The End...for now

Tonight the Portland Timbers rallied at University of Portland's Merlo Field to attempt recovery from the ignominious first playoff game last week in Vancouver BC in which the Whitecaps, once again, rubbed mud in our team's face.  Portland, according to reports,  gave up two early goals and looked staggered for the rest of the game, mounting almost no credible response.   Tonight was different.  The Timbers came to play and finished the match with a 1-0 win which was not enough to erase game one's impact but at least restored some of their dignity.   The sad reality, though, was that Vancouver had to do next to nothing except stop Portland's attack which they did,  through means fair and foul.   


The best part of this evening,  however, was watching young Al Hasani,  our Ghanaian acquisition of a month ago,  on the field.   The kid is fast,  very skilled with his feet,  smart, disciplined and hard-working.   If our new Technico,  Gavin Wilkinson,  can recruit this kind of talent from the less heralded (and expensive) arenas of the game,  Timbers MLS could knock the socks off the league.  When I first heard about this acquisition,  I thought the youngster would not show until next year.  My mistake.  He was the most dynamic player on the field and that in itself was exciting.


So we're folding up the scarves in our household.  Ready to look forward and not mourn this season's good and grim moments.   Ever optimistic,  I'm with Stephen Gerrard on this subject.  "It doesn't matter who scores the goals as long as we win."   


Rose City 'til I die.

The Mark of the Boot

The LA Galaxy squared off tonight against Chivas in the "Super Classico" crosstown match and sixty minutes in it was a 2-1 match Galaxy with the pace still not quite clear.  Buddle had cracked a beautiful first strike for the Galaxy followed by a bent Beckham blast on a free kick which gave the favored team a clear lead.   What struck me was watching former rookie Timber, Alan Gordon, playing against his former club, the Galaxy,  for Chivas.   Early in the second half Gordon went in for his third or fourth dangerous shot and Donovan Ricketts came out, feet up,  to gather the ball.  Gordon ended up on the ground,  with his jersey ripped and the clear crimson stripes of cleat marks on his chest.   Just another reminder that the game isn't for wimps.  Watching Gordon play I think it's sad he didn't get more time in Timber green.  He's got the chops of a striker. And Gordon gets his revenge scoring Chivas goal so far.  Oh...and Chivas would be more dangerous if they just didn't give the ball away so often.  Sorta like the Old Nicks.  If we could just avoid mistakes...

When you get to a certain age, there is no coming back.

That's a great quote from former England and club manager, Brian Clough.   I just finished watching "The Damned United" which threads its way with an unflinching eye through Clough's career,  and I thought it was that rare treat,  a movie about the game which also is an extraordinary movie about the dynamics of a brilliant, flawed, larger than life personality.   The Caine Mutiny and Captain Queeg come to mind, for the latter.   I don't know if there is a film out there that depicts the game in its glorious and gritty reality to match this.   English football in the later part of the Twentieth Century was played by hard men and that shows in the period footage interspliced with the movie's narrative. And as historic footnotes, people like Alan Hinton played for Clough at Derby County. Clough's career spans the origins of the NASL.   I know this blog isn't your Shawn Levy movie review column!  But if you haven't seen the movie and you lived through those years,  rent it.   Or whatever it is you do to watch movies these days.   The stream at Netflix worked pretty darn well for this one.   


Oh...and that quote?  I just like it 'cause I'm an Old Nick and it fits.   Clough had a way with words. That was part of what made him memorable.   


One last thing.  I said I wasn't going to be covering the Timbers game by game.   But they knocked off Baltimore Crystal Palace this afternoon over on the east side of the country, 3-1.   All that's left of the last USL season is to spank the 'Caps next weekend at Swangard and then win the championship.   Go get 'em, boys!

Who's goin' to the Show? Poll on which Timbers will go to MLS

So my poll results are in, and there's some clarity in the trends.   Without any question the brightest star in the polling was Bright Dike, who earned top points to play MLS ball for the green team next year.   My take?  Dike is strong and smart but his vulnerability is being muscled by highly physical defenses.   The MLS thrives on highly physical defenses.   I'd say Dike is a contender but not a given.   Next on the list were Ryan Pore and Steve Cronin.   I have to agree with Cronin as a choice.  He's shown smarts and cool under pressure.  And he's had a broad range of experience.  All of that militates to a shot next year.  Pore is an easy "of course".   He's a quality player: passionate,  intelligent,  and a natural shooter.   I'd say the risk next year is that opposing defenders will just physically chip away at him.   MLS is like a prison farm---a hard row to hoe.  As opposed to the beauty of the game.  Also ranking up there in voter estimation is Ian Joy,  a defender who's had increasing impact on the Timbers' play this year.  His experience in MLS and in the Bundesliga make him a likely yes.  Not doing so well in our voting were Taki, Nimo, Keel,  and Ross Smith.    I can hypothesize about what voters might have thought in terms of their qualities but it would only be speculation.   Truth be told the 2011 Portland Timbers will likely sport a very new and different look,  regardless of current player performance,  because John Spencer will have his own vision of how to craft a team.   I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.  Hey?  Is Sebastien LeToux available?  If he's on our team he can't score against us!