Portland Timbers host the Montreal Impact

By: Bob Kellett | August 15th, 2008

There are two ways to approach this. The first is to look at the table, look at the Timbers’ form over the past couple of months, do the math, and conclude that the season is over. The second is to look at the table, disregard the team’s form, forgo any kind of math, and convince yourself that the team can still make the playoffs and from there it could make some noise. With seven games left and the table still jumbled, I prefer the season-ain’t-over option (note: I once drank moonshine made from paint thinner when I was in the Peace Corps). That means Saturday’s game against the Montreal Impact is so huge I will capitalize it. HUGE. And then bold it. HUGE. I’d even add blinking lights if I knew the HTML.

Every game from here on out is pretty much a must win, especially the games at home and especially games against teams that are clustered around the final playoff spots in the table. We haven’t seen the Timbers win a league game at home since April. We have seen the Timbers defeat the Impact already this season.

Brownie’s back
After serving a three-game suspension for his ejection against the Carolina RailHawks, Chris Brown will be available for the Portland Timbers on Saturday. Brown scored the lone goal in the Timbers 1-0 win against Montreal way back on May 30 (that was the game where Gavin Wilkinson was suspended and Montreal outshot Portland 22-7). It was his fourth goal of the season. That was back when he was being played almost exclusively as a striker. Since then he has been shuffled around the field, asked to be more of a playmaker than a scorer, and consequently has just one league goal to his credit. I actually think the suspension will help his game. He played too many minutes early in the year. The time off will help his legs these final seven games.

To some extent, indeed
Montreal Impact coach John Liamniatis on Saturday’s game:

“We’re looking at a team that is struggling to some extent,” Liammiatis says of Portland. “I think you need to knock people when they’re down. We can’t give them a glimmer of hope. We need to come out with intensity and energy.”

The Latest from Lents
Lents neighborhood association president Dewey Akers writes:

I would ask that those that have concerns please contact me so I can compile the concerns for replies. We will have our next meeting August 21st at Boys and Girls Club at 6pm.

There are many concerns both positive and negative and I would ask that people keep their minds open to both sides. This is not about a lose/lose or a win/lose proposition. Anytime we consider changes there are ways to make things a win/win for the entire neighborhood.

For those concerned about how the neighborhood is affected by a stadium I have ask the neighborhoods around PGE Park to give us feedback on the good neighbor agreement that The Beavers have now and how it is working. We also have some suggestions as to mitigation of parking issues that are being reviewed. It is much too early to say how positive or negative any of these situations are. Please get involved and also be certain to be at the upcoming Neighborhood Association General meetings. We will be discussing options and concerns. There will be a mailer coming out to EVERY household around the park from 82nd to 102nd and Powell to Foster that will have a survey and we will discuss the results at the Neighborhood Assn meeting September 23rd at Lents Adventist Church Auditorium 7pm. The location could change due to size of the group so watch ilovelents and the mailer for further details.

I read this and I see the famous Portland neighborhood process at work. It can be both charming and frustrating if you are involved with it. I have a hard time imagining the Lents proposal going forward if there is great neighborhood opposition. I haven’t seen signs of this yet, but if those surveys come back with a ton of negative feedback it will only make things a more difficult sell. I don’t see anything definitive happening until late September at the earliest, but I could be reading this wrong.

Being Gavin Wilkinson
Mate, these past couple of weeks have been a challenge. I haven’t had a certain blogger around telling me what my starting lineup should be. I’ve had to do things on the fly and shuffle around my lads to fill the suspension gaps. Thankfully the sin bin is empty for this game and the guys are ready to save their jobs and their season against Montreal. They know that if they don’t come to play there will be consequences. They know that I will rip them a new arsehole in the Trib. I hate seeing grown men cry, but when you are the boss you have to hold someone accountable other than the boss.

Knington
S. Thompson Knowles J. Thompson Griffin
Guante Brown Poltl Little
Jordan Alvarez

Guess the attendance, win no prize
The forecast for Saturday’s game is 107 degrees. The beer won’t be cheap. The team hasn’t exactly done anything to warrant people turning up to watch them play. I think we’re looking at something along the lines of what we saw last Saturday against Charleston. Let’s save the ticket counters some work and call it 6,283 again.

Match Previews

Timbers host Montreal Saturday on bobblehead night (Portland Timbers)

Montreal coach: We can’t give Timbers ‘a glimmer of hope’ (Portland Tribune)

August 16-17: Lots of ways to get heat stroke (Dave Knows)