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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.