Today was the final home game of the season for the Timbers Reserves, played in the full sun of the afternoon against the Sounders Reserves. Fucito, Boyd, and then Richards scored within the 15 minute mark, putting the game out of reach before they really even got started. Apparently over 8000 people showed up, putting the reserve total attendence over 41000 over the five home matches in 2012.
Alhassan and Alexander bossed the central midfield while Futty and Brunner held things together at the back. With Boyd and Fucito up top, the Timbers in a 4-4-2 this time out, things down the center were starting caliber players. Rincon and Richards manned the wings, and Gleeson showed up for a match and looked to go the full 90 before injuring his hand. He scampered far out of his box to make a clearance, then had to chase down the ball again as he was too far out of his goal to stop a long chip. He got to the ball first but was the victim of a studs up slash across his hand and all the way up his arm. He was removed shortly after for U18 Academy product Mittch North. What a debut for the kid, and he did fairly well with the exception of a goal he basically gifted them. Reserve matches are specifically for that kind of training moment, and there isn't a better way to break the ice for him than to jump straight onto the Reserve Team while still in high school.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the debut of Jose Adolfo Valencia in the Rose City reds. He looked fairly sharp and easily as large as the monster Dike, but was something of a ball hog, once pushing Cam Vickers off the ball. He had 20 minutes of action, there was no need for him to push a teammate off the ball just to get a touch. Vickers was not afraid to give him an earful about it afterwards, and hopefully Caleb Porter saw the incident and reminds the young man that he is on a team.
I'm not even going to talk about the Sounders lineup because, frankly, I don't think anyone cares. David Estrada did play the entire second half, seemingly mended from his injury. Pity for him, as his season started off with a bang, scoring a number of goals and in the form of his life, until suffering a foot fracture in June.
The win postpones the horror that would be finishing last place in the reserves and first team simultaneously. Sounders are now three points back with one game left, hosting the Earthquakes reserves next weekend. If Sounders pull off the win, they still need to overcome a two goal deficit for both goals scored and goal differential. Disciplinary points is the third tiebreaker, that information isn't listed anywhere for the Reserve League, and I am not going to look at 17 match reports to calculate that myself. San Jose is on top of the table, of course, and a win would clinch them the Western Conference title, but Montreal and Columbus are fighting for the league wide bragging rights.
Good ending to the season for my kids. They have been to a few first team games this year, but those were quite a while ago. This was a nice way to let them have some closure with the season. Tanis was leading his brother in Timbers chants at home leading up to the match, while Cohyn was cheering for the team louder than most adults throughout the match.
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