Portland Timbers Podcasts

Diego Valeri's place among MLS's 25 Greatest players of all-time speaks to his impact on and off the field. The day before his place was announced, a former teammate, Nat Borchers, joined a fellow analyst and former Timber, Ross Smith, to talk about Valeri's impact in the Rose City and his place in Major League Soccer history.

Direct download: 20201209_valeri_25_pod_mixdown.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 11:24am PDT

On Friday, December 4, 2020, Portland Timbers President of Soccer Gavin Wilkinson connected with Jake Zivin to reflect on the Timbers’ 2020 season and look forward to the challenges of 2021, on both the MLS side and in the NWSL with the Portland Thorns.

This interview is also available via our PTFC Podcasts stream, accessible via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the other places you get your audio.

Direct download: 12-4-20_Gavin_Wilkinson_End_of_Season_1-on-1_with_Jake_Zivin_AUDIO_ONLY.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 9:01am PDT

Sam Stejskal brings a unique viewpoint to his beat at The Athletic - a perspective that's informed not only by his national perspective on Major League Soccer but also his time in an MLS front office, living in multiple league markets, and climbing to a place as one of the foremost breakers of news on the league's landscape. Today, we talked to Stejskal about not only where the league sits at the end of a strange 2020 season but about a first for a Timbers icon: the selection of Diego Chara to the league's Best XI for the first time in the midfielder's decade in Portland.

Direct download: 20201120_sam_stejskal_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 10:51am PDT

Ross Smith talks with midfielder Diego Chara ahead of the Audi 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs about their break in-between games, how Chara has been resting, the team's confidence in their play at the end of the regular season and how they're preparing for FC Dallas (7pm PT, ESPN).

Direct download: Ross_Smith_QA_with_Diego_Chara_AUDIO.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 11:59am PDT

Since returning to the team in 2018, Jorge Villafaña has been a constant on the left side of the Portland Timbers' defense, recently surpassing 100 career appearances for the club before scoring his first goal in green and gold: this weekend's late equalizer against Los Angeles FC. In this interview, Villafaña talks life back in California, his story moving to the small screen, the downs and ups of professional sports, and his play over the Timbers' 2020 season.

Direct download: 20201111_villa_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 4:49pm PDT

Ann Schatz and Katherine Reynolds talk about Kath's decision to retire, being a pioneer in the women's game as her career spanned multiple leagues and countries, and Christine Sinclair and Emily Menges' campaign (already) to bring her out of retirement. Plus a surprise pop in from Kath's longtime friend and teammate, Angela Salem.

Direct download: Anns_Check-in_with_Katherine_AUDIO.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 10:08am PDT

On January 16, 2020, their lives came together: one drafted by the Portland Thorns; the other, traded to them. From there, Morgan Weaver and Christen Westphal would go on to be roommates, sharing in a first season in the Rose City that saw each contribute to the two-time NWSL Champions' makeover. Now, with the 2020 season behind them, the two reflect on their year together, and how a friendship started with a WiFi password.

Direct download: 20201027_cw_mw_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 4:53pm PDT

Ann Schatz catches up with new Thorn, Crystal Dunn. The two talk about what the move to Portland means to Crystal, her soccer journey and Mark Parson's influence, her versatility on the field, living in a house divided, why she wears No. 19, and, of course, the pet chickens.
 
Direct download: Anns_Check-in_with_Crystal_AUDIO.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 10:24am PDT

Last Friday at the Timbers Training Center in Beaverton, Oregon, Timbers assistant coach Miles Joseph caught up with us to talk about his family's life amid our COVID world, the impact that world is having on college soccer, and the ways developing talent have changed over the last seven months. Plus, at a time when the Timbers were coming off a six-goal performance, Joseph discussed the different defenses Portland had faced over their four previous games, as well as the challenges of forging an attack with enough options to beat those varying approaches.

Direct download: 20201016_joseph_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 11:24am PDT

Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark put in an MLS Team of the Week performance on Sunday against the San Jose Earthquakes, but before delivering that shutout, the Timbers' starting goalkeeper sat down with us to give us his view on a few reoccurring topics around his squad: what's going right; why it's happening now; and what it means for the rest of the team's 2020. For Clark, the framing around a lot of those questions dances around the real story - the team's underlying process, and how that continues to improve.

Direct download: 20201014_clark_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 10:00am PDT

Blake Bodily made his Major League Soccer debut at the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, and upon returning to Portland, he almost immediately got hurt. Now nearing the end of his recovery window from a leg injury, the Homegrown Player is looking to build upon his first Timbers minutes.

On this edition of Catching Up With, we talk with Blake about that Orlando debut as well as his path to Portland, one that saw him relocate from his native Idaho at the age of 16 to pursue a professional career. We get his thoughts on that switch, his early jump from college to pro, and the alternate universe of 2020 where he'd be a featured player for Timbers 2.

Direct download: 20201008_blake_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 11:51am PDT

Ann Schatz catches up with the international all-time leading goal-scorer, Thorns FC forward Christine Sinclair. The two talk about the team's run in the NWSL Fall Series, what it would mean to win the Verizon Community Shield, scoring goals (lots of goals), what keeps her motivated and what 2020 has been like for Sinc.

Direct download: Anns_Check-in_with_Sincy_AUDIO.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 9:59am PDT

Perhaps you know Carlos Llamosa as an assistant coach for the Portland Timbers, or maybe you knew of him as a U.S. international who appeared at the 2002 World Cup. Less known, though, are Llamosa's roots in the game: how he came into the sport; his childhood inspirations; why he was able to develop into an international-level talent.

On the latest of our Catching Up With interviews, we talk to the Timbers assistant about how his love for the game developed and when, if ever, he sees himself handing up his boots.

Direct download: 20201006_llamosa_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 2:22pm PDT

On September 19, Aljaz Ivacic made his Major League Soccer debut, earning a victory in goal for the Portland Timbers against the San Jose Earthquakes. That win came 21 months after he moved to Oregon from his native Slovenia. In between, the 26-year-old had to recover from an early-2019 surgery as well as pay his dues with Portland's USL team, Timbers 2. Now, having played a part in the Timbers' 6-1 win over the Earthquakes, Ivacic can move on the next step of his MLS story.

Last week, we talked to Ivacic about that MLS debut but also some of the qualities that distinguish him from his fellow goalkeepers in Portland. Perhaps more importantly, we get his verdicts on "Allio," "Jazzy," and the other names he's picked up during his time in green and gold.

Direct download: 20201001_jazzy_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:25pm PDT

Marco Farfan is still one of the youngest members of the Portland Timbers, but in the three years since his MLS debut, the Gresham native has also become one of the team's most-tenured, as well as its lone member from the Portland metro.

On this edition of Catching Up With, we talk to Farfan about 2020 in his hometown, his recent performances at his natural (left back) and new (right back) positions, and the biggest changes he's seen over his years in Portland's locker room.

Direct download: 20200929_marco_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 2:07pm PDT

Julio Cascante has appeared in five of the Timbers' last six games, including the full 90 minutes of the team's last two: victories over San Jose and Seattle. After not appearing in the Timbers' first 19 games of 2020, the third-year Timber is now seeing regular playing time, helping Portland to a tie atop MLS's Western Conference.

Last week, we caught up with Julio after Portland's 6-1 victory against the Earthquakes - a game that would see the 26-year-old Costa Rican record his first Timbers goal. But instead of focusing on life on the field, most of our Catching Up With talks about Cascante's life away from the game, where he and his wife are two months from becoming first-time parents.

Direct download: 2020923_julio_final_01.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 11:23am PDT

Ann Schatz checks in with Thorns defender Emily Menges. The two chat about Menges' SEVEN seasons in Portland, draft day stories that could have taken her to another club, the team's culture and progressing through the NWSL Fall Series.

Direct download: Anns_Check-in_with_Menges_AUDIO.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 10:17am PDT

Shannon Murray's been on both sides of the Timbers-Sounders divide. As a Washingtonian who went on to a standout soccer career for the Huskies at UW, Murray has a small place in Seattle soccer history, one augmented by being the first player signed by the Sounders when the team began its latest professional era. Along his soccer path, though, Murray has ventured south, where his second soccer life currently makes his the longest tenured coach on the Timbers' staff.

Today, we catch up with Coach Murray to talk about the strange world of MLS in 2020, the joy coaches take in seeing player development, and when Shannon Murray the player was like 20 years ago.

Direct download: 20200922_cuw_murray_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 9:58am PDT

Zac McGraw has yet to make his Major League Soccer debut, but over the first half of his debut season, the rookie defender has already come so far.

From a late-round draft pick in January's MLS SuperDraft to, this spring, a graduate of the United States Military Academy, the Redondo Beach native has fully transitioned to civilian life, making the rare switch from West Point cadet to MLS prospect - jumping from the Patriot League to the top division of U.S. soccer.

On this edition of Catching Up With, we talk to Zac about his 2020, get his thoughts on being thrown into team life during MLS Is Back, and look into the near future of his new career.

Direct download: 2020918_zac_catchup_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 9:59am PDT

Ann Schatz catches up with defender Becky Sauerbrunn as she makes her way back from injury. The two chat navigating training during smoke and wildfires across Oregon, Becky's passions, a letter from RBG, band stories from high school and mentoring younger players.

Direct download: Anns_Check-in_with_Becky_AUDIO.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 9:04am PDT

Guillermo "Memo" Valencia has been with the Portland Timbers for over two years, serving as the team's goalkeeper coach since head coach Giovanni Savarese's arrival before the 2018 season. Before that, Valencia's time in the game goes back to his native Colombia and through lower division soccer in the tri-state area, where he competed in the USISL against and with Savarese and fellow Timbers assistant Carlos Llamosa.

On this episode of Catching Up With, we learn about Valencia's time as a professional and how that informs his current task: preparing the likes of Steve Clark, Jeff Attinella and Aljaz Ivacic.

Direct download: 20200915_memo_catchup_final_mix.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 11:50am PDT

Ann Schatz talks with Thorns rookie forward Sophia Smith about her unique Utah experience during the NWSL Challenge Cup, bonding with her teammates, rehabbing her injury, new experiences at Providence Park, what motivates her and more.

Direct download: Anns_Check-in_w__Sophia_Smith_AUDIO.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 10:52am PDT

How did Mark Parsons celebrate returning home from this summer's NWSL Challenge Cup bubble? By taking a week off. Then, it was back to work.

On the brink of the NWSL's Fall Series, we caught up with the Thorns head coach to talk about life after Utah, the lessons he learned about his rebuilt squad, and the goals he has for this month, when four games will give his team a chance to continue their progress from the Challenge Cup.

 

Direct download: 20200908_final_mix_parsons_save.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 11:51am PDT

With Thorns returning to play in a 2020 fall series, listen to this roundtable podcast hosted by Ann Schatz where she talks with Rocky Rodríguez, Kelli Hubly, Morgan Weaver and Meghan Klingenberg to discuss the NWSL Challenge Cup, takeaways and reflections, team chemistry, personal growth in 2020 and looking ahead to the Fall Series.

Direct download: Thorns_FC_Challenge_Cup_Roundtable_FINAL.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 2:25pm PDT

In the moments after the Portland Timbers won the MLS Is Back tournament, his face appeared on the fieldside screen, though in spirit, Andrés Flores had been with his teammates throughout. Leaving the Timbers in the days before Orlando to be with his dying father, "Ruso" had stayed in touch, including through the good luck messages collected for the team as Portland approached the tournament's final rounds.

Now reintegrated into the group, the El Salvador international talks about his recent loss, his team's success in Florida, the new home he's made in Portland as well as the increasing competition at his position in midfield.

Direct download: 20200825_ruso_full_edit_mix1.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 4:17pm PDT

As Stand Together Week 2020 gets underway, listen to a special podcast from scholar, author, human rights activist, pioneer for racial equality and internationally recognized expert on sports issues, Dr. Richard Lapchick leads a discussion and Q&A on how the power of sport can impact positive social change. Jake Zivin hosts the presentation with Timbers president of business Mike Golub as well as Timbers forward Jeremy Ebobisse joining the conversation.  

To learn more on Stand Together Week and how you can get involved, visit www.timbers.com/standtogetherweek.

Direct download: STWeek_Kickoff_Event_with_Dr._Lapchick_AUDIO_FINAL.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 9:24am PDT

Jake Zivin, Ross Smith and Nat Borchers wrap up the MLS is Back Tournament with ESPN's Stefano Fusaro. They talk about Portland winning the title, the final itself, the family feel the Timbers have become and Fusaro's interactions with the club in Orlando. Our hosts also share their thoughts on the tournament MVP and Best XI selections and get ready for the return of the regular season.

Direct download: MiB_Tournament_Podcast_Ep._7_FINAL.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 11:48am PDT

Ross Smith caught up with Diego Chara from Orlando. The two talk about Chara's 300th match with the club, the MLS is Back Tournament Final, and getting to see family again, soon.

Direct download: Instagram_Live_QA_with_Diego_Chara_AUDIO.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 1:20pm PDT

Hosts Jake Zivin, Ross Smith and Nat Borchers are joined by former USMNT player and FS1 soccer analyst Stu Holden and ESPN announcer Jon Champion on this episode of the MLS is Back Tournament Podcast. They share their perspectives on the tournament and insight into the final. Plus, Holden shares some great John Strong stories. And our trio previews the big game against Orlando. Also, Borchers pays off a bet.

Direct download: MLS_is_Back_Podcast_-_Ep._6_FINAL.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 12:49pm PDT

Ross Smith catches up with Timbers assistant coach Miles Joseph down in Orlando as the team prepares for the MLS is Back Tournament semifinals. The two chat about a coach's life in the bubble, the strong play of Sebastián Blanco, staff soccer team selection and more.

Direct download: Ross_Smith_IG_Live_QA_with_Miles_Joseph_AUDIO.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:33pm PDT

On the show, Jake Zivin, Ross Smith and Nat Borchers chat with legendary broadcaster JP Dellacamera about the MLS is Back Tournament and he gives an inside look at the Timbers next opponent in the semifinals: the Philadelphia Union. Also, the three chat about the Timbers' quarterfinal victory and preview both semifinal games. Plus, Ross pays off a bet.

Direct download: MiB_Tournament_Podcast_-_Ep._5_FINAL.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 4:48pm PDT

Hosts Jake Zivin, Nat Borchers and Ross Smith talk with Timbers midfielder Diego Chara about reaching the 300 career games across all competitions milestone, some of Diego's favorite moments and his nickname as "The Godfather." Also, Jake, Ross and Nat take you into the players' mindset of a penalty kick shootout and preview the quarterfinals with a close look at NYCFC on Saturday.

Direct download: MLS_is_Back_Tournament_Podcast_-_Ep._4.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 1:33pm PDT

Ross Smith checks in with defender Larrys Mabiala live from the bubble in Orlando. The two talk about the team's run to the knockout rounds, life in the bubble, keeping in touch with family back home, childhood heroes, French connections around the league and more.

Direct download: Instagram_Live_QA_Mabiala_AUDIO.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 12:59pm PDT

Hosts Jake Zivin and Nat Borchers break down the LAFC result, impact of winning Group F and preview the Round of 16 with a look at FC Cincinnati. They also have a great chat with soccer play-by-play man John Strong interrupted by BREAKING NEWS out of Atlanta. Finally, they're joined by MLSsoccer.com's Jason Saghini for a peek behind the curtain of how the digital group is executing content down in Orlando.

Direct download: MiB_Tournament_Podcast_-_Ep._3_FINAL.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 1:56pm PDT

Ross Smith catches up with forward Jeremy Ebobisse in Orlando. The two discuss the team's start to the tournament, his performances in the opening games, life in the bubble and Settlers of Catan battles with teammates.

Direct download: Ross_Smith_IG_Live_w_Ebobbisse_Audio_FINAL.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 2:56pm PDT

Live from inside the bubble in Utah, defender Meghan Klingenberg talks with Ann Schatz about the camaraderie among her teammates, fan support from afar, her legendary pre-game speeches and about the upcoming semifinal match vs. Houston.

Direct download: Anns_Check-in_with_Kling_Podcast_FINAL.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 9:37am PDT

Hosts Jake Zivin, Ross Smith and Nat Borchers chat with Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark about the team's first two performances in the MLS is Back Tournament, his experiences in Orlando so far, his starfish spider save move, and more. Plus the trio talk about the latest headlines around the tournament and look ahead to the match-up with LAFC

Direct download: MLS_is_Back_Podcast_-_Ep._2_FINAL.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:22pm PDT

Timbers broadcasters Jake Zivin, Nat Borchers and Ross Smith talk with ESPN's Stefano Fusaro. Fusaro, who is inside the bubble in Orlando at the MLS is Back Tournament talks about life there, Portland's performance in their win over the LA Galaxy, other notable moments in the tournament so far and the group looks ahead to Portland's next game against the Houston Dynamo.

Direct download: MLS_is_Back_Podcast_-_Ep._1_FINAL.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:25pm PDT

Soccer broadcaster Ross Smith chats on Instagram Live with Timbers midfielder Eryk Williamson about his performance in the team's 2-1 win over the LA Galaxy, how the team is adjusting and preparing for the Houston Dynamo, and playing some intense Settlers of Catan off-the-field matches with his teammates.

Direct download: Ross_Smith_IG_Live_Eryk_Williamson_audio_FINAL.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 12:30pm PDT

Ann Schatz checks in with forward Morgan Weaver from the bubble in Utah. They talk about her growth and rookie campaign, her stellar collegiate career and facing North Carolina in the NWSL Challenge Cup quarterfinals. Powered by Verizon.

Direct download: NWSL_Challenge_Cup_Check-In_w__Weaver_audio.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 10:52am PDT

Soccer analyst Ross Smith chatted with Timbers defender Jorge Villafaña on an Instagram Live stream (now converted down to podcast form) about life in the Orlando bubble, training, testing and preparing for their first match against the LA Galaxy in the MLS is Back Tournament.

Direct download: IG_Live_QA_Villafana_July_9_2020_Audio.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 9:56am PDT

During an extended break in the NWSL Challenge Cup, Ann Schatz checks in with goalkeeper Bella Bixby. The two talk about life in the "bubble," the in-club ping-pong pros, playing her first games for the Thorns, her soccer journey and more. This interview from Utah was powered by Verizon.

Direct download: Anns_Interview_with_Bella_Bixby_FINAL_1.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 9:50am PDT

Drafted by the Thorns. Beginning her professional career. Finishing her college courses. Preparing for the NWSL. Life has come pretty fast for Morgan Weaver, the second overall pick in January's NWSL College Draft, and that's not even considering that much of that life has taken place amid a global pandemic.

On this episode of Breaking Lines, the former Washington State Cougar talks about her new life in Portland, living with another Thorn who has relocated from up north, the importance of lighting in your iPhone photos and why Mark Parsons and Nadine Angerer have made her laugh during her first months as a pro.

Direct download: 20200609_podcast_weaver.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:49pm PDT

For the when, we’ll have to wait, but after Thursday’s MLS is Back Tournament draw, we now know the who. The Portland Timbers will return to action next month against, in some order, Los Angeles FC, the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo for Group F play in Orlando, Florida.

Minutes after the draw, the Timbers’ broadcast team — Jake Zivin, Ross Smith and Nat Borchers — assembled for this emergency podcast, taking inventory of what this week’s news means for Portland’s season and what the realities of a Covid-19 world mean for the transition back to the field.

Direct download: 20200611_pod_mib_draw.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 2:51pm PDT

A special week continues with a special edition of Breaking Lines, this week featuring four ex-players' unique perspectives on the best rivalry in Major League Soccer.

For the Seattle Sounders, Brad Evans was a cornerstone in midfield and defense as the team established itself is a perennial, while eventual Timber Steve Zakuani was, after joining the Sounders in 2009, one of the most dangerous wide attackers in the league. And from Portland's perspective, midfielder Ryan Pore helped usher the Timbers from USL to MLS, while Jack Jewsbury, after joining the club in 2011, wore the team's armband and help it build toward a first star.

On Wednesday, the four former Timbers and Sounders got together to talk early rivalry moments, the teams' place in the MLS universe, and what the rivalry meant to each of their careers.

Direct download: 20200520_bl_pdx-sea_players_roundtable_2_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 2:11pm PDT

For almost two months, the lives of the Portland Timbers' players were lived as snapshots. Whatever they were doing in mid-March, they were doing in mid-May as stay-at-home took effect. Last week, though, that changed, with the beginning of individualized training in Beaverton allowing soccer players to get back to their soccer field.

On this episode of Breaking Lines, we talk to Timbers defender Bill Tuiloma about that return, what his mindset was like in the last days of working out at home, how he's kept in touch with friends and family in Europe and New Zealand, and which Marseille teammates came closest to creating a Michael Jordan effect in l'OM's dressing room.

Direct download: 20200515_pod_tui_final.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 5:23pm PDT

His connection to Portland goes back to the team's United Soccer League era, spanning from central defense during his time on the field to, now, the broadcast booth, where he works with Jake Zivin and Nat Borchers on the Timbers' broadcasts. On this episode of Breaking Lines, we track Ross Smith's path from an aspiring player in Guelph, Ontario, to Cascadia, where a second career with the game has kept him in the sport he loves.

Direct download: 20200430_pod_smith_last.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 9:15am PDT

Legends are made during legendary times. And Ann Schatz has worked through a few. From the Tonya Harding scandal through Sabrina Ionescu's greatness, the Thorns' original play-by-play voice has touched on some of the biggest (and strangest) stories in Oregon sports.

It's experience that gives her a unique perspective on what we're going through now. Checking in with Breaking Lines from her COVID-19 isolation, Schatz describes why, amid all the surreal moments she's seen, our current is incomparable.

Schatz also goes through her best Thorns memory, the team's impact on sports in Oregon, and, just under one week removed from the latest WNBA Draft, her view from courtside of the era in the history of Oregon Ducks women's basketball.

Direct download: 20200421_pod_schatz.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 4:35pm PDT

As we continue to shelter in place, many fans have seen a greater percentage of their sports entertainment come from their phones, with podcasting still going strong as game have paused. Within those podcasts, though, a few tropes have emerged, drowning the last four weeks of audio offerings in Mount Rushmores, random rankings and countdowns, and absurdist fantasy drafts …

None of which, we are above. On this episode of Breaking Lines, the show indulges in all three, with #Statman Mike Donovan joining us to share Timbers and Thorns Mount Rushmores, a draft of players into front office roles, as well as a ranking of the five best losses in the modern history of Portland’s two professional teams.

Direct download: 20200416_podcast_donovan.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 5:19pm PDT

Only two players have been with the Thorns longer than Emily Menges, making her, Christine Sinclair and Tobin Heath the most tenured NWSL players in Portland. Perhaps as relevant for the 2020 season, the trio are the only players who experienced the team’s other makeover - the one it undertook after missing the 2015 postseason.

On this episode of Breaking Lines, we talked to Menges about her team’s rebuilt squad, Portland’s new, clearer priorities for the 2020 campaign, and what it means to be a Thorn. Before that, though, we ask about what took her to the Australian league for the first time this offseason, what it was like trying to make her way back to the U.S. amid COVID-19’s spread, and what her life is life right now, with teammates at a distance.

Direct download: 20200408_pod_menges.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 1:47pm PDT

Amid an offseason of major acquisitions, Raquel Rodriguez's could prove one of the most important.

One of the most accomplished players in Costa Rican soccer history, Rocky Rodriguez spent the first four years of her professional career with Sky Blue FC, establishing herself as one of the more versatile midfielders in the National Women's Soccer League. Following a winter trade, she's relocated to Portland, where she's adapting to life in a new city and with a new club.

On Wednesday, Breaking Lines caught up with the former Mac Hermann Trophy winner to talk about Penn State connections, her time in New Jersey, and why she feels a new challenge in Portland is exact what her career needs, right now.

Direct download: 20200402_pod_rocky.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:19pm PDT

Like the rest of us, the Portland Timbers and Thorns have seen their lives change over the last two weeks, going from an environment where team was a part of their everyday existence to one where social distancing is the rule.

On this episode of Breaking Lines, we catch up with five of those players -- Blake Bodily, Simone Charley, Steve Clark, Andrés Flores and Tyler Lussi -- for a snapshot of what their lives are like now, how they are staying prepared for what comes next, and what a team sport athlete's life is like when team is not possible.

Direct download: 20200326_bl_athletes_wo_1.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 2:50pm PDT

At the end of the 2019 season, Chris Duvall was somewhere he’d never been before: the USL. Having been released by the Houston Dynamo two months before, the former New York Red Bull and Montreal Impact defender had to undergo a professional regroup with the Oklahoma City Energy, where he finished his sixth professional season.

Now, Duvall is back in Major League Soccer, signed to the Portland Timbers’ first team, and joining Breaking Lines to talk about his 2019 offseason, his path of Wake Forest to the pros, and the feeling of being in green and gold for a Providence Park opener.

Direct download: 20200305_bl32_duvall.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:15pm PDT

Hosts Judah Newby, Jake Zivin and Joe Sleven talk about the team's opening loss to Minnesota and how they're approaching Nashville SC. They also chat with Timbers defender Jorge Villafaña, president of business Mike Golub and with Drake Hills of the Tennessean.

Direct download: Judah_Newby_-_Talk_Timbers_3-4-20.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 11:50am PDT

It’s the biggest acquisition of an already busy offseason, so big that it demanded an emergency podcast.

In the wake of the Portland Thorns’ acquisition of four-time NWSL Defender of the Year Becky Sauerbrunn, head coach Mark Parsons stopped by to talk about his newest defender, what her arrival means for the 2020 Thorns and what the team still has planned for a transformative offseason.

Direct download: 20200xxx_epod_parsons.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 11:35am PDT

Bella Bixby has just returned to Portland after a loan spell in Israel, where she saw her first competitive time in goal since finishing her collegiate career at Oregon State over two years ago. Now into the third year with her hometown club, the Thorns goalkeeper is ready to fight for her first NWSL minutes, taking the another step for somebody who may be Portland’s goalkeeper of the future.

On this episode of Breaking Lines, we talk to Bixby about her time abroad, her goals for 2020, as well as her view as a soccer fan who has seen the game’s growth in Portland. And, perhaps most importantly, we meet Moose, Bixby’s three-month-old chocolate labrador.

Direct download: 20200124_bl31_bixby.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 8:46am PDT

As the 2020 MLS regular season is ready to begin, hosts Judah Newby, Jake Zivin and Joe Sleven sit down with Portland Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese, midfielder Diego Chara and get a look into Sunday's home opener opponent in Minnesota United from commentator Cal Williams.

Direct download: Talk_Timbers_2-26-20.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 11:29am PDT

Cameron Knowles has been part of the Timbers organization for most of the last 13 years, going from player with the Green and Gold during the United Soccer Leagues era to an assistant coach under John Spencer and Caleb Porter to, over the last two seasons, the head coach for Timbers 2.

Ahead of his third season in charge of the club’s USL team, we caught up with the former Timbers defender about how he came to the United States from New Zealand, his time at the University of Akron, his transition from the field to the sidelines, and what 2020 looks like for Timbers 2.

Direct download: 20200124_bl30_knowles.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 1:16pm PDT

Ben Zemanski’s 13 years of high-level soccer cast him as part of three of the more memorable teams of the last two decades: a University of Akron squad that was one of the most talented in collegiate history; a Chivas USA group that played out the bizarre in Los Angeles’ sports shadows; and a Portland Timbers team that would claim the 2015 MLS Cup.

Now into the next phase of his life in soccer, Zemanski joins us to talk about life on The Bluff, where he is entering his second year as an assistant for the University of Portland Pilots men’s soccer team.

Direct download: 20200124_bl29_zemanski_new.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 4:09pm PDT

Host Judah Newby is joined by Timbers broadcaster Jake Zivin in studio as Zivin gives updates from his trip to preseason camp in Costa Rica. Plus, it's MLS kit release day as the duo talk through all the new team's kits and we hear an interview with Timbers goalkeeping coach Memo Valencia.

Direct download: Talk_Timbers_2-5-20.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 10:21am PDT

It’s the middle of the NWSL’s offseason, but with players slowly returning to Portland ahead of next month’s preseason, we were able to catch up with two of the young bright spots from the Thorns’ 2019 season.

On this episode of Breaking Lines, midfielder Gabby Seiler and fullback Madison Pogarch join us at Providence Park, updating us on an offseason of golf carts, dogs, FaceTime tag, and preparation for their second season with the Thorns.

This conversation was originally supposed to be video only, but it was too good not to include on our audio channels.

Direct download: 20200124_bl28_po_seiler.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:45pm PDT

Jeff Attinella’s path back to the field from last year’s shoulder surgery may his be a work in progress, but opinions about sports remain in full health. What better time to have the Timbers goalkeeper on Breaking Lines that two days before one of the most anticipated Super Bowls in years. On this edition of the podcast, Attinella talks rehab, fatherhood, his love of Tampa Bay sports, as well as the matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers this weekend, at Super Bowl LIV.

Direct download: 20200124_bl27_attinella.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:42pm PDT

Hosts Judah Newby and Joe Slevin talk with new Timbers Homegrown signing Blake Bodily and we hear from defender Larrys Mabiala who checks in from the team's preseason camp in Costa Rica.

Direct download: Talk_Timbers_1-29-20.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:34pm PDT

The Portland Timbers’ preseason kicked into fifth gear on Wednesday, with the team’s 2020 squad unveiled to the press during a Media Day at Providence Park. While players made their rounds from station to station, from photo booths to press conferences, Breaking Lines had its own station set up, ready to capture the mood at the team’s first public session of the season.

On this episode of the show, Homegrown defender Marco Farfan looks back on his 2019 and forward to his next professional season before his teammates, as they made their way through Tanner Ridge, stopped by to answer questions posed to each other, as well as give their thoughts on the Thorns’ offseason, teammates’ FIFA skills, the divide between family and locker-room life, as well as their favorite breeds of dogs.

Hard-hitting, this session is not, but three days into the new campaign, this was the mood of the Timbers, from Providence Park.

Direct download: 20200124_bl26_farfan_media_day.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 2:20pm PDT

Hosts Judah Newby and Joe Slevin head to Timbers Media Day at Providence Park to talk with Timbers GM/president of soccer Gavin Wilkinson, head coach Giovanni Savarese and midfielders Diego Valeri and Diego Chara about the upcoming season.

Direct download: Talk_Timbers_1-22-20.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 1:46pm PDT

Host Judah Newby welcomes Jake Zivin as co-host to the show. The duo talk with Portland Timbers 2020 MLS SuperDraft first round pick Aaron Molloy plus also hear from soccer analyst Ross Smith.

Direct download: Talk_Timbers_1-15-20.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:26pm PDT

Breaking Lines is breaking format this week, but with good reason. Instead of a single one-on-one interview, there’s two, and while we normally try to get away from the game, the game has to be in focus as the Portland Thorns add the top two players on their 2020 NWSL College Draft board.

On this edition of the show, we are on the convention floor in Baltimore, Maryland, where new Thorns Sophia Smith and Morgan Weaver join us to share their first moments in professional soccer.

Direct download: 20200116_bl_025_draft_floor.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 5:03pm PDT

Host Judah Newby is joined by Richard Farley as they talk with Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark. Soccer analyst Ross Smith visits and the show also covers the Timbers' winter moves and more.

Direct download: Talk_Timbers_1-8-2020.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 9:17am PDT

Did Wednesday’s first piece of Portland Thorns news justify an emergency podcast? Given who the team gave up and what, in the form of next week’s first pick in the NWSL’s College Draft, the team got in return, the trade of Emily Sonnett and Caitlin Foord to the Orlando Pride certainly rises to the standard.

How you feel about the trade in undoubtedly influenced by how you feel about the 2020 draft class. To talk about that, we asked the industry standard in collegiate coverage, Top Drawer Soccer’s Travis Clark, to talk about who will likely be available next Thursday in Baltimore, Maryland, and how they fit at the NWSL level.

Direct download: 20200108_em_nwsl_sonnett.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 11:12am PDT

Breaking Lines usually tries to avoid focusing too much on what’s happening on the field, but in the aftermath of a newly signed Designated Player, it’s time to break from format and focus on the latest addition to the locker room.

That’s why Jon Arnold – Mexico specialist for Goal.com; North and Central America expert for the BBC’s World Football Fone-In; FC Dallas beat writer for the Dallas Morning News – is on the show: to tell us what type of player he saw during Yimmi Chara’s time in Mexico and what, based on Jon’s knowledge of expertise, we can expect after the Colombian’s arrival in Portland. Other reasons he’s on the show: to talk about a classic ending to Mexico’s 2019 Apertura; to make bets as to how many step-overs Chara attempts in green and gold; and to discuss the challenge of reaching an English-speaking audience with his Mexican-league coverage.

Direct download: 20200107_bl_024_arnold.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 1:17pm PDT

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