Bottom Line: Johan Claesson scored an improbable goal in stoppage time to lift the Portland Timbers to a 2-1 victory over the Austin Aztex in the first ever meeting between the two teams. Just seconds after Austin’s Gifton Noel-Williams leveled the score with a header three minutes deep into stoppage time, Claesson was able to find the goal to as the Timbers (8-1-6, 30pts) extended their unbeaten streak in USL-1 play to 14 games, the second longest streak in league history. Mandjou Keita scored in the 14th minute to notch his league-leading 7th goal of the season. For the next 76 minutes it looked like his goal would stand before the crazy finish in Texas. The Timbers will make one more trip to Austin (3-8-6, 15pts) this year on September 7 and will also host the expansion Aztex on September 7.

Timbers Lineup
GK Cronin, D Hayes, D Keel, D Knowles, D Thompson, M Suzuki (Pore, 59), M Claesson, M McManus, M Farber (Nishimura, 83), F Josten (Savage, 65), F Keita (McLaughlin, 86)

Did you notice…

• Fucking bizarre ending. Coming off the heals of conceding an extra time goal against Minnesota, the Timbers looked doomed to repeat a similar fate when they let Williams score off a corner. Somehow they were able to score before the final whistle. A big three points that lifts them into a tie for first place.

• Keita’s goal was a gift to him thanks to Tony McManus (I think, hard to tell on the buffering-like-crazy ‘puter), who used a slide tackle to free a ball to Keita. Mandjou was clinical in the finish. Truly a goal that came from some skin on the turf.
• The first 14 minutes of the game were all Austin. They had the Timbers on their back heels and were controlling possession. It was something that we haven’t seen happen against Portland in league play in quite a while. Keita then scored and that settled the Timbers down a bit.
• Not the best performance we’ve seen from the Timbers this seen, but good enough. Nice to see them dig one out. Call it a B+ effort and an A+ result.
• Steve Cronin was off his line more than usual. I thought he played one of his better games of the season. When he was needed, he made a few big saves.
• Austin is one of the better looking expansion teams I have seen. They have some talent. Just need a few more pieces. They look like Manchester United when compared to fellow USL-1 newcomers, Cleveland.
• One position I will keep an eye on in the coming weeks is left mid. Ryan Pore was arguably the team’s MVP before he was injured. Takayuki Suzuki has done a very nice job starting on the outside, but does he stay there when Pore is at 100%? Tough call. Suzuki is better at setting up his teammates and he works very well with David Hayes. Pore is a much better finisher and is more capable of stretching the field. Tonight Suzuki got the first 60 minutes and Pore the last 30. I’d expect that ratio to be reversed sometime soon.
• The Timbers haven’t lose in league competition since April 25. That was 14 games and 78 days ago. Remarkable. The league record for unbeaten play was set by Rochester in 1998. I don’t recall how many games those Raging Rhinos went without defeat.
• Love Andy Mac’s photo of the Timbers’ dressing room in Austin. A great blueprint for the away dressing room at a renovated PGE Park.



• Keel and Knowles had their hands full trying to keep Austin’s attack in front of them. Both of the Timbers center backs are so well at positioning that they don’t often get beat, but tonight they struggled a bit one on one.
• Always dizzying watching a soccer game on a football field. Must have been even dizzier for those in the stands who had to put up with the ridiculous Texas heat. Anyone willing to watch sports in near empty stadium in 100-degree temps deserves credit. And a free trip to the psychiatrist.
• Nice to see former Timbers keeper Sam Reynolds playing for Austin. He’s one of the good guys even when he suits up for the enemy.
• Sullivan Silva is a nifty little player for Austin. The Brazilian schooled David Hayes a couple of times, which is something you don’t see happen very often. He’s a player worth keeping an eye on the next few years.
• The Timbers continue their four-game road swing with a pair of games against Miami next weekend. They won’t, but they should stay in Texas and train in the heat.
• That was a hell of a first half of a season. I can’t recall a run of play that has been this good for this amount of games. Much credit to the team and to the coaching staff. They have assembled a team that is fun to watch and that is getting results. I feel a bit spoiled.

Match Reports

• Late Claesson goal lifts Timbers to road win (Portland Timbers)
• GAME RECAP: Aztex surrender stoppage-time goal, fall 2-1 to Portland (Austin Aztex)
• Aztex lose to Portland 2-1 (Austin American-Statesman)

Photo: Alex McDougall

Bottom Line: First half goals by Roger Levesque and Stephen King lifted the Seattle Sounders to a 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers in a US Open Cup match played in front of 16,382 at PGE Park. Levesque, a former member of the USL Sounders, stunned the packed stadium with a goal in the first minute. The visiting Sounders took a two-goal lead in the 26th minute when King struck a shot from outside the box and beat Timbers keeper Steve Cronin. The Timbers pulled one back in the 43rd minute when Mandjou Keita emerged from a scrum in front of the net and poked it past Sounders keeper Kasey Keller. The Timbers were unable to find the equalizer and lost for the first time in 14 games. With the win Seattle advances to the next round of the US Open Cup and will face the Kansas City Wizards.

Timbers lineup
Cronin
Thompson Knowles Keel (Danso 90) Hayes
Farber Claesson Savage (McManus 45) Suzuki
Keita Josten (Nimo 80)

Did you notice…

• As disappointing it is to see the Timbers lose, it was a fantastic night for soccer in Portland and the Pacific Northwest. The atmosphere was outstanding. Both supporters groups sung loud and proud. A lot of new faces showed up to the stadium. This is what a lot of us have worked for for a very long time.
• I give the Timbers credit for sticking in the game. A first minute goal is always deflating and to fall behind by two goals usually means game over. The team fought through the early struggle and played a pretty decent, even game.



• The biggest difference tonight was the central midfield. Claesson and Savage were badly outplayed in the first half. The both are a step slow to be successful playing against MLS caliber players. I thought Gavin Wilkinson made the right move bringing in Tony McManus for the second half. He is a more physical player than Savage and broke up some of the Sounders’ build up.
• Roger Levesque has always killed the Timbers. It was disappointing to see an Oregonian and former University of Portland player Nate Jaqua join in the goal celebration by pretending to chop down Levesque. Until he uses a real chainsaw to do the deed, Jaqua is dead to me.
• I thought Wilkinson waited a little too long to bring in the bench. He didn’t make a substitution until the 80th minute and when he did it was Nimo, who was very effective, for Josten, who had his moments. That left Suzuki paired with Keita up front. Suzuki worked hard, but he isn’t going to get it done late in the game. He doesn’t have the gas. Bringing in Danso as an extra forward was intriguing, but at the 90th minute a bit too late.
• When the Timbers panicked they resorted to the long ball. When they were under control, they rolled it around. For a 20-minute stretch in the first half it was almost all long ball.
• Who shot Sanna Nyassi? There must be a grassy knoll out there somewhere that is hiding the sniper that felled him late in the game. How else can you explain him going down to the turf in a heap with no one around? Whoever threw the empty water bottle from the North End has tremendous aim. Next time throw it at Wilkinson too for letting Nyassi play for the Timbers last season while on trial with Seattle.
• True conversation I had with a Seattle customer fan after Levesque scored:

  Me: Your guy Levesque always kills us.
  Him: Who?
  Me: Levesque. The guy who just scored.
  Him: (Tumbleweeds…)
  Me: The guy who played for your USL side.
  Him: (Deer caught in headlights look)
  Me: Your team. The one you had for a decade or so.
  Him: (Looks like he doesn’t understand English)
  Me: Never mind
  Him: (Relieved look on his face)

Match Reports

• Sounders down Timbers in US Open Cup (USA Today)
• Sounders FC cuts down Portland 2-1 in spirited battle of Northwest rivals (Seattle Times)
• Sounders beat old rival Timbers in U.S. Open Cup (Seattle P-I)
• Sound loss for Timbers (The Columbian)
• Seattle 2, Portland 1: Sounders stun sold-out PGE Park crowd in U.S. Open Cup (The Oregonian)
• Photo Gallery (Allison Andrews Soccer City USA)

Photos: Alex McDougall

The Bottom Line: Mandjou Keita scored a pair of goals and George Josten tallied a pair of assists to lift the Portland Timbers to a 4-0 victory over the Montreal Impact in front of 7,783 at PGE Park on a gorgeous summer Sunday afternoon. Keita started the scoring in the 9th minute when headed home a David Hayes corner kick. In the 47th minute, he picked up another goal on a give-and-go with Josten that resulted in a Keita shot that deflected off an Impact (5-5-2, 17pts) defender and into the goal. Josten set up the third Portland (7-1-5, 26pts) goal of the match when he played a through ball to Brian Farber who beat Montreal Brian Matt Jordan in the 56th minute. The scoring was capped off by an own goal by Montreal in the 64th minute. The victory extends Portland’s unbeaten run in league play to 12 games. It is the second time this season the Timbers have defeated Montreal at PGE Park.

Timbers Lineup
POR: GK Cronin (Visser, 78), D Hayes, D Knowles, D Keel, D Thompson, M Farber, M Claesson (Higgins, 67), M Savage (Cameron, 81), M Suzuki (Nimo, 66), F Keita (McLaughlin, 67), F Josten

Did you notice…

• Nine goals in two games. Gavin Wilkinson has become an offensive mastermind.
• The Timbers took it to a pretty decent Montreal side that entered the game riding a three-game winning streak and that had won five of its past six games. Montreal played most of the match on its heels and collapsed after the second goal.
• I’d say that Keita is ready for prime time. He has found his scoring grove with five goals in three matches. Imagine what he could do if he could stay onside.
• Josten is one of the slowest, least physically capable players on the team, but he has a knack for setting up other players. He is developing into a very handy play maker and strike partner for Keita.
• Heading into a big US Open Cup games against Seattle, it was nice that Wilkinson was able to go to his bench early and save some of his players for Wednesday. I didn’t even mind seeing Shaun Higgins for the first time in 2009. The new rule is that he can only enter the game when there is a four-goal lead.
• Scot Thompson and Cameron Knowles are two USL-era Timbers’ legends. It is easy to lose track of that.
• The next time you watch David Hayes you might want to note where he passes the ball. Almost every time he opts to make the simple pass rather than do something spectacular. That is why he is so effective. It is also why I’d take him lining up over a free kick rather than a guy like Andrew Gregor any day of the week.
• Thumbs up to the dude in the stands wearing an authentic Takayuki Suzuki 2002 Japan World Cup jersey.
• Thumbs down to the dude wearing the Michael Nsien jersey. Can’t we outlaw anything to do with 2006?
• The Timbers won seven games in 2008. They are already there this year with more than half the schedule still in play. There’s a good chance they’ll reach the number of wins in 2007: 14.
• Third in the table with games in hand.
• 270 minutes of soccer makes for a long day but between the U.S. nats almost pulling off an upset, the U23s winning in the 88th minute (Bobby!), and the chainsaw on repeat mode for the senior team, it was a fine way to spend a Sunday.
• Wednesday can’t come soon enough.

Match Reports

• Keita’s brace lead Timbers to 4-0 win over Montreal (Portland Timbers)
• Impact Walloped on Road (Montreal Impact)
• SUPER SOCCER SUNDAY Part 2 – Timbers Destroy Impact 4 – 0 (Dropping Timber)
• Portland 4, Montreal 0: Timbers pay attention, blunt Impact (Oregonlive)
• Fun in the sun as the Timbers beat Montreal 4-0 (Oregonlive Timbers Blog)
• Timbers hammer Impact 4-0 on pair of Keita goals (Soccer City USA)
• Well, Soccer Sunday Had a Happy Ending Anyway. (GK’s Althetic Sippotters)

Photo: Allison Andrews/Soccer City USA

So yeah, taking the US Open Cup a little more seriously might not have been a bad move after all.

A year after fielding a largely reserve squad that proceeded to be bounced from the competition by the amateur side Hollywood United, the Portland Timbers have advanced to the third round of the US Open Cup thanks to a 3-0 victory over the Sonoma County Sol in Santa Rosa, CA on Tuesday evening. George Josten scored in the 7th minute and Mandjou Keita sealed the deal with a late brace to lift the Timbers to a victory over the amateur Sol. This being the US Open Cup, one of the oldest soccer tournaments in the world and one of the most heinously neglected competitions in this country, we could only follow the action 140 characters at a time. Painful

It will be easier to keep abreast of the action in the next round. The Timbers host the Seattle Sounders at PGE Park on July 1. This will be the first time the Timbers will play the MLS version of their longtime rival and you can bet that the park will be abuzzin’ and the players will be aplayin’.

Good stuff.

Timbers press release.

Timbers U23s Lineup (I think)
Staples
Erskine Brown Crasilneck Emory (Flunder 64)
Shergil (Hasson 56) vanSchaik (Harms 72) Kwesele (Warner 60) Guante
Ukah (Youngblood 54) Lopez (Richards 45)

Random observations

• Far and away the most dominating performance I have seen at PGE Park in a long time. Spokane is a team of community college players. The Timbers had four guys who have suited up in the USL First Division and a number of players playing high level Division One collegiate soccer. Could have been 10-0. The final shot tally, Timbers: 34 Spokane: 3. Wow.
• Ukah, who is getting a look from the senior club, didn’t impress me with his speed but his finishing is clinical. He has a strong backside and is good with his back to the goal. He clearly is not a PDL player. I think at this point he could do more for the senior club than Jallow.
• The most talented guy on the pitch was Frankie Lopez. Kid can play. I’d like to see him and Brent Richards play together. Richards set up two of the goals and has a knack for creating scoring opportunities
• The big difference between PDL and USL-1 is the pace of play. It is a lot slower.
• Guante played the full 90 coming back from a leg injury. He looks a little slower but he still is skillful on the ball. Nice to see him out there.
• Interesting watching a game at PGE Park with only a couple hundred people in the stands. Reminds me of the early years. The north end was shut off. Dan Zusman was still out there hunting his season ticket prey. Amos Magee was the public address announcer. Gavin Wilkinson watched from a luxury box. It was all a bit surreal.
• Avneet Shergill made a lot happen on the right side. Oregon State’s Tracy Hasson is a 5′4″ dynamo.
• Your U23s captain is Mutanda Kwesele.
• If Ryan Youngblood finished he would have had 7 goals. Interesting watching a guy who played defense for the Timbers years ago now playing forward.

Final Thoughts: Watching the kids play was a blast. Watching them dominate another team and do so in an entirely entertaining fashion was a bonus. We’re going to win the league.

Match Reports

• Official match statistics (USL Soccer)
• Ukah, Richards lead Timbers U-23s to 4-0 win (Portland Timbers)

The Bottom Line: For the second straight game at PGE Park, Brian Farber and Ryan Pore scored to lift the Portland Timbers to victory. After teaming up to defeat Carolina two weeks ago, the Timbers midfielders provided the goals to top the Rochester Rhinos (3-2-1, 10pts) on Thursday evening in front of 7,556 in Portland. Farber netted the game’s first goal in the 40th minute when he took a pass from Mandjou Keita and scissor kicked it past Rochester keeper Scott Vallow. Playing a man down in the second half, the Rhinos found an equalizer when Darren Kenton knocked one past Portland (2-1-2, 8pts) keeper Steve Cronin after a scrum in front of the goal. In stoppage time, Timbers defender Stephen Keel was shoved in the box, leading to a penalty which Pore calmly hit low and to the left to beat Vallow. With the victory the Timbers extend their unbeaten streak to four games. The loss snaps a three-game winning streak for Rochester.

Timbers lineup
POR: GK Cronin, D Hayes, D Keel, D Knowles, D Thompson, M Pore, M Claesson, M McManus (Nimo, 87), M Farber (Suzuki, 70), F Keita, F McLaughlin (Savage, 65)

Did you notice…

• As luck would have it, I was able to watch the final 10 minutes of the match bootlegged on the computer. Without knowing the context of the game, it looked to me like the Timbers were a hungry team, playing with a sense of desperation to pick up three points at home. They kept up the pressure and lo and behold they got a call at the end.
• If I were a Rochester fan, and thank goodness I am not, I would be upset to have the game end with a penalty. From my Portland fan perspective, it was the right call. Keel was leveled away from the ball behind the play. A cheap shot. The referee certainly didn’t have to call it, but he did. Would he have called it if this game was in Rochester? Probably not.
• Based on the highlight of the first goal by Farber, it looks like it was the result of a great effort from Keita. Nice to see him acting as a playmaker. Nice to see Farber acting as a kamakaze.



• After tallying 24 shots against Cleveland the Timbers took 25 shots against Rochester. That two-game total might surpass all the shots attempted in 2008.
• Rochester was called for 21 fouls. The Timbers were whistled for 10 fouls. At this rate the club might win the sportsmanship award this season.
• I’m interested in hearing your thoughts about the game. Who played well, who didn’t, etc.

  W-I-N
  

  Slicing some wood
  

  Attendance Watch
  2009 Game 1: 8,549 Game 2: 6,742 Game 3: 7,556 Average: 7,615
  2008: Game 1: 10,977 Game 2: 4,921 Game 3: 9,894 Average: 8,597

  Attendance is down but keep in mind last year’s first game was the Timber Jim retirement night and game 3 was against Seattle and the team started with three straight wins and the owner wasn’t being demonized in the press and I actually attended matches and…

  A loss in the family
  I’ve been thinking a lot about family recently. The prospect of becoming a father does that — my wife and I are expecting our first child in November. For many years the Timbers and the Timbers Army has served as my surrogate family. I don’t have any blood relatives on the west coast and I rarely make it home to see my parents. Going to Timbers game has provided me with something that other people get by going to family meals or celebrating holidays with loved ones. Year after year I have returned to the Timbers family. I’ve seen people get older, I’ve welcomed new family members, and I have taken part in celebrations, both joyous and sad. Over time I have come to expect to see the same familiar faces at the games. One of those faces belonged to a man named Howie. The General has stood in the north end for almost as long as I can remember. He’s brought joy, passion, and a warmth to my Timbers experience. Howie recently passed away. His departure is the cause of much sadness. It also has served as a reminder of how lucky I am and how lucky we all are. In good times we have a family to celebrate with. In tough times we have a family to fall back on. At all times will have Howie’s spirit with us. Much more eloquent words here.

  Bottom line: This was a good and much needed three points to pick up. After leaving two points on the pitch in Cleveland, the Timbers beat a Rochester team that is experienced and talented. Points at home are key in this league. Points at home against playoff-bound teams are even more key. The referee might have helped, but based on what I can ascertain the result is justified. Now on to a brutal road trip to play a pair of games against Puerto Rico.

  Match Reports

  • Sad day in Portland gets last minute lift as late PK gives Timbers 2-1 win (Soccer City USA)
  • Official Match Statistics (USL Soccer)
  • Farber, Pore lead Timbers to 2-1 win over Rhinos (Portland Timbers)
  • Rhinos Lose Heartbreaker in Stoppage Time (Rochester Rhinos)
  • Portland 2, Rochester 1: Ryan Pores’ penalty kick feels like victory at PGE Park (The Oregonian)
  • Rhinos lose at Portland on late penalty kick (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
  • Portland Timbers finally get a break (Davidrites)
  • Date night: Timbers soccer (Playing House)
  • Some super photos (Alex McDougall)

  Lead Photo: Allison Andrews/Soccer City USA

  Center Photo: Alex McDougall

  ]]> http://timbers.theoffside.com/match-reports/match-5-portland-timbers-2-1-rochester-rhinos.html/feed 2 http://timbers.theoffside.com/match-reports/match-4-cleveland-city-stars-0-0-portland-timbers.html http://timbers.theoffside.com/match-reports/match-4-cleveland-city-stars-0-0-portland-timbers.html#comments Sun, 10 May 2009 00:53:58 +0000 Bob Kellett http://timbers.theoffside.com/match-reports/match-4-cleveland-city-stars-0-0-portland-timbers.html Bottom Line: The Portland Timbers traveled to Cleveland to face the expansion City Stars for the first time and came away with a 0-0 draw in front of 1,107 at Middlefield Cheese Stadium. In a game in which the Timbers controlled the run of play for 90 minutes, Portland (1-1-2, 5pts) was unable to beat Cleveland (0-3-1, 1pts) keeper Hunter Gilstrap, who made 11 saves. Steve Cronin picked up his first shutout in a Timbers uniform. He was not forced to make a save all evening. Portland outshot Cleveland 24-4. The Timbers were held scoreless for the third time in four games this season. They also haven’t given up a goal in 3 games. The Timbers and Cleveland will meet again in Portland in September in the final two games of the regular season for each club.

  Timbers Lineup
  Cronin
  Thompson Knowles Keel Hayes
  Farber (Nimo 74) Claesson McManus (Savage 85) Pore
  Keita (Suzuki 70ish) Josten (McLaughlin 55)

  Did you notice….

  • The Timbers dominated the game from the opening whistle until the end. I’d estimate they had possession 75% of the match. Cleveland managed no shots on goal and did not earn a corner kick all night. Just one of those games where domination did not translate until a goal. The Timbers threw everything at the Cleveland goal but just couldn’t crack it. This game was either going to be 0-0 or 4-0. Funny game, soccer.
  • If you didn’t know where this game was being played you might have thought the Timbers were the home team playing with a man advantage. They had the attacking initiative. Cleveland was in bunker mode, seemingly content to play for a scoreless draw — an acknowledgement that this Cleveland team is severely lacking in talent and incapable of stringing together passes.
  • The Timbers did an excellent job moving the ball side to side, using the whole field, especially with diagonal crosses. They had little pressure from Cleveland while on the ball so it gave them plenty of time to find their targets. I did feel that at times the Timbers lost patience in the final third, trying the long ball instead of building the attack.
  • Scot Thompson struggled with his first touch all night. He had a ton of room on the right side but somehow felt the need to rush his every move.
  • Keita continues to create excellent chances but the bottom line is that he has scored zero goals in four games. I can’t help but think that if this was back in the day Alan Gordon or McKinley Tennyson would have scored three goals each against Cleveland. Keita’s finishing, or lack thereof, is starting to worry me.
  • Coming off a good outing against Carolina, George Josten sure didn’t show much in this one.
  • Brian Farber only has one speed: fast.
  • Farber’s replacement, Alex Nimo, showed his first signs of life this season. He had a couple of near chances.
  • The biggest threat to the Timbers backline was boredom.
  • That was a very well officiated game. The blue shirt was barely present. Only one yellow card the whole match.
  • Timbers defender Takuro Nishimura did not make the trip. He was back in Japan getting his work visa straightened out.
  • Do you think Cleveland coach Rod Underwood is proud to have played ten behind the ball all evening at home?
  • Can’t say I feel much love towards Cleveland’s home, Middlefield Cheese Stadium. Watching soccer played on a suburban high school football field leaves a lot to be desired. The narrow pitch makes for bunched soccer. The Green Army, which was pretty ok from what I saw of them last year in the Second Division, were barely present. Pity they don’t have a better place to watch their team. Pity the crowd numbers don’t point to a bright future for the City Stars.
  • Cleveland’s USL announcers were the eternal optimist. Watching their team getting dominated, they kept on finding all kinds of silver linings. Next time I am having a bad day I want them to be nearby to tell me how great my shit smells.
  • First time all year I got to listen to the pregame show on 95.5 The Game. John Strong and Andy McNamara are doing a top notch job covering the team. Think back to a few years ago when you had to climb on top of a mountain with tin foil on your head just to pick up a weak signaled station with Jews for Christ as the pregame show. We’ve come a long way.

  Final thoughts: Frustrating. The Timbers controlled this game for 90 minutes and were clearly the superior team. They just couldn’t finish. A road point is usually acceptable, but in this case the club left two points on the pitch. Cleveland is as bad a team as you are going to see in the USL First Division all season. Plenty of other teams are going to go into their cheese maze and pick up three points. Mark this one as a missed opportunity.

  Match Reports:

  • Timbers finish with 0-0 draw in Cleveland (Portland Timbers)
  • Official Game Stats (USL Soccer)
  • City Stars Earn First Point in 0-0 Draw With Portland (Cleveland City Stars)
  • A Shocking Draw (Soccer City USA)
  • Thoughts from the press box (Ax to the Road)
  ]]> http://timbers.theoffside.com/match-reports/match-4-cleveland-city-stars-0-0-portland-timbers.html/feed 9 http://timbers.theoffside.com/team-news/match-3-portland-timbers-2-0-carolina-railhawks.html http://timbers.theoffside.com/team-news/match-3-portland-timbers-2-0-carolina-railhawks.html#comments Sun, 03 May 2009 04:55:47 +0000 Bob Kellett http://timbers.theoffside.com/team-news/match-3-portland-timbers-2-0-carolina-railhawks.html

  Bottom Line: Ryan Pore set up a goal and scored one of his own to lift the Portland Timbers to a 2-0 victory over the Carolina RailHawks in front of 6,742 at PGE Park. Pore put the Timbers (1-1-1, 4pts) in the lead in the 5th minute when he delivered a cross in the box that Brian Farber headed past Carolina (3-1-1, 10pts) keeper Eric Reed. Pore scored Portland’s insurance goal in the 83rd minute by drilling home a shot from the top of the box off of a pass from George Josten. On loan keeper Chris Seitz made nine saves to pick up his second consecutive shutout. He is expected to return to Real Salt Lake Sunday. The victory is the Timbers’ first at home against Carolina.

  Timbers Lineup
  Seitz
  Thompson Knowles Danso Hayes
  Farber (Nimo, 88) Claesson (Savage, 58) McManus Pore
  Keita (McLaughlin, 68) Josten (Jallow, 89)

  Did you notice….

  • We had to wait 185 minutes to see it, but that first goal was nice. A perfect cross from Pore and a calm finish from Farber. The key, however, was the quick restart by David Hayes after a RailHawks’ foul. It caught the Carolina defense off guard and left Farber unmarked in front of the goal.
  • A lot of credit for the second goal goes to Josten. He held possession of the ball in the middle of the pitch and waited until Pore supported him on the right side. The defense was sucked in and he laid a soft ball right at Pore’s foot.
  • Man of the match from my perch was Brian Farber. Forget the goal (well, don’t completely forget it). He brought a lot of energy to the match. I thought that was important in the second leg of a two-game series. He is the most athletic guy on the club. Reminds me a lot of Bryan Jordan the way he throws his body around and the way he can use his hops to overcome his lack of height.
  • The second man of the match was Gavin Wilkinson. The boss managed a good game. He started Farber. He shook up the attack by playing Josten. He replaced Keel with Danso. All good things. His best move might have been taking Claesson out and putting in Savage early in the second half. Carolina was threatening around the box the first ten minutes of the second half and the Timbers looked tired. Savage came in and brought some much needed energy in the middle of the pitch.
  • Did anybody miss Takayuki Suzuki? He didn’t even dress for this game.
  • The inability of the backline to mark their men on set pieces and corner kicks continues. This could really hurt the team down the line.
  • Seitz was tested a few times but for the most part he had an easy night. I give the guy credit. It isn’t easy to step in and play with a new team, but he did a good job communicating. On loan players don’t always seem interested in winning. He did. Would be nice to see him back in these parts in, say, 2011 when he is a little older and starting to reach his prime.
  • Danso can really move from box to box. Unfortunately he was caught out of position a couple of times. If I have a position that worries me at this time it is the central defender position next to Knowles.
  • If you walked through an old growth forest you wouldn’t be able to tell Carolina defender Brad Rusin (#45) from the trees. I’m surprised he wasn’t blown in half during the wind storm.
  • What a pleasure it is watching David Hayes pass from the backline. He is quality.
  • The USL referees are letting teams play this year. I’m in favor of this. Most of the time when they blow the whistle they have it wrong anyway.
  • Here’s a reason to like Carolina. Their coach Martin Rennie had this to say after the match: “Definitely, we wanted more than one point,” Rennie said. “But from my perspective, I’d rather go and try to win. One win is equal to three draws. So many games in the USL are draws. In certain circumstances, it pays to go for it. You do that, you leave yourself open, and that cost us this game [Saturday]. But I think it’s better to go for it.”

  Can’t imagine Gavin ever saying that.

  Attendance watch
  2009 Game 1: 8,549 Game 2: 6,742* Average: 7,645
  2008: Game 1: 10,977 Game 2: 4,921 Average: 7,949

  * My pregame prediction was only off by 47. This marks the first time in two years I’ve come within 3,000 of the actual attendance.

  Final thoughts: Encouraging. Tonight’s game was encouraging. It was encouraging to see a few goals, it was encouraging to see the manager shake things up, it was encouraging to see that there might be some depth on this roster, and it was encouraging to pick up three points at home. Now it is on to Cleveland where the Timbers need to take advantage of a new team that has given up nine goals in its first three games.

  Match Reports:

  • Official game stats (USL Soccer)
  • Pore leads Timbers to 2-0 win over Carolina at PGE Park (Portland Timbers)
  • Timbers Trim RailHawks, 2-0 (Carolina RailHawks)
  • Timbers get first goal, win (The Oregonian)
  • We Scored Some Goals!!! Timbers Vs. Carolina 5/2/09 (GK’s Althetic Suppotters)
  ]]> http://timbers.theoffside.com/team-news/match-3-portland-timbers-2-0-carolina-railhawks.html/feed 5 http://timbers.theoffside.com/match-reports/match-2-portland-timbers-0-0carolina-railhawks.html http://timbers.theoffside.com/match-reports/match-2-portland-timbers-0-0carolina-railhawks.html#comments Fri, 01 May 2009 05:44:28 +0000 Bob Kellett http://timbers.theoffside.com/match-reports/match-2-portland-timbers-0-0carolina-railhawks.html

  Bottom Line:For the third straight year the Carolina RailHawks and the Portland Timbers played to a scoreless draw at PGE Park. In front of 8,549 fans at their 2009 home opener (0-1-1, 1pts), the Timbers outshot the RailHawks (3-0-1, 10pts) 7-2 in the second half but failed to find the goal for the second straight game. Forward Mandjou Keita finished with six shots on the evening. Keeper Chris Seitz, on loan from Real Salt Lake and filling in for injured starter Steve Cronin, made six saves. The two teams will square off again in Portland on Saturday. The Timbers are 1-2-3 against Carolina all time.

  Timbers Lineup
  POR: GK Seitz, D Nishimura (Thompson, 45), D Knowles, D Keel, D Hayes, M Savage (Farber, 45), M Claesson, M McManus, M Pore (McLaughlin, 84), F Keita (Josten, 84), F Suzuki

  Did you notice….
  USL Live has let me down. The archive of the game isn’t up. For those who saw the game, give me a couple of reasons to watch it if/when it becomes available. The best nil-nil draw ever? The emphasis on the attack is evident and we just need to be patient? All 11 of the Timbers’ fouls led to carnage? Scott Benedetti played the second half? Watching soccer makes beer taste better?

  Damn, where is that game!

  Opening Night Attendance History
  2001, Friday, 12,295
  2008, Thursday, 10,977
  2002, Saturday, 8,775
  2009, Thursday, 8,549
  2007, Saturday, 7,805
  2006, Friday, 5,448
  2005, Saturday, 5,275
  2004, Saturday, 6,891
  2003, Thursday, 5,993

  “Surprisingly large,” exclaims the The Oregonian’s fill in writer. Blazers effect?

  Match Reports:

  • Timbers, Carolina battle to 0-0 draw at PGE Park (Portland Timbers)
  • Official Game Stats (USL Soccer)
  • RailHawks Tie Timbers 0-0 (Carolina RailHawks)
  • Portland 0, Carolina 0: Timbers play to scoreless draw (The Oregonian)
  • Assorted Fan Reactions (Talk Timbers)
  • TIMBERS: 0-0 draw gives Portland its first point (Portland Tribune)
  • Various photos (Flickr)
  • Sports night in Stumptown (The Oregonian)

  Photo

  ]]> http://timbers.theoffside.com/match-reports/match-2-portland-timbers-0-0carolina-railhawks.html/feed 5 http://timbers.theoffside.com/match-reports/match-1-vancouver-whitecaps-portland-timbers.html http://timbers.theoffside.com/match-reports/match-1-vancouver-whitecaps-portland-timbers.html#comments Sun, 26 Apr 2009 03:58:05 +0000 Bob Kellett http://timbers.theoffside.com/match-reports/match-1-vancouver-whitecaps-portland-timbers.html
  Bottom Line: Martin Nash scored on a full volley in the 63rd minute to lift the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 1-0 victory over the Portland Timbers in front of 5,102 at Swangard Stadium. After a scoreless first half in which both teams had a couple of good scoring chances, the game opened up in the second half. Ryan Pore and Johan Claesson both tested Vancouver (1-1-2) keeper Jay Nolly but Portland (0-1-0) failed to score in its season opener. The Timbers have lost 14 of 17 matches in Burnaby and are 4-5-0 in season openers since 2001.

  Timbers Lineup
  Cronin
  Nishimura (Thompson 90) Knowles Keel (Danso 83) Hayes (Josten 90)
  Savage (Nimo 69) Claesson McManus Pore
  Keita Suzuki (McLaughlin 76)

  Did you notice….

  * Simply a world class goal from Martin Nash. Poor clearance from the Portland defense and Nash was able to bomb a full volley past Cronin who had no chance. He did the same thing last season. Nash is a baller. His brother should keep him around in 2011.

  * Two players from last year’s club in the starting lineup. Change we can believe in. Yes we can.

  * Claesson and McManus in the middle. That is a much better combination than Poltl and Higgins and Gregor and Lara and on and on. Claesson looks like class. His foot speed might not be there but he has excellent touch and can play a beautiful through ball and he has a shot.

  * McManus doesn’t wear shin guards? Nutter

  * The first half was all on the right side. It took me about 20 minutes to even figure out Pore was playing left mid. That might have been my unfamiliarity with the squad but it also wasn’t a very balanced half. Better use of the field in the second stanza with Pore creating a couple of dangerous chances.

  

  * The Timbers backline was dominated in the air. Cronin didn’t really establish himself in the box. Does Keel even know how to mark a man on set pieces? This is an area of concern.

  * Nishimura got the start on the right side. Scot Thompson on the bench. The times they are a changing. Nishimura did a decent job accounting for himself. He sure isn’t afraid to push forward. He also unleashed a blast of a shot from about 30 yards out that was almost special.

  * Hayes is going to be a threat on set pieces and corners. Give it time. I believe he was wearing the captain’s armband. Correct me if I am wrong.

  * Death, taxes and Cameron Knowles in the starting XI.

  * The post was Cronin’s friend twice.

  * Suzuki might prove his worth if he has someone next to him that can finish. The jury is still out on whether Mandjou Keita (or is it Keita Mandjou, like the USL announcer kept saying?) will be that finisher. He was not a factor for a large portion of the match and when he was a factor he wasn’t connecting from close in.

  * Typical Gavin Wilkinson move to bring on defenders in the waning minutes of the game with his team behind. Wilkinson’s managerial record against Vancouver: 2-5-2.

  

  * Loved the USL Live broadcast when they went down to the third commentator on the sideline and he looked stoned and lost. Didn’t really love the super, super slow replays that were shown instead of live play.

  * Excellent showing by the traveling Timbers Army. They were visible and loud and praised by the USL announcers for being “well behaved” (after being called out for throwing something on the pitch).

  * Excellent showing at Beulahland. There were more people there than there were in the entire North End in 2001. So many people that I didn’t even notice the two biggest soccer fans on the Portland City Council. They were there, right?

  Final Thoughts: Another season, another loss at Vancouver. At least this one was entertaining. It is encouraging that the team was able to create some excellent scoring changes and not put us all to sleep. That is more than could be said about most games last year. It is also encouraging that the midfield looks much improved. Not so encouraging was the play of the keeper and the backline. The Whitecaps easily could have put in a few more goals. For the first game of the season the effort wasn’t terrible. Time, we need.

  Match Reports:
  * Official Match Report (USL Soccer)
  * Timbers fall in season opener in Vancouver (Portland Timbers)
  * Nash Lifts Whitecaps FC over Portland, 1-0 (Vancouver Whitecaps)
  * Vancouver Whitecaps 1 Portland Timbers 0 (Whitecaps Fan Blog)

  Photos

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