Portland Timbers Podcasts

Talk Timbers returns as hosts Tom Kolker, Ross Smith and Richard Farley talk with Portland Timbers defender Zarek Valentin and assistant coach Carlos Llamosa about their draw against Sporting and their upcoming match against the San Jose Earthquakes with the MLS Cup Playoffs qualification on the line.

Direct download: Talk_Timbers_10-2-19.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 4:13pm PDT

Jake Zivin’s broadcasting career has taken him from his native Chicago and his college days in Minnesota to Montana, Eugene, and now Portland, where for the last four-plus seasons he has been the voice of the Portland Timbers. A lifelong MLS fan, Zivin set his sights on becoming a play-by-play person early in life. Now, he has one of the best positions in MLS, broadcast for one of the league’s higher profile clubs.

On this edition of Breaking Lines, we catch up with Zivin to talk about his path to the Rose City, forming his broadcast partnerships with Ross Smith and Nat Borchers, and what the future holds from somebody who’s begun getting national broadcast calls.

Direct download: 20191001_bl_018_zivin.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 4:59pm PDT

The 1975 Portland Timbers changed the landscape of Oregon sports, establishing professional soccer as a cornerstone event in a region which, across the United States, would become a hotbed for the world’s game. On Tuesday, the team was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame, capping a legacy lives on in the Rose City’s love of soccer.

On this episode of Breaking Lines, four members of that NASL expansion team – Willy Anderson, Tony Betts, Mick Hoban and Nick Nicholas – talk about the Portland of the 1970s, how the game has grown, the ways in which the city has changed, and how their lives were forever different for their time green, white and gold.

Direct download: 20190925_bl_017_75ers_1.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 5:38pm PDT

Men’s soccer is experiencing a renaissance on The Bluff, and it’s coincided with the arrival of Nick Carlin-Voigt.

Three years ago, the former UCLA assistant arrived at the University of Portland and guided the program to its first postseason appearance since 2009. Last year, the team replicated that feat while bursting out of the gate with a 13-game unbeaten run, eventually eliminating UCLA in the NCAA tournament.

On this edition of Breaking Lines, we talk to the Pilots head coach about this three-plus years in Portland, the talents that the program has begun to produce and the place where the men’s collegiate game fits within the current pipeline to professional soccer.

Direct download: 20190917_bl_016_carlin_voigt.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 5:03pm PDT

Hosts Tom Kolker, Ross Smith and Richard Farley talk about the team's big win over Sporting Kansas City, hear from Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese and forward Jeremy Ebobisse and preview their next match against D.C. United with the Washington Post's Steve Goff.

Direct download: Talk_Timbers_9-11-19.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:09pm PDT

Ryan Sierakowski led Michigan State in scoring each of his four seasons in East Lansing, Michigan, but after getting drafted in the first round of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, the Illinois native had to adjust: adjust to life in a new city; to the game at a new level; and to a career that would begin with a position. Eight months later, Sierakowski has become a key piece for a Timbers 2 team hoping to return to USL’s playoffs.

On this edition of Breaking Lines, the 22-year-old attacker talks about his new life in Portland, his pasts in East Lansing and with the Chicago Fire Academy, and the direction he sees his career going after one season of professional soccer.

Direct download: 20190910_bl_015_sierakowski.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 4:56pm PDT

Tom Kolker, Ross Smith and Richard Farley break down the Timbers win over Real Salt Lake over Labor Day weekend. The three also discuss the cohesion among the players. A look ahead to this week’s battle with Sporting KC as TV Analyst Matt Lawrence joins the program. Also, interviews with defender Larrys Mabiala and Assistant Coach Shannon Murray featured in this week’s episode of Talk Timbers.

Direct download: Talk_Timbers_9-4-19.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 3:22pm PDT

One year ago, Steve Clark had just arrived in Portland, apparently set for a backup’s role with the Timbers after being claimed by the team off waivers. One year later, the veteran goalkeeper has affirmed his place in Giovanni Savarese’s starting XI and is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career.

On this week’s Breaking Lines, Clark talking about a career progression that’s seen his game evolve as the modern game has changed the demands on goalkeepers. The 33-year-old also talks about the grounding for that change: his marriage; his faith; his commitment to personal growth; and his philosophy about the game itself.

Direct download: 20190806_bl_014_clark.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 2:13pm PDT

Hosts Tom Kolker, Ross Smith and Richard Farley talk with Timbers defender Jorge Villafaña and assistant coach Miles Joseph about the team's recent play and how they're preparing to face Real Salt Lake this Saturday.

Direct download: Talk_Timbers_8-28-19.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 2:08pm PDT

One year ago, Dennie Wendt’s life in soccer drastically changed.

A child of the NASL Timbers and a graduate of the University of Portland, Wendt had been around the game from his formative years, eventually progressing into a career within the game’s marketing side and as a freelance journalist. Last year, though, Wendt took on two new ventures: assuming the editorship of Howler quarterly, and opening Possession, a store on Southwest Morrison dedicated to soccer culture.

On this edition of Breaking Lines, we talk to Wendt about that culture, his growth within it, the importance and perception of Portland to the rest of the soccer world, as well as the future of Howler.

Direct download: 20190806_bl_013_wendt.mp3
Category:Soccer -- posted at: 1:37pm PDT