Caleb Porter makes no secret that one of his unshakeable coaching beliefs is this:
"I don't believe in first team-second team. I believe in one team."
He reiterated that after practice on Tuesday when he talked about how depth, in what will be an especially busy season, is vital for Portland in 2016.
Building that depth started Wednesday night, when the Timbers featured a lot of newcomers and younger players in the 2-0 loss against the Vancouver Whitecaps before 14,208 fans at the preseason Simple Invitational at Providence Park.
The Timbers went with a lineup loaded with new faces — Zarek Valentin, Ned Grabavoy, Neco Brett, Jack McInerney and Ben Polk — and young guys, including Anthony Manning, Andy Thoma and Ben Zemanski.