Forest for The Trees: Three Observations from Portland’s October Gauntlet

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports Last Thursday represented a finish line of sorts for the Portland Timbers. The draw against Seattle marked the end of a marathon of five games in 15 days. And just like an actual marathon runner finishing their race, Portland looked tired, out of breath, and a little delirious as the whistle blew on Thursday.

It wasn’t a terrible stretch. Portland picked up 8 points from a possible 15 and are positioned quite well for the stretch run. But, there are emerging themes that can be pulled from the past two weeks that can help inform the next two weeks and beyond.

So before we close out the month and turn the calendar to November, let’s take a look back at some key…