MEXICO CITY — Sports press conferences are a special kind of random. With the open-mic nature of their questions and responses, there’s little flow, and as a result, few themes merge. There’s no premise, no direction, no editing. To the extent there’s any consistency, it can change with the next question, and usually does. Sports press conferences are crayons poured out of a box.
The Portland Timbers’ Tuesday press sessions were no different, though there was a twist. Ahead of Wednesday night’s match in Mexico City — the second part of the team’s two-game Concacaf Champions League quarterfinal against Mexican titans Club América — the internet connection at the team’s hotel balked.