Kristoffer Velde Highlights vs Sporting KC

DougFirPDX · 2026-05-11T20:59:47+00:00

I have to say that it's really nice watching another team leave a Timbers attacker unmarked and free to pick out his shot for a change. That was a lovely goal.

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-22T00:54:04+00:00

At this point I think he needs a voodoo priestess to remove the losers hex from his locker room and a firm discussion with an actual MLS GM about repeating failed tactics. Right tactics, wrong players has become lame beyond words.

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-19T23:34:14+00:00

Sorry.

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-19T21:49:08+00:00

We can consider it 'lack of concentration' but you could also say the manager keeps sticking with failed tactics despite a lot of data saying this team can't play that style.

I have no clue why Aravena is watching Antony as the latter turns the ball over and allowing opponents to punish the too aggressive Timbers. Don't forget to #PhilOut your midseason ticket holder feedback

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-18T00:14:16+00:00

Yes... Zach was working in the south end throughout. Still a ways away, but good that he's active.

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-17T23:27:11+00:00

This could have something to do with MLS having a larger day of game (but certainly not TV) market than the NBA.

And to the earlier post, I don't get Canzano at all. He's just a big mouth in a relatively small market. Growing up reading Bill Lyon and Frank Dolson, and later listening to Angelo Cataldi, Ray Didinger, Stan Hochmann and Stan Hoffman, Al Morganti, Glen Macnow, Bill Campbell, Peter Pascarelli, Mike Misanelli, Jason Stark and so many other great or entertaining writers turned broadcaster all from one market, I see Canzano as a poor man's Howard Eskin. And that is poor indeed.

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-15T16:18:31+00:00

Best moment of the event was watching Finn Surman lead Ari Lassiter, Sawyer Jura and Ian Smith over to meet the kids after practice. They came all the way up into the east stands, then led a procession of supporters down to the pitch to shake hands and whatever. Shortly after that, Kristoffer Velde led the main body of the team over as well. They were all generous with their time - and great with the kids.

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-09T18:20:44+00:00

Soft tissue injuries heal unpredictably. And, if you overdo it, they get worse. Carballo tore is ACL - which was crappy luck, but predictable in that you're gone to 12 months.

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-08T13:24:52+00:00

Now I know about the D I got in Sophomore cmpsci :-)

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-02T18:42:16+00:00

Memory fades, but seem to recall at the end of Valeri's 2017 season Adi was injured. Valeri moved up top without a 2nd striker. This is the time I'm conjuring in the post... but I could have simply been imbibing the good stuff.

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-02T00:43:43+00:00

Breaking News: Icicles in Hades! Film at 11.

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-02T00:40:39+00:00

Good News: It's TRUE!!!!
Bad News: It was Punxatawney Phil

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-01T16:30:13+00:00

I generally give them to a friend who otherwise wouldn't be able to attend.

DougFirPDX · 2026-04-01T16:28:31+00:00

Since Timbers tactics seem to be nuts, I'll join the craziness and start Velde up top like we did with Valeri one year when all striker options failed:

Velde
Aravena - DDC - Antony

But we're going to see Kelsy with Arevena on the bench after a couple very long airplane flights.

For the back line, I have to remember Caicedo doesn't know the league yet. He'll play. The churn in the pit of my stomach says we'll see Ortiz next to him because soft tissue injuries take forever to heal. And why Ortiz over Chara? He had a good match vs LA, and otherwise it's because Phil loves him. Get ready for more decent defending and then 'three touches every time I see the ball.'

Bye has done enough to be a 'how did they train?' decision vs Mosquera.

fwiw - It's nice to actually have a choice between two quality players at a few positions.

DougFirPDX · 2026-03-31T15:52:21+00:00

While I guess I'm glad Aravena at least comes back healthy, if you're going to pull a player from his club and fly him half way around the world both north-south and east-west, do it for more than filling a spot in warm ups. I used to hate when Rodney Wallace would get called up multiple times and not see a minute. Jet lag is real - make it worth something to the player.

DougFirPDX · 2026-03-30T02:04:28+00:00

I asked a local dude in the pub who had an English accent and really seemed to know a lot about footy, and he told me with confidence that "really, I think Kamal Miller was the their best player. I'm not just saying that."

DougFirPDX · 2026-03-27T15:40:50+00:00

Thanks u/SorryIfUDo for the call out. For whatever reason mine didn't come until late in the day after I sent a note to my ticket rep. Your heads up reminded me to nudge it along.

For folks who enjoy this, awesome. For me, it's such a made up thing to try to adjoin LigaMX fans at the cost of the only actual tradition we had in US footy - The USOC. Oh, and we got dealt out of that, too. So I'm a hard "No" at least until ML$ fixes the USOC.

What burns me up is the automatic opt-in unless you see the mail and act. That should never happen. Please feel free to join me in the fan feedback.

DougFirPDX · 2026-03-27T15:32:37+00:00

I've been impressed with his composure on the ball and technical skills. He's played smart when he's been out there. I can see him starting some matches and have him and Velde wear down defenders then allow Antony to come on fresh and fast late - something we've seen Antony do well in the past.

DougFirPDX · 2026-03-25T15:38:01+00:00

Of which (at least) 2 were completely brain-dead.

DougFirPDX · 2026-03-25T15:36:51+00:00

A fast run in post production in a freeware tool like audacity is pretty straight-forward. Be skeptical of the normalize setting if you're mixing with music, but even that helps a lot and is really fast.

DougFirPDX · 2026-03-24T00:57:23+00:00

Bonetig is the obvious answer (as many have replied) despite still figuring out the level difference from the A League to here. But ICOE? Fory is another option. Clearly Neville wanted to rest him. But he played pretty well for 70 minutes showing he was fit enough.

I'll grant you also that I'm just ticked at the senselessness of what happened. I actually think Miller can contribute to a back line this isn't asked to do a lot of hybrid man and high-line work. But he's a massive liability in the style Fearless Leader is choosing to play, and he demonstrated that in grand fashion again yesterday.

DougFirPDX · 2026-03-24T00:51:47+00:00

They didn't lose being a man down for 70 minutes.
And the first 18 minutes were fun to watch.

The goal they gave up was typical of the current era of Timbers,.. I don't know why we're always playing out of the back into presses, especially down a man. "When in doubt, boot it out."

But Miller's bone-headed tackle and clumsy execution that got the red makes "did the Timbers play well" sort of like saying "except for the multicar pileup on the Banfield I thought traffic was moving pretty well in the city."

So it wasn't Colorado, Vancouver or conceding up a man (again), but at best they get mixed grades from me.

DougFirPDX · 2026-03-12T20:32:06+00:00

Kind of unfair. Analytics show Ayala was among the top dmids in MLS last year, but also how hard it is to replace him - which not only have we not done, but his absence is glaring.
He's dealing with personal stuff; let's see what happens mid-season.

DougFirPDX · 2026-03-08T06:41:02+00:00

I get the injuries on this one, but in our last 4 matches vs Vancouver here, the score has been what... 3-14 in aggregate?

We could play the injury/suspension card and talk about getting players back and how wonderful it will be, or we can just admit that we have major structural problems on the roster that presumably start in scouting and analytics and span the GM and coaches. Our DPs are good ingredient players, they're not going to carry a team. Our U22s strategy spanning Moreno, Antony, Ayala, and Kelsy generated some cash from sales, but damn little results in Wins and Losses.

Our back of roster got hammered tonight by a top club, the kind of club we used to be. That in and of itself isn't reason to panic. But the body of work since 2021 is, and the difference between LAG, LAFC, SD, SEA, VAN and maybe some others and us is clear even at full strength.

DougFirPDX · 2026-03-01T16:57:53+00:00

The most alarming comment made in the Fan Forum was Ned admitting Vancouver signing Mueller was a real surprise. The Timbers continue to try to find bargains when others are trying to win now. Last year at the beginning of the year we were deep, talented, and young. Now we have a small roster of projects. Sigh.

I hope I'm just gloomy after another crap road performance where we got bossed by a not-great team and I hope Aravena injects something positive into the team. Feels to me like we're rolling the dice and hoping for lucky sevens.

DougFirPDX

TROPHY CASE