I didn’t make this one so know inane insightful commentary from me. I will say that a two-day attendance total of 25,722 is impressive. Definitely a winning week for soccer in the Rose City.

Next up: @Minnesota on July 4. Kicks off a stretch of four games on the road before the team returns to PGE Park to play Puerto Rico on July 23.

Match Reports

• Visser, Jallow anchor Timbers win over Bayern Munich II (Portland Timbers)
• Reserves for Timbers pass German test (The Oregonian)
• Photo Gallery (Soccer City USA)
• Timbers 2-0 over Bayern Munich II (Dropping Timber)

Photo: Alex McDougall

My only complaint is the date. The Timbers are on the road in Minnesota two days after the exhibition. I guess the prospect of a huge Thirsty Thursday pre-4th of July weekend crowd is the reason.

I under$tand why these game$ are $cheduled, but anyone el$e growing a little tired of Mexican friendlie$?

*
Suzuki lifts Timbers to preseason win over OSU.

Yes, that Suzuki. Timbers pick up their first win of 2009. We’re going to win the league. The Pac-10 is all ours.

Timbers keeper Steve Cronin started back on the 20th against the Red Bulls and, despite not having a whole lot to do, still did it well and picked up the clean sheet. Brian Visser got the nod for tonight’s match against the Pilots but was injured in the 31st minute during a collision with UP’s Collen Warner. Cronin came in and again, lacking a whole lot to do, collected the second shutout in a row. Visser received a gash over his eye and I later heard one of the University security personnel saying somebody was getting stitches, which I assumed was him.

UP’s sophomore All-West Coast Conference First Team forward Frankie Lopez is really fast.

Alex Nimo moved the ball very well on the right side after his introduction in the second half. His dribbling gave the fans–both Timber and Pilot–a lot to get excited about and provided good service to the middle from the wing position. His family and cheering section is pretty awesome, too.

Trialist Takuro Nishimura started again at left fullback and put in another reliable performance for 75 minutes before being substituted by defender David Hayes, who arrived in Portland this week. Nishimura even managed a shot from distance late in the first half and frankly, you gotta love it whenever one of your backs gets a pop on frame.

The Timbers wore their new black alternate kits for the first time this season. They look pretty damn sharp.

Pilots keeper Austin Guerrero, all-league honorable mention, made eight saves and got really busy late in the first half, but held his own and earned a clean sheet for himself.

No matter how hard you try, you will never get a penalty call in a preseason friendly. Similarly, if you are the goalkeeper and you are holding the ball a half yard outside the box, you will also not be adjudged to have committed a foul. I’m just saying.

The Timbers managed 13 shots against the Pilots and controlled the tempo of the match. A goal, from anybody, would have been a nice way to cap off the evening, but all in good time when the matches really matter…

So, Timbers Offsiders, based upon what you have seen under the lights at Merlo Field, which player has really got your attention in the preseason? Being a 5′-6″-ish (recreational) midfielder myself, I tend to notice the short wingers, especially when they dribble really well and come back on defense. Alex Nimo is a lot of fun for me to watch. I also like the fact that when Tony McManus got mauled to the turf during the Red Bulls contest last week, he just kept scrapping until he got back to his feet. How ’bout you? I’d love to get your take on the Timbers three weeks in…

* Expect San Jose to be more cohesive and more teamy (A term that only true soccer fans such as Mr. Fish and Ms. Fritz can understand). The Quakes have been at it in training for weeks now. They have thrown on their kits and battled it out in six other meaningless matches. They know the routine and each other. The Timbers on the other hand just opened camp this week. The team has about 9 million new players, most of whom play the exact same position (didn’t we try this same stack-the-midfield approach last year?). You can hardly expect a new team that isn’t match fit to play at an especially high level.

* Who makes this trip? I can’t imagine the club paying for everyone to board Southwest Airlines, fly to Silicon Valley, spend a night in a hotel, and eat using their $30 per diem. Does the boss take along his proven veterans or does he use this game as a chance to see what his new players are all about?

* Who gets the minutes in the midfield? Good God, this team has even more midfielders than there are Timbers Army members who are going to name their first newborns “Dan Saltzman”. The first preseason match shouldn’t reveal the pecking order, but it should give an indication of who Gavin Wilkinson is most interested in testing out.

* Does the team bring along a backup keeper or is that a more difficult hole to fill than $15 million in financing?

* The kits. Maybe I have missed this but have the new kits been revealed yet? What will Nike’s paper mache look like this year?

* Pay attention to everything but the final score. The result is not important. That shall be the mantra throughout this preseason. This team has undergone a dramatic face lift. It will take time for it all to come together.

I just got a head’s up from Ticketmaster that the Portland Timbers are scheduled to play a pre-season friendly against the MLS NJ/NY Red Bulls on Friday, March 20th, Merlo Field at the University of Portland campus. Kick-off is 7:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale via Ticketmaster tomorrow (Monday, March 2nd) at 10:00 a.m.

I don’t see any mention of it on the Timbers website, nor is it specifically mentioned on the Red Bulls website, but I do see that NJ/NY play in Seattle March 19th, so it seems to make sense they would make another stop along the I-5 corridor.

Does this count as my first scoop or did everybody know about this and I just got the memo? Just wonderin’…

Timbers Lineup:
Knighton (Harrison 81)
S. Thompson Knowles (J. Thompson 45) Karalexis Griffin (Oka 45)
Guante Poltl Dombrowski (Little 45, Walker 58) Higgins
Olum (Brown 69) Alvarez (Tototi 81)

Did you notice….?

* The majority of the first half was tightly played with little in the way of scoring opportunities for either side. Play opened up toward the end of the half with Knighton being forced into a pair of reaction saves. The Timbers best scoring chance was when Alvarez worked himself into a cross that Miguel Guante nearly headed home.

* For a three-minute stretch in the second half it was like being back in 2003 all over again with Bryon Alvarez leading the charge. The guy still struggles with his first touch and he is prone to picking up cheap, bad fouls, but he showed flashes tonight of why he is the Timbers all-time leading goal scorer. He certainly hasn’t made it easy for Gavin Wilkinson not to sign him. Would he contribute more to the team than a fourth keeper? Affirmative.

* After the Timbers scored things got really chippy with both sides barking at one another and the referee. No surprise that it was Tom Poltl who was in the center of a near melee. Poltl had himself a nice game after a few weeks off for his red card suspension.

* With Lawrence Olum wearing his #15 shirt, Alvarez wore #21, the same number Alan Gordon wore. His name was on the back, interpret that as you will. Olum’s #15 was ripped in half in the first half, continuing the Timbers season-long string of mutilated kits.

* The best part about this game: Gavin Wilkinson used all seven of his subs. He finally treated an exhibition game like an exhibition game. Chris Brown didn’t play big minutes, Takayuki Suzuki didn’t even dress, and guys like Oka and Olum got a nice little run. I just wish he had gone the same route with the other friendlies.

* Bryan Little left the pitch with an injury after playing about ten minutes in the second half. I didn’t see what he injured, it happened during the Alvarez goal.

* Lawrence Olum is gangly and doesn’t always make good decisions, but he at least makes things happen when he plays forward. He is just about the only player on the roster who is able to win balls in the air after long goal kicks. I’m not saying he is the answer, but he certainly is an option I’d like to see get a chance up front.

* The game ended with Poltl, Oka, Totori, and Walker on the pitch. That is the shortest team in Timbers history. Possibly the fastest too, if you remove Poltl from the equation.

* My sense is that Justin Thompson has fallen out of favor and that is why Karalexis got the start. Karalexis was steady in the back. Scott Thompson was actually the weak link tonight. He was burned a few times and was lucky that he wasn’t called for a penalty in the box in the second half. It was nice to see Knowles sitting on the bench in the second half. The dude deserves a few minutes off each season.

* I laughed in the first half when the Timbers finally won a corner kick and no one went over to take it. Gregor, Suzuki and Brown were nowhere to be seen. Neither was Kiki Lara. After much discussion and about 45 seconds, Guante drew the short straw and trotted over to the corner.

* This was a much different crowd than the one that showed up for Morelia. There weren’t a lot of Tigres fans, but there were quite a number of Mexican fans wearing Chivas, Cruz Azul, Mexican national team shirts, etc. A nice showing for a Tuesday night — 8,375 total.

* Apparently Tigres isn’t a big enough club to warrant the covering of home base.

Final Thoughts: – That was a nice change of pace. Instead of watching frustrating ugly soccer for 90 minutes, the fans tonight got to see a little bit of positive action. Alvarez will get the headlines and deservedly so, but to me it was simply enjoyable to see the Timbers maintain possession from time to time. It was enjoyable to see the Timbers display a little bit of creativity in the attack. It was enjoyable to see a team play with a bit of pace. Sure, this was merely an exhibition match and Tigres didn’t field its best team, but the way this season has gone we’ll take what we can get. Now it is on to Atlanta and Charleston with the hope that the lads are feeling a little better about themselves.

Match Reports (I’ll update when I see them or when I wake up)

Timbers beat Tigres in exhibition game (The Oregonian)

Portland Timbers 2 – 0 Tigres (Pierden, pierden, pierden y ni un golecito) (El Siglo de Torreon)

Alvarez leads the way as Timbers win exhibition match (Portland Tribune)

Photos of the game (Soccer City USA)

Photos: Oregonian Flickr

What can expect from Tuesday’s contest? More of the same, I suppose. The Timbers have a tough road trip ahead, playing in Atlanta on Friday and Charleston on Saturday. That would lead most humans to believe that Portland will play a makeshift lineup and rest some of the starters. At least that is the theory. The way things have played out this year we could very well see Chris Brown going the full 90, etc, etc.

As for Tigres, this is their final exhibition match before the Mexican season starts next weekend. They played on Sunday in Sacramento. This will be little more than a training game for them. If nothing else, they will offer fans at PGE Park the opportunity to see a bit of attractive soccer, something that has been on rare display this season.

When Brad Knighton speaks
You listen. I love how he is asked about getting up for big games (exhibitions!).

Being Gavin Wilkinson
Mate, there is nothing more in life that I enjoy than a nil-nil soccer game. Keeping the ball out of the net is the name of the game. Purefuckingbeauty. The Big Bossman doesn’t see it that way and since his daddy is the one who signs the currency I have to find someone who can score goals for my team. That Jordan kid was a decent plug in the dike for a few games. Good thing I kept his number in my rolodex. Let’s see, who else can score goals. Let’s look under “A”. Afash, Fadi. Now there was a baller. I wonder when he is up for parole. Alvarez, Byron. Grrrrrr….kid could play at one time, but we never really habloed mano y mano if you know what I mean. He is in the area so I’ll save money on long distance charges. What the hell? Our winning streak in meaningless exhibitions has already come to an end. I’ll give him a run against those Mexican Tigers, along with these guys:

Knighton
Adzemian Knowles Karalexis Griffin
Olum Brown Poltl Little
Alvarez Walker

Predict the attendance, win no prizes
Another gorgeous day in the Rose City and another Mexican team is in town. While the fans came out of the woodwork for the Morelia match, I’m not convinced a Tuesday night game that hasn’t gotten much media attention (at least English language media) is going to be quite as big. Plus there’s exhibition fatigue. I know I’m not alone in feeling it. Let’s call it 7,432 and hope for more.

Match Previews

Timbers three-match week begins with Tigres (Portland Timbers)

Timbers to face Tigres’ crop of international talent (Portland Timbers)

Alvarez back with Timbers — for at least one more game (Portland Tribune)

¿Será el tiempo de los jóvenes? (Solo Tigres)

The Portland Timbers spent their Independence Day weekend losing to Monarcas Morelia 2-0 on Thursday in Portland and 3-1 on Sunday in Seattle. The Timbers will interrupt their crucial stretch of Mexican preseason futbol when they face the Puerto Rico Islanders on Thursday before taking on Tigres next Tuesday. What did we learn from this weekend? Same ol’, same ol’. On Thursday the Timbers struggled in the attack, were burned on a couple of defensive mistakes (someone needs to surgically remove Leonard Griffin’s head from his arse), and the crowd was far better than the play on the pitch. On Sunday, well, who knows? The team hasn’t offered any updates. There is a match report on Talk Timbers and talk of a Mystery Man goal scorer so that is intriguing. (UPDATE: Recap in Spanish) There is also talk of about 3,000 showing up in Seattle, which hardly seems like a crowd worth the effort of making the trip to burn out the starters in an unnecessary game.

I won’t harp on this again until he plays 90 against Tigres
Explain this one to me. Chris Brown was in great form in the first half against Hollywood United in a match that actually had meaning. He was pulled at halftime, presumably to save his 30-something body from wear and tear. The Timbers went on to lose. Against Moreila in a game that didn’t count, he played the full 90 while there were players three deep on the Timbers’ bench. Brown also played a full match against Juventus Primavera and probably played the entire game against Moreila in Seattle too. I can understand giving Brown a little run against a good team, but the full 90? I don’t get it. What’s there to gain from playing an injury-prone player so much in game that means nothing? Your answer: not a damn thing.

Attendance records here we come
Last year the Timbers drew 95,592 fans to PGE Park for the 14 regular season matches and 27,091 for the 3 exhibitions (excluding the October match against Toronto) for a total of 112,683. Through 9 regular season matches this year the Timbers have drawn 62,433 and another 20,067 for the 2 exhibitions for a total of 82,500. With 6 more regular season matches and a friendly against Tigres they need to average 4,311 per game to top last year’s record-breaking attendance numbers. That will happen.

The past five league games
Portland: 1-2-2, 6GF, 8GA
Puerto Rico: 3-2-0, 6GF, 5GA

The Mutha of all Road Trips
Check out Puerto Rico’s July schedule. They play six games, all on the road. Your standard Miami to Montreal to Portland to Charleston to Carolina to Minnesota road trip. That is brutal.

Still in third
And yet another weekend passed with the Timbers holding on to the third spot in the USL First Division table. The Timbers have held the third spot since late May despite going goes 2-5-2 in that time span. Every team in the league except Miami FC has at least a game in hand, but that doesn’t seem to matter much this year. The league is extremely mediocre with the second place team and last place team separated by just 9 points. The Timbers have given me no indication to think that they are poised to to go on a late season run, but if there ever were a year to overcome an average start with a late run to the top it is this one, odds be damned.

Photo: Allison Andrews/Soccer City USA