When Thursday Comes

By: Bob Kellett | April 24th, 2008

It seems like every year the two biggest papers in town pick a Timbers theme and run with it. For a couple of year the theme was Scott Benedetti is really, really old. And then it became Chris Agnello is really, really new. And last year it was Gavin Wilkinson is really, really new and really, really better than Agnello. This year’s early story du Jour is that Timbers goalkeeper Ray Burse is really, really studious. You can compare the Portland Tribune’s version of this story with the one that appears in The Oregonian today. The other sub theme is that Burse isn’t happy to be in Portland. I can understand that. He left Ohio State early to go to MLS and he thought he would start for FC Dallas this year. He should be disappointed. He should also know that while it might seem like he is taking a step backward, the level of play in the USL First Division is not far below that of MLS and it is much, much better than what you see in MLS reserve games. There have been plenty of keepers over the years who have played in the USL and who have gone on to win starting jobs in MLS. If Burse is truly a learner, he will recognize that, work his ass off, and appreciate his opportunity to play for great fans in Portland.

Chris Brown, unflappable
Timbers forward Chris Brown talks about his goal in the opener against Puerto Rico and about the games this week on the team website. He even keeps on going after getting hit by a ball during the interview. What a professional.

Takayuki Suzuki, diplomat
Here is a picture that was recently snapped at the Consulate-General of Japan’s office in Portland. I love the mystical look on Suzuki’s face and the pleased as punch expression of the Consulate-General. Now if only we can put Suzuki to work to save Northwest Airlines’ direct flight from Portland to Tokyo. That sure comes in handy for those of us who have business in Japan.

Dan Antoniuk, Dizzy
One of the few reasons to love indoor soccer: players can have names like Dizzy and that is perfectly acceptable. Former Timber forward Dan “Dizzy” Antoniuk, he of the pained expression of missed scoring opportunities, was named to the all-league team in MISL. Greg Howes also is on the team. Howes might be one of the top five all-time indoor players, for what that is worth.

Bill Clinton, Timbers Fan?
The former president and aspiring first lady is coming to Portland to speak at Lincoln High School at 5:30pm on Saturday. That means a traffic mess in the area, which will suck for those of you going to the Timbers game against the Seattle Sounders by car. Take the Max, ride the bus or dust off your bikes. Even better, show up at the pub at 4:20. Think Clinton will drop in on the game? Probably a better alternative than hanging out with Lewis and Clark coeds.

Help an island nation out
I received a very touching email from a person in the Solomon Islands who is extremely excited that Benjamin Totori is joining the Timbers. He explained how huge a deal this is in his country and that even with slow and expensive Internet connections people are going to follow Totori’s every move. That is where you come into play. If you have a camera or a video camera or audio deck or are handy with words, I ask that you spend a little extra time this year capturing Totori in action. It will mean a lot to people in a country far, far away. Let’s hope that Totori provides us all with plenty of highlights.

Few changes to the lineup
Those are the words of Timbers boss Gavin Wilkinson in The O today. It is easy to understand why. Burse is a lock in goal. The back four is the back four. Suzuki and Brown are written in blood on the lineup sheet. Gregor would go on a shooting spree if he didn’t start. That leaves the other three midfield positions up for grabs. Poltl played a decent game last week. Olum was largely a non factor. Higgins was dog shite. I guess we could see Bryan Little slotted in for Higgins or Olum, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the same 11 start. One thing to keep in mind is that Higgins always plays well against Seattle. Maybe he sits tonight and starts on Saturday. Poltl also rises to the occasion against Seattle.

The crowd
Normally an early season game in crap weather on a Thursday evening would have me thinking a sub-5,000 crowd. The opening night draw has me a little more optimistic, but I wouldn’t be all that surprised if we draw about half of the 11,000 we saw last week. What do you think?

Photo: Oregonian Flickr