I really want these last handful of games to be indicative of something lasting, and of a gradual leveling-up. I really want them to head into the Leagues Cup, about which I do not care at all, on a positive note. It's a pretty tough run of games, though:
STL away - this has draw written all over it. It's the kind of game the Timbers should win, but it's also a road game where it's gonna be 85 degrees and raining/humid, so who knows how that'll be dealt with.
SJ away - The only team with a worse GA than the Timbers in the Western Conference. This is probably the easiest game of the eight before Leagues Cup, and one they better get three points from.
VAN home - This is not your typical Vancouver team, and even at home, I struggle to see a Timbers team still not very good at defending getting three points out of this match. Draw at best.
MNU home - I think the Timbers can sneak a win out of this game. Despite being in third place, MNU's GD is only 7, and they're not exactly a scoring powerhouse (27 goals this season).
DAL away - Speaking of not a scoring powerhouse, Dallas has scored 17 goals all season. If ever there's a season the Timbers can win down there (curses aren't a thing, and teams don't play against history, they play against other teams in real time), it's this one. Win.
NSH home - I honestly don't know what to make of this one. Nashville don't score much, so if the May Timbers show up, it should be a win, but if the Timbers of April show up, it could be one of those ugly forehead-slaps of a game.
RSL home - I don't think this Timbers team beats the Western Conference leaders, even if this Timbers team is better now than it was in April.
LAG away - coming on the heels of RSL, this will be a good test of whether the Timbers are actually good or whether it's a mirage. LAG are a pretty good team, but the Timbers are getting better. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say they're gonna steal a point on the road, mostly because they'll be annoyed after losing to RSL.
The only ones I'm really thinking are uphill battles are Vancouver and RSL. RSL are having the best season they've had in over a decade, and Vancouver is a much tougher team than they've been in recent seasons. But if the Timbers keep defending like a real soccer team, this stretch of good form could continue for a while.
I'll give you RSL - they are a tough team. They were tough without the additional talent they've added, but now with a legit forward and other pieces, they are playing like front runners. That will be a really good game, and I'm sure the Timbers will be up for.
With all due respect to Vanc, I'm just not impressed.
I've been wondering how this year's team's points compare with last year's at this stage of the season. Now, I know the answer to that. The same place with 20 points. Not that different from the prior couple of years. Mediocre for these years isn't good enough. I remember when I was more of a rabid fan and actually thought the owner was a cool guy. Now, I find myself yearning for a new owner since the current one seems to have gone dark since the abuses toward players and coverup were exposed. I feel like there is bad karma with this team that won't change until we have a new owner.
Overall it's disappointing to be where they are at in the season, but after such a dismal stretch, they are trending upward. It just feels a little like we are behind the 8 ball all the time. From long road stretch and missing certain players at key times, to making dumb plays and playing with 10 guys to the toughest team in the West. The thing that is encouraging is Phil's relentless energy and a squad that seems bought in to some actual awesome talent and emerging talent. This team is trending upward, and I'm willing to forget the dismal stretch we had and look forward to the rest of the season, and leagues cup.
I really want these last handful of games to be indicative of something lasting, and of a gradual leveling-up. I really want them to head into the Leagues Cup, about which I do not care at all, on a positive note. It's a pretty tough run of games, though:
STL away - this has draw written all over it. It's the kind of game the Timbers should win, but it's also a road game where it's gonna be 85 degrees and raining/humid, so who knows how that'll be dealt with.
SJ away - The only team with a worse GA than the Timbers in the Western Conference. This is probably the easiest game of the eight before Leagues Cup, and one they better get three points from.
VAN home - This is not your typical Vancouver team, and even at home, I struggle to see a Timbers team still not very good at defending getting three points out of this match. Draw at best.
MNU home - I think the Timbers can sneak a win out of this game. Despite being in third place, MNU's GD is only 7, and they're not exactly a scoring powerhouse (27 goals this season).
DAL away - Speaking of not a scoring powerhouse, Dallas has scored 17 goals all season. If ever there's a season the Timbers can win down there (curses aren't a thing, and teams don't play against history, they play against other teams in real time), it's this one. Win.
NSH home - I honestly don't know what to make of this one. Nashville don't score much, so if the May Timbers show up, it should be a win, but if the Timbers of April show up, it could be one of those ugly forehead-slaps of a game.
RSL home - I don't think this Timbers team beats the Western Conference leaders, even if this Timbers team is better now than it was in April.
LAG away - coming on the heels of RSL, this will be a good test of whether the Timbers are actually good or whether it's a mirage. LAG are a pretty good team, but the Timbers are getting better. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say they're gonna steal a point on the road, mostly because they'll be annoyed after losing to RSL.
You called the St. Louis draw. I see this as a pretty favorable stretch. None of these teams really scare and the home matches are favorable.
The only ones I'm really thinking are uphill battles are Vancouver and RSL. RSL are having the best season they've had in over a decade, and Vancouver is a much tougher team than they've been in recent seasons. But if the Timbers keep defending like a real soccer team, this stretch of good form could continue for a while.
I'll give you RSL - they are a tough team. They were tough without the additional talent they've added, but now with a legit forward and other pieces, they are playing like front runners. That will be a really good game, and I'm sure the Timbers will be up for.
With all due respect to Vanc, I'm just not impressed.
I've been wondering how this year's team's points compare with last year's at this stage of the season. Now, I know the answer to that. The same place with 20 points. Not that different from the prior couple of years. Mediocre for these years isn't good enough. I remember when I was more of a rabid fan and actually thought the owner was a cool guy. Now, I find myself yearning for a new owner since the current one seems to have gone dark since the abuses toward players and coverup were exposed. I feel like there is bad karma with this team that won't change until we have a new owner.
Overall it's disappointing to be where they are at in the season, but after such a dismal stretch, they are trending upward. It just feels a little like we are behind the 8 ball all the time. From long road stretch and missing certain players at key times, to making dumb plays and playing with 10 guys to the toughest team in the West. The thing that is encouraging is Phil's relentless energy and a squad that seems bought in to some actual awesome talent and emerging talent. This team is trending upward, and I'm willing to forget the dismal stretch we had and look forward to the rest of the season, and leagues cup.