Portland Timbers Training Quotes and Notes: RSL Deja Vu

The Portland Timbers held practice at Jeld-Wen Field today as they prepare to take on Real Salt Lake for the second of three times this month. With the quick turnaround from last weekend's match against FC Dallas, the Timbers find them facing a familiar opponent who will likely play in a similar style.

According to Michael Harrington, the similarities in style between Dallas and RSL will help the Timbers.

It kind of keeps us in rhythm coming right off that a few days ago, [playing against] the same kind of system. It is nice. We know what to expect.

We know what we need to do a bit differently as well. Even though we won the game against Dallas there were some things that we could have done better: us as outside backs gobbling up space when they give it you wide and trying to create those 2v1's against their outside backs... We feel good about playing against that shape.

Injuries and Absences

The Timbers were once again without team captain Will Johnson at practice today. Although Johnson has been labeled "day to day" by the team, he confirmed yesterday that he will not play against RSL in a conversation with Geoffrey C. Arnold of the Oregonian.

Jack Jewsbury, Futty Danso, and Frederic Piquionne all did not practice today, instead riding exercise bikes on the sidelines during the day's warmups. Jack stands a good chance of making the eighteen again tomorrow, as he did against RSL in the US Open Cup and against Dallas on Saturday, despite the ankle knock that has had him in and out of practice for the last two weeks.

Brent Richards, who started warming up with the team last week for the first time since he tore his ACL in February, was not a part of today's warmups.

David Horst and Bright Dike, both of whom are also returning from knee injuries, took part in today's warmups.

Dylan Tucker-Gangnes and Mikael Silvestre both continued to miss practice thanks to their long-term injuries, a concussion and torn ACL respectively.