Blogger's Block

As the reality of the situation that I will not actually be taking the "Ax to the Road" in 2006, it hit me: What the fork am I going to blog about this season? After reading over some posts from last season, it's obvious that my traveling alter ego is much more creative with the keyboard than the homebody version. The ATTR is open to your suggestions.

My first firsthand impression of this year's squad this past weekend was positive. The Timbers earned a win and a draw in Match Nos. 2 & 3, but more importantly there was a different vibe surrounding the club at PGE Park. That's not to say there was a negative atmosphere in the past - far from it. It's hard for me to explain, but there was just a different kind of energy. With that, some thoughts on the matches...

Surprised:Portland shut down Vancouver's forwards and did not allow any significant counter-attack chances ... Lee Morrison stepped into the holding mid role and looked like he had been playing there his entire career ... Chad Bartlome scored the team's first goal of the season a mere four hours after being officially signed ... the Timbers held a Minnesota team that had exploded for four goals against Seattle to a single strike (and that was a gift).

Not Surprised:Hugo earned the club's first assist of 2006 ... nearly 9,000 fans showed their support over the two games ... Timber Jim did flips and sawed logs.