The Portland Timbers are buzzing as schedule shifts to May

Four of five on the road? Bees? No problem for a Portland Timbers club off to its best start ever.

BEAVERTON — It felt like summer camp at the Timbers Training Facility on Thursday.

Nothing but sun hung over the pitch as the No. 2 team in the Western Conference ran through a practice that involved a series of mini games like 2 v 2 soccer volleyball, a hybrid soccer/basketball game and a competition where teams held hands in circles while racing to juggle a ball toward a trash can.

There were smiles, laughs and a bit of smack talk — with the only thing interrupting the vibes for a club unbeaten in its last seven matches coming after training had concluded.

“I think fun has to be a part of training,” manager Phil Neville said. “And we’ve made it a part of what we do at this football club.”

Then Neville flinched, grimaced and let out a long F-bomb underneath his breath.