Category Archives: weekend post

today is march 2 and that means two things: first, the final roster moves must be made and the squad must be pared down to a manageable 30 players. it also means the axe turns 1. before i get into some discussion of the current squad, i would like to take up from where Magadh left off and say thank you to everyone who has ever stopped by, read, told me to use capital letters, suffered our silly internal conversations, felt emboldened enough to comment, patted shecky on the head with an understanding nod, or shown any sort of support throughout the year as we developed the format and content. we do not write this blog for money, limited amounts of fame, or for any reason other than to increase and continue the discussion of a team we love: the portland timbers. we sincerely appreciate your support and we love each and every one of you crazy and obsessive souls.

now on to team discussion prior to the first match. earlier today, i pulled up the league site to find some interesting and relevant commentary regarding what to expect of the timbers this season. now, this commentary may not be as current as we would like–the talking heads discuss the importance of jack jewsbury as captain on and off the pitch without irony–but they do bring some insight into how the rest of the country views the importance of certain timbers players.

obviously, they were unaware of the dual-headed captaincy that now exists within the timbers. so, where they compare the ball winning abilities sitting in the defensive midfield role, they really should be discussing which captain is pomeii magnus and which captain is julius caeser. but i have always been one for a good historical drama.

another issue they do dig into is the current dearth of striking options at the timbers. for some reason, matt doyle is in love with bright dike. i recall his commentary during the tucson match where dike damaged his knee. mainly i recall the commentary and his opinions because they were contrary to mine. while i found it unfortunate that dike suffered an injury which forced him out of play for another 6 months, i did not see it as the end of the timber’s season as matt did. at the time, ryan johnson, who i automatically penciled into the starting line-up, was away on international duty with jamaica and not in the viewmaster for doyle to click over.

evidently, doyle did not have the benefit of porter’s comments regarding how he rates dike as a player. if you recall, following dike’s goal against nigeria porter was reluctant to be as effusive of dike’s skills as many of the pundits and supporters were. it was a good goal, but it was just a good goal. nothing more. and porter did his best to simmer that boil of enthusiasm. he stated he liked dike as a player and would consider him as a starting forward, but also that dike had things to learn. these things were absolutely key to the type of role dike would perform for the team. we all know dike has a limited first touch and his tactical awareness is not as devastating as his bull-in-the-china-shoppe routine. in other words, he had a dificulty holding the ball up and bringing other players into play. so, by every indication, dike was not going to start. but his absence does leave the timbers wanting in options off the bench.

it is an empty and somewhat pedestrian comment, but his early opinions of the team and personnel were likely based on the early games of pre-season. trencito had just begun to introduce himself to the mix and frederic piquionne had not yet been acquired. it is easy to see how the loss of dike could seem devastating, though still not ideal. but trencito has asserted himself and his recent gameplay has put on display his package of pace, power, and technique. they have certainly livened the taste buds of the supporters, leaving them salivating for more trenctio.

when he eventually arrives with visa in hand, piquionne will bring the requisite skill set needed to play for caleb porter and this new look timbers squad. though not displayed all too well in the few games we saw this pre-season, he was gifted with a reasonable amount of pace. but during the times i have watched piquionne play in the past, i was always struck by his vision and ability to hold up the ball. when he played for stade rennais and st. etienne, if not scoring, he did a marvelous job in the build up play–elements of a center forward’s job that go overlooked and underappreciated. but that was younger, more athletic piquionne. today, we have a 34-year-old, who was effectively ostracized from a very poor west ham united side. does that mean anything? not really, but it does cause concern. from what i gathered, porter intends to use him along side trencito as a fulcrum player, which suits his current abilities.

but outside of those three players the timbers striking options really do end. that means goals will have to come from some unlikely sources (zizzo, kalif), or sources touted as the likely sources (nagbe, kalif), or from god (dennis bergkamp). but wherever they come from, as illustrated by earlier play, when diego valeri is on form this side will score.

the bigger concern we all suffer is what i will call the guy behind the guy syndrome. the timbers have two good options at outside back–mikey mo money and ryan miller. when the team finally gels and the players have that deep and innate understanding of each other’s play, the concerns for the defense will further diminish. but for now, they exist. and they are not limited to the starting outside backs–these areas remain concerning because naming the options at outside back is a process as frustrating as attempting to identify which formation porter will use. ryan kawulok and jack jewsbury are the likely right back deputies, with sal zizzo able to step into the back in a pinch. but where are the options for left back? mikael silvestre has played across the line and did play at the left back for arsenal during some grim nights and weeks when gael clichy was injured, but at 35 he is not the best option for a position that requires pace. if the club expects rodney wallace to be that deputy for mikey mo money, then i think they do have problems in that position. his athleticism aside, watching the rod wall play any position on the pitch forces me to wonder whether he ever understood the finesse of childhood games. his inability to think beyond the previous play only suggests he confused kick-the-can with hide-and-go-seek.

if the fo can pull off a trade today that would adequately address the needs in the outside back issues, i would not be devastated. in fact, i would be gleeful. regardless, running the risk of embedding a les miserables ear worm, we have one more day. eh, who cares, i am not jean valjean, i am sunshine.

here is to another year of football.