Timbers v Chicago Fire: Thirsting For Goals

Posted on May 20, 2012 by ╭∩╮（︶︿︶）╭∩╮

Hello,

It’s match-day and I will keep it short.

The Timbers take on the Chicago Fire at Jeld-Wen Field and it is a perfect time to get a win and change this season around.

The Timbers struggles have now seen them go a month or 427 game time minutes without a goal and it has been 36 days since a Timbers player hit the back of the net. It could be said that the team sacrificed a offense mindset for a defensive one. The last couple matches the Timbers have finally been able to keep clean sheets and stop late goals. While many people are confused (including myself) about the switch of Jewsbury for Palmer, the results are better.

 

The lineup will be different due to the Futty suspension. I think Eric Brunner will start there if he is healthy and we will see David Horst’s debut if he is not. It is also not clear if Jewsbury will be able to go and I would think Mike Chabala would slide over there if the captain can’t go. I personally would like to see Alexander and Songo’o start on the wings but we will probably see Rodney Wallace again.

It will be interesting to see what Spencer does to push for some points and a home win we desperately need.

Speaking of the manager, Kevin at Slide Rule Pass is losing faith in his fellow Scotsman. I am equally frustrated with his comments about players and their natural positions, especially this one;

“I think we are underachieving when it comes to getting good service,” Spencer said. “We are inconsistent in that department. But that comes from having young players. They’re going to have inconsistencies.”

 

I hate the ‘getting service’ excuse almost as much as I hate the ‘young players’ one.

 

Kelly at Timbers Insider asks if we need an attacking midfielder, and Brennen wonders if that player is Eric Alexander in his preview of today’s match against the Fire.

 

Again, the season is still salvageable and its in our hands to take the opportunity. The natives are restless and a win will do wonders for everyone right now.

-See you there and GOOOOOOO TIIIIIIMMMMMMMMBBBEEEEERRRSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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Futty Suspended One Match

Posted on May 18, 2012 by ╭∩╮（︶︿︶）╭∩╮

Hi,

I’m in the mist of my birthday celebration so this is gonna be short.

 

Futty Danso somehow got away with a horrendous tackle during the match against Houston. I don’t know how he escaped getting called for a foul on that play and I was shocked he didn’t get carded or sent off.

I love the Timbers fans but seeing some of the comments defending him were unbelievable, especially knowing the venom that would have flowed if the foul was on a Timbers player. Futty straight up karate chopped that guy who had headgear on right in the back of the head. It may have been an ‘accident’ but it happened and he should be punished, and guess what, he will be suspended one match for it.

Overall it is not a big deal because he was questionable to start Sunday anyway so it will give him time to rest. David Horst, who has returned from injury, or Eric Brunner will take his place and I have confidence in them and so does the manager.

“We have a lot of belief in David Horst and a belief in all the players we’ve signed,” Spencer said. “So for us when this happen in games you’ve got to deal with it.”

 

I will try and preview the Chicago match more tomorrow but in the meantime the official site has theirs up here.

Spencer talks about getting service to the forwards and the play of Lovel Palmer in a video here.

Steven Smith, Palmer, and Sal Zizzo’s thoughts on the Chicago match here.

New Talk Timbers podcast here.

New episode of ‘Off Pitch With Hermes’ here.

MLS.com has an ongoing series about supports groups, this week was on the Timbers Army.

 

Finally for today, Darlington Nagbe is in a new Adidas commercial.

 

-See ya

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Houston Dynamo 0 – 0 Portland Timbers: Can’t Tell If Improving Or Broken

Posted on May 16, 2012 by ╭∩╮（︶︿︶）╭∩╮

Hi there,

I am of mixed emotions right now.

I can’t tell if I have given up all hope or I believe things are turning around for the Timbers. The most irritating thing about that is they have given me very little evidence to make my decision any easier.

The Timbers played Houston Dynamo to a nil-nil draw last night in a match that could have gone either way. Overall I am happy we didn’t lose. Unfortunately mediocrity is a horrible thing to be happy about when rooting for a sports team. I am going to drink my half-full glass for now and look for some positives.

Franck Songo’o looked good, Steven Smith was much better than his debut, Eric Alexander and Sal Zizzo were solid substitutions and Troy Perkins single handily got us a point with a couple outstanding saves;

“It’s a feather in the hat for the guys in the back to keep a clean sheet on the road. But to come here like that and at least walk away with the point and a shutout is a moral victory for the guys in the back.”

 

John Spencer said;

 

“For us, I think we had a couple chances to score. On the other end, Troy Perkins came up big for us as well. I’m a little disappointed to come away having not scored. Having been an assistant here and having seen teams wilt under the pressure, I’m pleased that we have come down here twice and put in two very good second half performances.”

 

Humm, we played ok for half of the time and that is acceptable? This low bar needs to be raised very soon before I start losing faith.

 

My guess at the lineup was correct but I still have questions about it going forward. Darlington Nagbe is not looking like a striker with any killer instinct. He looks for the pass first every time and seems reluctant to shoot at times. He has great ability to dribble the ball at defenders and is no doubt talented and should be on the field, but not as a striker, just look at the chance he bumbled in the 70′ minute.

Lovel Palmer is a mystery to me as well. Not just because he earned a starting midfield spot by playing terrible at right back, but because he disappears from the match for long periods of time. I just don’t understand what he has done to earn a start every week, read Slide Rule Pass’s post for a more positive take on him.

Kip Kesgard blogging at the Oregonian has his player evaluations here.

Chalkboard stat thingy here.

 

I’m going to let my emotions simmer today and will see you tomorrow.

-Later

 

 

 

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Houston v Timbers: Scottish Mentality & Points Needed!

Posted on May 15, 2012 by ╭∩╮（︶︿︶）╭∩╮

Howdy,

What an end to the EPL season! After Man City lifted the trophy I took off to the woods for a few days to enjoy the weather.

It was a good time to go away from the computer as there is not much going on with the Timbers as they prepare to take on the Houston Dynamo tonight. The big story is the new stadium that the Dynamo have built and the extra boost it will provide them, Futty knows about good crowd support and thinks we can weather the storm;

“They could have some heavy legs, but with a new stadium, they’re going to come out flying,” centerback Mamadou “Futty” Danso said. “If we can match their intensity in the first 15-20 minutes — as long as we stay in the game and have a clean sheet towards the end of the game — I think that will be a positive for our side.”

 

The bottom line is we need points. The season may be long but it can still get out of reach and we are nearing that point. I will stay positive for a little while longer and hope that we can build on the clean sheet against Columbus 10 days ago.

Of course the lineup that the Timbers field will be interesting. I think we will see Steve Smith get a start at left back and he needs to step up and seize the opportunity. His debut was shaky at best and if he is to be a solution to our fullback woes then we need it to happen now. Lets hope his reunion with fellow Scotsman Kris Boyd will kick that Scottish mentality off.

“I think the Scottish mentality is that you always want to win and that’s one thing I’ve realized (Spencer) has brought here and installed that in the squad,” Smith said. “Maybe the results aren’t going for us at the moment, but I think with the attitude and the ability that we’ve got it won’t be long before we start picking up results.”

 

Well, we can’t afford to wait too long… time to get all Scottish out there and fuck some shit up!

 

Houston will make changes as well after playing just a couple days;

“We are going to change things up,” said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear after opening BBVA Compass Stadium with a victory. “It would be a crime to ask these guys to play 90 minutes again. Unfortunately, you don’t get the chance to rest with a schedule like this.”

 

Any help we can get I will take. I am guessing the lineup will be similar to the Crew match except I expect Smith to replace Chabala (who has played hard lately):

Boyd/Nagbe

Wallace/Palmer/Chara/Songo’o

Smith/Futty/Mosquera/Jewsbury

Perkins

 

John Strong’s preview here.

Pre-match interviews with Spencer, Futty and big screen at Jeld-Wen is your style, then go buy a ticket to the U-23′s US Open Cup match tonight and go early to watch.

 

We’ve got to see more improvement and get a result. I’ll see ya later,

-COME ON U TIMBERS!!

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No Matchday

Posted on May 12, 2012 by ╭∩╮（︶︿︶）╭∩╮

Hello,

It feels a little strange to have a Saturday that is Timbers free. I am going to join the rest of PDX and head to the woods or beach and enjoy this weather.

 

The Timbers however are waiting to go to Houston and break in their new “soccer specific stadium” (that phrase annoys me). Houston will no doubt be pumped up playing in their new stadium but it’s not the first match ever played there, they are playing in it tonight. That means a just a couple days off for them when we play them Tuesday so I am not really buying into the stadium hype, and it better not end up being an excuse.

The extra days off will hopefully be a good thing, obviously the way we prepare is not leading to victories, so maybe these extra days will… Darlington Nagbe thinks so.

Whatever they do it’s time for the team to start scoring goals according to John Spencer;

“We’ve got to score goals,” Timbers head coach John Spencer said. “All we can do is create opportunities. And when you get them, score goals. It’s pretty simple. It’s not an Excel spreadsheet you’re looking at, it’s the game of soccer.”

 

It sucks he has to say that at all. Franck Songo’o has some faith the goals will come;

“I think in soccer, the most difficult thing is to create the chances,” said midfielder Franck Songo’o, who was in the XI against Columbus after starting the previous two games on the bench. “We create our chances, and that’s the most important thing. And we’ve got quality up front, so the goals are going to come soon.”

 

I still believe and I do not exactly know why. Maybe I was encouraged by the play last weekend but a more sane me would probably say this season is already over.

 

Spencer is worried about set-pieces, Futty says it will be a physical match and Lovel Palmer is excited about the new stadium in this clip.

Watch the new episode of ‘Timbers In 30′ for Timber Joey’s rapping alone.

New podcasts are out as well for your ears to enjoy, I am out of here.

 

-See ya

 

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Tidbits

Posted on May 9, 2012 by ╭∩╮（︶︿︶）╭∩╮

Hello,

Not too much going on today.

The Timbers are off this weekend before they have to play two matches next week on Tuesday and Sunday. Tuesday’s match against Houston Dynamo starts just a few hours before the Timbers U-23′s play in their US Open Cup match, so Merritt has offered to have fans watch the match at Jeld-Wen.

Jack Jewsbury looks to start again at right back and he seems comfortable doing that job, he says;

“It’s a different type of running. In the midfield, it’s constant running,” Jewsbury said. 

“(At right back) you have the 60-yard run. It’s longer sprints. But I feel like I’m a pretty fit guy to get up and down the field.”

 

I have faith in the captain, I am not entirely sure why, but I do.

 

A couple fluffy articles on the main site, Futty talks about his return;

“I held up to it, but toward the 89th minute, I started feeling it a little bit. I was feeling a little tired. I kept looking at the clock, but I knew it was five minutes that I had to give to the team.”

 

I always like his honesty and I thought he did a great job on his return.

Jorge Perlaza spoke in a interview with the Bilingual Reporter Program here, its worth checking out;

It has been said that Timbers fans are some of the loudest in the MLS. How does their support contribute to the Timbers on the field?
Every game you notice how many people come to watch us play. It is very important for us to contribute by leaving it all on the field and give fans those victories which is what they come to see.

 

Fellow Colombian, Hayner Mosquera, talks about his childhood and his footballing past here. He almost went to his favorite childhood team in Colombia before he got the call from the Timbers while sitting at the airport. It has to be a strange transition for some of these guys, especially the Colombians who don’t speak fluent English and have never been to America, this quote was funny to me;

“There was a time when Diego and I were walking to dinner,” Mosquera said when asked about one of the first differences he noticed between the two places. “There was no traffic light in the intersection and we were just waiting for the traffic to be a little bit lighter so we could cross the road. All of a sudden we see these cars stopping and inviting us to cross the road. That doesn’t happen in Colombia, and it was sort of a nice surprise. It would be nice if people in Colombia would do the same.”

 

Heh.

Anyway, there is really nothing going on so I am going to go get a beer.

-Cheers!

 

 

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Portland Timbers 0-0 Columbus Crew: Professor Booty

Posted on May 7, 2012 by ╭∩╮（︶︿︶）╭∩╮

Hi,

Finally we got more than a day or two of sunshine in a row so I spent the day kicking around on the beach and eating BBQ.

 

It was a nice Beastie Boys filled evening at Jeld-Wen Saturday night as the Timbers shook up their lineup and finally played with a some passion. Unfortunately they could not get the ball in the net after creating some decent chances, especially in the last minutes and it ended in a nil-nil draw. The manager sees some encouraging play and said;

“It’s a positive step,” said Timbers head coach John Spencer. “It’s obviously not what you hope for, but it’s a positive step.”

 

 

Eric Brunner was replaced by Futty Danso at center back for unknown reasons, Jack Jewsbury slid to right back with Mike Chabala at left. Franck Songo’o and Rodney Wallace got to start on the wings in a lineup that was more speedy and attacking. Global Football Today breaks down Songo’o's play and highlights his attacking instincts in a piece here.

That many changes smells of desperation for a manger that is grasping for solutions to our anemic offense. I am very torn between wanting to see a steady lineup that can grow together and one that makes better use of the specific players talents, something had to give but I guess it was surprising how much gave.

 

Looking at the chalkboard stats thingy, it looks like the fullbacks did a lot of hard work, and in the midfield Diego Chara played very solid compared to Lovel Palmer, who turned over half of his passes. I think the Palmer experiment is failing.

Kris Boyd looked frustrated by the chances he missed but the glass-half-full part of me is happy he got some service. I can not find any video of him after the match but I understand he was annoyed not to get the win. I have no problem with that.

 

Read Brennan’s detailed match report at Timbers Insider for some proper writing.

John Spencer post match interview here.

Some photos here & here.

 

Last thing for today, there is a rumor going around this morning that Bright Dike will be sent out on loan to a division two team called LA Blues. Dike is one of my favorite players and I wish him well and hope he can get some playing time and goals to boost his confidence, it is obvious that he has slid to the 4th or 5th choice at forward for the Timbers and I am not sure if this opens up a roster spot.

 

That’s about it for today, go enjoy some sunshine.

-Later

(Photo by Nick Hernandez, OregonLive.com)

 

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Matchday:Timbers v Columbus Crew

Posted on May 5, 2012 by ╭∩╮（︶︿︶）╭∩╮

Hello,

It has been a long week and I am ready to celebrate ‘Cinco de Mayo’ with a Timbers win.

I will make this quick.

There are lots of unhappy fans right now and I am sure everyone in the FO is as well. I know a good performance from the team will be the only cure. The manager puts it plainly;

“We need to get back to playing good football,” Portland coach John Spencer said. “Creating some good opportunities for our forwards and midfield players to score.”

 

There are tons of questions the lineup.

Who will start up top with Boyd? Perlaza has not done anything this season but usually plays better at home. Maybe it will be Nagbe or possibly Mike Fucito will get a chance to show what he has.

Steven Smith, our new left back we saw in Montreal will not start, Steve Purdy is still out from his concussion so the fullbacks are big question marks. It seems like Lovel Palmer would be the likely candidate to cover right back, but there have been rumors of Jewsbury training at that spot. Will Rodney Wallace or Mike Chabala return to left back?

What will the midfield look like? Have Eric Alexander and Franck Songo’o shown enough to the manager to get back in? Is the Palmer holding midfield experiment over? Can Jewsbury ever be benched?

No matter what, we need to see the team show up with some passion and intensity. The lineup will be interesting but at this point it only matters how they play, not who plays.

 

For a good detailed preview of the match, read Brennans’ at Timbers Insider.

Alison at Soccercityusa reminds us of the late match collapses and that the team needs to play from whistle to whistle.

The Colombian asks if it matters what direction the team plays and what effect the TA can have;

“It’s not like you kick away from (the Timbers Army) and they don’t make any noise,” Spencer said. “I don’t think it makes a massive difference to us.”

“Communication wise, it’s probably harder for a keeper and for their back four to hear each other,” Jewsbury said. “I don’t know if there’s any more to it than that.”

 

I always wonder what players think about that, I selfishly want to see the Timbers scoring all the goals in front of me in the north end.

 

The podcasts are all refreshed and the official preview is out if you want more.

 

For now I am going to focus on my love for Mexican food…

-LET’S GOOOOOOOO TIMBERS!!

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