PORTLAND, Ore. – Under a classic overcast Oregon winter sky, the Portland Timbers opened their 2015 preseason camp at Providence Park Friday full of energy and excitement for the season ahead.
“It’s great to be back, obviously,” said Timbers head coach Caleb Porter to an assembly of reporters. “I love what I do and these guys love what they do so it’s good to be on the pitch again and build towards the start of the year.
"We have six weeks from tomorrow. Everything we do every day will be in preparation for that first match and getting three points which obviously builds into the rest of the games and the rest of the season.”
Timbers players were visibly happy to be back on the pitch with an upbeat atmosphere throughtout the session. They were also eager to get down to business and were put through the paces in a series of drills and small-sided scrimmages.
Though the club brought in a few new acquisitions in December and added a handful of draft picks in the recent 2015 MLS SuperDraft, for the most part, the core of the team is the same as the one that scored an MLS-club-record 61 goals last season.
That continuity is one element that both Porter and players believe will help in getting the team off to a good start in 2015.
“We wanted to add a few pieces. We didn’t add many but we added a few so we feel that we’re better in a few spots but we also kept a really strong, experienced core. I think that’s going to help us hit the ground running,” said Porter.
Forward Maximiliano Urruti, who had 10 goals and two assists last year, agreed.
“I think just having that continuity just helps everybody,” he said through a translator. “We have a great group of people here that we want to maintain. It helps us a lot and it’s important just to do what we want to do, which is get to the playoffs.”
The team will spend the next four days training in Portland before leaving for Tucson, Ariz., for two weeks to train and play three friendlies against Sporting Kansas City (Jan. 31, 5pm PT, TICKETS), the Houston Dynamo (Feb. 7, 6pm PT, TICKETS) and San Jose Earthquakes (Feb. 10, 9:30am PT). The Timbers will then return to Portland to host the Simple Invitational against the Vancouver Whitecaps (Feb. 22, 5pm PT, TICKETS), Chicago Fire (Feb. 25, 7:30pm PT, TICKETS) and Norway’s Stabaek (Feb. 28, 5pm PT, TICKETS).
It’s a progression of time that Porter explained will unfold in three stages. The first part setting a foundation in Portland, the Tucson stage then expanding on the physical, technical and tactical levels, and the final stage with the Simple Invitational building to full 90-minute stretches for players and a pace prepared for the regular-season tempo.
“I really like the rhythm of our preseason,” he said. “We talked a lot as a staff about getting the right amount of games.”
With the March 7 season opener against Real Salt Lake right around the corner, new goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey was pleased with just getting out on the pitch and getting the team together. He knows that each day will help strengthen the foundation.
“Today was the first day, just touch the ball and get used to it and take it from there,” he said. “Move forward every day and try to work hard and get ready for the first game against Salt Lake.”
