Timbers

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 […]

Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers There’s no rest for the weary, injured, and increasingly under-fire Portland Timbers this week, as league-leading FC Dallas comes calling at Providence Park on Saturday night (7:30 PM, TV on ROOT Sports, Radio on 750 AM the Game.) This is the last of Portland’s murderous five straight season-opening games against 2014 playoff […]

The stats tell one story. The heartbreak tells another. The Vancouver Whitecaps signed Welsh journeyman striker Robert Earnshaw on Wednesday. Some 72 hours later, he snuck between the Timbers’ center-backs and nabbed a totally undeserved, stoppage time, game-winning goal. The last time Vancouver beat Portland, ‘Caps manager Carl Robinson stood in the middle of the […]

After three consecutive draws to open the season, the Portland Timbers travel north to Canada to take on their increasingly bitter rival Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night at BC Place (5:00 PM, TV on ROOT Sports, Radio on 750 AM the Game.) Both teams have been bruised, battered, and depleted going into this matchup—Portland because […]

It looked like a 0-0 draw after less than 20 minutes. Both the Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City were too competent in defense, too tough in central midfield, and too dull in attack to spark a competitive game to life Saturday night at Sporting Park. The 0-0 result was the Timbers’ third consecutive draw […]

Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers After two entertaining home draws to begin the season, the Portland Timbers go on the road for the first time in 2015 for a Saturday afternoon tilt with Sporting Kansas City (5:30 PM, TV on ROOT Sports, Radio on 750 AM the Game.) With Kansas City’s move to the Western Conference effective […]

Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers We’d seen an advance script of this finish. The Timbers would, mostly against the run of play, grab a goal in stoppage time to deny the LA Galaxy, sending a packed Providence Park into raptures and sending Bruce Arena down his touchline huffing and puffing and shaking his head like some oblivious […]