Timbers vs Real Salt Lake

Can any of you soccer guys give me a mini scouting report? I know they gave Portland some troubles during the regular season. I believe they have one of the better goal keepers in the league? What else do I need to know?

Nick Rimando (GK) is impenetrable. One of the top keepers in the league for sure. Superb reflexes.

Midfielder Kyle Beckerman is their captain and controls the center part of the pitch. Expect Chara to have a busy game matching Beckerman.

Up front they have Javier Morales who is a wonderfully gifted midfielder. Getting up in years, but hes got touch and experience.

Alvaro Sabario is their best goal scoring threat up front. He's a good value DP. Lots of production for what they pay him. Behind him, Robbie Finley is a quick pacey forward. His touch is lacking. If he can get running you Gambian Towers in the back may be vulnerable. You also have to account for Joao Plata who is a creative forward/midfielder.

They are deep in the midfield. Ned Grabavoy, Luis Gil, Sebastian Valasquez can all play ball. They are good players.

On defense watch out for their centerback's Nat Borchers and Carlos Salcedo. Borchers is an experienced vet who is hard to get past. Salcedo is a rookie but has played really well to this point. It'll be interesting to see how Valeri and Nagbe can deal with them.

Thank you sir. Looking forward to the match.

Johnson! Beautiful!

Whoa. Just an incredible shot.

Bummer of an equalizer. Guess we'l play on.

Then the big mistake. Blergh.

Yea, that sucked. Gotta get momentum back and hopefully finish with a draw at least.

Well shit, this is going to be just about impossible to come back from.

Welp, that's looking like the end of the season. Proud of this team, but RSL is just too far ahead of where PDX wants to be.

Such faith in your team at home....

Well, there's an Alonso style late goal that might be a spring board.

Still a glimmer of hope.

Smurf":19tyu664 said:

Such faith in your team at home....

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That was at 4-1. I believe we can win now. Or die trying.

Sarlacc83":390e8oz3 said:

Smurf":390e8oz3 said:

Such faith in your team at home....

Click to expand...

That was at 4-1. I believe we can win now. Or die trying.

Click to expand...

You're faith in your team amuses me.

Don't think you can win 3-0 at home...

Oh, 2-0...that'll be tough...

really? You don't think you can beat another team 3-0 at home when you are forced to come out guns blazing?

Baffling to me.

Smurf":1y1eebz5 said:

Sarlacc83":1y1eebz5 said:

Smurf":1y1eebz5 said:

Such faith in your team at home....

Click to expand...

That was at 4-1. I believe we can win now. Or die trying.

Click to expand...

You're faith in your team amuses me.

Don't think you can win 3-0 at home...

Oh, 2-0...that'll be tough...

really? You don't think you can beat another team 3-0 at home when you are forced to come out guns blazing?

Baffling to me.

Click to expand...

That's because your math sucks. The difference is 4-0 v. 3-0 to win. More importantly, it's the difference between what's more likely going to be a game where RSL scores another goal. So, you're talking 4-1 versus 5-1.

Also, forgive me for using the part of my brain which looks at things realistically. I'll try to avoid that in the future.

Edit: I've also watched this team against RSL 4x this year. We don't match up well with them. So maybe instead of tacitly judging my fandom, shut your piehole with this baffling talk?

You two are cute

Sarlacc and I have faith in our team beating the Sounders. And that's the thing that needs to be remembered here.

Uncle Si":30b6mqhe said:

You two are cute

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Be fair now, you've reprimanded him (and other Sounders fans) far more often than I have. :th2thumbs:

And J is totally right.

As I said in that other topic. They actually faced a team that could finish.

Its the playoffs. If you don't believe you will win... What's the point.