Things We Have Learned About the Timbers after 6 Matches

The Timbers are not off to a good start this season, as after 6 matches they have 1 win, 4 losses, and 1 draw.

They sit in the basement of the Western Conference with only 4 points and they have not won in their last 5 matches after a promising start winning the season opener over the Philadelphia Union.

Here are 5 things we have learned after 6 matches this season.

1. The defense has struggled - There are only 4 teams that have conceded double digits in goals this season and Portland is one of those teams. In 6 matches the Timbers have given up 11 goals and after playing solid defense in their first 3 matches they have given up 8 goals in their last 3.

2. The midfield has been iffy - Time of possession is key in soccer, but in 2 of the last 3 matches for Portland they have lost that battle. They not created as many scoring chances as they should through the midfield and that is a big issue after only a few matches.

3. The offense has been one-sided - While Kris Boyd and Darlinton Nagbe have played relatively well each having 3 goals the same cannot be said about Eric Alexander, Franck Songo'o, and Kalif Alhassan. These 3 players have combined for 25 shots on the season, but only one of those shots found the back of the net. These guys need to start scoring, especially if they are getting shots on net.

4. The Timbers have been hit hard by injuries - If you look at the MLS injury report the Timbers have one of the longest lists of any team and that has hurt them so far this season. I mean their 2 starting goalies of Jake Gleeson and Joe Bendik are currently on the list.

5. Solid home cooking - The Timbers have one of the best home fan bases in the league and even though they are only 1-2 at home their 2 losses were only by 1 goals again the solid teams of Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA. That is a good sign for them since 4 of their next 6 matches are at home. On top of that Portland only plays 2 teams in their next 7 matches that currently have a winning record.

Next Up: Portland is at home in their next match, but they will have their hands full, big time, facing a Sporting Kansas City squad that is off to a red-hot start with 7 wins in their first 7 matches scoring 12 goals and only conceding 2.