Just two weeks ago, Portland Timbers fans weren't quite sure what they had in front of them. Their team’s sub-par record didn't seem to match their strong performances on the field, which gave fans hope; but without a win five games into the season positive judgments just couldn't be made.
Then, the Timbers came home for a pair of games.
During their two-game home stand, the Timbers were able to put any doubt to rest, showing their fans and the rest of the MLS that they should be a force to reckon with this summer.
In the first of their two home games, the Timbers shutout the Houston Dynamo, one the top teams in the league. While the game started out rather negatively (both David Horst and Diego Valeri left the game early due to serious injuries), the Timbers were able to persevere thanks to two goals by forward Ryan Johnson.
After the game, the Timbers learned that Horst would likely be out for the season with a knee injury and that Valeri was suffering from concussion-like symptoms, meaning his return was up in the air.
The bad news didn’t derail their momentum, however, as they continued their impressive play last Sunday against San Jose. Portland was able to fight through an especially physical game to grab a 1-0 win over the Earthquakes. Timbers captain Will Johnson netted the game’s only goal off a beautiful free kick from just outside the box.
After the back-to-back shutout wins, the Timbers now find themselves in third place in the Western Conference with a 2-1-3 record and for only the fifth time in the team's top-tier history, they have won two games in a row.
Just seven games into the 2013 season, the Timbers have already done things they only dreamed of doing during their first two seasons in MLS. Their ability to score, ability to shutdown opponents and their ability to finally obtain favorable results are things that seemed like only pipe dreams just a year ago.
Yet while they are currently in the midst of their second longest unbeaten streak as an MLS franchise (they went five games unbeaten in 2011), the Timbers need to start doing something else they never have done before: win on the road.
They will have two chances in the coming weeks but neither will be easy. First off, they will travel to San Jose for the second half of a home-and-home midseason battle with the Earthquakes. Beating a team in two times in a row will be no easy task, even though San Jose will be without Alan Gordon due to his red card and homophobic slur last weekend against the Timbers.
The Timbers will then travel to take on Sporting Kansas City, the top team in the Eastern Conference, who haven’t been beat at home yet this season.
In 34 road games as an MLS team, the Timbers have a total of three road wins. They have managed to get a draw in 10 of those road games. In order to become a real threat in the MLS's Western Conference, the team must find a way to start winning away from the comforts of Jeld-Wen. Once that happens, it will truly be time for Timbers fans to get excited.
Vince Tushner is on Twitter. Follow him at @SportsVince21
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