Mired in a five-game winless streak, the Timbers return home to the Rose City this weekend to get back on track against Sporting Kansas City. A rough 4-0 loss against FC Dallas didn’t help the Timbers gain any ground in the Western Conference, but losses by both Vancouver and Chivas USA saw Portland hang onto the No. 7 spot in the standings. In the following links, catch game recaps from Saturday, get up to speed on Sporting KC and check out how River Plate (Argentina) fans reacted after their side was relegated.
Following Saturday’s 4-0 loss, head coach John Spencer told the press that he felt the Timbers
“laid down and died”
at times during the game. Freelance writer Steve Hunt was in Frisco to cover the game for The Oregonian.
Portland’s fan culture made the sports section of the New York Times last week. Writer Ken Belson says
"Portland has embraced its new M.L.S. team like no other American city.
"
Big D Soccer blogger Daniel Robertson has game grades for FC Dallas following a 4-0 win over the Timbers.
Midfielder Jackson earned the highest grade (9)
as he was certainly making his presence felt all over the field.
Take it for what it’s worth, but
Sports Club Stats has some interesting calculations
and charts to check out. The website has the Timbers currently with a 24.3 percent chance to make the postseason.
Down in Buenos Aires, Argentina, league powerhouse River Plate was relegated to the second division for the first time in its 110 years of existence. Violence spilled out of the stadium and several reports have said up to 50 people were injured.
The Original Winger has highlights of the game and some fan reaction following the 1-1 draw.
Road Warriors
Each week, we’ll give you some insight behind enemy lines and show you what they’re saying about the Timbers opponent.
Sporting Kansas City has spent much of the season on the road, as their new stadium LIVESTRONG Sporting Park was constructed.
The Original Winger has pictures of SKC’s new home.
Just as the Timbers did, Sporting KC opened their home by hosting the Chicago Fire.
Here is a nice time-lapse video of their opening night against the Fire.
Mexican international forward
Omar Bravo scored his first goal since March 19
to help Sporting KC earn a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
