by Bob Kellett
03/12/2010

Heading into Thursday's exhibition match against the Seattle Sounders my biggest concern for the Portland Timbers was injury.  I had this sinking fear that one or two of the players, who have only been training for a week and a half, would fall prey to the rivalry hype and try to do too much.  It appears like there was victory on this front. 

You might have heard that there was victory on the pitch too.  Depending on who you talk to, this means that the 2010 Timbers are the best team since Brazil's World Cup squad in 1970 or the best team to ever step foot in North America.  Amazing what an exhibition victory in March can do for one's spirits. 

My normal hackneyed sports columnist (term used loosely and with great irony) instinct is to caution about expectations.  A preseason victory does not a season make.  In the 2010 table the column under Points still says zero.  From the accounts of those who were in attendance and from the description provided over the AM wavelengths (side note 1: Why do radio stations always have lame names?  Freedom-970?  Gah) (side note 2: Listening to soccer over the radio is akin to eating deep fried Twinkies every day.  It will kill you early, especially when it is a close game and you are hanging on every word.), the Timbers put in a gutsy performance, but they weren't exactly dominant.  The road to a championship is long, any number of things could derail the train, and all that jazz. 

There's plenty of time ahead for bah humbugism.  You know that there will be a stretch where the Timbers play like dog Agnello.  You know that there will be a player or two who is a hero today that will be the bane of your existence at some point during the season.  Y'all know this.  You are Portland Timbers fans.  It never is easy.  But for now, let's embrace the expectations.  This was an amazing team to watch last season.  The additions made thus far are a reason for excitement.  The momentum towards 2011 is exhilarating.   

A preseason victory in Seattle does not a season make, but during the dreary days of March, having a little extra boost in your step doesn't hurt. 

Two Nimos

When I saw that Israel Sesay played for the Timbers against Oregon State, I was immediately ready to dub him as this year's Alex Nimo.  Both have African heritage, both would need to crane their necks to look at Spud Webb, and both are too young to legally enjoy the hops-filled drinks that bring so many of us joy.   

Both Sesay and Nimo are also what is right and wrong with MLS.  They are guys who were identified at a young age and funneled into a national development program.  Because of MLS, they were given a route to a soccer career that didn't include having to endure the nonsense that is college soccer.  That is the positive aspect of MLS.  It gives young American talent an opportunity. 

At the same time, MLS struggles with figuring out what to do with young kids who are good enough to bypass college, but aren't quite ready for prime time.  The development team system was scrapped a couple of years ago, leaving guys like Nimo and Sesay a couple of choices.  Sit the bench with an MLS club and hope to get better through training or seek out opportunities to gain actual game experience.  Hence Nimo's loan and Sesay's path through Cleveland to Portland this year (if he sticks, which might be tough since he and Nimo are similar players). 

One thing the USL Timbers have never been able to really do is to develop young talent.  Both Bobby Howe and Gavin Wilkinson have traditionally favored players with experience.  The rare young guys who were given a shot – think Alan Gordon and Bryan Jordan – were off to more money lined pastures once they proved their worth.  It is different this year.  The greener pasture is here and the manager is willing to not only give younger players a shot – Gaudet, Nimo, Sesay, Kirk – but also to give them an opportunity to develop as players and stay here at the next level.  It is good to see the club taking advantage of this situation. 

Speaking of unique situations…

Obviously the opportunity to play in MLS is helping to attract some talent to Portland.  The case of Adin Brown is an interesting one.  This is a guy who was making 6 figures overseas.  He's not going to make that playing second division soccer in the United States, but apparently the Timbers are able to structure contracts that offer options for the MLS years.  In Brown's case, the club apparently has three option years beyond this one. Talk about a recruiting advantage.

Missing in Action

The realist in me has noticed that Takayuki Suzuki has been missing from training and chalks it up to him trying to sort out a work visa.  The skeptic in me thinks this might be a sign that the club is trying to ease him out of the picture.  While I thought he did a decent job as a 30-minute player last season, I look at this year's roster and don't see a role for an aging defensive forward.  His salary could be spent elsewhere. 

It is getting crowded out there

The addition of Nimo makes an already crowded midfield even more crowded.  There are a lot of talented players fighting for minutes.  The only position where I think there is a need for more depth is left back.  Ian Joy is solid, but he has had some injury issues in the past and you can't count on him pulling a David Hayes and playing a ton of minutes.  Josh Cameron is now listed as a defender, but is he an adequate replacement for Joy?  It is hard to say.  Wilkinson likes him enough to have him around for another season, but he is untested.  I'd like to see another body in the back just in case. 

There goes Spring Break

The club was awfully quiet about the cancellation of its training trip to Costa Rica.  While it would have been nice for the team to get in a run or two against quality opponents, the biggest loss is the opportunity to mine for talent.

On the media

It is worth noting that The Oregonian sent a reporter to cover the Seattle match.  In previous years, they haven't sent reporters to away playoff games let alone a preseason friendly.  As someone who still has a zillion news alerts set up in my antiquated system, I can tell you that the preseason coverage from a wide variety of sources has been outstanding.  The club is much improved in providing us diehards with information.  It doesn't hurt that John Strong is doing an outstanding job keeping us informed on the radio.  

Speaking of improvement…

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