SB Nation - Joe Bendik

Portland Timbers @ Real Salt Lake Player Ratings: Get Real Edition

William Conwell — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 21:56:46 -0000

In a result that surprised nobody, the Timbers took their road issues with them to Salt Lake on Saturday, losing 2-1 despite an even match an a last minute Bright Dike header off the crossbar. After a flat first half, the Timbers showed that they have some fight in them after all, getting on the board in the final thrid of the game and coming close several other times including Dike's near miss off the woodwork and one fantastic reaction save by Nick Rimando on a Rodney Wallace header.

Real Salt Lake had it all to play for as they clinched a playoff berth for the fifth year in a row with their win over the Timbers. The Timbers, meanwhile, played for their jobs as new head coach Caleb Porter prepares to take the reigns at the end of the season. Despite that added incentive, the day didn't see much in terms of stand out play for the Timbers.

Here are the individual player ratings:

Starting Eleven

Joe Bendik: 5

Ryan: You can't blame him for the for either of the goals on the two free kicks and the scoreline would have been worse if he hadn't made a couple of good saves.

Check out the rest of out ratings after the jump.

Kosuke Kimura: 5

Andy: Kimura actually did a pretty decent job limiting the crosses from his side of the field, and his effectiveness on the attack actually increased as the game progressed as he started providing better support for Sal Zizzo. Then he was subbed out.

David Horst: 3

Andy: Fabian Espindola blew past him on numerous occasions, and, well, that would have been a serious problem if Espindola hadn't lost his ability to finish. Luck is not a good defensive strategy.

Hanyer Mosquera: 5

Ryan: RSL didn't score during the run of play and this is a direct result of how well Mosco and David Horst played.

Steven Smith: 5

Andy: A typically solid performance cut short by a half-time substitution to bring more attackers into the game.

Jack Jewsbury: 4

Ryan: He gave up both of the free kicks that Salt Lake scored on and it seemed like his corners were a little off.

Rodney Wallace: 3

Andy: A week ago Wallace was getting man of the match raves. Perhaps it went to his head on Saturday, as he failed to close down space on RSL's wings and did not provide the defensive effort in the center of the pitch that the team needed. His contribution on offense also left a lot to be desired, taking a shot at one point from near midfield.

Darlington Nagbe: 5

Andy: Once Nagbe got a bit of space to work in his game picked up quite a bit. But these are the games when Timbers fans are looking for their star player to stand up and lead the team to victory.

Sal Zizzo: 7

Andy: After not such a great first half, he took control of the game in the second half, got one assist and nearly got a second. My man of the match.

Franck Songo'o: 5

Andy: RSL were fully prepared for Franck the Tanck on Saturday, and Songo'o didn't adjust his game quite enough to overcome. Still, he got himself into a lot of dangerous positions in spite of the effort made against him, and his cross-field passes to Sal Zizzo were a constant bother to the opposition.

Danny Mwanga: 4

Ryan: He looked out of sync as the lone striker and was not getting on the ball to hold it up to allow the others to get in on the attack.

Substitutes

Bright Dike: 6

Ryan: He scored and hit the post on a night when opportunities were lacking.

Andy: Say what you will about Bright -- that he's clumsy with the ball at his feet, that his main goal seems to be to put a hole in the back of the net rather than merely score -- he's been a pretty solid target striker. On a night when it wasn't working for Mwanga, he provided the extra option off the bench that came close to salvaging a point.

Kalif Alhassan: N/A

Ryan: Kalif was not his usual self when he came into the game but it was hard to tell if it was him or if it was how the team was playing.

Eric Alexander: N/A

Will: Despite seeing the pitch for twenty minutes, Alexander did not leave much of an impression during Saturday night's game. He held the ball up well and passed effectively, but did not get involved in the attack while the Timbers were still scrambling for an equalizer.

Portland Timbers Man of the Match: So Long, Salt Lake Edition [Poll]

William Conwell — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 17:00:10 -0000

Before last night, the Timbers' last three home games were started in impressive style by the boys in green (even if they were wearing red). Each time the team started well, only to fall apart late in the game. Yesterday's game against Real Salt Lake reversed that trend as, early on, the Timbers gave up two weak free kicks near the top of the box, both of which were converted by Real.

After their weak start, however, the Timbers turned on the juice and took the game to Salt Lake. Pulling level on a Bright Dike header twenty minutes into the second half, the Timbers looked good for an equalizer but were unable to find the back of the net again despite yet another golden opportunity for Dike clanging off the crossbar.

Wednesday's game saw an excellent first half followed by a lackluster second. Last night's game saw the opposite of that as Salt Lake ran roughshod over the Timbers in the first half, only for the team to put in a much more credible performance in the second. Like Wednesday, the diametrically opposed performances from many on the field in each half made it difficult to choose a Man of the Match, but we buckled down found a way. Here are our Man of the Match nominees:

Will - Sal Zizzo

With a few brief exceptions, all of the Timbers offense came down the right wing yesterday as Sal Zizzo burned his defender time and again. Zizzo threw everything he had forward, taking on the defense with speed, trickery, and success. It was Zizzo's inch perfect cross that Bright Dike was able to put away to haul the Timbers back into the game and it was Zizzo's cross that Dike smashed off the woodwork, only missing the tying goal by inches. On a day that Franck Songo'o and Darlington Nagbe just could not get the attack going Zizzo stepped his game up, a quality that has been rare on this team all year.

Deserving of an honorable mention is Joe Bendik. Stepping in and starting his second game of the season, Bendik came up with some big saves to keep the Timbers in the game, showing off some excellent positioning and an ability to make himself big in goal that denied RSL what would surely have been the final nail in the coffin as the Timbers struggled to get back into the game.

Check out the rest of our Man of the Match picks and vote on your own after the jump.

Andy - Sal Zizzo

Sal got the assist and nearly got a second, while taking advantage of the level of attention RSL's defense were paying to Darlington Nagbe and Franck Songo'o. On a night when the Timbers weren't playing great against a team that wasn't playing much better, he provided the opportunities the boys in green needed to stay in the game. Just wasn't enough in the end.

Ryan - Bright Dike

Hitting a goal and hitting the post on a night when scoring opportunities were few and far between can only be seen as a positive. Dike has knack for getting in the right place at the right time, now he just needs to work on his touch and his speed of thought. Hopefully he can help Portland pull out their first, and most likely only, road win of the year in the next two road games.

There are our picks for Man of the Match, but what are yours? Be sure to cast your vote and let us know why in the comments.

Poll

Who was your Man of the Match against Real Salt Lake?

Joe Bendik

12 votes

Kosuke Kimura

2 votes

David Horst

1 votes

Hanyer Mosquera

2 votes

Steven Smith

1 votes

Jack Jewsbury

3 votes

Rodney Wallace

2 votes

Darlington Nagbe

0 votes

Franck Songo'o

6 votes

Sal Zizzo

64 votes

Eric Alexander

1 votes

Bright Dike

16 votes

Kalif Alhassan

0 votes

110 votes | Poll has closed

Recap: 15 Down, 2 to Go to Get the First Road Win

Ryan Gates — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 07:15:05 -0000

Quick Recap:

Once again on the road, Portland dug themselves a hole to climb out of with a goal given up in the 14th minute on a free kick. Twenty minutes later, on another free kick, Portland gave up the second goal of the half. In the second half Portland showed some life, but could only come up with a consolation goal and went down 2-1.

First Half:

Portland returned to the 4-3-3, this time with Danny Mwanga up top instead of Bright Dike, and Sal Zizzo back in the starting lineup. The changes helped the offensive players settle back into roles they felt comfortable with, and the offense showed some life early in the game. The early signs of life turned out to be fool's gold, as every attack sputtered and died when it reached the offensive third of the field. Most of the time it was due to a bad pass or someone trying to beat two or three defenders.

With Portland continually giving up the ball in the offensive third, Real Salt Lake was able to use the turnovers to immediately initiate their attack. Whether down the wing or through the middle, whichever way they attacked they were able to find space. By finding the space they were able to pick apart the Captain Jack Jewsbury and Rodney Wallace with short, precise passing.

The short one- and two-touch passing game RSL has been known for in the offensive third led to numerous chances. It also led to professional fouls as defenders were beat and forced to stop the attack in anyway they could. One such foul was just outside the box on what seemed like a touch foul that Javier Morales went down easy on. On the ensuing free kick, the ball was touched to the side and Fabian Espindola hit it hard on the ground right through the wall. Someone needs to charge the ball on the first touch, usually it is Diego Chara, instead of creating an opening in the wall.

From that point on in the half, RSL had all the energy and momentum going for them, and they continued to put Portland's defense under pressure. Most of attacks for RSL sputtered, or Portland's CBs had to come up with tackle or header to break up the attack. The back and forth play continued over the next 20 minutes without any chances created, until once again RSL won a free kick near the box. This time Morales hit the ball into the upper corner of the goal for the second goal of the half for RSL.

Portland limped into the half down 2-0 on the road.

Second Half

Gavin Wilkinson made one change at the half bringing off Steven Smith, switching Wallace to left back and bringing in Bright Dike to go to a 4-4-2. The changes filled in some of the space the 4-3-3 gave to RSL and also helped Mwagna out up top. Slowly but surely Portland picked up momentum offensively and started to get into a rhythm with their possession. The rhythm helped Darlington Nagbe get the ball at his feet which in turn helped Portland's offense and the other players find space.

Zizzo was one such player and he was able to find more space on the wing. His runs down the wing created problems for RSL in the second half, as nobody else was able to actually hit the ball into the box for Portland. In the 61st minute Zizzo found time on the ball and hit a perfect curling ball to Dike, who headed the ball into the back of the net. It was a great goal and one that Portland rightfully deserved.

From that goal on RSL bunkered, while Portland made offensive subs to go for the equalizer. The subs were Kosuke Kimura out for Eric Alexander and Kalif Alhassan in for Franck Songo'o. Alexander's inclusion into the game pushed Sal Zizzo to the right back position and Nagbe out wide. This was done ... well I don't know why it was done. Either way it was GW going for broke and throwing caution to the wind.

The game became wide open at that point, with both RSL and Portland finding opportunities to score. RSL seemed to find more than Portland, but no goals were scored. Portland's best chance was once again created off a cross from Zizzo, but this time Dike's header went off the crossbar and out. RSL had one go off the post and two more saved by Joe Bendik.

In the end, it was too little too late for Portland, as they couldn't claw back into the game. Final score: 2-1.

Observations

You saw the positive to an aggressive Songo'o in the San Jose Game, but in this game you saw the negative. Numerous times Smith was open for the overlap, but instead of playing it to Smith Songo'o tried to beat his defender and lost the ball.
I know RSL folks will say Morales gets fouled a lot, but he really goes down easy around the 18. The foul which resulted in the second goal was a little dubious.
4 points from 15 road games.... Just let that sink in.
Zizzo had a not so good first half, but a great second half
Mwanga seems to need a second person up front with him to be effective. I really would like to see him do better as the target forward
I just want this season to be over and to move onto the next season.

Portland Timbers @ San Jose Earthquakes Player Ratings: Foul Play Edition

Geoff Gibson — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 22:44:58 -0000

Like their fans, the San Jose Earthquakes team came out of the gate with a little bit of an edge that I don't think the Portland Timbers squad realized would be there. I'm not sure if they were particularly pumped for the match, or this is just the normal every day San Jose mentality, but they were certainly willing to play a gritty, physical game with the Timbers. I guess in a league as physical as MLS, however, that's a pretty good thing.

Regardless of their pay, the Timbers actually played pretty well considering the odds. San Jose is still on top of the table and twice San Jose was forced to play catch up to a team that is simply struggling to not be in last place. Particularly one Danny Mwanga who scored his first brace for the Timbers in as elegant of fashion as we've seen all year from any player.

Here are the individual player ratings:

Starting XI

Joe Bendik: 5

Andy: Bendik made some tremendous saves and knew exactly when to come off his line, and he gets an extra point for maintaining his composure in his first start of his Timbers career. Unfortunately his one giant weakness was on full display Wednesday night: he's much quieter than the back line is used to. That meant the center backs were completely uncoordinated on set pieces and generally when the ball was around the box.

Lovel Palmer: 5

Will: In his first game with the team since taking a knock while on international duty, Lovel looked solid for most of the game. He did not commit any of the blunders that plagued him early on in the season. Staying back on defense and some good contributions from Darlington Nagbe certainly helped, but where Palmer's game was lacking was in his clearances. While the Timbers needed pressure to be relieved, booting it up the field was not helping.

David Horst: 5

Andy: Great first half for Horst. Really outstanding. He dealt with Steven Lenhart effectively and made a great goal line save. Sadly, his sloppiness with the ball towards the end put undue pressure on himself and his defensive teammates. And then he did something to light a fire under Chris Wondolowski. I wonder if we'll ever find out what that was about.

Hanyer Mosquera: 3

Andy: A barely decent first half was followed by a pretty terrible second half, as Mosco provided what amounted to an assist of Wondo's second goal.

Steven Smith: 5

Andy: Smith looked to be the best of the back four and as always provided an outlet for Franck Songo'o when one was needed.

Rodney Wallace: 5

Will: In the first half Wallace was excellent as he held possession, mixed things up with San Jose and passed well including a nice one-two pass to set up the Timbers' first goal. He did have some spacing issues with Jewsbury in the early going, but looked perfectly at home in the center of the pitch by the end of the half. In the second half, however, Wallace disappeared as the team took a more defensive stance. He wasn't able to contribute to the Timber's possession and, despite making some good tackles, didn't seem to be able to be a difference maker for the defense or in the attack.

Jack Jewsbury: 4

Andy: Showed a lot of fight in the middle of the pitch and largely took Rafael Baca out of the game, but the Timbers could have used a little more defensive leadership.

Darlington Nagbe: 6

Andy: A solid outing for Nagbe, he turned in a gutsy game on the right wing in spite of a low level of support from Lovel Palmer.

Franck Songo'o: 7

Geoff: A great game for Songo'o. Not only did he notch the assist off of Mwanga's golazo, but he also took a rather impressive chance himself that had San Jose's defense and keeper scrambling. Overall he was a tremendous offensive boon for the Timbers outmatched only by Mwanga's brace.

Danny Mwanga: 8

Andy: Mwanga had some problems with his positioning early on, but man did he overcome them with a couple of gorgeous finishes. And he even added some defense late in the game when he sort of switched places with Songo'o.

Bright Dike: 3

Ryan: I think the Dike train has stalled and it needs to be fixed. I think someone else needs some time up top.

Substitutes

Kris Boyd: N/A

Will: Boyd showed his commitment on the pitch early on as he drove for the goal only to head the ball just wide in the Timbers' best chance up until that point. Unfortunately, in what could have been his chance to show how he could fit in to this team, Boyd went down injured in a harsh blow for both the Timbers and for Boyd's hopes of contributing through the end of the season. [NOTE: Even though Boyd didn't technically sub in, we have listed him here due to the low amount of minutes he played in the game as compared to Bright Dike.]

Eric Brunner: N/A

Geoff: First time in a long time we've seen Eric Brunner and, well, he didn't look bad. Still, it'll be a few matches before we can say for certain whether or not he's able to take over a starting position.

Kosuke Kimura: N/A

Another late substitute and one which was meant to attempt to hold the onslaught brought on by San Jose's overwhelming attacking force. Unfortunately, as we've known before, Kimura just isn't as speedy as he needs to be to be an effective right back against the likes of player like Chris Wondolowski.

Recap: Portland at San Jose

Ryan Gates — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 07:11:44 -0000

Quick Recap

Portland returned to the 4-4-2, and Kris Boyd got his first start in a while but left after 15 minutes with a groin strain. Portland struggled to gain any traction offensively but did score a late first half goal and then again in the 62nd minute. Then the Goonies struck back 2-2 Portland tied again on the road.

First Half

Portland returned to the 4-4-2 of early this year with Kris Boyd and Danny Mwanga up front. With this change Portland looked out of sorts offensively and couldn't string more than three passes together in the offensive third. San Jose on the other hand looked like the were the first place team in the west.

Portland did create some chances, the first of which was a header by Boyd just wide of the goal. Unfortunately for Boyd he strained his groin when coming down from the header. This brought on Bright Dike in place of Boyd and changed the dynamic even more than usual.

Added to all the confusion was also the deployment of Darlington Nagbe and Rodney Wallace in positions they don't usually play. Nagbe was forced back out wide, and Wallace took the place of Diego Chara, who, as it turns out, is quite a better distributor than Wallace. Wallace does, however, have decent defensive instincts, which helped shut down some of the attacks the San Jose Earthquakes created.

Nagbe playing out wide forced him to play with little space and much time. With Nagbe and Franck Songo'o not able to create as freely as when the Timbers are in the 4-3-3, San Jose was able to possess the ball far longer than Portland. With the greater possession San Jose had more chances than Portland, even forcing a last ditch clearance off the goal line from David Horst.

With half time approaching Portland was just looking to get to the half still tied. Their attitude changed when Bright Dike was able to get end on the long ball from Lovel Palmer and knocked it to Danny Mwanga. Mwanga played the ball back to Wallace and broke for the goal. Wallace, seeing Mwanga make the run towards goal, first-timed a pass back to Mwanga, who was able to control the ball, take a touch past Jon Busch, and gently push the ball home.

Second Half

Portland started the second half in a much more defensive shell than the first half and looked like they were just going to bunker and defend for the next 45 minutes. As we all know this strategy against a team like San Jose rarely works and to get it to work takes luck -- and Lady Luck is a fickle woman.

With Portland defending, San Jose effortlessly possessed the ball for long periods of time but were unable to crack Portland's defensive bunker. When they came close a defender always seemed to be in the right place at the right time; when they did manage a shot it went right at Joe Bendik.

Fans just got the sense that Portland started hanging on way too early in the game. San Jose was going to break the game open sooner or later, and then the goals would start pouring in. About the time I resigned myself to the fact that Portland was going to lose this game Mwanga struck again. Portland's counters had be ineffective up until the 62nd minute and this one was only effective because someone was able to hit a long range shot.

The goal reminded me of Kenny Cooper's away goal at Vancouver last year. Songo'o had a terrific run through the middle of the field and could have been dispossessed on a couple of occasions but fought through the challenges. Once he was able to shake the last tackle Songo'o feed the ball wide to Mwanga who took a couple of touches and blasted the ball far post past a diving Busch.

Of course, 2-0 against a team who has scored 7 or so goals during stoppage time this year is never a commanding lead. Nor is it a good thing when the league's leading goal scorer comes off the bench to go after the tired legs of Portland's defenders. This all led to Portland putting 11 men behind the ball and clearing it only to the back line of San Jose from the 70th minute on.

In the 73rd minute Chris Wondolowski found the ball at his feet with only Bendik in front of him and easily put the ball past him for the first goal. From that point on Portland was just trying to hold on, very rarely actually pushing the ball past midfield. When they did, the ball would get caught in Dike's feet or someone would misplay the ball and San Jose would immediately be back on the attack.

There are so many chances to recount I don't know where to start so I will just say there were numerous last ditch efforts by defenders and Bendik to keep Portland up one heading into stoppage time. In stoppage time Wondo struck again, but this time it was on a failed header from Mosco, who tried to clear the ball away but instead flicked it to the far post right to Wondo.

In the end Portland deserved the tie as they didn't play well enough to win.

Observations

The Referee lost control of the game, and it showed after the game with all the scuffles.
Wondo acted like San Jose just tied the MLS Cup up and acted like a prima-donna.
The 4-4-2 formation stifles any creativity Portland's players have, especially when you play the creative players on the wings where they have no room to create.
Wallace filled in nicely defensively but has even less offensive skill in the CM position than Chara
Bendik's first start was good one -- too bad he couldn't get the Timber's first road win along with his first MLS start
Great to see Brunner out there, but his sub baffled me as I doubt Portland has ever practiced or game planned for him to the be in a CDM-like role. Too much confusion out there in the last 10 mins.
If only Mosco had not gone up for that header.
I think it is time to start giving Fucito some time instead of Dike. Dike just does not have the skills yet and it showed again tonight.
Too bad Mwanga can't play against San Jose every night -- he has 3 goals in 2 games against them.

Cascadia Cup: Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders Player Ratings: Limbo Edition

Geoff Gibson — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 22:33:46 -0000

The Portland Timbers had a real opportunity on Saturday to clinch the Cascadia Cup tournament and bring home their first ever trophy in MLS. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. It's not that the boys didn't put up a solid effort though! In fact, the game was quite exhilarating. But it was still a largely disappointing affair considering what was on the line. I mean, we were so close!

In any case, Saturday's draw means that the Timbers will have to try their luck once again, but this time away from home at CenturyLink Field in Seattle... and we all know how well the Timbers play on the road. At the very least, hopefully they can win at BC Place once again against a struggling Vancouver Whitecaps team.

Here are the player ratings for the Portland Timbers:

Starting XI

Donovan Ricketts: 6

Ryan: Laid out when he knew he was going to take a hit which is always a good thing to see. Going down to an injury is not and you can't fault him for at least trying to make a go of it before being subbed off.

Kosuke Kimura: 4

Ryan: I thought he got burned way to easily by Zakuani in the first half and looked lost on a couple of plays. His second half was better but that was mainly because Seattle stopped going down his side.

David Horst: 7

Will: Mosco could take a lesson from Horst's stick-a-foot-in-there method of dealing with Freddy Montero. Time and again Horst broke up the Seattle attack with powerful headers and judiciously timed tackles.

Hanyer Mosquera: 6

Will: While Montero's goal was just ridiculously well taken, you would like to see Mosco break that up somehow. That is Freddy Montero, he scores goals in situations just like that. Otherwise, stalwart.

Rodney Wallace: 7

Will: Shut down Steve Zakuani at one end of the pitch and served in numerous good crosses at the other before finally netting the game tying goal himself.

Jack Jewsbury: 8

Ryan: This was his best game in a while as it looked like he returned to 2011 form, especially with him taking the corners late.

Darlington Nagbe: 7

Will: Big defensive contributions up the pitch made up for a quiet night in the attack from Nagbe. Although he was quiet for long stretches of the game, Nagbe was able to turn on the juice by the end of the match and put some serious pressure on the Sounders.

Diego Chara: 6

Will: Besides takling the heck out of anything colored bule and distributing the ball well in the midfield, Chara earned the Timbers their first penalty kick of the season when he was hacked down by a Seattle player in the box (just kidding on that one).

Sal Zizzo: 4

Ryan: He made some effective runs but he has returned to Zig Zag Zizzo, put your head down and then go. He needs to get back to having some interplay between those in the middle and up front to be more effective.

Bright Dike: 4

Ryan: He hustled out there but in this type of game we need to be able to play to his feet so he can distribute the ball. His touch needs a lot of work if he wants to continue to be on the field.

Franck Songo'o: 6

Will: Songo'o had some nice moments and combined well with Wallace on several occasions. Songo'o did well to keep Gspurning honest on his cuts inside as he put a solid shot on goal, but his willingness to play with others still seems lacking, despite not attempting to dribble through three people at a time in this outing.

Substitutes

Joe Bendik: 5

Will: As soon as he edtered the game, Bendik was caught off his line by a chip that was not savable but he bounced back immediately and finished out the day with some solid play at the back including one key save to preserve the draw.

Kalif Alhassan: 5

Ryan: Came in at a time when it is difficult to add something to the game, especially after Chara went out. He did well to keep Seattle honest and his presence did not allow Seattle to push forward to take advantage of Chara being out.

Danny Mwanga: 5

Ryan: He came in and really put a lot of pressure on Seattle's defense by sitting right behind Alonso and in front of their backline. This allowed him room to go at people and distribute. I want to see more of that from him if we can get him some time.

There you have it. An outstanding performance from Cap'n Jack, but a middling performance for some others.

What did you think of the players on Saturday?

Portland Timbers Training Quotes and Notes: Lonely Joe Edition

William Conwell — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 19:44:17 -0000

After suffering a host of injuries to the Seattle Sounders on Saturday and Sunday, the Timbers held a light practice today as they prepare for the quick turnaround before heading to San Jose tomorrow afternoon. The team held and extended warm up followed by a series of keep away games before wrapping up practice early.

Diego Chara, Jake Gleeson, and Donovan Ricketts were all held out of practice today as their injuries are evaluated. Chara and Ricketts will miss Wednesday's game while Gleeson is questionable pending the result of an MRI on his hand today.

Injuries and Absences

Chara arrived at the team's Beaverton training facility as practice was about to begin and was greeted by cheers from the assembled players. After receiving more than his fair share of abuse from Seattle on Saturday, including a missed penalty kick when Andy Rose kicked him in the back of the leg, Chara did not practice today and, according to Gavin Wilkinson, will miss the next two weeks. Wilkinson did not get into specifics of Chara's injury, just saying that it was a groin injury.

More practice notes plus quotes from Gavin Wilkinson, David Horst, and Joe Bendik after the jump.

Ricketts suffered a grade 1 separated shoulder in his collision with Eddie Johnson on Saturday which will rule him out for two weeks, according to Wilkinson. The team will be sending Ricketts out for a second opinion later today.

Jake Gleeson, who took a late Sounder boot in Sunday's reserve game, was absent from practice this morning while getting an MRI on his hand. Gleeson has not yet been ruled out of Wednesday's game against the Earthquakes, pending the results of the MRI.

Out and participating in practice today were Steven Smith and Freddie Braun. Smith, who missed last week's practices while recovering from an ankle injury, participated in the full practice. Braun, who i still coming back from an abdominal strain, warmed up with the team, but did not participate in the games of keep away, instead breaking off to do some individual running.

Andrew Jean-Baptiste and Steve Purdy both missed practice today after missing all of last week. Jean-Baptiste is still rehabbing a strained hamstring while Steve Purdy is out with a bruised toe, suffered while on duty with the El Salvadoran national team.

Trialists

Cam Vickers, fresh off an impressive run out against the Sounders reserves on Sunday, continues to practice with the team as a practice player.

Notes

The mood in training was light today as the team prepares to play their next two games on the road, starting with San Jose on Wednesday. There was a lot of laughing and joking around in practice from both the players and coaches.

Sean McAuley jumped in to one of the games of keep away and showed the youngsters what to do, getting the ball back quickly each time he was in the center.

Joe Bendik was the focus of a lot of media attention today and a lot of film was taken of him practicing one on one with keeper coach Mike Toshack with his fellow keepers not practicing.

Quotes

Gavin Wilkinson

On the relaxed attitude in practice after Saturday's game against the Seattle Sounders

To tie, it is something to build on. For us it is important to prepare for Wednesday and we didn't want to put too much on the legs today. It was very relaxing mentally. We tried to get them to relax a little bit and have a fun day.

On playing San Jose immediately after such a high profile game

I think that everyone gets themselves prepared mentally and physically for the local derby games. Seattle was a big game for us and we finished the game with ten players with Deigo Chara coming out injured so the players needed to work a little bit harder, physically, at the end.

On the team's injuries

Diego and Donovan Ricketts, those two are definitely out. Franck Songo'o should be fine. We have got to make the necessary adjustments for those two players.

On the team's lack of goalies

We will get a league pool goalkeeper. We have got the choice of two players and we will make the decision today after training, but we haven't ruled Jake out either. He is getting an MRI this morning and we will know more after that.

On Donovan Ricketts

It is a grade one separated shoulder. He is off seeing the doctor again. He has already seen the doctor yesterday, but we are getting him to look at it again just to make sure that he as made the right diagnosis and we will move forward from there.

We are looking at two weeks, four weeks being the absolute maximum. For Diego Chara and Donovan Ricketts, two weeks is what we are looking at.

On Joe Bendik

I think his first moment in the game, nothing to do with him whatsoever, was picking the ball out of the net and mentally, I thought he showed a lot of character. The saves he made late in the game and how he went for the ball was fantastic for him.

Goalkeepers are different, in a good way. Jake Gleeson is very confident and very comfortable and so is Joe Bendik. It is what you need in that position to be successful.

On the San Jose Earthquakes

San Jose is a very good team and I think they have a lot of self-belief at the moment. They work extremely hard for each other and they are doing very well. Their home record is fantastic and their belief is very good. They always believe that they have a chance to win. They have players that have bought into the system and players that get their jobs done.

For us it is important to go in there and see how we fare and see how we match up on the road where we've struggled. I think this will be a good test for us.

On Real Salt Lake

Salt Lake City is at altitude, a very talented team, they keep the ball, they keep the ball moving. Their possession stat is one of the best in the league and it is important for us to deal with that and play with patience and a lot of maturity.

I know I keep saying that, but when you go into Salt Lake you can't just defend, or San Jose. You can't defend for ninety minutes and expect to get a result. You have got to go out and impact the game in the way that you play and the way that you want to play and see how you can put them under pressure.

On missing Diego Chara

It is definitely difficult to replace Diego. We've had some good results without him and I think that players coming in know how much he has contributed and worked and it sets the standard very high for the players coming in.

Diego will definitely be missed, but any one player in this game has to be replaceable. It gives Eric Alexander, or somebody similar, a chance to come in and when he has come in in the past he has done pretty well.

On Rodney Wallace's play against Seattle

I thought Rodney was a highlight for us. He came in and did his job and did very well for us. The energy that he brought in to the game I thought was fantastic. He's come back from the Costa Rican national team and settled in and gotten his job done, so for Rodney, I give him top marks in the game. He was one of our better players.

We don't identify too many individuals, but I thought his contribution to the game overall and his energy and his commitment to the game and the result was fantastic.

On Diego Chara

We have got to take a long view with Diego. He puts a lot of miles on those legs and works very hard. We want to get him back as soon as possible but we are going to take it easy on him.

On keeping the team motivated for the remaining non-Cascadia games

It goes back to us saying that we need to find out more about the team and about the individuals; find out what they're made of and what we're made of collectively as a group. It's also a chance for them to showcase themselves for Caleb Porter. To try and make sure that they have got a place to play next season and so that they know that we value them and want to keep them here and try and work about the process to keep them here.

For players individually they need to perform, they need to work hard, and they need to get their jobs done. Collectively as a group we are seeing how they can make the necessary adjustments that we need them to make in games.

On Caleb Porter's response to the game against Seattle

That he was sorry he couldn't be here, was extremely excited, and that some of the players are showing more and more about themselves, which for that game was very positive. He is definitely looking forward to the challenge and is excited about the challenge. His actual words were, I've been jumping off the coach all afternoon watching this game and I'm extremely excited.

On Jose Adolfo Valencia

I thought that for the first time he has played in eight or nine months, just to have him out of the field was a small victory. There was a moment in the game where one of our players had the ball and he sort of removed the other player off the ball and took it and went at goal. I am just delighted for him. His smile after the game and the emotion from him after the game just said it all.

He definitely worked well. He's a good young player with a huge upside. Now we get to see that upside and we get to keep him healthy and get him match fit, so we will keep him here for as long as possible in the offseason, let him see his family for a little bit, and make the decision on his future with the club.

Quotes from Joe Bendik, Jack Jewsbury, and David Horst will have to wait for the morning.

Sounders Retain Cascadia Cup, For Now - 1-1 Draw

Dave Clark — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 22:13:23 -0000

In the most important match of the Portland Timbers 2012 season they could only manage a come-from-behind ~~road~~ home draw against the Seattle Sounders. Rodney Wallace did manage to draw the Timbers level. The first half was an even contest with each side threatening at various moments, but it was the second half when things opened up. Fredy Montero scored his 7th Cascadia Cup goal off of a Michael Gspurning goal kick in the 57th minute to open the scoring.

With a draw the Cascadia Cup heads north to Seattle and both Seattle and Portland are in control of their destiny. Both teams still have a game at Vancouver and the Sounders are still to host the Timbers.

The match was evenly fought, as the stats indicated. Portland at home is an average MLS team and Seattle is pretty good. While the draw was expected, the Sounders did hold a lead. When leading they have yet to lose in 2012. A tie is in ways disappointing. Long term, the Yellow Card for Eddie Johnson will mean he misses the next MLS game. That match is against the Supporters' Shield leading Earthquakes.

At various moments momentum went either teams' way. There were sequences where Seattle battered the Timbers defense, as well as series where the Timbers took advantage of mistakes. A mid-2nd half moment when Donovan Ricketts and Eddie Johnson collided may have defined the match. EJ recovered quickly, but Ricketts left with either head and/or arm injury. Shortly after Joe Bendik gave up the goal to a piece of Montero magic.

When Seattle subbed Mario Martinez on the offensive posture increased, while the defense decreased. He used some flair in dangerous areas leading to turnovers on what should have been clearances. He also had a key pass and a blocked shot.

The Sounders had 7 attempts inside the 18 to Portland's 6. For all of the complaining about center referee Ricardo Salazar's calls you will not find that his calls were biased, though a bit strict. Long term games called like this will be better for the league than worse as players will be less violent off the ball than they are normally. Both teams were a bit selfish in the box attempting one-on-one moves rather than passes in the box.

This is not a win. It is merely acceptable. It hurts Seattle in their chances to make the CCL (a vital recruiting tool), but keeps them alive in the Cascadia Cup. Mistakes were made by both sides. The referee did not influence the result. On the road, in one of the most difficult environments the Sounders took a point and a Cup back with them. On October 7th the rubber match in the series (and likely decider in the Cascadia Cup) happens. The whole stadium is open.

The goal for fans is simple - sell the whole damn thing out. For the team, it is a request of equal simplicity - three points and a Cup.

Portland Timbers Control Game in Scrimmage With Oregon State

William Conwell — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 01:23:47 -0000

The Portland Timbers reserves won their match up against the Oregon State Beavers today with a score of 2-1. All three goal scorers were Timbers with Brent Richards and Franck Songo'o scoring for the Timbers while U23's product Emory Welshman got on the board for OSU.

The Timbers played two very different games in the first and second halves. Starting out the game in a 4-3-3, the Timbers looked somewhat disjointed as the link between the midfield and attackers was nonexistent early on. Although he showed plenty of good touches, Brent Richards was a main culprit in the Timbers' midfield struggles as his passes were often just slightly off target and the as a result the offense never really got going.

In the second half, the Timbers took control of the game with Franck Songo'o, and later Kalif Alhassan, pulling the strings from the center of the pitch. The Timbers were almost certainly given a mandate to hold on to the ball after struggling in the first half and at times looked more like they were playing a game of keep away than an actual soccer game.

Early in the second half the Timbers' increased possession payed dividends as Songo'o played a beautiful pass in to Sal Zizzo who got around his man and served the ball into the box. A Beavers defender managed to get a foot to the ball but Richards was crashing into the box and hammered the ball home.

The despite seeing very little of the ball, the Beavers were able to equalize as Songo'o set up another goal, sending a errant back pass directly to Oregon State and Timbers U23's forward Welshman who turned and beat Joe Bendik low and to the far post.

To round things out, a Beavers hand ball in the box gave Songo'o his chance at redemption. Stepping up to the spot, Songo'o finished with aplomb. Songo'o hit the ball hard and to the right and, although the OSU keeper got a hand to the ball, he was unable to even slow it down.

More match notes after the jump.

First Half

Timbers Line-up: Bendik (GK), Vickers (LB), Brunner (CB - Captain), Futty (CB), Kawulok (RB), Renken (CM), Richards (CM), Braun (CM), Fucito (LW), Dike (CF), Mwanga (RW)

Positives

Bright Dike and Mike Fucito have some chemistry out there. They had a couple of very nice combinations to get free around the box.
Dike plowed through U23's center back Chris Harms, sending him flying and earning a throw in for the Timbers in a play that typified his game today.
Charles Renken plays big for a little guy. He isn't afraid to muscle someone off the ball and, despite his slight frame, he is fairly successful doing so.
In addition to his tackling, Renken also showed some good passing out of the midfield, something that the Timber struggled with in the first half.
Ryan Kawulok can run all day long. He would appear in the attacking third with regularity then be back on defense before anyone else. There is no jogging back for this guy.
However, the most impressive thing about Kawulok's play was his calm on the ball. Although his touch is not the softest, Kawulok rarely plays himself into trouble, an unfortunately unique attribute among the Timbers defenders.
Danny Mwanga looked very comfortable once he switched over to the left side of the pitch. He had some success toward the end of the half both cutting inside to shoot and beating his man to the end line in order to get off a cross.
Joe Bendik is loud and directs traffic effectively.

Negatives

Richards is not a central midfielder. Although he holds the ball well and is capable of playing a good pass, he did not seem to know what to do at times while in the center of the pitch, which led to a number of turnovers.
Cam Vickers was the weak link on the back line in the first half and OSU exploited that. Welshman gave Vickers fits at times and the Beavers' counter attack saw lots of success flowing down the right side of the field.
Eric Brunner looks like he is still a ways away from being fully fit. Either due to fitness or injury, Brunner spent a lot of time with his hands on his knees today.
At times Mwanga looked completely disconnected form the play and disappeared from the game.
Futty, who put in an otherwise solid performance, played one unnecessary ball across the back line to Brunner that was inches away from being picked off by an OSU player, exactly the sort of play that has punished the Timbers time and time again this season.

Second Half

Timbers Line-up 1: Bendik (GK), Vickers (LB), Palmer (CB), Kawulok (CB - Captain), Braun (RB), Renken (DM), Richards (LM), Songo'o (CM), Zizzo (RM), Rincon (CF), Dike (CF)

Timbers Line-up 2: Bendik (GK), Vickers (LB), Palmer (CB), Kawulok (CB - Captain), Braun (RB), Alexander (DM), Wallace (LM), Songo'o (CM), Alhassan (CM), Zizzo (RM), Rincon (CF)

Positives

Sebastian Rincon started off the half by showing off some excellent dribbling and speed before dropping the ball off... (continued in the negatives)
Rincon may not be build quite as solidly as Dike, but he still tosses defenders around very effectively.
Lovel Palmer put in a comptetent showing in the center of the defense, where he was extremely vocal in leading the backline.
It was a surprising to see the rarely featured Kawulok given the captain's armband, but he turned in a solid performance in the center of the defense.
Songo'o's presence on the pitch changed the game for the Timbers as he was able to provide the link between the forwards and the rest of the team.
The central midfield triangle of Kalif Alhassan and Songo'o in front of Eric Alexander was dominant. Once the Timbers gained possession, they were able to hold the ball without issue.
Rodney Wallace looked totally comfortable in the midfield, beating several players on the dribble and ripping several shots from outside the box.

Negatives

(continued from the positives) ... only to find that there was nobody there and his pass rolled back far enough to reach the OSU forwards and start one of the Beavers' only attacking chances of the half.
Songo'o's poor back pass, one of his only poorly placed passes of the day, lead to the only OSU goal.
At times the Timbers did not look like they were giving their opponents much respect as they continued to keep the ball. For the last fifteen minutes or so, the Timbers focused on playing keep away rather than trying to actually break down the OSU back line, a questionable decision for a team that has consistently struggled on offense this season.
Palmer received a yellow card for an elbow to the head of an OSU player midway through the second half, giving up a free kick in the Timbers defensive third.

On the sidelines Amos Magee and Cameron Knowles were the most involved in the direction of the game although Gavin Wilkinson was more involved in the second half, particularly in what he wanted to see from the midfield.

Welcome to La Belle Province, Troy Perkins! Trade analysis, thoughts from Stumptown Footy & Shin Guardian...

GioSardo — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 21:24:17 -0000

Today, the Montreal Impact have announced that they have traded goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts to the Portland Timbers in exchange for goalkeeper Troy Perkins.

Here’s how the numbers matchup:

Troy Perkins: GP 22 / Minutes 1957 / Shutouts 3 / Saves 66 / Goals Allowed 35 / Age 30 / Salary $201,833.33

Ricketts: GP 24 / Minutes 2136 / Shutouts 3 / Saves 61 / Goals Allowed 39 / Age 35 / Salary $275,000.00

The first thing that pops out is the fact that Perkins is 5 years younger and costs approximately $73,000.00 less than Ricketts. The savings on the salary cap are huge, especially if Nick De Santis and Joey Saputo are trying to lure in another DP or setting up another trade. The rest of the numbers look fairly similar but there is more than meets the eye. Looking at the MLS standings, it is clear that Portland's overall team performance is a huge influence on Perkins' numbers.

Portland: 20 GP / 5 Wins / 20 Goals for / 37 Goals against / -17 Differential / Last in West

Montreal: 25 GP / 9 Wins / 35 Goals for / 43 Goals against / -8 Differential / 6^th in East

Portland's goal differential indicates that the Timbers are caught up in a vicious cycle. Lack of goals is caused by poor play, which causes poor possession numbers that leads to extra stress on the defence forcing the goalie to fish the ball out of his own net more often than he'd like to.

Without having seen many Timbers' games this season, one could say that perhaps Perkins isn't the issue. In any sport, the main player's statistics are always poorer when the whole team is struggling. In Hockey, the goalie can't always be blamed for an awful goals against average. In Football, you could have a great quarterback but his numbers will be awful if no one can catch the ball or if his offensive line can't protect him. Seems to be the same situation in Portland this season.

In Montreal, however, Ricketts does shoulder much more of the blame. I am not saying that the Impact defense has been perfect. They have dealt with their share of mistakes and injuries but we have all been witness to Ricketts' constant poor ball handling, lack of communication and ineffective set piece defense set up. It was clear during games that newcomer and defensive legend Alessandro Nesta had trust issues with the goalkeeper. Nesta had taken over setting up the set piece defence and refused to play the ball back to his keeper, under any circumstance. The Italian centre back was brought to Montreal to not only solidify the Impact's defence but to act as an assistant coach, mentor and assistant sporting director. It is clear that his words are greatly respected and make a huge impact within all levels of the organisation. In my opinion, this led to the departure of Donovan Ricketts.

While this trade doesn't seem to signal the beginning of the Evan Bush era in Montreal, Perkins should instill a bigger sense of calm and confidence on the field. He doesn't not need to be a miracle worker. He just needs to do his job. Having Nesta, Matteo Ferrari, and Nelson Rivas (once he's back from suspension) will make his life a lot easier. The back line will put Perkins in a position to succeed. For those of you are NFL fans, it is like when the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl with that amazing defense and Trent Dilfer at quarterback. Dilfer didn't have to win the game for them, he just had to make sure he didn't screw it up.

Early reports on the social media scene show that the Impact are the clear winners in this deal. Many Timbers' fan seem upset by this deal. Let's see if this translates onto the field and in game action.

This trade shows just how much Joey Saputo, Nick De Santis and Jesse Marsch care about winning. They are serious about making a playoff run this season while building for the future. This trade does all that.

Trade analysis and getting to know Troy Perkins with Stumptown Footy & Shin Guardian

I have asked our friends at Stumptown Footy (@StumptownFooty) and the Shin Guardian (@JNyen) in Portland to give us their insight on the trade and help us get to know the Impact's newest goalkeeper. Here's what they had to say:

1. Can you gives us some insight on how well Perkins' season has been?

Stumptown Footy:

It has really been and up and down season for Perkins. The ‘up' is thanks to his great shot stopping ability. The ‘down' is because he gets hung out to dry by his defense too often. He still comes up with the big saves to keep Portland close but it hasn't been enough. Overall, it has been an ‘ok' year for him.

Shin Guardian:

The Timbers season as a whole has been down, perhaps with the exception of one or two players. Perkins happens to be one of the few players with consistency. He has been playing as well as he can be within the system of our poor defense. Portland's goal differential this season is -17. That's not just -17 on the road, that is -17 TOTAL. This isn't entirely Perkins fault but one of a terribly ineffective midfield defense combined with a rotating cast of leaky sieve fullbacks.

2. What are his strong points? Weaknesses?

Stumptown Footy:

He is a great reaction save keeper who puts himself in the right position to stop the shot. I don't know if the issue has been him or the backline as a whole but the defense has looked a little lost this year. This is either caused by a lack of communication by Perkins or the team is simply not listening to him.

His biggest weakness is ball distribution. There have been many times when he has kicked the ball straight out of bounds when there has been no pressure on him. Also, he rarely, if ever, throws it or passes it to the defense. He usually settles for the long kick.

Shin Guardian:

Strong points are his intensity, his ability on corner kicks, and he does make absolutely amazing saves at times. Weakness can be his positioning which seemed to get better this year, and his ability on long range shots. Having watched a few Montreal Impact games, I'd say that his hands are better than Ricketts.

3. Why would Portland consider moving him?

Stumptown Footy:

There is a big debate on this and we are not sure exactly why they would consider moving him but my guess is to pave the way for our younger goalkeepers to get some playing time. I don't see Ricketts being here longer then the end of this year. Next season, either Jack Gleeson or Joe Bendik should step in to the number one role.

Shin Guardian:

Portland's general manager Gavin Wilkinson is a conundrum wrapped in a riddle. He has made baffling personnel decisions before, and (based on his quote) is using this trade to justify more playing time for our keepers in waiting, Jake Gleeson and Joe Bendik. If Ricketts plays great when he starts and then Gleeson plays very well Wilkinson will be vindicated.

4. Was he a fan favorite?

Stumptown Footy:

Troy certainly was one of the favorites. He was a very likeable guy who always answered questions with honesty and without the usually clichés. There are a lot of baffled fans out there who are upset.

Shin Guardian:

Yes, he won supporters player of the year, last year. After the Cal FC USOC loss (a loss to an amateur team in the United States Open Cup tournament) he gave his gloves and jersey to the crowd. He frequently brought his kid onto the playing field after games to shoot goals and run around. He appeared voluntarily on a supporters live stage show for a part after the end of last season. He was well liked among most fans.

5. Does Ricketts step in as your number 1? Or do you have someone waiting in the wings?

Stumptown Footy:

Ricketts does step in as our number 1 as Jack Gleeson is still coming off an injury and just got back from the Olympics with New Zealand. I would not expect Joe Bendik to start against Toronto but it could happen.

Shin Guardian:

The answer here is a bit confusing. Portland's GM states that Ricketts has accepted to be a mentor for our young keepers. At the same time Wilkinson also said that Ricketts represented an upgrade at the position over Perkins. PTFC does have two young keepers waiting in the wing, Jake Gleeson and Joe Bendik. Gleeson showed a lot of promise last year but has also had some injury problems. He was tipped to be the keeper for New Zealand in the Olympics but had a strained groin and lost his spot.

6. What are your thoughts on the trade?

Stumptown Footy:

I am confused and have to wait to see if this actually turns out to be a good trade or not. Troy was probably the most consistent player for Portland and you knew what to expect from him every game. If Portland sheds salary after this year and then goes with Gleeson or Bendik as our number one, this could turn out to be a good trade depending on their development. This also could turn out to be disastrous for Portland and could end up cost Gavin Wilkinson his job.

Shin Guardian:

I personally am not a fan of Ricketts as a player. I thought he was overrated at LA Galaxy due to the very good back four in front of him and had the habit of making easy saves look difficult. He is frequently injured (losing his spot in LA due to this), and does not (in my opinion) provide an upgrade to Perkins at that position. It sounds like Montreal is taking care of part of his salary which is nice, but the best case long term scenario for Timbers fans is that Jake Gleeson/Joe Bendik play very well and Ricketts is a really good mentor.

Poll

What do you think of the trade?

We got screwed!! Bring back Ricketts NOW!

8 votes

Great move! The Impact are a better team today than yesterday.

88 votes

We are not better, we are not worse.

14 votes

110 votes | Poll has closed