Timbers to face Oregon State, time to sort out the starters

By: Bob Kellett | April 9th, 2008

Day 4 of the Leonard Griffin Watch sees the Portland Timbers traveling to Corvallis to take on the Oregon State Beavers at 7:30 pm. The Daily Barometer student paper offers the only pregame coverage. Will we see Griffin playing for the Timbers this evening? I won’t. I’m not going to the game, but the Corvallis/Scotland branch of the Portland Timbers Offside has received instructions to keep an eye out for him and to report back. One player who will not have the opportunity to school the college kids again is Takayuki Suzuki. The club’s release says he is back in Japan sorting out his visa. Meanwhile, Arsene Oka may or may not show up in the Rose City. I’m starting to wonder if he isn’t just a fictional character created to screw with our minds.

The run against Oregon State will be the second to last of the preseason for the Timbers. At least the second to last that we know of. The club hasn’t exactly been forthcoming with information this year. Regardless, we are eight days away from the opening match against Puerto Rico. If the previous exhibitions have been about fitness, the final two are about winning starting spots.

As we have been told repeatedly this year we are two deep at every position and the competition is fiercer than ever. That means there have to be many positions still up in the air, right? By my calculations I see only three positions that are in question. Let’s break it down.

Write their names in the starting lineup in pen:

Ray Burse – FC Dallas didn’t loan him to sit on the bench. Baring a major disaster, I think he starts on April 17.
Scot Thompson – Do you really think Vardan Adzemian is going to beat him out?
Cameron Knowles – The dude played more minutes than anyone last year. That isn’t going to change.
Justin Thompson – The only thing that will prevent him from starting is one too many trips through the buffet line.
Andrew Gregor – I would hate to be the person to tell Gregor that he has been demoted to the second team.
Shaun Higgins – From what I have seen of the preseason, I think he starts. His competition at left mid may not arrive from New Zealand for another month.
Takayuki Suzuki – If he doesn’t start, there might be a riot.
Chris Brown – Even if Bagley has played better this preseason, Brownie will get a chance to do a heckuva job.

Still up for grabs:

Holding midfielder – Neil Dombrowski or Tom Poltl? Wilkinson loves Dombrowski but can’t keep Poltl out of the lineup. Neither guy has fully staked claim on the position.

Left back – Tim Karalexis or Miguel Guante? Neither has been horrific. Neither has settled my stomach. The wild card, of course, is whether Griffin signs.

Right midfield – Lawrence Olum has gotten the minutes during preseason and he has played fairly well, but something tells me that this position is still a concern for Wilkinson. Jamie Watson might get a crack at it. I think Olum will play a lot this year, I’m just not sure where.

Photo: Allison Andrews/Soccer City USA