John Spencer frustrated on the winless away record – MLS News
John Spencer could not escape from Portland Timbers’ 4-0 loss to http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/FC-Dallas-c39095 at Pizza Hut Park last Saturday. It’s not the score line that bothered the head coach, but the fact that other Major League Soccer teams have started to take Portland Timbers easily
on the field.
The Timbers, along with the coach and ownership, hit the training field at Jeld-Wen Field on Tuesday. The management saw Spencer mixing the first and second teams together, sending a clear message that it’s about time new faces are tested on the pitch.
“When you play as poorly as that, you can accept it as an off day,” Spencer said. “But now we seem to be on the road and getting beat too easy, and that’s unacceptable and I told them that. There’s no guarantee for the starters. You have to earn the right
to start. I’m not just blowing smoke. The time has come to where maybe it’s time to freshen things up a bit.”
The tactician was not even ready to accept the scorching Texas heat on the match-day. “The country ain’t getting any cooler,” he said. The North-Western team played at PHP in above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, which might not be troublesome for the Toros, but
it was a pan on fire for the Timbers.
The disappointing performance has loomed around the Timbers for some time now. The club has extended the winless streak to five games and more aggravating are the numbers in the away record. The Timbers haven’t won a single match on the road.
And precisely for that reason, the team underwent extensive training on Tuesday. The coach sent a clear message to the panting players; perform well or rest on the bench.
Spencer has outlined a new plan for the upcoming fixture against http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Sporting-89-c40576 Kansas City, but refused to unveil it to the media.
Club http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jack-Jewsbury-c17457 took the day off owing to a groan strain he had picked in the game against FCD, and was unable to reveal the plans for the game against Kansas City.
For Spencer, performing only at home is not sufficient. In order to earn a spot in the playoffs, that team has to take every game as an important fixture.
The Timbers have performed rather impressively at Jeld-Wen Field, improving their record to 5-2-1 (5 wins, 2 losses and a draw). The comfort of being at home does not bring out the best in players, it’s the fight on away venues that makes a team perfect
all around, the coach explained.
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