Dave Knows Portland

Match Day (16-September-2011): Portland Timbers vs. New England Revolution

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Portland TimbersA week after a hard fought draw at Philadelphia the Portland Timbers (9-12-6) return to Jeld-Wen Field today to take on the New England Revolution (5-11-12).

Portland is in relatively good form, winning the two matches previous, both at home. With a win today, the Timbers continue their fight for a playoff spot, but they’ll still need good results on the road to get there. (Fortunately the following match is also at Jeld-Wen field, Wednesday, when San Jose visit.)

The match kicks off at 8pm, and will be broadcast on FOX Soccer. Listen to the game on 750 AM The Game and La Pantera 940 AM.

Match previews and intrigue

Match Day (24-August-2011): Portland Timbers vs. Chivas USA

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Portland TimbersThe Portland Timbers (8-12-5) host Chivas USA (7-8-10) tonight at Jeld-Wen field in a match with wildcard playoff race ramifications. Kickoff is at 8pm.

In the teams’ first meeting on June 4, Chivas’ Paulo Nagamura assisted on a goal by Marcos Mondaini in the 70th minute to give Chivas USA a 1-0 victory. Juan Pablo Ángel, acquired by Chivas from the Galaxy recently, should play tonight for Chivas. He scored his first goal for the Goats in his first game with the team last Saturday.

Currently the New York Red Bulls, with 32 points, are in the wildcard playoff spot. But Chivas USA is only one point behind, with a game in hand. With a win tonight Portland (29) could leapfrog Chivas, but they then travel to face D.C. United on Saturday, who have 31 points out of only 24 matches. So basically: Portland has to keep on winning to give themselves a chance to secure the wildcard spot, but the playoff dust won’t likely clear until the last matches of the season.

Previews and intrigue

Match Day (20-August-2011): Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

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Portland TimbersThe Portland Timbers (7-12-5) try to regain form this Saturday, August 20, 2011 when the MLS Vancouver Whitecaps (3-12-9) make their first visit to Jeld-Wen Field. Kickoff is at 7pm.

The match will be shown on FOX Soccer, and you can hear it on 750 AM The Game or La Pantera 940 AM.

Portland’s woes on the road continue, but at home the team has had their best performances. But the Timbers haven’t had as hard a time of it as the Whitecaps, who sit alone at the bottom of the standings with only 18 points out of 24 matches. Portland may be only two spots higher with 26 points, but is still gunning for a wildcard playoff spot.

An honor both teams are aiming for is the 2011 Cascadia Cup. Seattle leads in points (5) with 1 win and 2 draws, but Vancouver (1) and Portland (1) play twice still this season (including tonight’s match); a pair of wins for either may be enough to claim the cup.

If you still need more soccer this weekend, head to Jeld-Wen field again on Sunday at noon when the Timbers Reserves host the Whitecaps Reserves. 10,000 cheap (i.e. $10) tickets have already been sold!

Previews and intrigue

August 7, 1959: Roseburg Blast

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The Oregonian front page, 8 August 1959

On August 7, 1959 at 1:14am eight city blocks in downtown Roseburg, Oregon were leveled by the explosion of a truck containing 6.5 tons of explosives.

Truck driver George Rutherford had arrived in town the night before and arranged to deliver the load the next morning. He parked the truck next to the Garretsen Building Supply Company near the corner of Oak and Pine Streets and checked into the Umpqua Hotel for the night.

Unfortunately during the night the Garretsen building caught fire – and detonated the truck.

The explosion blew a hole in the ground 50 feet wide and 20 feet deep, the resulting mushroom cloud was mistaken for a nuclear explosion by some onlookers. The explosion also sparked a massive fire.

Ultimately fourteen people were killed, 125 injured, and over 100 building were destroyed or damaged. Windows nine miles from the blast were shattered.

More on the Roseburg Blast:

Match Day (3-August-2011): Portland Timbers vs. Los Angeles Galaxy

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Portland TimbersThe Portland Timbers (6-10-4) host the conference and league leading Los Angeles Galaxy (12-2-9) at Jeld-Wen Field on Wednesday, August 3, 2011.

On April 23 the Timbers lost to LA 3-0, during what was otherwise the team’s strongest stretch of play this season (featuring a 5-1-1 record between April 2 and May 21). LA seldom blows out opponents and has settled for plenty of draws, but Portland will have to play inspired defense to get a result Wednesday night. Last weekend while the Timbers were letting Toronto come back from two goals down to tie, LA was overwhelming the Whitecaps, 4-0, in Vancouver.

Watch the match at 7:30pm on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, or ESPN3.com; or listen in at 750 AM The Game or La Pantera 940 AM.

Match previews and intrigue