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Game Thread: Portland Timbers U-23's vs. Charleston Battery

2013-05-21T23:30:06Z

Tonight the Portland TImbers U-23's take on the Charleston Battery in the second round of the US Open Cup. The U-23s advanced to the second round after last Tuesday's season opening win against the Sacramento Gold. Since then the U-23s have posted two wins in their first two league games. The Battery have not been resting on their laurels this year either. The visiting side have posted six wins at the USL Pro level, good enough for second place.

General Information

Watch it on: Streaming on PortlandTimbers.com.

Kick off: 7:30 pm at Jeld-Wen Field.

Portland Timbers U-23s: 2-0-0 in the USL PDL Northwest Division.

Charleston Battery: 6-2-0 in USL Pro.

Starting Lineups

Portland Timbers U-23s:

Coming soon...

Charleston Battery:

Coming soon...

Web Stream:

Final Thoughts

The Timbers U-23s have every chance of advancing past the Battery, but it will be a stiff test. Although the team has come together remarkably quickly, their cohesion, and the extent to which these young players have bought into the style of football embraced by the Timbers from the top down, will need to be top notch to stay in the cup.

Portland Timbers Training Quotes and Notes: Little Knocks

2013-05-21T20:47:08Z

The Portland Timbers got back in to action today as they held an open practice at their Beaverton training center. Although the team is out of their busiest stretch of games this season, having just completed five games without a full week between matches, the Timbers now find themselves preparing for the second leg of a three game road swing.

Caleb Porter's focus is entirely on the weekend's game against D.C. United, despite some controversial calls in Vancouver on both sides of the ball.

I don't really care what people were talking about, to be honest. I care about what my team thinks and the next game. At the end of the day we got a point. That's all I care about. We've moved on.

As the Timbers seek to continue their current ten game unbeaten streak, and maintain their undefeated record on the road, the consensus among the players is that the team's mental toughness is a large part of their success. Caleb Porter, however, puts a different emphasis on the team's success away from home.

Sometimes we assume that it should be that much different and that much harder, and I think that, from a psychological standpoint, we approach games assuming that. By doing that what you are doing is sending the wrong message to your team by saying that it is going to be harder. So, what I say is that it is no different.

To that end, the Timbers practice today was no different than their usual post-game fare. After warmups, the Timbers broke into several small groups and played small sided games, including a double-netted version of soccer tennis. The Timbers followed that up by a large game of keep away before rounding practice out with a series of short field matches. Interestingly, in the short field games, Pa Modou Kah and Futty Danso were paired up on defense, despite Futty's suspension against DC.

Injuries and Absences

Both Will Johnson and Diego Valeri were surprise absences from today's practice as both picked up knocks in the game against Vancouver, which was hardly a surprise given some of the treatment that Valeri in particular was subjected to. According to Caleb Porter, Johnson, who watched much of practice from the sidelines with the coaches, has a muscle contusion and was given time to recover. Porter also confirmed that Valeri had a tight hamstring, remarking that the team would treat him properly.

Sebastian Rincon and Michael Nanchoff, both of whom missed time last week thanks to a pair of knocks, were again sidelined today. Both players did some jogging on the sidelines during practice. Of the two, Nanchoff has been out the longest, missing several practices due to a string of relatively minor injuries, the latest of which is a bruised heel. Rincon only missed practice on Friday last week as he recovers from a hamstring issue.

Of the Timbers' long term absences, both Brent Richards and David Horst made appearances at training today. Horst spent time on the sidelines riding an exercise bike and Richards juggled a ball during his brief foray onto the pitch. Bright Dike and Mikael Silvestre, who comprise the rest of the Timbers' long term injury list, were not spotted at the training center today.

Darlington Nagbe, who was forced to leave the Vancouver game thanks to an ankle injury, took part in the full practice today.

Trialists and Guest Players

Rauwshan McKenzie (I forgot the "w" a few times last week. My bad.) continued his trial with the Timbers today. Even in the absence of an injury to a defender, Futty's red card has once again made depth a pressing issue at centerback for the Timbers.

David Meves did not practice with the team today as he will be playing with the Timbers U-23s in tonight's US Open Cup match against the Charleston Battery.

Portland Thorns Players Named to USWNT Roster for June 2 Game

2013-05-21T20:03:31Z

U.S. Soccer announced the 21-player roster for the upcoming Women's National Team match against Canada, and --no surprise here-- currently active Thorns FC players Rachel Buehler (D) and Alex Morgan (F), are on it. Tobin Heath (M), who is expected to join the Thorns next month, is also on the list.

The international duty will affect the Thorns roster for the June 1 home match against Chicago and possible the June 6 home match against FC Kansas City.

Notable bits: Seattle Reign goalkeeper Hope Solo, still recovering from injury, is not on the roster, but Washington Spirit keeper Ashlyn Harris is. Reign middie Megan Rapinoe, also slated to return in June from her stint in France, was not named to the team. The reasons for this don't sound particularly dramatic, so don't freak out, you guys.

Full press release:

PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland Thorns FC announced today that forward Alex Morgan and defender Rachel Buehler have been called up by the U.S. Women's National Team for an international friendly match between the United States and the Canadian Women's National Team on Sunday, June 2, at BMO Field in Toronto.

The match, which will be broadcast on June 2 at 1:30 p.m. (Pacific) on ESPNews, marks the first friendly for the U.S. Women's National Team during the inaugural season of the NWSL. It is the first time the United States and Canada will meet since a dramatic London 2012 Olympic semifinal match on Aug. 6 that saw the U.S. Women's National Team emerge with a 4-3 win following a game-winning goal by Morgan in the 123^rd minute. The game is also part of U.S. Soccer's Centennial Celebration weekend, which includes the U.S. Men's National Team facing Germany at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., on June 2.

Morgan and Buehler will depart for Toronto to join the national team following Saturday's match at Seattle Reign FC. The pair will miss the next Thorns FC home match on June 1 against the Chicago Red Stars and return to Portland on June 3.

Morgan, 23, has scored 42 goals in 65 international appearances since making her U.S. Women's National Team debut in 2010. During the 2013 calendar year, Morgan has appeared in seven of eight matches for the United States, recording four goals and three assists. U.S. Soccer's Female Athlete of the Year in 2012, the Thorns FC forward is tied for first in the NWSL with four goals.

Buehler, 27, earned her 100^th international cap for the U.S. Women's National Team on March 6 against Iceland at the Algarve Cup in Portugal, becoming the 29^th player to reach 100 appearances for the national team. The Thorns FC center back has appeared in four matches for the United States in 2013, scoring her fourth international goal against Iceland to commemorate her milestone 100^th cap. For Portland, Buehler has played every minute of all six matches this season.

The NWSL is represented by 15 of the 21 players called into camp ahead of the already sold-out match between the two neighboring countries. The United States is unbeaten in 31 consecutive matches dating back to its last loss, a 1-0 defeat against Japan on March 5, 2012.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Tobin Heath, who will join Thorns FC following the conclusion of her contract in France, was also called up by U.S. Women's National Team head coach Tom Sermanni.

Heath, 24, has scored eight goals in 67 international appearances for the United States, including recording one goal and two assists in seven matches this year.

MLS Announces New York City FC; To Begin Play in 2015

2013-05-21T16:10:48Z

Wow. So here's some huge league news for you. Major League Soccer has officially announced the 20th expansion team in the league. As the rumors suggested it will be called New York City FC and will be owned, at least in part, by the ownership group of Manchester City of the English Premier League. But here's one that we all didn't expect: the New York Yankees will also be part owner in the new team.

"We are pleased to be associated with this major move by MLS to increase its presence in the New York market and to enhance the opportunity for New York soccer fans to enjoy high-level play in their own city. We look forward to the opportunity to work with Manchester City to create something very special for the soccer fans of New York -- and to bringing another terrific team to this city for all sports fans to enjoy," said Hal Steinbrenner, managing general partner of the New York Yankees. "Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees, will be the point person in leading the effort to launch and establish the team on behalf of the organization," Mr. Steinbrenner added.

Fascinating, to say the least. With the Yankees on board, this could certainly be seen as a game changer for the team in the area. Many were skeptical about a second team in New York, but that was prior to having one of the largest sports brands in the world attached to it. Whether you like baseball or the Yankees or not, this is huge.

On the stadium front, it looks like the league is preparing for an interim solution. They're still focused on the flushing Meadows park area to play their home games, but until they're able to begin construction nothing is solid. As such the team will play somewhere else for its inaugural stadium. My hunch tells me that MLS wanted to announce NYCFC for television contract purposes.

What do you think of the new expansion franchise?

Full press release:

NEW YORK (May 21, 2013) - Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber announced today that a partnership of global sports powers, Manchester City Football Club and the New York Yankees, has acquired the League's 20^th expansion club. The new team will be named New York City Football Club (NYCFC) and expects to begin play in 2015.

"We proudly welcome two of the most prestigious professional global sports organizations to Major League Soccer," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "This is a transformational development that will elevate the league to new heights in this country. The New York area is home to more than 19 million people, and we look forward to an intense crosstown rivalry between New York City Football Club and the New York Red Bulls that will captivate this great city."

"New York is a legendary sports town, as well as a thriving global city with a rapidly expanding soccer fan-base," said Ferran Soriano, CEO of Manchester City Football Club, who will oversee the process of filling top New York City FC leadership positions in the weeks to come. "We are thrilled to contribute to the energy and growth of New York City Soccer. In the Yankees, we have found the absolute best partner for developing a world-class sports organization and a winning team that will carry the New York City Football Club name with pride."

Manchester City will be the majority owner of the new Club. As an investor, the Yankees will be an active member of the ownership group. The New York Yankees and Manchester City Football Club have an existing commercial relationship through Legends Hospitality, LLC, an international entertainment, hospitality and marketing organization. Yankee Stadium is pleased to be hosting Manchester City on Saturday, May 25 for a "friendly" match against Chelsea FC, giving New York area fans a rare opportunity to see two outstanding English Premier League clubs up close.

"We are pleased to be associated with this major move by MLS to increase its presence in the New York market and to enhance the opportunity for New York soccer fans to enjoy high-level play in their own city. We look forward to the opportunity to work with Manchester City to create something very special for the soccer fans of New York -- and to bringing another terrific team to this city for all sports fans to enjoy," said Hal Steinbrenner, managing general partner of the New York Yankees. "Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees, will be the point person in leading the effort to launch and establish the team on behalf of the organization," Mr. Steinbrenner added.

With millions of residents watching soccer every week and nearly two million people actively playing the game, the New York/New Jersey area is one of North America's most vibrant and proud soccer communities. The region has filled stadiums for countless marquee soccer events including the 1994 FIFA Men's World Cup, the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, three MLS All-Star Games and numerous international exhibition matches. NYCFC becomes the first MLS club whose home will be located within the five boroughs, joining the Red Bulls as the second MLS club in the metropolitan area.

"Soccer is one of the world's most exciting and popular sports, and it should be played on the world's biggest stage -- in New York City," said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. "New Yorkers are the greatest sports fans in the world, and they will welcome a Major League Soccer franchise with the full-throated and loyal support they are famous for. Manchester City has a great reputation for both winning teams and serious community investment, and that will help them fit in well with the excellent leadership of New York City's other professional sports teams. Increasingly, sports events and activities -- from the NHL playoffs to the MLB All-Star game to the SuperBowl -- are spurring economic growth, as our investments in new arenas and infrastructure are paying off."

MLS was advised by Joe Ravitch and The Raine Group in connection with this transaction.

Future: A Home Field for NYC's Newest Team

New York City FC is committed to seeking a new permanent stadium in New York. Until that time, the new team is arranging to play in an interim home beginning in its inaugural MLS season in 2015. Over the past year, MLS began discussions with the City of New York and other stakeholders about the possibility of constructing a new stadium in Flushing Meadows Corona Park (FMCP) in Queens. The Club's new management will continue these discussions with local government officials, community residents and businesses, soccer leagues, and MLS. The Club will continue to review other potential sites as well.

"New York City FC will have a permanent home in the City in the great traditions of New York sports and world soccer -- a home that must be a sports, commercial and civic success," Soriano said. "But in considering any stadium site, we will listen first. This is what we have always done in Manchester and what we will do in New York. Only in this way, can the Club truly represent the City whose name it will carry."

"City Soccer in the Community": NYC FC's Commitment to Youth Soccer in NYC

Manchester City is a leader among sports organizations in its charitable efforts, with one-sixth of its staff fully dedicated full-time to community outreach. Building on this tradition of community outreach, New York City FC will expand and enhance the grassroots youth soccer program "City Soccer in the Community," which it has been running in New York since 2010. The program, now headquartered at PS 72 (Lexington Academy) in East Harlem, which boasts New York City's only rooftop soccer field, provides quality soccer instruction and programming to thousands of children in 20 NYC public schools each year. New York City FC looks forward to expanding its community outreach to bring soccer to thousands of more kids throughout the five boroughs.

Manchester City has funded the construction of soccer facilities for youth in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington D.C. For more on City Soccer, click here. In addition, the "City in the Community," foundation focuses on similar initiatives worldwide.

Portland Thorns FC Match Report: Hole-y Spirit

2013-05-20T23:06:24Z

Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair seized the reins of a hapless offense and guided the Portland Thorns FC to a 2-0 win over the Washington Spirit in front of 12,474 fans at Jeld-Wen Field on Sunday.

The victory, which came just three days after the Thorns suffered their first home loss, allowed Portland to maintain second place in the NWSL standings. Although both Portland and New Jersey's Sky Blue FC hold 5-1-1 records and 16 points apiece, SBFC holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Thorns.

Beset by illness (reports are a bug has latched ahold of at least two key players on the team), fatigued from the quick scheduling turnaround, and with little time to train in between games, Portland struggled on offense. At times the attack looked feckless and disjointed, with forwards Meleana Shim and Morgan -along with attacking midfielder Sinclair--misreading each others' timing, runs, and intentions. There were several passes to nowhere, several runs not made, and several runs that went unrewarded. There was visible frustration.

Ah, but, then this: Sinclair decided to take matters into her own hands --or feet-- in the 41st minute, when she pulled in a crafty feed from midfielder Allie Long, settled the ball, and cranked a serpentine shot that curled oh-so-cruelly past Spirit keeper Chantel Jones and into the front corner of the net. Knee-high, the ball just skimmed the post. It was vintage Sinclair. And it put the Thorns up, 1-0, going into the half.

"I felt like the defender knew I was right-footed, so I felt like she gave me a little more room on the inside. So I got [the ball] to my left and all I was thinking was ‘far post, far post,' and it just bent in," Sinclair said at the post-match press conference. Just after this statement, Sinclair raised her eyebrows, gave a relaxed smile, and semi-whispered, "Woo hoo."

Woo hoo, indeed. The goal took a little pressure off the Thorns, who came into Sunday's match under the weight of their lackluster play on Thursday.

"We were lucky to have a game to come back with," Morgan said post-victory. "After the loss we were really down. We wanted this game right away. We wanted to have one a couple days later just to get our confidence back up, and I think that we did that today. We came out wanting to work hard for each other."

Morgan did her part in the 84th minute, courtesy of some fine play by sub Courtney Wetzel. After picking off a Spirit pass, the be-dreadlocked Wetzel coolly delivered a through ball right to Morgan's foot, in stride, as the forward streaked goalward. Morgan then outpaced two defenders caught off-guard and slipped a shot past Jones at point-blank range.

"Courtney Wetzel found me perfectly in behind [the defenders]," Morgan said. "And I already had one breakaway that I missed, so I wasn't going to let another one slip through my hands."

Although Portland head coach Cindy Parlow Cone has preached possession-style play since training camp, Sunday's game marked the second in a row where the game dictated otherwise. On Thursday, the Thorns found themselves settling into a bit of kick-and-run desperation after Sky Blue FC squeezed the team's shape like a boa constrictor. On Sunday, the Spirit took a different tack, flying at the Thorns with aggressive overlapping runs from outside backs Domenica Hodak and Ali Krieger. The Thorns players took advantage with repeated counterattacks.

"No, that was not in the plan," Parlow Cone said. "And that's just part of the game at times...I think both sides gave up some counter attacks, and that's just the nature of playing Thursday-Sunday."

Morgan noted her goal was a direct result of an on-field adjustment to the Spirit's aggressiveness. "We actually had a lot of counterattacks. When they would lose it, Krieger was out there, their outside back was up, so sometimes we found ourselves 2-v-2," she said. "I was happy with Krieger going forward -I felt like they were a three-back at times, and that made my job a lot easier. I think we had a lot of counters, and were successful because of that."

While the Spirit tactics ultimately lead to Thorns goals, Krieger almost made the strategy work for Washington too, repeatedly flying past the Portland midfield and threatening in Washington's offensive third. Krieger made a number of dangerous crosses, and almost tallied a goal herself after breaking freely down the right side. It took the best save of Thorns keeper Karina LeBlanc's day to keep Krieger's blast out of the net.

As the clean sheet shows, however, the Thorns defense absorbed the pressure without faltering, even during the Spirit's desperate effort toward the end of the game.

"I think our communication is getting better and better with each game," defender Marian Dougherty said. "I think we're molding together. I think we're right there."

At times, the puzzling offense made the game frustrating to watch, but upon reflection it's easier to see what the match truly was: A gutty win ground out by a fatigued team that is still looking for its tactical identity.

"I think last game we were lacking something, just that bite...and Cindy really challenged us to find that," Dougherty said, of the Thorn's pre-game preparations. "She challenged us to dig deep."

Portland Thorns FC (5-1-1, 16pts) vs. Washington Spirit (1-3-3, 6pts)
May 19, 2013 - JELD-WEN Field (Portland, Ore.)

Goals by Half 1 2 F
WAS 0 0 0
POR 1 1 2

Scoring Summary
POR: Sinclair (Long), 41
POR: Morgan (Wetzel), 86

Misconduct Summary
POR: Marshall (Caution), 65
WAS: Gayle (Caution), 82

Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Karina LeBlanc; D Marian Dougherty, D Rachel Buehler, D Kathryn Williamson, D Nikki Marshall, M Becky Edwards, M Allie Long (Jessica Shufelt, 90), M Meleana Shim (Angie Kerr, 79), M Nikki Washington (Courtney Wetzel, 71), F Christine Sinclair (capt.), F Alex Morgan

Substitutes Not Used: GK Adelaide Gay, D Jazmyne Avant, M Elizabeth Guess, F Danielle Foxhoven

TOTAL SHOTS: 14 (Morgan, 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 8 (Morgan, 3); FOULS: 7 (Marshall, Long, 2); OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 3

WAS: GK Chantel Jones, D Domenica Hodak, D Tori Huster, D Robyn Gayle, D Ali Krieger, M Julia Roberts, M Lori Lindsey (capt.), M Diana Matheson, M Ingrid Wells (Jasmyne Spencer, 71), F Tiffany McCarty (Caroline Miller, 65), F Stephanie Ochs

Substitutes Not Used: GK Ashlyn Harris, D Candace Chapman, D Kika Toulouse, M Holly King, F Colleen Williams

TOTAL SHOTS: 8 (Three players tied, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Three players tied, 1); FOULS: 9 (Gayle, 2); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 6

Referee: Robert Sibiga
Assistant Referees: Cory Richardson, Andrew Deuker
Fourth Official: Andrew Brooks
Attendance: 12,474
Weather: 57 degrees, partly cloudy

Vancouver Whitecaps vs Portland Timbers "Wardrobe-gate" Explained

2013-05-20T22:39:50Z

During yesterday's reserve match between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Portland Timbers, I had a chance to talk off the record with several members of the Vancouver Whitecaps staff about the kit snafu on Saturday, in which the Timbers' kits, which have a red front and a white back, clashed with the Whitecaps' all white kits.

As my sources described it, each team submits its preferred kit to the league office, and the league office approves or denies. In Saturday's case the kits were submitted as the fans saw, and the league office approved the selections. But the league office clearly didn't pay enough attention to it to remember that the Timbers' red kits are white on the back.

The referee, then, has the opportunity to request a uniform change at the start of the game. But this part of the process is quite problematic, because, as one source shared, each team typically prepares only one set of kits before a match. Two hours wouldn't be enough time to get a change ready, especially for the away team. The Vancouver FO source I talked to admitted that they might have been able to switch to brown, but it would have been a tremendous undertaking.

As such, both teams also wore the same kits for the reserve match as they did for the first team match. It seemed to present less of a challenge to the players, though, perhaps as a result of the natural sunlight they played under, which seemed to better highlight the differences between the kits.

In their defense, the Timbers thought they were playing it safe by wearing the red/white, which would have contrasted better in case the Caps for some reason wore blue. Merritt Paulson tweeted early in the match that "our understanding was they would be in blue," but he later corrected himself, saying "VAN is always white at home so no last minute switch by them."

Vancouver sources told me the Whitecaps haven't worn their blue kits at home all season -- they nearly always wear white at home. In fact, they've not worn white at home only once this season; on that occasion they wore the brown kits. A quick check of mlssoccer.com's match recaps confirms this point.

The bottom line is, in the future the Timbers front office will need to be extra careful any time they play a team that likes to wear white at home. Before LA Galaxy away, for example, the Timbers will need to communicate with the Galaxy front office to make sure they don't wear blue.

(I'm using "sources" because the whole discussion took place off the record.)

What do you think? Should the Timbers abandon the red/white second kits altogether?

The Portland Timbers U-23s are Fearless

2013-05-20T21:39:49Z

As the Portland Timbers U-23s prepare to take on the Charleston Battery, the reigning champions of USL Pro, in tomorrow night's US Open Cup match, things are just starting to come together for the team. The U-23s are just over a week into the season and have managed to cram in approximately ten practices as a team and three games, of which they have claimed victory in each.

Of course, the Battery are a class above the Timbers' other opponents so far. So far, tomorrow's visitors are in second place place in the USL with six wins and two losses to their name. Both of those losses have come on the road, but three of their wins have been away from home as well.

Despite this, the Timbers are chomping at the bit to take on a team of professionals. Forward Zack Foxhoven, who plays his college ball at the University of Louiseville and is the brother of Thorns striker Danielle Foxhoven, summed up the feeling around practice today:

I'm not really nervous. I don't think the guys are really nervous either. I think that we all know that we can play with these guys if we just go at them. We don't want to sit in, we want to play Portland soccer and just go at them. I think we are all good enough to hang with them and it should be a good game.

Foxhoven should be riding high early on in the season. As a forward he has already picked up two goals in under 150 minutes on the pitch.

That Foxhoven, along with fellow forwards Mark Sherrod and Clark Phillips, has been such a threat with so little time together as a team speaks to both the level of talent on display and the extent to which the young players have bought into the possession based attack instituted since Caleb Porter's arrival in Portland.

Foxhoven distills the Timbers philosophy into three simple elements that sound easy enough to get on board with: "go at people, keep the ball, and have fun."

To Jim Rilatt, however, it is a little more involved than that.

It mimics what most American kids think they are. They want to play, and sometimes it is convincing them that they are not the player they are but they are a good ball winner. So, taking Caleb's system of sharing the ball and movement, the kids seems to really enjoy it.

Porter's influence is seen in more than just the style of play. An influx of Akron players to the U-23s is starting to arrive now that the semester has wrapped up in Ohio, including another weapon up top in Saad Abdul-Salaam who arrives in town tomorrow.

One Akron player who has been here since February, however, is keeper David Meves. Meves, whose rights are owned by the Timbers after he was selected in the 2013 draft, has been a large part of the quick cohesion of the Timbers backline. After some nervy moments in their opener against Sacremento, the Timbers have quickly solidified the defensive end of things, shutting out a Seattle team in the PDL opener who were coming off a 5-0 Open Cup win.

Meves, speaking after this morning's practice, was quick to credit his defenders with the communication necessary to get the defense in line.

We've done very well to start and I think that a lot of it has just been that the guys coming in have been ready to go right away and a lot of communication in the back, a lot of talking.

That defense will certainly be tested against Charleston, a team with a long history in the Open Cup including an appearance in the finals in 2008, but the U-23s, with a little luck and some home field advantage, have a real chance at advancing.

Practice Notes

Defensive midfielder Eric Miller is the real deal. Few players look as assured as Miller out there on the practice pitch and he has the tolls to back that up.
Tab Ramos apparently agrees as Miller has been called up to the US U-20s side for the Toulon Tournament in France next week, so tomorrow's match will be your last chance to see him play in person for a while, especially if he makes this summer's U-20 World Cup squad.
Brazilian Gabriel Conelian is an exciting player to watch. Conelian, although he only turned 23 two months ago, is the old man of the team and slots into an attacking midfield role, similar to what we have seen from Diego Valeri. Physically and in his style of play, Conelian reminds me of David Ferreira
I think that I have said it every time I have written something about the U-23s, but I love what Mark Sherrod brings to the team. He is a hard working forward with a scoring touch and some real leadership qualities. This was evident in practice today as the team worked on their high pressure and Sherrod was able to force the defenders into turnovers time and time again.

Portland Timbers @ Vancouver Whitecaps Player Ratings: Cascadia Cup Edition

2013-05-20T20:46:59Z

The Portland Timbers somehow managed to keep their streak alive against the likes of a Vancouver Whitecaps side that was easy on the dives, and a referee who was more than willing to embrace that side of the game. For their part, the Timbers didn't seem like their normal selves. Ryan Johnson stated after the match that the miscommunication with regards to uniform color hampered the Timbers well known ability to pass and possess. Whether or not that's true, I can't say, but there was certainly something off about them on Saturday.

Here are the individual player ratings:

Starting XI

Donovan Ricketts: 5

Will: Ricketts made the saves he was supposed to make, of which there were two, and didn't make the saves that no one is supposed to make, of which there were also two. His distribution, at least in terms of passing percentage, was above average.

Jack Jewsbury: 6

Andy: Played a solid match at right back. With a comparatively easier defense task of dealing with the Oregonian youngster Erik Hurtado, Jack was able to get forward a bit and contribute more than his counterpart on the opposite side.

Andrew Jean-Baptiste: 6

Will: AJB delt well with the tricks of Camillo Sanvezzo, never giving him the chance to hit the dirt and draw a card, something the more experienced Futty Danso and Will Johnson each could not avoid. AJB also passed well out of the back, completing 29 of 37 passes, although a number of those passes were more speculative than I would have preferred.

Futty Danso: 5

Andy: Futty had a solid game, helped by the fact that the Whitecaps didn't really get into the area much during the run of play -- he positioned himself well against Vancouver's attackers while AJB dealt with the crosses that came in. And only one person at BC Place thought that was a red card.

Michael Harrington: 3

Geoff: Not a stellar night for Harrington, something I'm getting a bit tired of expressing. Against Vancouver he seemed to struggle against their speedy wings. By the end of the game he looked absolutely gassed.

Will Johnson: 6

Andy: The captain had a tough job once Nagbe left the field, trying to fill his shoes on the attack while still getting involved defensively, and overall he did quite well at it. He made a bad decision to leave Gershon Koffie uncovered while he tried to dispossess Camilo Sanvezzo, though, and that tempers my enthusiasm about his goal and assist.

Diego Valeri: 4

Will: Who is this imposter and what did he do with the Timbers midfield maestro? Vancouver had Valeri off his game all evening, which had repercussions across the field for the Timbers, particularly with the injury to Darlington Nagbe, and saw the team resorting to an unfortunate number of long balls hoofed down the field.

Diego Chara: 7

Andy: Chara effectively shut down the middle of the defensive half of the field. Vancouver had nothing going in the center of the pitch, and that's in spite of Nigel Reo-Coker's presence -- he too was pushed to the wings and rendered insignificant. Nice job, Diego.

Darlington Nagbe: 6

Andy: Nagbe was a vital key in the attack until he went down with an ankle injury. As much as he relies on Valeri to pull defenders away and help orchestrate the attack, Valeri relies on Nagbe as well.

Ryan Johnson: 5

Geoff: Ryan Johnson does a lot up top that doesn't necessarily revolve around scoring goals, but in themselves leads others to score. However, he wasn't as present as he usual against Vancouver. Again whether that's because of the kit colors or not I can't say, but he did mention it being an issue.

Rodney Wallace: 6

Will: It was another solid performance from Wallace in Vancouver as he played good defense high up the pitch, got into dangerous spots, and was generally a pain in the Whitecaps' collective behinds. Unfortunately, the little bit of magic that has seen him knock in three goals already this season was absent on Saturday and each of his three shots, as well as the painful loose ball scramble along the goal line early on, was blocked away by the Whitecaps defense.

Subs

Kalif Alhassan: 4

Andy: Maybe it's a chemistry thing, but it just seems like Alhassan doesn't know what he's supposed to do or where he's supposed to be to combine with his teammates.

Frederic Piquionne: 4

Geoff: Piquionne also seemed off his usual game when he entered in the second half. Not sure what he was trying to do, but he was bouncing all over the field.

Jose Adolfo Valencia: 9

Geoff: Scored the game equalizer. In that, El Trencito was absolutely crucial to the game as a whole, despite only being in for a fraction of the time. There's no discounting now the talent that El Trencito has, but whether he can continue to perform in that manner game in, game out is another question. Still, he came up big against the Whitecaps. Hopefully it throws him back into the midst of starting XI contention.

How well do you think each player did individually?