Tue, 27 October 2020
A Year in the Life | How Jan. 16, 2020 brought Morgan Weaver and Christen Westphal together for the Thorns
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. |
Fri, 23 October 2020
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Fri, 16 October 2020
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. |
Wed, 14 October 2020
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. |
Fri, 9 October 2020
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. |
Thu, 8 October 2020
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. |
Tue, 6 October 2020
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. |
Thu, 1 October 2020
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. |