Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Timbers Enter Final Week

Atlanta v Portland at PGE Park - Thurs Sep 8th at 7pm
Richmond v Portland at PGE Park - Sat Sep 10th at 7pm

The Portland Timbers enter the final week of the regular season with 2 games at PGE Park remaining. Currently sitting in the 6th and final playoff spot, the final week will decide whether Portland, Atlanta, Minnesota or Puerto Rico join the other 5 teams already guaranteed playoff spots.

The week's first milestone is tonight with Seattle playing in Puerto Rico. If Puerto Rico lose then a win by the Timbers on Thursday against Atlanta would give them a playoff spot. A draw or win tonight for the Islanders and their last 2 games, both at home, both against the bottom team the Toronto Lynx become crucial.

A win by the Timbers on Thursday puts both Atlanta (their opponents) and Minnesota out of the running. A draw or loss puts the spotlight on the Atlanta v Minnesota and the final Timbers game against Richmond both on Saturday.

If the Islanders win their remaining 3 games then the Timbers will need 2 wins in their final 2 games to top Puerto Rico's late charge.

Add in a what seems like turning into a partial boycott* of section 107 and Thursday night at PGE Park is turning into a "don't miss" game.

* In the proverbial nutshell: Appeal by Timbers GM Jim Taylor to eliminate chants that include swearing ahead of the Aug 20th Oregon Youth Soccer Association night at PGE Park, followed by Oregonian article by Abby Height, followed by over-the-top AP story about fans "screaming obscenities", followed by heated discussion at talktimbers.com about said article, followed by discussion of motives of the person quoted in Abby Height's story, followed by discussion of possible responses to the feeling that there is lack of respect by management for the core supporters in section 107, followed by the threat of police/PGE Park security ejecting people who take part in said chants, followed by letters from Timbers supporters complaining about article, followed by...

The timberlog's tuppencew'th is that with the shortcomings on the pitch this year, obvious problems with team funding, disappointing attendance figures and an ownership saga that at present looks like dragging on right until the Jan 1st 2006 deadline that the City of Portland has put on the PCL ownership of the Beavers and Timbers, the last group that you should be alienating is the one that has brought you free publicity (by far outweighing the negative), probably been the only area where attendance has increased** (including important season tickets sales) and has turned the Portland Timbers into "not just another sports franchise".

...but what do I know...etc etc.

** for the record season ticket sales are the only positive area this year so far - a +20% change on 2004, while overall tickets sold and turnstile are down about 7%. [USL games only]

posted by the timberlog at 9:40 AM

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[timberlog 2006]

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[Fixtures 2006]

4/22 Vancouver (A)
5/5 Vancouver (H)
5/6 Minnesota (H)
5/12 Miami (A)
5/14 Puerto Rico (A)
5/19 Rochester (H)
5/28 Toronto (H)
5/27 Minnesota (A)
6/2 Seattle (A)
6/3 Seattle (H)
6/10 Vancouver (H)
6/15 Minnesota (A)
6/17 Rochester (A)
6/18 Montreal (A)
6/30 Vancouver (A)
7/2 Miami (H)
7/14 Charleston (A)
7/15 Atlanta (A)
7/21 Seattle (H)
7/22 Seattle (A)
7/27 Virginia Beach (A)
7/29 Toronto (A)
8/4 Minnesota (H)
8/10 Virginia Beach (H)
8/18 Puerto Rico (H)
8/31 Montreal (H)
9/3 Charleston (H)
9/7 Atlanta (H)

[timberlog 2005]

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[Fixtures 2005]

4/23 Toronto (H)
4/29 Minnesota (H)
4/30 Seattle (A)
5/7 Minnesota (A)
5/12 Charleston (H)
5/28 Virginia Beach (H)
6/3 Rochester (A)
6/4 Toronto (A)
6/6 Puerto Rico (A)
6/10 Vancouver (A)
6/16 Puerto Rico (H)
6/18 Rochester (H)
6/30 Montreal (H)
7/2 Vancouver (H)
7/8 Seattle (A)
7/9 Vancouver (A)
7/14 Vancouver (H)
8/5 Minnesota (H)
8/7 Seattle (H)
8/10 Montreal (A)
8/13 Minnesota (A)
8/20 Seattle (H)
8/27 Charleston (A)
8/28 Atlanta (A)
9/2 Virginia Beach (A)
9/3 Richmond (A)
9/8 Atlanta (H)
9/10 Richmond (H)

[timberlog 2004]

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[Fixtures 2004]

5/1 Seattle (H)
5/13 Calgary (H)
5/15 Seattle (A)
5/23 Vancouver (A)
5/29 Milwaukee (H)
6/4 Charleston (A)
6/5 Atlanta (A)
6/10 Edmonton (H)
6/12 Vancouver (H)
6/17 Rochester (H)
6/22 Minnesota (A)
6/23 Milwaukee (A)
7/2 Vancouver (H)
7/8 Edmonton (H)
7/16 Vancouver (A)
7/17 Seattle (A)
7/24 Seattle (H)
7/28 Calgary (A)
7/29 Edmonton (A)
7/31 Milwaukee (A)
8/5 Minnesota (H)
8/7 Edmonton (A)
8/8 Calgary (A)
8/12 Calgary (H)
8/14 Minnesota (A)
8/19 Puerto Rico (H)
8/27 Minnesota (H)
8/29 Milwaukee (H)

[timberlog 2003]

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tables

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2003 disciplinary points

[Fixtures 2003]

5/1 Seattle (H)
5/2 Seattle (A)
5/11 Vancouver (A)
5/12 Calgary (A)
5/14 Calgary (H)
5/18 Seattle (A)
5/25 Calgary (A)
5/27 Minnesota (H)
5/29 Vancouver (H)
6/7 El Paso (A)
6/8 Milwaukee (A)
6/12 Vancouver (H)
6/27 Calgary (H)
6/29 Calgary (A)
7/1 Vancouver (A)
7/3 Vancouver (H)
7/11 El Paso (H)
7/13 Milwaukee (H)
7/23 Cincinnati (A)
7/25 Minnesota (A)
7/27 Calgary (H)
8/9 Seattle (H)
8/10 Seattle (A)
8/15 Indiana (H)
8/17 Vancouver (A)
8/18 Seattle (H)
8/23 El Paso (A)
8/29 El Paso (H)