As the team leader in starts and minutes in 2011, Eric Brunner looked like a lock to be one of the starting center backs in the Timbers' second MLS season. He started 10 of the first 12 games of the season and scored the first goal in the Timbers' match against the Chicago Fire, breaking a long scoreless streak for the Timbers and proving that they could, in fact, score at the goal away from the Timbers Army.
Earlier this week, the Houston Dynamo started their roster re-tooling with the addition of a central defender, Eric Brunner. Brunner was acquired from the Portland Timbers in exchange for allocation money. No further details of the trade were released.
Brunner is a five year veteran in MLS, getting his start in 2008 as the 16th pick in the SuperDraft to the New York Red Bulls.
We've been hearing the rumors for what seemed like months, but as of today Eric Brunner has departed the Portland Timbers for Houston Dynamo. It's a move that probably won't shock many fans as Brunner did not see much playing time in 2012 due to various injuries as well as David Horst coming into his own as a competent defender.
As pointed out at NASN by Kelly McClain the Timbers' offensive numbers on average have started
to climb in the last few games. A lot of analysts and people who casually follow this league
probably look at the schedule and see Portland Timbers at New York and automatically write off
Portland's chances.
It has been ten days since the last time we had a Portland Timbers game to watch, but with the
changes that have been made in the interim, it seems like an eternity. Emotions will be running
high for the Portland faithful today, as, for the first time since April 2011 -- a run of 51 league
matches -- a Timbers game will start without Troy Perkins in goal.
Heading into tonight's match is about more than the three points that the Portland Timbers
desperately need. It's about vengeance. It's about restoring the pride that a team like the Timbers
should have given the city that loves them so much. With FC Dallas having outplayed Portland twice
at home in embarrassing fashion (4-nil last year, 5-nil just a couple weeks ago) it's time for the
Timbers to return the favor and deal Dallas the same kind of humiliating defeat.
The Portland Timbers held a regeneration session today at their Beaverton training facility.
With Saturday's starters, minus Lovel Palmer, heading inside after a brief workout the Timbers
youngsters had a chance to shine in the the team's first open practice in months.
After the hard-fought, if futile, game over the weekend it was good to see all of the Timbers
back on the pitch today.
The Portland Timbers are not a good MLS team right now. Sure, they have the nobility of support
(as Seattle fans we've been through that with the Seahawks, Sonics and Mariners), but the team
itself is poor. John Spencer and those above him are trying to rebuild on the fly. They recently
added Danny Mwanga and Mike Fucito to add to the offense.
Wrapping up preparations before Sunday's derby against the Seattle Sounders, the Portland
Timbers trained at their Beaverton training complex. As usual, it was a closed session. The last
practice before the match, it was a short session, only about an hour long.
Eric Brunner and Rodney Wallace continued their absence, still recovering from their
ailments.
With their Cascadia Cup clash against the Seattle Sounders only two days away, the Portland
Timbers held a closed training session at Jeld-Wen Field this morning. Returning from a day off
yesterday, the Timbers held a full practice session today, not wrapping things up until after
11:30.
Eric Brunner and Rodney Wallace continued to miss practice as both are still recovering from
their respective injuries.
The Portland Timbers held practice today at their Beaverton training facility. As has been the
case over the last two weeks, practice was completely closed outside the league mandated 15 minutes
at the beginning of the day.
Eric Brunner is still concussed. Rodney Wallace's ankle is still hurt.
The Portland Timbers held training this morning at their Beaverton facility. It was yet another
closed session, as will all sessions be for the foreseeable future. At the end of the session
today, all players except the goalkeepers left the pitch as a unit, instead of the usual lingering
to get in some extra work.
After the big news of Troy Perkins' trade today the Timbers still practiced at their Beaverton
training facility. Perkins was sighted briefly before practice as he stopped by to say goodbye to
his teammates and clean out his locker.
Donovan Ricketts, who was picked up in exchange for Perkins, will practice with the team for the
first time on Friday, according to Gavin Wilkinson.
The Timbers held practice today at Jeld-Wen Field for the first time since their 5-0 loss to FC
Dallas on Saturday. With only one day of practice between their two game road trip through
California and Texas last week and tomorrow's friendly match against Aston Villa, the Timbers kept
practice short today, heading inside to watch the tape of Saturday's loss together shortly after
eleven.
With The LA Galaxy coming to town tomorrow, the Timbers underwent their final preparations for
the two teams' third match up of the season at practice today. Training today was a closed session
that, at an hour and fifteen minutes, ran somewhat longer than John Spencer's usual pre-match
practices, which usually were between forty five minutes and an hour long.
Today's practice was a tricky one with all sorts of news, rumors, and misinterpreted tweets
flying around. Despite all that, practice kicked off like any other out in Beaverton before being
closed to the press.
Kosuke Kimura, the team's new signing, had not yet been announced and was not with the team at
the beginning of training, but apparently he worked out with the team after the press was
removed.
After canceling practice yesterday (a decision that came before the Timbers shocking Open Cup
defeat), the Timbers got back on the pitch at their new training facility today. With a long rest
starting for the first team and a reserve game tomorrow, the Timbers did not have a very strenuous
practice but did close the proceedings to the press after completing their warm-ups.
The Timbers held a closed practice at their Beaverton training facility as they returned from
their midweek day off. Where Wednesday's practice seemed somewhat unsettled at times, today saw the
team out and joking with each other from the get go.
After the usual running, the team broke into groups for games of keep away and Gavin Wilkinson
yelled for the "privileged kids" to get in the middle.
The Portland Timbers held an open practice today at Jeld-Wen Field after Saturday's 1-0 loss to
Chivas USA. Practice was active with the team splitting off into three groups doing fitness work
and two short fielded games. The first half of practice was run by Gavin Wilkinson while Sean
McAuley, the team's new assistant coach, took the second half.
Returning home for their first game at Jeld-Wen Field in two weeks, the Timbers showed some
fight in an ultimately futile 1-0 loss against Chivas USA last night. Several Timbers showed well,
and but for some poor finishing and one mistake at the back the Timbers should have taken all three
points from the match.
Reading all the vitriol about Gavin Wilkinson over the last few days you'd be forgiven for
forgetting the Timbers' first game under the new interim coach was just two weeks ago. It might be
more comforting, I suppose, for a Timbers fan to convince him/herself that it has been three or
four weeks, considering the eleven goals the Boys in Green have leaked with Wilkinson at the
helm.
The Timbers held a long training session today at their Beaverton training facility. With the
team bolstered by their improved play at home against Aston Villa on Tuesday night, training was
lively as the team prepares to take on Chivas USA this weekend.
Helping to run the proceedings was new assistant coach Sean McAuley.
The Portland Timbers held their last training session before embarking this afternoon on a five
day, two game road trip through Carson and Frisco. Today's per-game preparations necessitated a
closed but short practice before the team heads off to the airport this afternoon.
The Timbers' line up was unchanged from yesterday with Eric Brunner, Chris Taylor, and Rodney
Wallace all missing practice due to injury, while Jake Gleeson is still abroad with the New Zealand
Olympic team.
Today the Timbers held their first practice, a closed one, since it was announced that John
Spencer was out as head coach. Gavin Wilkinson ran the proceedings at the team's Beaverton training
facility as the team continued to adjust to this big change. Although the initial warm ups, run by
John Ireland, were the same, Wilkinson favored passing drills rather than games of keep away before
practice was closed.
The Timbers held a short, closed practice today before flying out to Salt Lake later today.
Franck Songo'o was missing from practice today, although he was spotted around the training enter
after practice had reopened. According to John Spencer on last night's "Talk Timbers" on 750 The
Game, Songo'o suffered a strained knee before coming out of the game against San Jose on
Tuesday.
Last Sunday the Portland Timbers faced a huge test against their northern rivals the Seattle
Sounders and they came out on top. It wasn't a pretty game. It wasn't an overtly dominant
performance by the Timbers, but they dragged out a 2-1 victory... and that's what really matters,
especially against a rival such as Seattle.
The Timbers held a short, closed practice today at their Beaverton training facility before they
fly out to Colorado later today.
Rodney Wallace practiced with the team today, staying on the field for the whole time for the
second time this week (the other being yesterday, which I missed).
The day after their first MLS win over the Seattle Sounders, the Timbers practiced today at
their Beaverton training facility. The team focused on regeneration today, splitting into two
groups with the players who started yesterday working inside to start practice and the subs and
reserves taking to the field.
Ouch. This is certainly going to hurt the Portland Timbers back line over the next three
matches, as Hanyer Mosquera is often the one doing the most to stop oncoming attacks. His absence
will surely be felt.
For those that don't know, Mosqo is being fined and suspended for punching LA Galaxy player Jack
McBean (yes that's his real name) in the late part of last Sunday's game.
The Timbers held a closed practice today their Beaverton training facility. With the sun out,
spirits seemed high during the team's warm-up as they mixed things up from their usual routine with
some rugby-style passing drills. Perhaps predictably, few of the American players knew what fitness
coach John Ireland meant by "rugby football passing".
The Timbers held a closed training session at Jeld-Wen field today, the first time the team have
practiced in the stadium in three weeks. Practice today was more in line with the season norm
rather than the training camp atmosphere on display over the break.
The Timbers were back close to full strength today with only Steven Smith, Eric Brunner, and
Rodney Wallace out of practice.
In their last training session before flying to LA to take on the Galaxy tomorrow, the Timbers
found themselves in the middle of a much more busy training facility that normal. With the usual
practice taking place alongside a Tualatin Hills United Soccer Club tournament and a tour for
sponsors of the team, the atmosphere around the Timbers training facility was much more lively that
normal.
Today's Timbers practice was once again closed to the press as the team trained at the Beaverton
training facility. However, for the first time since the beginning of the break, the team was still
out on the field kicking the ball around when the press was allowed to return.
Kris Boyd, who put in an appearance at the season ticket holders event last night after getting
back in to town earlier in the day, practiced with the team today.
The Portland Timbers trained as usual at the Timbers' training facility in Beaverton this
morning. Players stayed out on the field until well after noon today, taking advantage of the
almost-summer sun. We were not allowed to see any of the players' post-training activities, so I
don't have anything to report on that footing.
Today's closed practice at the Timbers training center saw the introduction of forward Danny
Mwanga to the team. Mwanga took part in the full practice and was mobbed by the press
afterward.
Once again Eric Brunner was not at practice as he continues to recover from a concussion
suffered against Vancouver.
The Timbers held a closed practice today at their Beaverton Training Facility. With a number of
players still missing and new acquisition Danny Mwanga not yet arrived, the group at practice was a
small one.
Mwanga, who the Timbers picked up yesterday from the Philadelphia Union, should be arriving in
time to practice with the team tomorrow, leaving him just over a week to get acclimated before the
Timbers take on the Galaxy in LA.
The Portland Timbers held a closed practice today at the tram's training facility in Beaverton.
With no games to play until the 17th, John Spencer was true to his word and the Timbers trained
longer than usual, not wrapping up practice until 11:30.
Eric Brunner and Sebastian Rincon both missed practice due to injury, although Rincon was
present and rehabbing at the practice facility.
The Timbers held a closed practice at their Beaverton training facility today. Practice started
off tense and somewhat discombobulated as Gavin Wilkinson introduced some new drills under a cloudy
sky, with striker Kris Boyd looking fed up with his teammates inability to grasp the drills which
emphasized making runs and one-two passes.
