yazan07

Hopefully the same way they did in their home opener against the eventual shield winners.

How awesome would that be for us Akron fans who really watched him take off? I would love to say I was there watching the future national team coach when he was just getting his start.

You have to read this article Ives Galarcep wrote about Caleb Porter. An in-depth look into the life of Porter http://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/mls/caleb-porter-destroyer

Porter's boys clinched a playoff spot today, first time Timbers have done so in MLS. They're also in second place for the supporters shield right now. If they win/tie next week (Chivas away) and Sporting KC ties/loses (Philadelphia away) then Timbers will win the shield, I think. Beating Chivas is definitely doable, but they'll need a little help from the Union. Would be an incredible story for Porter and his revamped Timbers side. Edit: nvm, just realized NY hasn't played this week and they currently sit just one point behind Portland. Still possible though

Claudio Reyna left he position as Youth Technical Director of US Soccer to be the first Director of Football Operations for the MLS expansion New York City FC, which is owned by Manchester City FC and the NY Yankees. The idea that he was going to leave that position with US soccer to come coach a college soccer team was always crazy then and is even crazier now. I was also interested in the prospect of looking at some high profile candidates in the college soccer world though and was skeptical when Embick was handed the reigns. We were never going to find another Porter, but as someone mentioned above, there is a difference between a head coach and an assistant, and maybe Jared is an assistant. Either way, still kinda early to pass judgement on Embick. Though I will say, in this scenario, I'm not really in the "there is always an adjustment period for a new coach" camp, because the whole grounds for promoting Embick that was presented to the fans was that there would be almost no drop off. Maybe that was an unrealistic expectation to have. Hope it all works out though, because it can't be undone, there was only one perfect chance to hire whoever we wanted (within reason) and if Jared is a flop, then that chance is probably gone.

Yeah I think so. We're sure gonna miss him next year. Alex Abreu is really going to have to take the reigns as a senior next year

News travels slow to Hawaii eh? He's been there all season. Michael Nanchoff is also doing a loan spell abroad, he is in the Swedish second division.

It seems to me like on the field, one guy who has stood out as taking control of the game more often than in the past is Eric Stevenson. I don't know what these guys are like personality-wise, but maybe he steps up? On the other hand, when the coach hands out three armbands and the lone fifth year senior who is also a starter is not given the captaincy, maybe he isn't really that type of guy. Someone needs to be, I would think Eric could be that guy if he's got the right attitude. He's been around forever, easy to forget he started school with Zarek, Chad, and those guys.

OSU is definitely one of, if not our biggest soccer rival, I think most Akron soccer fans would agree on that. And make no mistake that it is partially do to being constantly depicted as an inferior school in Ohio. Why wouldn't it mean an extra something to be able to hand it to the school that is viewed by many as a superior athletic university? As for the game atmosphere, I think there has been a drop off in that area. Anyone have any ideas to improve that? To get students more engaged? Seems like people have lost interest. Attendance is still good but involvement isn't great. If this needs a new topic, someone can start one.

Mexico can still qualify for the WC, they're not out just because we beat them the other night.

Caleb Porter's Mentality Challenging MLS Status Quo

More on BGav in Seattle: http://www.soundersfc.com/news/articles/20...ve-himself.aspx

Fernando Pena played for the US National Team at the U-17 World Cup, was produced by an MLS Academy, and was the best GK in his senior class. I would be shocked if his status as our starting goalkeeper was anything less than set in stone.

Okay I bit. Named my team "John Terry Bowden FC" cause I couldn't think of anything and I think there's a joke in there somewhere if you follow Akron sports and English football and expect your team to lose. Also, this is funny: I follow MLS pretty regularly, and so in MLS fantasy I see some Akron soccer fans who just add all the Akron players and then filled out their teams with big names they've heard of. I've often privately scoffed at these individuals for not really knowing anything about the league. Well when I went to make this team, I started by adding the players I am most familiar with which ended up being the Americans. Then I had a lot of roster spots left, so I filled it out with players I've heard a lot about or who seemed like a good value. So yeah, if you were in the first group I mentioned, sorry haha.

Kyle Culbertson, man that takes some memory. That kid played for us, what, one Spring season? I always wondered what made him leave. How do you start at a school in the Spring and then not even make it to your Freshman season? He came here, played, and left without using any eligibility or even burning his redshirt. I seem to remember some Diego kid doing the same thing, maybe that same year.

http://www.portlandtimbers.com/news/2013/0...ance-postseason Meves stops the PKs AND takes them

I don't think they have the World Cup until 2018 which will hopefully give them plenty of time to not make their broadcasts look like the high school football game of the week and also for Gus Johnson to figure out how to identify each player.

I don't think Kitchen has been overlooked because of his hair, it's probably because you can't scout a player when shoving forks in your eyes is literally less painful than watching the player's club team. Also, Kitchen is behind Mike Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Mo Edu, a back in form Stu Holden, Kyle Beckerman, and now probably Mix Diskerud. Yedlin and Sarkodie are behind an aging Steve Cherundolo, an uncertain Timmy Chandler, a Bottom feeder Bundesliga bench warmer in Michael Parkhurst, and then a handful of average MLS rightbacks. If you really look at the depth of those positions, it would be much easier to break through as a rightback than a center mid. As for Teal, the striker pool is somehow deeper now than when he chose to play for the US. I think even when he gets healthy, he still sits behind Jozy, TBoyd, Agudelo, and those are just the guys his age who have been capped. I hate to say it, but I think he could end up regretting turning his back on his birth country. I think Yedlin, Sarkodie, and Kitchen (later down the line) will all end up being capped by the senior team. Also I'm thinking Jurgen Klinsmann will be standing outside the citizenship office with a US jersey for Nagbe the day he is officially a US citizen.

Parts I and II of Top Drawer Soccer's interview with Caleb Porter. Also, MLS's podcast March to the Match spoke with Porter the other day, I haven't listened to it yet, but here it is Edit: okay now I listened to it, excellent interview. Porter goes in-depth discussing his team's tactics, his philosophies, as well as some of his hopes for the future of the organization with the academy, plus more.

Yeah, weird that there were originally rumors of getting one Liverpool Academy player, then we got another.

Sam Gainford, a forward from Liverpool's youth academy, has been added to the 2013 class http://www.gozips.com/sports/msoc/2013-14/.../201307089u994b

This is a cool thing if you play FIFA: http://www.portlandtimbers.com/news/2013/0...-fifa-soccer-13

Timbers held Galaxy to a 0-0 draw in LA. The game was ugly, but Portland's centerbacks and GK Donovan Ricketts came up big a few times to shut down Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan. Timbers are now unbeaten in their last 14 and still only have one loss on the season, good enough for 3rd in the West and 4th overall.

Just saw this tweet from a few days ago: Michael Sweeting @M_Sweeting Released Liverpool midfielder/defender Nathan Quirk has been offered a full scholarship at the University of Akron in the USA. Edit: according to his page on the Liverpool wiki (I know, teachers would not approve of citing this for all things Liverpool) he can play several positions, prefers to play as a second striker, but was used as the first choice right back for this season. I haven't seen a commitment, just the unofficial word that he's been offered, but if he's good, that wold certainly boost our team even more.

Nanchoff scores his first Timbers goal and gets revenge on Porter for years of tormenting him