Midseason Report Card: The Defenders

By: Bob Kellett | June 18th, 2008

With the Timbers nearly halfway through their 2008 USL First Division campaign and with the team enjoying a two-week break between games, what better way to pass the time than to hand out some grades? Today’s recipients are the defenders.

Cameron Knowles
After playing every minute of every regular season game in 2007, Knowles is proving to once again be the Iron Man of the USL First Division. Knowles has been on the pitch for the full 90 in all 14 of the Timbers league games this year. That adds up to 42 consecutive regular season games and an amazing 3,780 consecutive minutes. For the vast majority of the minutes this season Knowles has been a steady, no nonsense workman. He isn’t great at distributing from the back, but his toughness in the air and man marking skills are as solid as ever. Most games you hardly even notice the guy is out there and that is a good thing. His grade gets knocked down a tad for his blunder against Rochester and a poor clearance against Vancouver.

Grade: A-

Justin Thompson
The central defender got off to a slow start after entering camp late and coming in with an extra roll of Canadian bacon around his midsection. He has worked himself into shape and is having another decent year in Portland. Fleet of foot he is not, an excellent passer he will never be, but a tough defender who is well positioned he almost always is. And he’s also a danger during his team’s set pieces. His game is a notch below where it was last season, but I expect we’ll see some improvement from him in the second half of the campaign.

Grade: B

Leonard Griffin
Another late arrival to the 2008 Portland Timbers party thanks to a failed stint with the Columbus Crew, Griffin has been the most inconsistent piece of the backline puzzle. Some games he looks like the Leo who played shutdown defense in 2007. Sometimes he has looked disinterested. Some games he looks eager to join the attack. Other games he looks completely out of his comfort zone with the ball at his feet. We’ve seen that Griffin is capable of being one of the better defenders in this league. We just haven’t seen it through the first 14 games this season.

Grade: B-

Scot Thompson
It is easy to take a player like Scot Thompson for granted. He’s been with the club since 2004. He’s played for Bobby Howe, Chris Agnello, and now his former backline mate, Gavin Wilkinson. His speed, which blew us all away when he first stepped foot on the PGE Park pitch, is now simply part of what we expect to see from a Timbers team. His ability to defend one-on-one is a given. His long throw ins, which have created a number of scoring chances, are part of the price of admission. The fact that he is having a very solid season, perhaps one of his best in his five seasons in Portland, is easy to overlook.

Grade: A-

Tim Karalexis
Acquired by the Timbers before the return of Griffin and Justin Thompson, Karalexis has seen bit action in six regular season games. He’s come on as a late game sub at both fullback and forward. He played holding midfielder in the US Open Cup game. He’s played on the inside and the outside of the backline. His monster throw ins have been used as an offensive weapon. All the while, he has done little to distinguish himself nor has he done much to earn our wrath. He’s good in the air, slow of foot, and questionable at passing. In other words, he is a Gavin Wilkinson defender.

Grade: B

Miguel Guante
He’ll get his grade with the other midfielders tomorrow.

Scott Bolkan
He has not appeared in any league games. He did have a tough go of it against Hollywood United in US Open Cup action. Does he have what it takes to play in this league? The jury is still out.

Grade: Incomplete

Vardan Adzemian
Has not played a single minute in league games. Played a single minute against Juventus Primavera. The good news is that the tab for his salary is being picked up by the LA Galaxy.

Grade: Incomplete

Overall
The back four set the bar very high with their performance in 2007. At the midway point this season they are a notch below that record setting effort. For the most part they have been well organized, but unlike last year where they had a keeper who bailed out their rare mistakes, they have been burned when there have been defensive breakdowns. As a unit, this is still one of the better ones in the league. It is hard to argue with giving up less than a goal per game. Perhaps the biggest knock on the bunch is that they have not been very effective at starting the offensive buildup. Without speed up top to chase down their errant long balls, they are being exposed for what they are: solid, professional defenders who struggle to pass. I also hate to think what will happen if there are multiple injuries to the starters. The depth is simply not there.

Overall Grade: B

Previous report cards
The goalkeepers
The forwards