Portland Timbers Podcasts

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

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