The Timbers’ central midfield options

Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports The Portland Timbers, a team hurting but not dead yet, are at the tail end of a two-week break from matches and are currently preparing for their attempt to start charging up the Western Conference table, starting with their Saturday night bout against FC Dallas.

And they are doing so while missing midfielder Eryk Williamson, the dynamic presence in the middle of the pitch. Perhaps the most consistent and most important Timbers player of 2021 so far, Williamson is currently off with the United States Men’s National Team at the Gold Cup, where he’s living his best life and achieving his dreams:

And it makes the job of righting the ship that much harder for the…