Choppin' Wood

Andy and Matt are joined by good friends Grant Cole and Shane Rubenfeld in a surprisingly upbeat wrap-up of the 2012 Portland Timbers season. They discuss their favorite moments and players of the season, which players are solid going forward and who should depart, and how this season compared to our inaugural season. In conclusion, the guys look forward to what new coach Caleb Porter will bring to the table in the coming months.

Matt and Andy welcome first-time guest Ray Terrill and the guys attempt to wrap their brains - belatedly - around the Portland Timbers' embarrassing 3-0 loss to Seattle Sounders on the road. They discuss away day culture and the general ineptitude of Gavin Wilkinson, before wrapping up with a preview of Vancouver away.

Andy and Matt welcome Shane Rubenfeld to discuss Portland Timbers' 1-1 draw with DC United. The guys go over referee controversy, Rodney Wallace in center midfield and Bright Dike's scoring exploits. They also discuss Hans Beckenbauer and the match against Seattle away this Sunday.

Andy and Matt examine a tough 4 day road trip for the Portland Timbers resulting in a draw at league-leading San Jose and a loss at Real Salt Lake. They discuss Kris Boyd's probable season-ending injury, the appearance of Danny Mwanga, and Bright Dike's continued development. They also consider MLS' overprotection of certain players and a home match against playoff-chasing DC United.

Matt and Andy welcome guest Grant Cole to discuss the Portland Timbers' 1-1 draw with local rivals Seattle Sounders. The guys recount sleeping on the sidewalk outside the stadium, whether a draw was a fair result, and how unflappable David Horst is these days. Lastly they take a look at the road game against San Jose Earthquakes, a hella difficult game compounded by injuries to Donovan Ricketts and Diego Chara.

Andy and Matt welcome first-time guest Mike Donovan to discuss Portland Timbers' two matches against Colorado Rapids in less than a week. The trio discuss what was successful for the Timbers in the home 1-0 win and the defensive issues that resulted in the 3-0 defeat away. The guys also discuss some of the players who've begun to make a statement about their role on the team next season. Lastly, they preview the Cascadia Cup match at home to Seattle and what the Timbers need to do to win.

Andy & Matt rave about the Portland Timbers' 2-1 Cascadia Cup victory over Vancouver Whitecaps. They praise the recent play of Nagbe, Songo'o and Zizzo but wonder once again about mental lapses in central defense. Finally they look forward to 2 consecutive matches against Colorado Rapids.

Andy Palmquist & Matt Melius wrap up the Portland Timbers' disappointing road trip at Toronto and New York Red Bulls. The guys rave about the improvement of Sal Zizzo and Darlington Nagbe but lament ever more defensive miscues resulting in our 8 game winless streak. Also, a discussion on crappy commentators!

Matt and Andy discuss the Portland Timbers' disappointing 1-1 draw against 10-men FC Dallas. They talk about Kris Boyd's ineffectiveness, Franck Songo'o's continued desire, and a great goal by Cap'n Jack Jewsbury. Finally they wrap up the Troy Perkins trade and heatedly debate Gavin Wilkinson's future in the front office.

Matt and Andy round up the positives from a negative situation - a 1-0 loss for the Portland Timbers at home to Chivas USA that signals a season sweep. Having considered the good things, Matt then argues forcefully for a mentality change while Andy points out the negative progress of Darlington Nagbe. The guys wrap up with a look at the upcoming match against FC Dallas at home.

Andy and Matt wrap up one of the worst all time defeats in Portland Timbers history - a 5-0 shellacking at fellow bottom-dwellers FC Dallas - and wonder when this team will officially hit rock bottom. They also discuss the friendly against Aston Villa, why there is promise for the future, and the next home match against Chivas USA.

Matt and Andy reconvene to discuss recent Portland Timbers' personnel changes, Pirate David Beckham, the ever slimming playoff chances and why we'd rather lose 5-3 than win 1-0. The guys also discuss former Timber Josh Saunders' fragility and preview the huge upcoming away match at FC Dallas.

Andy and Matt decide to ignore the Timbers' 3-0 loss to Colorado and instead focus on the 2-1 win against San Jose at home. They discuss an improved midfield, the budding chemistry between Mwanga and Boyd, and our stout defense. The guys also look at the winners and losers of the Timbers trade for Koisuke Kimura, and finally preview a tough away match at a skidding Real Salt Lake.

Matt Melius and Andy Palmquist welcome back guest Shane Rubenfeld to discuss the Portland Timbers' excellent win over rivals Seattle Sounders. Discussing the much improved play, the guys praise nearly every individual Timber, question Seattle's ability to lose gracefully, and wonder whether this will be a springboard through a very tough month of the season. Keeping that in mind they look ahead to matches against Colorado and San Jose.

Andy Palmquist and Matt Melius welcome jet-lagged friend Keith Hodgson into the pod to discuss the Portland Timbers' continued woes, including their recent 1-0 loss to LA Galaxy. The guys also run the rule over their favorite action at Euro 2012 and make their picks for the semis and finals, with Andy going against his better instincts on selecting a finalist. Lastly they take a quick look at the massive rivalry game at home to Seattle Sounders this week.

Matt and Andy discuss the 1-1 draw at home to Vancouver and the devastating 1-0 US Open Cup loss to Cal FC. The guys discuss positive lineup changes and the Timbers' first unbeaten month in the league, as well as their inability to find the net despite 42 shots.

Andy and Matt take a moment to reflect on Portland's recent run of form and reevaluate what many had considered a disastrous start to the season. Matt rekindles his love of Eric Brunner, Andy discusses what makes Sal Zizzo so important, and both guys praise the spectacular goalkeeping of Troy Perkins. Also, the boys recap the victory against Chicago and preview the Cascadia game upcoming against the boys from the Great White North (Vancouver).

Andy welcomes Matt back from Norway only to revert back to moaning about the Portland Timbers. We wouldn't have it any other ways. The guys praise Futty Danso on his return and Troy Perkins' toughness, and try to see a way forward for this mess. Lastly, Matt recaps what he learned about Norwegian soccer from his travels.

With Matt off in Norway, Andy welcomes in Mao, co-host of Soccer Made in Portland. The guys discuss Portland Timbers' 3-1 loss to LA Galaxy - continuing a poor run with their fourth consecutive defeat, as well as some of John Spencer's lineup changes. They wrap up with a preview of the imposing Sporting Kansas City's visit to Jeld-Wen Field.

Andy and Matt wrap up another painful week for Portland Timbers and their fans, discussing a poor loss to Chivas USA. Dwelling on our poor fullbacks and a lack of service to Kris Boyd, the guys look for answers that can turn Portland around. Finally they look forward to an away game against cellar-dwelling (and MLS Cup holders) LA Galaxy.