Friday, April 21, 2006

Vancouver Whitecaps v Portland Timbers

It will be the clash of the new-look teams on Saturday when the Timbers travel north to Vancouver B.C. to open the 2006 USL Div 1 season. Both teams have made substantial changes to their rosters over the winter; the Whitecaps bringing in 12 new players in what has been described as the largest overhaul of players in the club's history and the Timbers exceeding that number in an expanded roster.

Whitecaps coach Bob Lilley has been emphasizing goals in his pre-season interviews, deepening his forward line in response to a poor finish to last season where Vancouver scored only 1 goal in their last 6 games and showed over reliance on MVP Jason Jordan. Corey Woolfolk, Eduardo Sebrango (still playing indoor) and Sita-Taty Matondo have been added to support the aforementioned Jordan and Joey Gjertsen.

Timbers coach Chris Agnello, interviewed in today's Tribune, plans to open with a 3-5-2, starting Garrett Marcum at the back, probably deciding that a little experience is a good thing on opening day rather than throwing Jacobi Goodfellow in at the deep end.

He also plans to start the McAthy/Bullen attack that up at Merlo field last weekend got less than rave reviews from the onlookers, but as we know Agnello will not be afraid to make changes in response to the game-day situations.

In the "Expectations" section of that Tribune piece Agnello tempers his usual confidence and makes what are probably more realistic expectations for the coming season.

"We're kind of an unknown right now, because we have a few college kids in the lineup, and we're going to have to rely on them...At this stage, I'd say it would be nice to see us finish in the top half of the table."

Saturday's game can be listened to on the web at MOJO Radio, KO is 7pm.

Oregonian - Agnello Orchestrates Season of Change for the Timbers

Also be sure to continue to check out Bob Kellett's outstanding coverage over at the Timbers Weblog

posted by the timberlog at 9:36 AM

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[timberlog 2006]

roster/stats

results

usl d1 attendance

[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]

current roster/player news

results/match reports

usl d1 attendance

2005 disciplinary points

[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]

current roster/player news

results/match reports

a-league attendance

2004 disciplinary points

2004 player diary

[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]

current roster/player news

results/match reports

tables

a-league attendance

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)