty was a key part of a defense that made them look absolutely magical in the final 45.

Eric Brunner, 3.5 Was not only extremely culpable on the 3^rd goal, but Marcelin was forced to commit the foul that led to the first concession after he was pulled out a bit out of position. Eric will want to forget this one, and won’t get a chance to redeem himself anytime soon as he’ll have to watch the Chicago match on TV.

Steve Purdy, 4 To those of you who didn’t like my assessment of him last week, touché.

Kalif Alhassan, 5.5 Had a nice day in the midfield, capped off by creating the Timbers’ first goal. That, actually, is a situation in which I think the attacking player should get credit for the goal. By bring the ball down on the byline and sending in a quality cross, he essentially rendered Parke helpless. Parke had to stab at the ball or Perlaza would tap it in, but by stabbing at it, there was a good chance he would knock it in himself. Scoring that as an own goal is harsh to both Parke and Kalif. Seriously, Kalif needs to do something about his allergy to shots on frame, though.

James Marcelin, 6 Had a very nice outing. Possessed the ball well in the midfield and played with very few of the head-slapping giveaways that he has been known to commit in the past. Even though he committed the foul that set up the first concession, it has a foul he had to commit because his teammates weren’t in position.

Diego Chara, 4.5 Aside from his pretty pass up the seam to a streaking Perlaza to set up the second goal, Diego had one of his poorer performances as a Timber. He has been in a bit of a slump lately – like the rest of the side – although he at least has the reason that he is still getting used to the league.

Jack Jewsbury, 5.5 I thought Jack actually had one of his better matches in the midfield, especially in the first half. Helped Portland hold a lot of the possession in the first stanza, which limited the number of fires the defense had to put out. Maybe could have used a little bit more of that in the second half, but ultimately you have to look at the defense for the culpability there.

Darlington Nagbe, 4 After he made international waves with his incredible strike last week, had one of his most anonymous outings of the season.

Jorge Perlaza, 5.5 It’s funny, other than the two goals, Jorge struggled to really get into things. That sentence, however, is a little absurd.

Sal Zizzo, 5.5 Had one of his better outings on the right wing. Controlled the ball well on his side, and made a few of his nice runs into the interior, including one that led to a beautiful cross that Kalif should have been able to volley on frame for a potential late equalizer.

Kenny Cooper, 4.5 I hated this substitution. At the time Spencer was making it effectively as a defensive substitution, but then he ended up coming on right after Seattle’s equalizer. Spenny has to pull Kenny back in that instance. Jorge had been involved in both of our goals. Regardless of how tired Perlaza was, you need to trust him enough to let him run the full 90 there. Cooper didn’t have much of an impact in his spell, and I don’t expect him to have much success alone up front in the 4-5-1.

With that, I think I need some time in the mountains.

Keep on keepin’ on, Rose City.

—by Andrew Brawley

I love Chicago. No joke. If I had to live anywhere east of the Rockies, it would rank in my top 3. However, my extreme hatred for heat and humidity prevent me from ever living anywhere east of the Rockies.

Every time I find myself in Chicago, I always make time to meet up with some college buddies, who never fail to take me somewhere new, fun, interesting, and delicious. So I figured I'd allow one of those college buddies to supply this year's Away Game Travel Guide to Chicago. His name is Eric Jacobson, and he's one of the funniest guys I know. He is a vegetarian, so don't hold that against him. But he also told me he could never become a vegan because he loves cheese way too much, so he's not all that bad.

One small Editor's Note for Eric's diatribe below: Kuma's Corner is a heavy metal burger bar, which puts it in the running for the 'Best Thing Ever' award. And I don't mean heavy metal like Slipknot and Disturbed. I mean heavy metal like Testament and Exodus! When I was there, I ordered the Brujeria. If you go and it's still on the menu, don't blow it by ordering anything else.

Alright, here's where Eric takes over. Enjoy!

Chicago! The Windy City! The home of the Chicago Fire…unless you actually look at a map and realize Toyota Park is in Bridgeview, Illinois!

Let’s get to your questions.

How can I get around Chicago?

Chicago is blessed with an abundance of public transportation and cab prices are surprisingly reasonable. If you visit this city and don’t leave the loop, you have no one but yourself to blame. Be adventurous! If you use Google Maps to look up directions in Chicago, just click the little bus at the top of the browser and you’ll be given a route using public transit. It couldn’t be simpler. And don’t be scared about the safety of the trains. As long as you don’t go watch the Premier League at 6:30 a.m. and get so drunk that you accidentally fall asleep on the train and end up riding it back and forth, from one end of the line to the other for four straight hours, you should have nothing to worry about. By the way, if you happen to see a guy sleeping on the train with his head in his hands at 10:00 a.m., please don’t steal my wallet.

Where the hell is Toyota Park?

Toyota Park is in the middle of nowhere. And not in a nice, tucked in a quiet corner of the city kind of way. It’s in a completely annoying, 20 miles away from the city kind of way. If you were hoping to get to the stadium early and walk around for a bit, I’d recommend against it, unless you’re a big fan of dirt parking lots. Due to the remoteness of the facility, Fire fans do tend to tailgate, so you will see a few people standing around drinking beer while playing cornhole. Please note that, despite the name, cornhole isn’t something worth getting to Bridgeview extra early for.

Where can I get Chicago-style deep dish pizza?

If you ask five Chicagoans what their favorite deep dish pizza place is, you’re going to get five different answers and numerous reasons why everyone else is complete wrong. I’m partial to Nancy’s (2930 N. Broadway), which of course is the best and everyone else can go to hell with their stupid, wrong opinions. If forced to choose a silver medal winner, I’d go with Lou Malnati’s, which is also delicious (be sure to get the butter crust). However, if you don’t mind your pizza being thin, you should definitely consider going to Great Lake (1477 W Balmoral). GQ magazine called it the best pizza in the country. Unfortunately, it’s now near impossible to get served if you don’t show up a few minutes before it opens, thanks to the fact that no more than 10 people can fit in the restaurant at a time. Pretty damn good pizza, though.

What are some good restaurants that don’t serve pizza?

You mean for the day you don’t go to Kuma’s Corner (2900 W Belmont)? If you want to be able to tell people you went to Chicago and stood in a massively long line for an amazing hot dog, go to Hot Doug’s (3324 N California). Don’t let the stigma of the hot dog fool you; as you can probably tell by the fact that they serve duck fat fries on Fridays and Saturdays, this place is amazing. You won’t find a better encased meat. Speaking of best things ever, I cannot recommend the dessert at the Longman & Eagle (2657 N Kedzie) enough. It’s a nice little bar with good food and good whiskey drinks, but whatever you do, save room for the fancy cheese donuts. “Eric,” you ask, “Did you just tell me to go eat cheese donuts?” You’re damn right I did. Speaking of things that sound too good to be true, in Chicago, there is an abundance of BYOB restaurants. Yep, I’m serious. The first time you do it you’re bound to feel like you’re doing something wrong, but don’t be scared. If you were planning to go take a look at Wrigley Field while you’re in town, afterwards, walk down the street to Cozy Noodles (3456 N Sheffield). It is delicious Thai food and the bathroom walls are covered in Pez dispensers. But before you get there, be sure to stop at the 7-11 next door and buy a six-pack of beer or a bottle of wine. At Cozy there is no corking fee and they will even bring you a bucket of ice to keep your beer cold. After a weekend of Kuma’s, Hot Doug’s, cheesy donuts and BYOB Thai, you’ll never want to leave this city.

Where’s the best food truck?

Sorry to say it’s probably back in Portland. In Chicago, it is illegal to prep and cook in a truck, so all the best chefs in the city are staying away for now. However, they are opening sandwich restaurants instead. If you wanted to visit Rick Bayless’s restaurant, but forgot to make a reservation two months ago, no worries. Go to XOCO (449 N Clark) for some Rick Bayless Mexican street food instead. If Wagyu Beef sandwiches are more your style, visit Graham Elliot’s Grahamwich (615 N State). And if all this fancy crap is making you nervous, you’re in luck, because Chick-fil-A (30 E Chicago) opened its first downtown location in June. And don’t laugh, because people are acting like Chick-fil-A showing up is the biggest thing to happen to Chicago since some Transformers invaded and blew up all our cars.

Where can I go for a drink?

Craft beers are quickly becoming the hot new thing in this city, to which I’m sure you’re thinking, “Congrats, Chicago, you’re only 15 years behind Portland.” And while this is true, what it means is you’re going to be able to find a good beer from Illinois, Michigan or Indiana no matter where you go. If you want a place with delicious beer, head to the Hopleaf (5148 N Clark), which has a great selection of domestic beers and more than 15 Belgians on tap. But if you’d be just as happy somewhere with an interesting atmosphere and crappy beer, go to the L&L Tavern (3207 N Clark). They have a free jukebox and, depending on the time of day, a clientele that includes every sort of person you could imagine. It’s a dive, to be sure. They don’t even have beer on tap, but they do have beer in bottles and they do have whiskey. And, if dive bars are your thing, I urge you to be adventurous and visit Cal’s Liquors (400 S Wells). I’ve never been asked my opinion on which bar has the most disgusting bathroom ever, but when the question is finally asked of me, I know my answer: Cal’s. Yuck. Also, they have beer.

Anything else I should do?

Go to the lakeshore! There’s a bunch of boring history type stuff explaining why Chicago has such an amazing abundance of waterfront parks along Lake Michigan, but rather than dropping actual knowledge on you, I’ll make something up: The ground near Lake Michigan is incredibly porous, meaning any building taller than three stories would be too heavy and would sink deep into the ground. So please, go visit the lakefront, because it is absolutely gorgeous, but don’t build any heavy buildings there. And if that story scared you away from the lakeshore, go visit Millennium Park instead. You can see the lake from there and it even has a big metal bean!

Where the hell are all the Chicago hipsters?

If you’re confused as to why there aren’t more people walking around with mustaches and neon colored sunglasses during the weekend of July 16, that’s because they are all in Chicago’s Union Park at the Pitchfork Music Festival. Relatedly, if you see a group of guys walking around downtown with long hair and no shoes on, please say hello to the Fleet Foxes for me.

2011 King of Clubs versus Seattle Sounders

TheTimbers Army and 107ist have joined a coalition to launch AC Portland Centers at six locations this fall.

AC Portland partners with a host school and to provide an after-school program focused on literacy. poetry, nutrition education, mentoring, and fundamental soccer.  The goal is to create community athletic clubs where soccer is used to inspire kids while nurturing creative expression, family engagement and community involvement.

Delegates from the 107ist have spent much of June recruiting 50 business and civic leaders from the Portland area to support the project.   Partners include Adidas, the Timbers, the Oregon Sports Authority and the U.S Soccer Foundation.

The program kicks off Friday morning with a breakfast in North Portland and a groundbreaking ceremony at James John Elementary School at 7439 N Charleston Ave.  The ceremony will mark the building a new field at the school, powered by the Timbers Army, 107ist and Operation Pitch Invasion.  For more information, click http://acportland.org/.

Sunday represents a huge day for Portland and the Timbers. The upcoming match against the Seattle Sounders will be the biggest and most intense event to happen at Jeld-Wen Field to date this season. We want everyone to know that the expectation is there to show up, sing, and participate fully on Sunday as well as have a good time doing so.

In order to make sure the day goes without problems the 107ist leadership does have expectations. Please do not bring any Seattle supporters into the Timbers Army section even if they are your friend/brother/uncle/cousin/etc. The Timbers Army section is for Timbers supporters and away fans have their own section reserved for them. This is the case for every game, but it needs to be emphasized for this match in particular and understood that it will be enforced and Seattle supporters will be redirected to the away supporters section.

Please refrain from interacting with any Seattle supporters in and around Jeld-Wen Field. We realize everyone will be up for this match, but we mustn’t let emotions get the best of us. Direct your emotions in the form of support for the Timbers. Act accordingly in this regard and please make sure to spread the word amongst your friends and fellow supporters to ignore all Seattle supporters.

As many of you know the Timbers Army polices its own section and values the trust the Timbers front office has placed in us to do so. This is a privilege that is not taken lightly. Follow the code of conduct in the Guest Guide for Jeld-Wen Field and realize that not following the code puts you at risk of being ejected from the match on Sunday, receiving a multiple match ban, or a permanent ban from the stadium in addition to being banned from all organized 107ist away travel trips and all Timbers Army organized events.

Please enjoy yourself on Sunday. Support the boys on the pitch with everything you have and let’s all work together to make sure this is a memorable day for all of the right reasons.

After tomorrow's América friendly, and ahead of Sunday's Cascadia Cup match, you'll undoubtedly need a PTFC fix. Well, you're in luck, because on Friday, July 8 the Portland Timbers U23 host Abbotsford Mariners in Camas, Washington.

Ricky Abrego's beard (and Ricky Abrego) in action against Washington Crossfire last month. Timbers U23 dropped 2 points in a 3-3 draw with the poor Crossfire, the latest disappointing result in a shaky title-defense season. Photo by Allison Andrews, SoccerCityUSA.com

Kickoff is set for 7pm at Doc Harris Stadium, home of the CHS Papermakers (alma mater of U23 stars Brent Richards and Nick Palodichuk, and one of the truly great scholastic nicknames). The match is being hosted by the Camas/Washougal Soccer Club; tickets are $5.

For a pregame taste, you can join the Northern Alliance (Washington-based Timbers Army) at Adams St. Bar & Grill (322 NE Adams St. in downtown Camas, across the street from the paper mill), starting at about 5pm.

Timbers U23 are currently in third place in the PDL Northwest Division, three points behind Victoria Highlanders, and a full 15 points behind undefeated division leaders Kitsap Pumas (with a game in hand on both). There are only five games remaining, and the kiddos - Bonsai, Saplings, whatever you want to call them - need your support to finish in second place and make the playoffs.

On top of that, this game is your last real chance to see the U23s this season: Sunday's game in Hillsboro (vs Whitecaps Residency) is the last home game of the season, and kicks off at 3pm, just as the Big Timbers game vs seattle will be ending. So thanks to unfortunate scheduling, this is the effectively the last chance Timbers fans will have to support the team unless they make the playoffs and host a game (neither of which is a certainty).

See you in Papermaking country!

—by Chris Rifer

The Portland Timbers’ lack of confidence did them in again on Saturday night. On an evening where Portland played 75 minutes of solid soccer, the Timbers were beaten by conceding two early goals in the other 15.

The first came in the 15^th minute, as C.J. Sapong shook off an uneasy tackle attempt by Eric Brunner, turned, and struck a modestly-paced low ball. Troy Perkins, the Timbers’ netminder who at times this season has been a savior for the Timbers, was surprised by the shot and let what should have been a routine save pass him by.

The Timbers were shell-shocked and paid the price just four minutes later, as a Kansas City long throw bounced in the middle of the box before finding the head of Sporting KC center back Aurellien Collin, who nodded it past a stagnant Timbers defense to deepen Portland’s grave.

Over the next 25 minutes Portland played like a team trying not to get blown out of their own building. While it wasn’t all bad, the Timbers proceeded largely without life or dynamism. Harmless possession and hopeless balls forward by Rodney Wallace became the meat and potatoes of the offense, as the outcome already seemed assured.

A shot of life, though, would come in the 45^th minute, as Darlington Nagbe scored the best goal of the year by a Timber. After Sporting keeper Jimmy Nielsen punched out a Jack Jewsbury free kick, Darlington Nagbe juggled the ball and volleyed it beautifully from the corner of the box into the far upper corner of the net.

The Timbers came out with a bit more inspiration in the second half, but couldn’t quite find the equalizer. Jorge Perlaza made several nice runs, once sending a ball from 20 yards out just over the bar, and another time having a hard shot saved at the near post by Nielsen.

The equalizer wouldn’t come, however, and as one last Jack Jewsbury effort from distance went tantalizingly wide, it was clear that Portland was destined to drop three more points at home. The loss puts Portland in the unenviable position of heading into a rivalry match completely devoid of belief. Then again, what better way to break out of a funk then to beat your hated rival at home?

Match Observations

• I don’t think lineup changes are necessarily the cure to what ails the Timbers right now. I think this is just something that they have to play through. The problem is that this team has lost its swagger. It is evident not only in how they have responded to goals—which recently has been to go into a shell—but also in how they respond to smaller bits of adversity through the match. There were a number of times in the match on Saturday where it felt that the Timbers had an opportunity to pin the Wiz in their own end and really shell the defense, but each time Portland would lose possession and seemingly immediately retreat into the midfield. There was very little “Screw that, I’m winning this ball back or picking up a card trying!” It’s not as much a problem of personnel, with one notable exception, but a problem of mentality. Obviously things are really bad right now, but I think a good week of practice and a speech a little bit like this may be what is needed to prepare the boys to beat the Flounders next Sunday.
• Over the course of the season Captain Jack has probably been the Timbers best player thus far, but the lack of on-field leadership was striking after the first goal. Jack hasn’t been that rock of a leader that he was in the beginning of the season, and the other guys that you would typically look to on this team to provide that leadership—namely Troy Perkins and Kenny Cooper—haven’t stepped up either. Perkins was better after the second goal, when he brought the team together, but at that point the hole was too deep. Right now this team is mentally weak, and until they recover the confidence to play through some adversity this kind of a result is inevitable.
• Finally, a word about the Army. One of the coolest things about the season opener in Denver was the reaction of the travelling Army to adversity on the pitch. With every goal there was a moment of shock, then the Army would just sing louder. I think we’ve lost that a little bit. Maybe my perspective was polluted by the high schoolers in front of me who spent much of the match making out, but at times we seemed to mirror the play on the field rather than affect it. We have the responsibility of helping to pick our boys off of the mat sometimes, and our ability to do that in the past has been part of what makes the Army the best group of sports fans I have ever been around. Let’s get back to that next week and will our boys to a huge victory.

Timbers Grades

Troy Perkins, 4.5 Played a pretty game second half, coming up with a few nice saves to keep the Timbers in the match, but he takes the majority of the culpability for the first goal. Simply should have been saved.

Rodney Wallace, 4 Like Perkins, was better in the second half, and didn’t have any major defensive gaffes like he has in the past couple matches, but was catastrophic coming forward in the first half. How many needless giveaways did he have? His quality on long balls is poor, and yet he is undeterred. Jeremy Hall was just okay on the right, but if I’m John Spencer I’m trying to figure out if either Hall or Steve Purdy are viable options on the left, because Rod isn’t right now.

Futty, 5 Futty was fine. Almost got his head on a couple set pieces, and was quiet in back—and I mean that as a compliment.

Eric Brunner, 4 What responsibility Perkins doesn’t have for the first goal belongs to Brunner, who whiffed on the tackle that allowed Sapong to turn. Otherwise wasn’t bad, but conceding that first goal was huge.

Steve Purdy, 5.5 Purdy had a decent outing. Did well getting forward at times, and was pretty reliable in back. I thought it was harsh to take him out of the lineup a few weeks back, and I think on Saturday he showed why he deserves to be an everyday starter.

Kalif Alhassan, 4.5 Needs to improve defensively, as he was again exposed on a couple occasions. Otherwise struggled a bit, although I’m starting to think when you have to pair with Rod Wallace for extended periods, it may be tough not to struggle.

Diego Chara, 5 Was again active in the midfield without having much to show for it. It seems that sometimes he is getting a bit frustrated with the lack of movement, as the typical Chara pose is looking upfield with his palms to the sky in bewilderment.

Jack Jewsbury, 4.5 Had a decent second half, and was less than a foot from equalizing late, but he was troublingly flat footed on the second goal, which was one of the softest goals the Timbers have conceded this season.

Darlington Nagbe, 6 How fantastic was that goal? Was nice to see Nagbe open up his account so brilliantly, and I loved his reaction of trying to rally the boys afterward. Something tells me that if the Timbers can right the ship, Little D may play a starring role.

Jorge Perlaza, 5.5 Frankly, was unlucky not to score. His strike in the second half that was saved near post was destined for the net before Nielsen came up huge. His movement was again good, as he looked to be the Timbers most threatening player for much of the match.

Eddie Johnson, 4.5 Was better in his second half stint than he was in the first half. Kenny Cooper detractors won’t like hearing this, but Cooper has to be the starter. Johnson just doesn’t create much of a target up front.

Kenny Cooper, 5.5 I thought it was actually a pretty nice outing in relief from Kenny. His movement was good, and seeing him come in for Johnson reminded me that he plays the ball well to other players at times, primarily to his strike partner. Having another big target in the box also changed the offense for the better.

Sal Zizzo, 5 This move was fine. Kalif really hadn’t contributed a ton, and Zizzo had a couple nice runs into the interior. Remember how dynamic the partnership between he and Purdy was in the Cascadia Summit? That might be worth exploring again in some form.

James Marcelin, 4.5 Marcelin really didn’t have much of an impact, and I thought in replacing Nagbe with Marcelin the Timbers lost a lot of dynamism. I understand that Spencer is trying to change the shape a little with that substitution, but ultimately this was a defensive substitution at a time when the Timbers needed offense.

Onward, Rose City!

The following is by Shawn Levy, Timbers Army elder, capo emeritus, and board member of Operation Pitch Invasion

About three years ago, when it became evident that MLS2PDX was likely and that the Timbers Army would become a much bigger entity than any of us imagined, those of us who worked on the day-to-day business of the TA got together to ponder the question of what we might do with all the positive power, energy, communitarianism and goodwill that a massive Timbers Army would comprise.

Suppose we could bottle the spirit of the TA -- the team/town/TA triangle, OUR THING -- and do something with it, we asked ourselves. What would it look like, how would it work, what would we do?

What followed was a good 15-18 months of careful building of what became 107ist -- the most non-hierarchical, non-structured entity that we could establish under Oregon law, and a vehicle for all of our creativity, passion, entrepreneurialism, desire to work with management and the community, and so forth.

But at that very first meeting, our very own future billboard model Nando Machicado volunteered the first suggestion of what to do with all that energy that we were hoping and preparing to marshal: restore and maintain soccer fields in the Portland Public Parks and Schools.

That inspiration was greeted with unanimous acceptance, and even through the various spasms and backslides that characterized the creation of 107ist, that inspiration remained our guiding star. It's not too much of an exaggeration to say that 107ist was created in order to realize that vision.

Well, Operation Pitch Invasion is the fruition of that vision: the use of Timbers Army fundraising, sweat equity and deal-making to give back to the community in the form of quality places to play the game. And it is about to launch. And we want you involved.

Operation Pitch Invasion (OPI) is a separate entity from 107ist for legal, financial, taxation and management purposes. It has a different board, different bylaws, different tax status with the IRS. But it is exactly what Nando proposed on that day: a means for the Timbers Army to give back to the community about which it sings so ardently by building and caring for soccer fields where the Timbers Army and its children and grandchildren can play the game we love, and where, we hope, future Timbers will learn the game -- from current and past Timbers and members of the Timbers Army.

OPI is a project of 107ist, which has given it seed money and will be one of its principle funders over time. This year, OPI will be small because it only just got its tax certification (and thus missed out on a lot of 2011 charitable giving opportunities), because there have been so many other things to take care of with the arrival of MLS, and because the founders wanted to make sure that it was ready for its close-up before unveiling it to the larger group. Now we’re ready, and we've got plans.

On July 16, we will be doing our first project -- a dry-run of sorts: restoration and maintenance of existing fields at Ed Benedict Park (SE 100th Ave & Powell Blvd.). The following week, OPI will be part of 107ist's contribution to the labor at James John Elementary School, one of the AC Portland sites. In August, OPI will do another care-and-maintenance-type project with the Portland Parks. And in the fall, we will build our first fields at a park in SE Portland. In coming years, with fuller budgets and more experience, we may do as many as 15-20 projects per year; the region isn't running out of parks or schools with crappy fields, after all.

I tell you all this because OPI is a project very dear to me and to others in the TA. We have received much from the community and from the organization and from the team, and while we have never been less than vocal about our passion, and while we have done and continue to do MANY good works, we haven't realized the fullest possible manifestation of our civic pride in the community. OPI is the means to achieve this, and it needs the same sort of human effort that we put into our epic gameday support of the team.

Currently, we are taking names of volunteers for the July 16 project. But there is one important caveat: right now, OPI activities are only open to members of 107ist. There are various reasons for this which I'm too tired right now to go into. But it was a measured decision, and as there are more or less 1700 people in 107ist, it's hardly a means of keeping people out: more a strategic means of being able to keep track of who's doing/done what.

So: visit the 107ist member forums and sign up for OPI -- if not the July 16 event, then for one of the events later in the year. And if you have experience in any field that might be of use -- grant writing, project management, landscaping -- please identify yourself to the board (which is Nando, Michael Pearson, Josh Barrett and myself) by writing to board@pitch-invasion.org.

You say you want to help keep the energy flowing in the Eternal Golden Triangle of Team/Town/TA?

You say you want to be buried in Timbers green, that you know you are and are sure you are Rose City till you die, that you're a true supporter for ever more?

Well, this is your chance to show it in a way that all of Portland can see and respect and acknowledge and enjoy. Join, if you haven't already, 107ist, and throw your name, your heart and your muscle into Operation Pitch Invasion.

—by Chris Rifer

The headline about says it all. In an effort that gives the word “uninspired” a bad name, the Portland Timbers were crushed by FC Dallas on Saturday evening.

The match started promisingly. Portland got through the all-important opening 30 minutes of the match on level terms with Dallas. Neither side looked to have a significant advantage as both created a couple chances they couldn’t convert. FC Dallas looked to open the scoring in the 18^th minute, as Jackson Goncalves blasted a pretty right-footed volley off the bar. Just one minute later Portland had its best opportunity as Dallas keeper Kevin Hartman botched a clearance of a Jack Jewsbury corner kick, but recovered in time to parry Rodney Wallace’s shot wide.

Just as Portland escaped the dangerous first 30 minutes and the match seemed to be settling into a nip and tuck affair, Daniel Hernandez sent a brilliant 34^th minute corner kick to the backpost where Zach Loyd got his head to the ball past a failingly flailing Rodney Wallace.

A problem turned into a crisis just five minutes later when Hernandez again sent a corner into the box, finding George John, who slipped by Kenny Cooper, for an all-too-easy header past Troy Perkins.

What threat Portland posed in the first half hour had entirely vanished in the course of six minutes. The once-competitive Timbers retreated into a shell, looking to not cede anymore ground before halftime.

The listlessness of the last 15 minutes of the first half, however, dominated the second half. In the 58^th minute, Brek Shea notched his second goal of the year against the Timbers in cleaning up an Eric Alexander miss off the post.

The response from Portland? A showing of pride? Maybe frustration? Nope. Not a pulse.

Finally, in the 85^th minute, Jackson fired a shot from distance that Perkins couldn’t quite get enough of a hand on to tip over the bar. The result was 4-0, a fitting result to an embarrassing effort.

Ugh.

Match Observations

• After the match I couldn’t help but think back to John Spencer’s introductory press conference, where he said that the one thing that he could promise was that our boys would give everything that had for the shirt. They didn’t on Saturday. That was awful. It was the kind of effort that would make Sounders supporters ask for a refund, and makes Timbers supporters show up the next Saturday and chant their heads off to help pick their boys up off the mat.
• The most disappointing statistic for me was this: 6 fouls. You’re getting punked and you’re only whistled for 6 fouls? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating for the Brian Mullan frustration hatchet job, but 6 fouls shows a troubling lack of aggressiveness. Combine that with the 5 fouls the Timbers were whistled for against New York and a trend begins to emerge. In the last couple weeks John Spencer had advocated patience, but patience doesn’t mean indifference.
• Other than that, I don’t know what there is to be said about the match. In all phases of the game it was a complete and utter failure that, combined with the collapse of the U.S. Men’s National Team, made me spend the rest of the night in my apartment doing my best Troy Perkins post-goal face. For the first time in a while there is general uniformity in the grades. This was a complete team failure.
• One nugget for our glass-half-full friends: Sporting KC comes to town next week! A counter-nugget for our glass-half-empty friends: They have looked halfway decent lately.

Timbers Grades

Troy Perkins, 4 His effort was generally pretty indifferent. The thing that bothered me the most, though, was the decided lack of leadership in back. When the Timbers concede a goal, Troy needs to shelve the pouty face and try to put a heartbeat back in his defense.

Rodney Wallace, 3.5 Want to see one of the more pathetic defensive efforts off of a set piece you’ve ever seen? Look back at the first goal. Oh my goodness.

Futty, 4 I didn’t have very many moments where I noticed him as being individually culpable, but you could have built another Dallas subdivision on the amount of real estate that the striped strikeforce had to run around in behind the Timbers defense.

Eric Brunner, 4 See Futty.

Jeremy Hall, 4 Mr. Cellophane showed he is a lot closer to having his desired superpower than maybe he realizes.

Kalif Alhassan, 4 Got beat a couple times in defense and didn’t make much of an impact going forward.

Diago Chara, 4.5 I at least felt like he was trying. Don’t get me wrong, he wasn’t effective, but at least he was trying.

Jack Jewsbury, 4.5 Had a couple nice moments on set pieces, but didn’t make his presence felt in the center of the field very much.

Darlington Nagbe, 4 You have to wonder how healthy he is after the halftime substitution.

Jorge Perlaza, 3.5 He and Cooper are in a battle for the most offside calls on the team. In that regard, this was a statement match by Jorge.

Kenny Cooper, 3.5 Was culpable on the second goal, as he let George John waltz right by him. Nothing much to speak of coming forward, either.

Adam Moffat, 4 Was exposed in defense a couple times, but on this night, who wasn’t?

Sal Zizzo, 4 When you’re a second half substitution coming on when your team is floundering a little bit, you need to bring a new level of energy to the pitch to try to be a spark. Instead Sal came on and fit right in.

Eddie Johnson, 4 Like his fellow substitutes, failed to genuinely bring anything new to the match.

There's a new internet TV show on the...internet (it can't be on the "air" can it? Media seems to be evolving too fast, the terminology can't keep up). Anyway, it's called "Tell Me About It!" and stars local radio/TV personality Francine Raften. It...streams?...on the Earth2World online network. Francine is a funny lady, who has "spontaneous, uninhibited adventures in Portland and beyond!"

The newest episode of "Tell Me About It!" is all about the Timbers Army; Francine spent a day at the stadium (for the Colorado Rapids game earlier this month) interviewing fans new and old to learn about the history, traditions and character of our big functionally dysfunctional fambly. There's also a segment about the 107ist's recent work with AC Portland, mixed in with game footage and interviews.

My favorite part is Francine's interview with 107ist board member, TA elder, beer guru and billboard model Abe Goldman-Armstrong.

http://vimeo.com/25647333

The entire episode is available here, and it's worth a watch.