Tag Archives: Portland Timbers

From Uncertainty to Unreal

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Franchise's lowest point: Chainsaw the Monkey

Franchise’s lowest point: Chainsaw the Monkey

Even if the image of one of their club’s players shoving a ball boy is fresh in your mind and even if you have always considered their club a weak link in MLS, you still should feel some sympathy for the Union Ultras. The group that loyally supports Chivas USA, and that has done so through years of misery, woke up this morning with uncertainty about whether or not their club would remain in their city much longer. It is an awful feeling.

It is an unimaginable feeling in our city. Ours is a city that saw 11,000 people show up on a damp Thursday evening in May to watch a pair of women’s teams play. It is unimaginable to think about losing your team in a city that has sold out every seat since joining MLS in 2011. It is hard to imagine when there is a waiting list for season tickets that is larger than the amount of actual season tickets sold in some MLS cities. It is impossible to imagine the uncertainty of your club’s future when you live in Soccer City USA.

Only it isn’t. Continue reading →

The Day After: Portland/Chivas USA Edition

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1. Business, you’ve been taken care of

Almost as sharply dressed as Chelis.

Almost as sharply dressed as Chelis.

A game plan that didn’t work, a feeble attack, and a loss of fight after falling behind on the road. Thank you, Chivas USA, for reminding us of how the Portland Timbers used to be. No more. In a game in which the Timbers were expected to come away with three points and ahead of a stretch where they don’t play a league game at home for over a month, they took care of business in convincing fashion. If getting draws on the road is part of the game plan, then getting three points at home is also a requirement. Getting three points against a team in free fall that was playing without its top keeper and with an attack that doesn’t attack was a must. Continue reading →

Know thy Enemy: Chivas USA

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Meet the new boss, same as the old boss

Chivas USA hiring process.

Chivas USA hiring process.

Club Deportivo Chivas USA is playing its ninth year of existence with its eighth manager. Job security? We don’t need no stinking job security. The Goats’ manager of the moment is José Luis Sánchez Solá. You may call him Chelis. A colorful personality who is much beloved in his native Meixco, Chelis has added a bit of interest to a franchise that has played second fiddle to the Galaxy and second fiddle to the parent club in Mexico. Don’t get too attached, however. He’ll probably be fired by the time you finish reading this post. Continue reading →

The Day After: Dallas/Portland Edition

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1. Pulling some strings

Caleb Porter's managerial technique

Caleb Porter’s managerial technique

Boy is it a lot more fun when you have a team that is capable of coming away with a result at any stadium in MLS. It is also fun to have a manager capable of making in-game adjustments. One that really paid off for Caleb Porter against FC Dallas on Wednesday night was moving Darlington Nagbe to the striker spot at around the 60 minute mark. In doing so, Porter moved an off his game Diego Valeri out wide and played Frederic Piquionne in support of Nags. The move seemed to ignite Nagbe, while giving the FCD back line a different look than what they saw when Piquionne was the striker with Valeri in support in the first half. And yet again we saw some contribution from RodWall off the bench, doing the hard work to get himself in position to set Nagbe up. Some might be critical of having Kalif Alhassan in the linuep – he was largely absent most of the match – but it sure is nice having some flexibility with the lineup when you play three games in ten days. Continue reading →

Week 11, All doubled up.

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It’s still early in the 2013 MLS season, only ten weeks of matches have been played but with a full slate of midweek matches week eleven looks to be the most challenging to date.

Week #11
Home
  Away
DC United
 v Houston Dynamo
 Wed. May 8
New York Red Bulls v Impact de Montréal
New England Revolution
v Real Salt Lake
Sporting Kansas City v Seattle Sounders FC
FC Dallas v Portland Timbers
San Jose Earthquakes v Toronto FC
  Chicago Fire Soccer Club v Philadelphia Union Sat. May 11
 Impact de Montréal v Real Salt Lake
 Seattle Sounders FC v San Jose Earthquakes
 Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Los Angeles Galaxy
  Columbus Crew v Colorado Rapids
 New England Revolution v New York Red Bulls
   FC Dallas v DC United
Portland Timbers v CD Chivas USA Sun. May 12
Houston Dynamo v Sporting Kansas City

Eleven of nineteen teams play two matches this game week. This will be a turning point for those who can get the full six points and for those who end up with none. Besides watching Portland us Timbers fans we will be keeping a close eye on the Western Conference clubs that are doubled up. RSL has two away matches vs. eastern teams, San Jose has one home and one away, the last place Seattle Sounders have two tricky matches, and the top team in the west, FC Dallas plays both at home.

So what do we know so far?

  • FC Dallas is 5-0-0 / +7 at home.
  • Seattle is 0 for 3 at home.
  • DC United has been shutout in all 4 away matches.
  • Timbers have taken points in all 4 away matches.
  • Seattle has only scored ONE home goal.
  • 40,000 Sounders fans have requested refunds.

 

Match Preview
FC Dallas v Portland Timbers