By John Strong:

On Monday, the Portland Timbers drew to a close a significant part of their early MLS history, parting ways with their first head coach, John Spencer.  The Scotsman's tenure was greeted with fanfare and enthusiasm: as the league's next "head coach in waiting" from his four-and-a-half years as an assistant in Houston, MLS observers thought it a shrew choice to put Spencer in charge. His former players spoke enthusiastically about Spencer as a player's coach to the full, a man with the enthusiasm and practical knowledge from his own career to get the most out of his charges, whether experienced veteran or young reserve.

His personality, of course, was perfect for a team that, despite it's history, was seen as new by many in the Portland area.  Whether his charm with the media, his exuberance on the sideline, or his You Tube sensation Alaska Airlines commercial, Spencer quickly became perhaps the most well-known and well-liked member of the Timbers organization.

As ever, though, building a team from scratch in a highly competitive and challenging league is easier said than done.  Despite owner Merritt Paulson insisting Spencer's firing wasn't a "team record driven decision"--and suggesting there were scenarios where the team could have a worse record than they do now and Spencer would remain in charge--the difficult results that have come with this second MLS season certainly didn't help matters. Whether it was a three-game losing streak in March and April, where the team held the lead in all three matches; a disasterous 1-0 loss to the amateurs of Cal FC in the US Open Cup at home in May; or the team's bewildering away form, which saw them alternate rousing home wins over the top teams in MLS with crushing losses on the road, it's fair to say things have not gone to plan on the field in 2012.

All that Paulson would say--beside it also having nothing to do with ethics or integrity on Spencer's part--was that the decision came down to "profound philosophical differences," presumably between the coach, GM, and Owner/President.  While simultaneously praising Spencer, and acknowleding the place he'll always hold in Timbers history, Paulson has put GM and former USL Timbers coach Gavin Wilkinson in charge for the rest of 2012 while the search for a permanent replacement gets underway.

The season is far from lost: with half of their 34 game schedule to play, the Timbers are only four points out of the Western Conference's fifth and final playoff spot. Kris Boyd remains the team's leading scorer, Troy Perkins a steady presence at the back, and the team's stable of young talent remains poised to break out as the season wears along. Whatever is to come in the team's "second era", it will start with a bang on Saturday night, as the Timbers host the defending MLS champs, and the glamour side of the league, the LA Galaxy. Fletcher Johnson, Adin Brown and I will have all of the play-by-play starting with pregame coverage at 7, and kickoff just past 8, on your home of Portland Timbers soccer, Sports Radio 750 The Game.