Portland Timbers Training Quotes and Notes: Keeping the Low High

The Portland Timbers got back to work today after Saturday's loss in San Jose. This morning the team held an open practice at their Beaverton training facility and immediately set about correcting the issues in the match against the Earthquakes.

After strating things off with the usual bevy of warmups and games of keep away, the Timbers' starters worked on their finishing while the reserves went indoors to complete their recovery from yesterday's reserve league match against San Jose. The team started out working on finishing whipped in crosses, an area that was decidedly lacking against the Earthquakes, before moving to the other end of the pitch for more of the usual foot-related finishing practice.

After practice had concluded, Caleb Porter mentioned finishing as something that the team needed to work on.

We had twenty shots on goal, which is the most we have had in any road game. Saying that, we didn't do a good enough job finishing them, so certainly we need to sort that out this week and get our box attacking, our finishing in the final third, our confidence and composure in and around goal sorted out.

Injuries and Absences

Diego Chara continued his absence from training after being sidelined by turf toe last week. After practice today Caleb Porter acknowledged that Chara was not improving as the team had hoped and said that he would be getting a scan of the toe today.

Futty Danso also continued to miss practice with the still unspecified foot problem that has been bothering him for the last week or so. Both players are considered day to day by the team.

Will Johnson has left for Kansas City and the MLS All-Star Game and will miss most of this week's practices.

Brent Richards was the latest Timber to rejoin the team warmups today, the first time he has done so since injuring his knee in February. After the warmups, Richards went indoors to work out then came outside and rode an exercise bike on the sidelines of training.

David Horst continued his return to health by warming up with the rest of the team before breaking off to work with John Cone, doing a series of sprints at the end of the pitch.

Bright Dike, also rehabbing from a knee injury, was much more involved in practice today. Dike took part in the team warmups, games of keep away, and finishing drills, before providing an opponent for Andrew Jean-Baptiste and Pa Modou Kah to mark on crosses into the box.

Dylan Tucker-Gangnes was not at practice today. DTG has been recovering from a concussion suffered in practice several weeks ago.

Donovan Ricketts was not training with the team today, but was indoors doing his usual post-game recovery regimen.

Loan Watch 2013: Both Sebastian Rincon and Jose Adolfo Valencia were at practice today.

Trialists and Guest Players

Trialist Olivier Thomert was no longer with the Timbers today after playing 45 minutes with the reserves over the weekend. Thomert's trial was a short one by necessity according to Caleb Porter's remarks last week.

The Timbers had academy players Jesse Garcia-Aguilar and Jacob Kempf training with the team today. Kempf played the full 90 minutes for the reserves yesterday while Garcia played 25 as a substitute. Fellow academy prospect James Nosack played 45 minutes as a substitute with the reserves as well, but did not train with the team today.