My recap of the season goes like this.
    The Timbers had many new faces on the team for the second
year in a row. Once again for the second season in a roe we
played Seattle in the first and second match of the season as
was the case the year before. Once again the Timbers lost both
those game thus being eliminated fro the Open Cup for the
second time in two seasons after the first two matches. In fact
the Timbers lost 3 games in a row before they beat Calgary on
the road in their 4th match of the season for their first win. It was
so bad in May we lost 6 games and won 3. Last season the
Timbers lost their first 6 matches in a row. After a start like that it
was surprising we even had a chance to make a run for the
playoffs and the Timbers did. The hold over from last season
were forwards Fadi Afash and McKinley Tennyson. In Midfeild we
had Hugo Alcaraz, Scott Benedetti and Brian Winters. in defense
we had Gavin Wilkinson and Bryn Ritchie. Jake Sagare rejoined
the line-up for the Minnesota game in May after his return from
Grimsby Town. The new lads were Byron Alvarez and Dan
Antoniuk at forward. Manel Brasil, Jason Melendez, Adam Wilson
at Mid. Ryan Youngblood, Lee Morrison, Aaron Heinzen and Nick
Downing (who was on loan from the New England MLS team)
were our defenders. We started the season with Curtis Spiteri as
our starting keeper with Cole Burgman as his back up.
    Our forward line of Afash and Tenneyson played hurt most of
May and Byron Alvarez could not play in Canada because of visa
issues. In fact Byron did not get paid the whole season as he
could not secure a work visa. These were some of the reasons
for such a poor start. One bright spot in may was Cole Burgman
the back up keeper winning both of his matches. Jake Sagare
signed at the end of May playing his first match at home against
Minnesota who crushed the Timbers. In the last match in May
Jake started for Benedetti in Center Mid against Vancouver. This
was the best the Timbers played as a team as Jake played the
Midfeild like a man who was possessed. He won the balls and
distributed to the players the likes we had never seen in such a
long time maybe never with this current team. Byron Alverez
scored the game winning goal his first of many more to come
during the season as he became the scoring leader of the team.
This was the turn around game of the season as the Timbers
finished with 12 wins 2 ties and 5 losses for the rest of the
season. Timbers coach Bobby Howe went back to Scott
Benedetti at center mid after this match which was a big surprise
to me as Jake played it so well. This could have been the
biggest reason the Timbers misted the playoffs for the first time
in three years.
    The arrival of Josh Saunders in Goal on loan from San Jose
was a big factor to the late season success as he recorded six
shutouts in the Timbers last 16 matches. Byron Alvarez scored
12 goals and 1 assist for 25 points and McKinley Tenneyson
scored 11 goals and had 11 goals and 4 assist for 26 points.
Hugo Alcarez lead the team with 9 assist. Jake Sagare had his
best season with the Timbers scoring 4 goals with 1 assist. The
speed Aaron Heiinzen and Jake Sagare was a big plus for the
team and they were teammates at the University of Washington.
Jake won two matches for the Timbers  and his goal against the
Sounders on 18th of August at PGE Park was the best goal by a
Timbers this season. Jake had beat three Seattle defenders with
his speed down the wing and cut to the top of the goal area a
fired a rocket. This all came with the Timbers playing their 3rd
game in 4 days and the day before Tie up in Vancouver where
Jake also scored a goal.
     General Manager Jim Taylor has said the following players
are signed to play at least one more season with the Timbers.
They are defenders Gavin Wilkinson, Lee Morrison, Bryn Ritchie
and Aaron Heinzen; forward/midfielder Jason Melendez; and
forward Dan Antoniuk. They will be working on getting Byron
Alvarez a green card and signing him for three years. Taylor will
be working on getting keeper Josh Saunders back and trying to
sign Jake Sagare to a three year deal. If Taylor can get Byron,
Josh and Jake back next season looks good. There are some
other changes I would like to see happen to help the team get on
the right track as the next season starts. One a new coach as in
Jim Brazeu the current goal keeping coach. Benedetti as an
assistant coach.

Drumman