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Mike Todd

northernlad

>From: "Kurt" <timbersarmy@...>
>Reply-To: timbersarmy@yahoogroups.com
>To: timbersarmy@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [timbersarmy] Drumman 2003 veiws on the season
>Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2003 02:44:29 -0000
>
>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
>
>

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