tlongII
05-17-2011, 06:18 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/index.ssf/2011/05/timbers_coach_john_spencer_dis.html
BEAVERTON - Portland Timbers coach John Spencer wasn’t quite prepared to discuss this Saturday’s game with Columbus at Jeld-Wen Field immediately following the squad' practice Tuesday morning at the Howard M. Terpenning Complex in Beaverton.
Instead, he wanted to share his thoughts on Saturday’s 1-1 tie at Seattle. More precisely, how Seattle coach Sigi Schmid viewed the game that started a new chapter in the soccer rivalry between the two cities.
Spencer expressed disappointment in some comments Schmid made alluding to the Timbers supposed rough play, assertions Portland benefited from the rainy conditions and what Spencer called the presumption his team should provide an easy home win for any opponent.
“I’m disappointed with their assessment of the game,” Spencer said Tuesday. “But then that’s their prerogative. I think if it is too wet up there for them to play soccer then they may want to move that franchise because it pisses down rain nearly every time I’ve been in Seattle. Obviously to say that the conditions suit us more than they suit them just blows me away. It seems to me they had 50 excuses before the game written down as to why they never beat us 3 or 4 nil at home.”
Spencer went on to say that the days of the Timbers (4-3-2) being considered an expansion doormat should be over with. Portland is 4-1-1 since beginning the season 0-2-1. The Timbers are 0-3-2 on the road and 4-0-0 at home.
“I thought we dominated the game and it was probably the most quietest I’ve been on the sideline since the start of the season because never once did I feel we were in any trouble of losing the game at all,” he said. “The next time we go up there we’ll take plenty of towels for them so we can dry off the field before the game. Maybe take plenty of tissue paper so they can dry their eyes after the game.”
After watching the game film Spencer same away with a simple assessment of his own.
“We were the better team,” he said.
Portland trailed 1-0 in the second half before in the 65th minute Jack Jewsbury sent a free kick to Mamadou "Futty" Danso who headed the ball in to tie the game.
Portland leads the MLS with eight of its 12 goals coming off set pieces. Schmid told reporters following the game that Portland's game is predicated around free kicks and set pieces.
“That’s what their danger is," he said. "That’s what they live for. The referee gave them quite a few. It seemed like our fouls happened for us on our end of the field and theirs happened on their end of the field.”
Spencer mocked the notion Portland "lives for" set pieces.
“That’s what we plan for,” he said sarcastically. “You guys come out there and see us working on set pieces for three hours a day, right?”
In the end, Spencer indicated, a goal is a goal.
“I think we’re going to call the league as soon as this training is over and ask them to deduct (other set pieces scored around the league) because it seems Seattle is not happy that teams can score goals from set pieces,” he said.
Schmid also made comments about injuries to his players and here's what he said about the weather:
"I think the weather suited them a little bit more in the sense that they go direct and try to knock it up to their big men and they were a bit better at that than we were,” Schmid said. “At the start of the second half we did a decent job. That’s the reason I thought we got the goal and we were around it a couple of times, but we need to finish it off.”
Spencer said the Timbers are never going to point fingers at injuries, weather or statistics.
“We’ve always said from day 1 that they arrived in Portland, ‘don’t make excuses,'” Spencer said. “’If you’re out there and you’re on the field and wearing a Portland Timbers jersey we expect you to play well and win the game. Different teams maybe have different philosophies, I don’t know.”
The two squads meet again July 10 at Jeld-Wen Field.
Notes: A few players sat out practice Tuesday with nagging injuries Midfielder Jack Jewsbury and forward/midfielder Darlington Nagbe were nursing groin tightness. Goalkeeper Jake Gleeson strained elbow during pregame and halftime warmups in Seattle.
BEAVERTON - Portland Timbers coach John Spencer wasn’t quite prepared to discuss this Saturday’s game with Columbus at Jeld-Wen Field immediately following the squad' practice Tuesday morning at the Howard M. Terpenning Complex in Beaverton.
Instead, he wanted to share his thoughts on Saturday’s 1-1 tie at Seattle. More precisely, how Seattle coach Sigi Schmid viewed the game that started a new chapter in the soccer rivalry between the two cities.
Spencer expressed disappointment in some comments Schmid made alluding to the Timbers supposed rough play, assertions Portland benefited from the rainy conditions and what Spencer called the presumption his team should provide an easy home win for any opponent.
“I’m disappointed with their assessment of the game,” Spencer said Tuesday. “But then that’s their prerogative. I think if it is too wet up there for them to play soccer then they may want to move that franchise because it pisses down rain nearly every time I’ve been in Seattle. Obviously to say that the conditions suit us more than they suit them just blows me away. It seems to me they had 50 excuses before the game written down as to why they never beat us 3 or 4 nil at home.”
Spencer went on to say that the days of the Timbers (4-3-2) being considered an expansion doormat should be over with. Portland is 4-1-1 since beginning the season 0-2-1. The Timbers are 0-3-2 on the road and 4-0-0 at home.
“I thought we dominated the game and it was probably the most quietest I’ve been on the sideline since the start of the season because never once did I feel we were in any trouble of losing the game at all,” he said. “The next time we go up there we’ll take plenty of towels for them so we can dry off the field before the game. Maybe take plenty of tissue paper so they can dry their eyes after the game.”
After watching the game film Spencer same away with a simple assessment of his own.
“We were the better team,” he said.
Portland trailed 1-0 in the second half before in the 65th minute Jack Jewsbury sent a free kick to Mamadou "Futty" Danso who headed the ball in to tie the game.
Portland leads the MLS with eight of its 12 goals coming off set pieces. Schmid told reporters following the game that Portland's game is predicated around free kicks and set pieces.
“That’s what their danger is," he said. "That’s what they live for. The referee gave them quite a few. It seemed like our fouls happened for us on our end of the field and theirs happened on their end of the field.”
Spencer mocked the notion Portland "lives for" set pieces.
“That’s what we plan for,” he said sarcastically. “You guys come out there and see us working on set pieces for three hours a day, right?”
In the end, Spencer indicated, a goal is a goal.
“I think we’re going to call the league as soon as this training is over and ask them to deduct (other set pieces scored around the league) because it seems Seattle is not happy that teams can score goals from set pieces,” he said.
Schmid also made comments about injuries to his players and here's what he said about the weather:
"I think the weather suited them a little bit more in the sense that they go direct and try to knock it up to their big men and they were a bit better at that than we were,” Schmid said. “At the start of the second half we did a decent job. That’s the reason I thought we got the goal and we were around it a couple of times, but we need to finish it off.”
Spencer said the Timbers are never going to point fingers at injuries, weather or statistics.
“We’ve always said from day 1 that they arrived in Portland, ‘don’t make excuses,'” Spencer said. “’If you’re out there and you’re on the field and wearing a Portland Timbers jersey we expect you to play well and win the game. Different teams maybe have different philosophies, I don’t know.”
The two squads meet again July 10 at Jeld-Wen Field.
Notes: A few players sat out practice Tuesday with nagging injuries Midfielder Jack Jewsbury and forward/midfielder Darlington Nagbe were nursing groin tightness. Goalkeeper Jake Gleeson strained elbow during pregame and halftime warmups in Seattle.