Abe Asher

It’s the Portland Timbers, so of course it couldn’t be easy. First, a two-goal lead became a one-goal lead. Then it started raining. Then it started lightning. Then the game-tying goal was ruled out after a minute’s conversation. Then the Timbers started missing breakaway chances, 3 v 2s, then 2 v 1s, then 1 v […]

With clouds of disappointment and disillusionment thickening once again over the Rose City, the Portland Timbers hit the road for the first of three matches away from Providence Park. This Saturday afternoon it’s the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo, as the CONCACAF Champions League runners-up make their return to MLS play after a three-week break […]

Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers Once again, the Timbers got the big things right. They dominated a game against the Vancouver Whitecaps, one of the best teams in MLS. They were suffocating defensively, disciplined tactically, and worked relentlessly hard. Once again, the Timbers got the little things wrong. A missed penalty, a blown sitter, a poor lineup, […]

After a deeply frustrating 1-0 loss at CenturyLink Field against the Seattle Sounders last Friday night, the Portland Timbers are back at it in Cascadia Cup action with their first home game since mid-April against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The rivalry between the ‘Caps and the Timbers, once friendly, has turned decidedly sour. Diego Valeri is […]

Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers It was the same old story with the Timbers, in red, playing at CenturyLink Field: Close game. Clint Dempsey goal. Seattle victory. It was a familiar punch in the stomach Sunday night, and it especially smarted because Portland played well. They were compact, they played with composure and confidence, and they got […]

Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers It’s the first of the biggest games of the year. The Portland Timbers travel north to face the Seattle Sounders in primetime on Sunday night, off the back of several indifferent performances yielding vastly different results. In many ways, this game feels like the end of the early-season road. By next weekend, […]

Caleb Porter has spent a lot of time this year talking about results. How the need to get results dictates that the Timbers play a regressive brand of soccer, how the need to get results means the prioritization of short-term success over long-term vision. Porter has felt very real pressure to get results (wins), and […]

Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers After an uplifting 3-1 win over FC Dallas finally sparked a somewhat indifferent season, the Portland Timbers came crashing back to earth with a thud in a 2-0 loss to Orlando City last Sunday. Portland was handily beaten by an MLS expansion side—outplayed in every phase of the game. This weekend, the […]

Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers Referee Kevin Stott was bad, but the Portland Timbers were worse, and Orlando City demolished them 2-0 on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at Providence Park. The Timbers’ performance ranged from anemic frustration to mindless blundering. Orlando was slick and clean, dominating possession with confident interplay and looking like a team celebrating their […]

Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers With their first win of 2015 under their belts, the Portland Timbers host MLS expansion side Orlando City SC on Sunday afternoon at Providence Park (2:00 PM, TV on ESPN2, Radio on 750 AM the Game.) Portland finally put together a complete performance last Saturday night, thrashing then league-leading FC Dallas. Now, […]

David Blair/Portland Timbers Do you remember how good Donovan Ricketts was in 2013? The Timbers goalkeeper won the MLS “Save of the Week” 10 times. He won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. He made miraculous saves, tying together a back-line that churned through five starting center-backs and reeled off clean sheets late in the season […]

Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers It was coming. After battling, scrapping, and being denied by Nick Rimando and Alan Gordon and Robert Earnshaw and injuries and lapses and luck, the Portland Timbers finally broke through beneath a full moon on a clear April night in the Rose City. Results business, huh? How about this result: Portland Timbers […]