Some progress, but no goals for Timbers

After 0-0 tie, Wilkinson says his players must keep working on their mental game, which 'will make or break' them

By Casey Michel

The Portland Tribune, Jun 5, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

They might not be crumbling, but the once-impenetrable walls of PGE Park seem to be cracking.

After another home game with no goals scored, the Portland Timbers have now gone three games at PGE Park without finding the back of the net. The team escaped Thursday’s match with Minnesota with a tie, but once again, every one of Portland’s looks found a way to go awry.

Of course, putting points on the board is one of the toughest things to accomplish in soccer. So when a team has 12 shots and not a single one slips past the goalie, luck can be the ultimate deciding factor.

“We started off slow, which isn’t what we wanted to do, but I think the boys showed what they’re capable of,” Portland coach Gavin Wilkinson says. “And you know, finding the back of the net is the hardest thing in the game. We’re creating plenty of chances. [We] just need one of those to go in, don’t we?”

The Timbers certainly had their looks. But unlike in the previous two scoreless contests — a draw with Miami FC and a 2-0 loss to Vancouver — Portland boasted added MLS-quality firepower against Minnesota. Bryan Jordan, a second-year player from the Los Angeles Galaxy, joined the Timbers on loan for Thursday’s contest.

Although this may have been Jordan’s only game in Portland — he says he is simply “taking it one day at a time” — the forward is no stranger to the city: As a rookie in 2007, Jordan appeared in 26 matches with the Timbers, notching five goals and an assist.

After making the leap to MLS, Jordan returned to Portland displaying a significant amount of progression. Involved in nearly every single look the Timbers had, Jordan provided a spark Portland may have been lacking.

“[Playing in Portland] is an opportunity for me to get some game time and better myself, so I was up for the opportunity,” Jordan says. “I feel like we did well tonight. We kept a clean sheet.”

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