Liveblog Impromptu: PDL Semifinals – Timbers U-23 v. Reading United AC

So, I just arrived in the press box at PGE Park for the second semifinal in the PDL Championships and decided I should just liveblog this match.  We’ll see how it goes since I’m not particularly familiar with any of these players. 

I do know that the Timbers U23 are undefeated this season.  So there’s that. 

They haven’t distributed the lineup sheets yet in the press box and it’s ten minutes to gametime.  I hope we get some info soon.

It’s a lovely Portland evening but this pressbox is soulcrushingly morose. But, a blond women in tight clothes walks to midfield picking up my spirits a bit.

The substitutes have taken their places on the bench and referees are walking out.

The announcers have the lineups but we don’t!!!

In the earlier match the Thunder Bay Chill defeated the Baton Rouge Capitals 2-1 to advance to the championship match tomorrow.

LINEUPS!!!

Timbers – GK, Jake Gleeson, D, Graham Dugoni, D, Brock Granger, D, Ryan Kawoluk, D, Jordan Crasilnek, M, Paul Ogenyumi, M, Freddie Braun, M, Roberto Farfan, M, Tracy Hasson, F, Brent Richards, F, Brian Ramsey.

Reading United – GK, Jeremy Vuolo, D, James Wenger, D, Adam Welch, D, Gerard Quinn, D, Matt Hedges, M, Jon Ports, M, Levi Houapeu, M, Evans Frimpong, M, Luke Mulholland, F, Tyler Witmer, F, Charles Sapong.

TWEET- Reading with the kick.

2′ – Ragged start for the Timbers with some stabbing and poor passing and speculative longballs. Reading has looked dangerous especially number 3 in the central midfield, Levi Houapeu.

5′ – What a poor clearance by the Timbers keeper. He was flappy-handski-esque missing the ball and allowing Reading a clear shot on goal. Timbers forward Brian Ramsay was on the line to save the shot. The ensuing corner went for naught.

7′ – WordPress is killing me. Timbers in Green JT. Timbers with a freekick from 30 yards out but goes directly tothe keeper. A Timber should have been in position. After losing the ball, Timbers make a good move up the middle but Richards can’t get away from the Timbers or get the ball off his foot. It was a chance wasted.

12′ – Timbers have taken a bit more control of this with strong possession and good counters. They were wasting the possession the first five minutes.

Oh, and TACTICS! Reading in a 4-5-1, possibly a 4-3-2-1. Timbers in a 4-4-2.

15′ – Press guys are arguing about spelling of the last name of a goal scorer in the first match.

18′ – Looks like about 200 Timbers Army members made the match. A little chanting and singing all the way up here in the press box helps relieve the staleness.

20′ – This ref looks a bit unfit to be running up and down the pitch. But he seems to be doing a good job. Lots of whistles so far, especially on the Timbers who seem to be playing with a lot of physicality.

21′ – I think there is a stream of the match on www.usllive.com , I don’t know if you need to pay.

23′ – Nice movement up the left by Reading. Houapeu found Sapong with a nice ball, who then beat his defender for a shot deflected out for a corner. Nothing doing on the corner, but after a bit of possession Reading earns a second corner that is cleared by the Timbers.

25′ – Reading defender Quinn puts a harmless shot straight at the keeper. The Timbers defense is having trouble dispossessing Reading at the moment. On the other end the Timbers with an opportunity after the keeper misses the ball but they can’t get a foot to the loose ball. Foul on Reading 25 yards out.

26′ – Farfan puts the shot around the wall but the keeper was in position to smother it.

28′ – Another Timbers foul gives Reading a shot on goal bay James Wenger but Gleeson hangs on. The Timbers are playing a dangerous game with these fouls. They’ll get burned at some point.

31′ – Timbers are ceding too much of the midfield. The Reading right back is playing almost like a midfielder giving Reading six in the midfield to Portland’s four. Plus the Timbers back line is just playing a flat four not really helping the midfield.

35′ – Just so everybody knows on the UF email thread, the drunken hooligans and myself are debating better dating gameshows. There is one vote for the Fifth Wheel and one for Elimidate, but frankly I think Blind Date (before they prohibited porn stars from being on the show) was better than both but it wasn’t a dating gameshow per se.

There was a shouting down of Next by one person too.

40′ – Still no cautions in this match. But a goal was just disallowed for offside. I wish I had replay because I don’t think he was offside when the ball was played first. The first shot was blocked by the keeper but the rebound put away by Richards.

44′ – 0-0 still but by my reckoning we should be 1-1 if that offside call was not legit.

45′ – Reading defender James Wenger with a nice burst of speed to get past the left back but he is closed down. His cross is deflected out for a corner resulting in nothing.

HALFTIME – 0-0

See you all in ten.

Here’s a pic of the beer garden next to the field at PGE Park.

Portland is being outshot 8-4 but leads in the foul department 9-5.

@Anonsters: This is only my second pressbox ever and I don’t think I have ever said it was dire before. Others have but I have not. It’s just a bit soulless up here that is all and this isn’t exactly a big event.

PA system is playing Return of the Mack.

Timbers press guy said that this is the best team Portland has played all season by a ways.

@Anonsters: It’s soulless because there is no cheering in the pressbox, plus I think most of the journalists probably don’t care that much about the sport any more. It’s their job.

46′ – And we’re back. No changes it appears.

48′ – GOAAAAAALLLL! TIMBERS! 1-0. Nice bit of work there by the Timbers. Brian Ramsey overpowers the defender on the right setting up a cross from the endline that Reading only gets a head to. The ball falls in the Ogunyemi’s lap and he puts in.

53′ – Braun for Portland and Witmer for Reading get in a wrestling match in the Portland box. Braun ends up in a headlock.

57′ – Braun, who was previously in a headlock gets his head on the ball in the Reading box redirecting on frame but the keeper does well to snatch it before it heads into the far right netting.

62′ – This is the MLS Timbers home. After the season there will be renovations putting in stands where the outfield is and some other upgrades. The Portland Beavers AAA baseball team will be moving along. There is a discussion in the press box about the Timbers ultimately wanting to set up an academy system. They seem to be off to a decent start.

65′ – Brent Richards with some nice defense taking the ball away from the Reading defender to give him a clear run at goal but the defender got back into it enough to throw Richards off allowing the keeper to snuff out a poor shot. Richards is the league’s rookie of the year and MVP.

67′ – I’m not exactly sure what the Reading squad is doing. They have a man down on the ground but they are just dinking the ball around while he doesn’t get up. Play the ball out you fools.

71′ – Just looked at the roster sheet and Reading only has two field player substitutes. I have no idea how they would play tomorrow if they won. Timbers have six field player subs. Reading has used both of its subs now. I have no idea who came off though.

74′ – Not sure how Portland didn’t put home a second goal just then. They had three shots at point blank range but couldn’t put in the net. AND ON THE COUNTER READING SCORES 1-1 Goal by Houapea and assist from Sapong.

76′ – GOAAAALLLLL!!!!! Timbers 2-1 Freddie Braun scored on an assist by Ricky Abreggo who just came on. I missed the goal typing about the Reading goal so I don’t know what happened.

79 ‘ – Caution on Timbers Brock Granger.

80′ – Attendance is 2,359 for tonight. That’s pretty good. I bet tomorrow’s final will have over 5,000.

84′ – Portland gives up a free kick center of the field 25 yards out. Dangerous spot this is…but it goes wide left.

85′ – Richards with a wicked shot that the keeper does well to parry wide for a corner. This kid is good. Richards earns another corner. Also of note, he had a throw in earlier that was Delap in length.

90′ – Abreggo should have passed that. He was too selfish. Quick though.

90′ – Richards just hammers it at the keeper on a breakaway. Poor. Tired legs probably but that should have been the closer. Keeper did well coming off his line though.

FINAL 2-1 Timbers. Good game. Tomorrow they play for a championship against Thunder Bay.

Sweet soccer dreams ya’ll.