Stand Up for the Rose City

By: Bob Kellett | May 6th, 2008

Back in the dark, ugly days when USL Live did not exist, it was next to impossible to scout teams in the USL First Division. You could read the meager game reports provided by the teams, hope that there was coverage in the local newspapers, and read the biased thoughts of fans on message boards, but you could never really get a sense of a team until they came to your town. Fortunately those days are over and we can watch almost every game in the league this season. This has to be a huge help to coaches like Gavin Wilkinson. With his team off this past weekend, I imagine that Wilkinson curled up with his computer and watched Rochester play a pair of games. I sure did. The one thing that really struck me about the Rhinos is that they look like they are lacking in team speed. They have a few individuals with motors - Luke Kreamalmayer and Johnny Menyongar, for example - but overall the team appears to be more Benedetti than Scott with one T.

If I were the boss of the Timbers, and I almost sent in my resume after Agnello was fired, I would field a fast Timbers lineup on Thursday night. Miguel Guante would get the start at right mid. Lawrence Olum would see significant time in the midfield or at forward. Arsene Oka, if he is in fact alive, might even come off the bench. I’d also encourage Mr. Scott with one T to make some overlapping runs. I’d try to stretch out Rochester’s defense and I would wear them down with fitness. I guess I’d also start Dombrowski over Poltl, saving the Bulldog for Saturday’s match in Seattle.

Checking in with the former heroes
It was an ugly scoreline for former Portland Timbers keeper Josh Wicks on Sunday with the LA Galaxy Reserves falling 5-2 to Real Salt Lake Reserves. Wicks let in all five goals, which is approximately the number of goals he yielded all last year while playing for the Timbers. Apparently the Galaxy can’t afford to have a proper reserve squad so they cobbled together a makeshift unit of players who are about as talented as you and I. Bryan Jordan scored for the Galaxy. He has scored three times in four games for the reserves this season, but can’t crack the first team lineup. Also this past weekend former Timbers midfielder Jake Sagare made a triumphant return to the PDL with a pair of goals and an assist to lift the Yakima Reds to glory. Even with all his injuries Sagare is way too good to be playing at that level.

Trivia Time
Which Timbers player moonlights in the real estate industry? Answer below.

What do Lents residents think of the Paulson Plan?
It is pretty easy for many of us to jump on board a plan to boot the Beavers out of PGE Park and to advocate for the Timbers to play in MLS. It is especially easy when the plan involved building a baseball stadium in a neighborhood in which we don’t live. It won’t change my life at all. I’ll root for the Timbers in USL or MLS, and the stadium isn’t going to be near my backyard. Things aren’t quite as black and white when your home sits near the proposed site, as we can see from some of the mixed comments about the Paulson Plan made by Lents residents. The more I look into what happened when I-205 was built right through the heart of Lents, the more I hope that if the stadium project does move forward the people who live in that neighborhood have a firm voice in the matter.

Democracy in Action
From Willamette Week:

One week into WW’s 2008 Best of Portland survey, we’re pushing 600 ballots, and the campaign for Takayuki Suzuki appears to be a smashing success. Timbers fans, fully one-sixth of the ballots we’ve received name Suzuki as Portland’s best athlete.

When 5,000 headed north to watch the Timbers
GoalSeattle looks back at a much, much different chapter of the Portland-Seattle rivalry and a much different era of soccer in the United States.

Whither Tribits?
With the Portland Tribune cutting back on staffing and going weekly, it looks like the Tuesday Tribits might be one of the casualties. The Trib has been good to the Timbers over the years, especially during preseason when information about the club is next to impossible to come by. I know I always looked forward to seeing how much information they could cram into a space about the size of a fingernail.

Those Timbers Army Chants
Want to learn some of the chants that take place at PGE Park? This site might be a resource for you.

Trivia Answer
In addition to being an all around utility player, Shaun Higgins spends his time dabbling in real estate. Good thing he has that huge USL-1 salary to fall back on during tough market conditions.

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