Month: April 2024

Categories
Soccer Thorns

Takeaways: Chicago Red Stars 0, Portland Thorns 2

Photo by Kelsey Baker.

The Portland Thorns’ new Ken-look-alike interim head coach Rob Gale has an undefeated record in the NWSL as Portland (finally) picks up their first home and road wins of the 2024 season. It’s been a slow and bumpy start to the season, and while it’s too early to make any calls on how competent Gale is as a coach, there is officially enough data to try and determine what type of team the Thorns are going to be under his interim tenure. 

Renewed sense of urgency
Photo by Kelsey Baker.

The Thorns conceded within the first 10 minutes of three of their four first games of the season. Luckily—or more likely, intentionally—Portland has flipped the script and were able to score first in the sixth and 10th minute of their last two matches. Postgame against Houston, Sophia Smith credited the fiery start to a change in the team’s warmup, something that ensures the team gets a taste of competition and “that fire in our blood flowing before we step on the field and the kickoff happens.” The new pregame ritual includes competitive games like rondos. 

“To win is the expectation,” Smith said. “This is the Thorns that we know.”

Olivia Moultrie said  these wins have felt like “the start of a new season for the Thorns,” as they set a new standard for performances going forward. 

The lineup
Photo by Kelsey Baker.

 Gale has not made many changes to the starting XI that the Thorns began the season with, but the two he did make made all the difference. Firstly, Hina Sugita has played 90 minutes in both games, compared to being a second-half sub under former head coach Mike Norris. Hina a versatile player that needs to be on the pitch and can slot in pretty much anywhere in the front six. She played as a box-to-box midfielder in both games, connecting 88% of her passes in those 180 minutes and earning one assist. Gale’s choice to exchange Hina for Moultrie in the starting XI balances out Portland’s midfield; as in the first few games of the year, we saw Moultrie and Jesse Fleming occupying many of the same spots, leaving empty gaps in the midfield for the opposition to play through. 

After the Houston game, Gale said the midfield “smothered Houston” due to their pressing, and he was right.

Hina, Sam Coffey, and Fleming started against Chicago as well and worked very well together, combining for nearly 86% passing accuracy going forward. It seems as though the Thorns have found their ideal midfield trio going forward. 

The passing map from the Houston game makes it clear that the Thorns have well-executed passing triangles, which result in quick give-and-goes up the side of the pitch. The front three look a little wonky because Christine Sinclair and Smith frequently switch between center and wide forward, but the triangles are still there.

The Thorns are finally looking like the well-oiled machine that they have been in years past. I would also like to give a special shoutout to Isabella Obaze, who has looked remarkably strong and seasoned beyond her years in recent games, growing tremendously since that first showing in Kansas City. 

Gale starting Sinclair up front was a very curious (and unpopular) choice, but it allows Janine Beckie to come off the bench against tired legs, which is where she shines. After an ACL injury and a poor 2022 season, Beckie is still trying to find her footing on an attacking-heavy Thorns roster, especially with Payton Linnehan impressing in her early minutes. Sinclair, interchanging with Smith up top, has really surprised me. In the last two games she has one goal and one assist, showing that she can still be productive. I liked the Thorns using her to set a tempo and mindset early, and I think her presence up top helps ground the team as they work through their early-game jitters. Even if Sinclair’s speed and touch isn’t what it used to be, her mind is definitely still there. 

Photo by Kelsey Baker
The keeper issue

Shelby Hogan posted her first clean sheet of the season on Saturday, making three saves against Chicago. While her decision-making on the line was sharper than in previous games, Hogan’s distribution and ability to build out of the back still remained a major issue for the Thorns, as she gave the ball away in compromising positions numerous times and was bailed out by the woodwork. Prior to the game against Houston, the Thorns signed Mexican international Emily Alvarado from the Dash to provide competition for Hogan for the starting role. It was a move that makes sense at first, but upon closer investigation, leaves a little to be desired. I have been an advocate that, with Bella Bixby out on maternity leave, Portland needs an experienced keeper available for training and games. The Thorns started the season with three keepers who had played in two NWSL regular season games between them, the most inexperienced goalkeeper union in the league. 

Here is where the confusion lies: Alvarado also has zero NWSL regular season minutes, having served as Jane Campbell’s backup since Houston acquired her from Stade de Reims in early 2023. While she does have 39 starts in the D1 Arkema, she conceded 66 goals in those games. With the Thorns still working on building chemistry across their back line, bringing in another inexperienced keeper doesn’t make much sense. At this point, why not give Lauren Kozal a try in her second year with the team? Or even Kat Asman, who the Thorns drafted 39th overall and who has been with the team since the beginning of preseason. With a three-game week, I assume that we will see Alvarado in goal against Bay FC on Wednesday, and I am curious to see if her distribution and ability to organize the backline is any stronger than Hogan’s currently is. 

Photo by Kelsey Baker.

The Thorns’ one and only three-league-game week is this week, with the Bay and the Washington Spirit on deck for Wednesday and Sunday, respectively. It will be Gale’s first real test to see how he manages minutes for players to try to get nine points from the week. 

Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Columbus Crew 2, Portland Timbers 2

Photo by Kris Lattimore.
Photo: Kris Lattimore

The Timbers got their third draw in a row Saturday, this time against the Columbus Crew. It was a more rounded performance for Portland, but a Steven Moreira screamer tied the game and forced the spoils to be divided.

Has Portland found their new centerbacks?

It’s not news that Portland’s defense has been struggling for more than a year. Last season, Zac McGraw showed a lot of growth in the centerback position, which cemented his spot on the team and helped him to get a call from the Canadian national team.

This year, he hasn’t had the best of performances in, and then an injury sidelined him from the last two games.

Dario Župarić, on the other hand, has been surrounded by rumors that he has requested a trade and has missed training due to personal reasons.

Župarić and and McGraw’s unavailability forced Timbers head coach Phil Neville to make changes in the defense, and changes to Portland’s backline look like they have been for the best. Neville put Kamal Miller and Miguel Araujo as the new centerback pair, and despite the newness of this, it seems to be working out. 

However, there’s a lot of work to do. In the screen capture below, we can see one of the reasons why Portland let the Crew get 24 shots off . A huge space between the centerbacks allowed Cucho Hernández space to run through the middle and receive a pass that would, seconds later, finish with a goal. VAR intervened, and it was disallowed in the end, but it was a very close call.

Image: MLS/ Apple TV
Image via MLS/Apple TV.

And it happened again in the 44th minute, this time with Cucho onside and in a one-vs-one with Timbers goalkeeper James Pantemis. However this time the keeper came off his line in time and closed his shooting angle, which helped the defense clear the ball in time. You might argue that Pantemis should’ve kept that ball, but let’s look at the bright side and be grateful that it didn’t end in a goal.

Image: MLS/ Apple TV
Image via MLS/Apple TV.

While the new centerback pair needs time to work as a well-oiled machine, but the raw material is there. Let’s see if Neville gives McGraw another chance to start in the next game or if he’s committed to the Miller and Araujo partnership.

A goal-scoring machine and the holes in defense

We have already gone over how Portland’s defense has not been on-point, although the team is working on it. The Timbers are the second team with the most goals scored against them in the West Conference with 18, only behind San Jose with 24.

However, Portland has also been a goal-scoring machine. So far, they have registered 18 goals, making them the team with the second-most goals scored, only behind the LA Galaxy, who sit at the top of the table. The Vancouver Whitecaps, second in the table, have tallied 17 goals so far.

Portland’s second goal against Columbus was the product of beautiful teamwork and a demonstration of the beautiful soccer we have caught glimpses of the Timbers playing in moments of the game. However, knowing the defensive problems, every player should be committed to helping the backline.

In the screen capture below, we can see Evander has dropped to “help” with the defense, but it would’ve been the same if he hadn’t been there at all. The playmaker just stayed there, watching Diego Rossi get inside the box, receive a pass, and make the assist for Cucho.

"On your left." Image: MLS/ Apple TV
“On your left.” Image via MLS/Apple TV.

And then suddenly we have too many opponents unmarked inside the box and nobody is marking Cucho at the top of the box. Portland’s defensive line realized the striker was unmarked too late, and when he received the ball, the damage was already done.

Image: MLS/ Apple TV
Image via MLS/Apple TV.

In the capture below, we can see Cucho once again wandering at the top of the box, and no one is paying attention to him. This leads to Diego Chará having to wrestle with him once he gets in possession of the ball inside the 18-yard box. The Timbers were lucky the referee didn’t award Columbus a penalty kick.

Image: MLS/ Apple TV
Image: MLS/ Apple TV
Eryk Williamson had the job done

Neville has been alternating between a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1 formation in possession while trying to see what works best for Portland. It’s good that he hasn’t settled for just one formation, since it gives some flexibility to the team.

In his search for what best suits the team, Neville has used a midfield double-pivot when in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Chará and Cristhian Paredes occupying those positions.

Chará has been the unmovable piece in that space, except in the draw against Sporting KC, when Neville used Paredes and David Ayala, and Eryk Williamson came to the field in minute 96’. Williamson has been gaining consistent minutes after the game against the Houston Dynamo, and he started in the match against Columbus.

In Saturday’s game, Williamson made 12 passes, had 66.7% passing accuracy (70% in the opponent’s half), and won three duels and lost six. Compared to Paredes and Ayala, the ball hasn’t passed through Williamson’s feet his feet as much, but he’s been used mostly as an attacking player. No wonder he registered one chance created, one shot on target, and one assist against Columbus.

The double-pivot has allowed Williamson to go up while Chará has been staying back as usual. In this lineup, Evander drops deeper than Williamson, which explains why the ball is not going through Williamson’s feet as much.

Going forward, it’d be good for the Timbers to start Williamson if he’s available. He’s an attacking-minded player, and since the defensive issues are going to take some time to be fixed, Portland needs goals to keep compensating for their lack of defensive awareness.

The introduction of Paredes to the game didn’t bring much to this match, to be honest; Neville still needs to figure out where he can create the most impact.

Congrats, Diego Chará!

The Colombian is a city-wide treasure at this point, and nobody would dare to argue that. Most recently, he gave the fans another reason to build his statue outside Providence Park, when he tied Chris Wondolowski for the most MLS regular season games played with one club in league history.

Image: MLS Communitcation
Image via MLS.
What lies ahead

The Timbers have another tough test on the road, this time against LAFC. After three draws, it’s time to see if they can get three points. It will be difficult, but if they keep working like they did against Columbus and the coach can keep tweaking the defense, they might be able to get the win.

Categories
Soccer Thorns

Losing and Learning

Photo by Matthew Wolfe.

Four games into 2024, the Portland Thorns sit at last place in the NWSL and are one of two teams in the league yet to record a win this year. Their most recent result: a 0-2 loss to the rival North Carolina Courage.

I was at a loss about what to write about that game until Tuesday; give or take some scorelines and player quotes, it feels about the same as pretty much every Thorns game this year. The team is obviously talented but isn’t playing at the level we know they can and let points slip due to defensive errors. Against North Carolina, Portland simply lost to a team that played better soccer, and I have no idea how much of that we should be attributing to players coming in and out of the team due to international breaks, how much of it was due to players still figuring out how to be on the same page as one another this early in the season, and how much of it we can pin on poor coaching.

Unsurprisingly, the last of those does seem to be a factor. Three days after the Courage loss, the Thorns announced an internal reorganization of the club, with now-former head coach Mike Norris named the new technical director and assistant coach Rob Gale serving as the team’s interim head coach.

“Thorns FC have set the standard for excellence in the league,” Thorns general manager Karina LeBlanc says in the club’s release. “These changes will help us maximize our strengths as we continuously pursue championship-level success.”

As LeBlanc alludes to, Portland prides themselves on being a model of excellence in American professional women’s soccer. Of course, that hasn’t always been the case off the field (a certain abusive former head coach and general manager come to mind). But their on-pitch success—capped off by a league-leading three championship titles—speaks for itself.

When a team with the reputation of Portland is on a winless streak, something eventually has to give. “Not a lot—if any—of the players on this roster have been in this position,” Norris said after the Courage loss. And that position—sitting on one point for games into the regular season after a disappointing end to last year—demanded change from the Thorns organization. In this case, the change was appointing Gale to an interim head coaching position.

I think the move was a good one; Norris spent over a season at Portland’s helm and, while he seems to genuinely care about the team, has struggled to deliver the kind of results the Thorns expect. Despite that, I think he has something to bring to a player development role, and I’m glad Portland was able to transition him into a position that allows him to play more to his strengths within the club. Obviously, the issue isn’t fully resolved until the Thorns name someone as their next head coach, but the club’s willingness to take action in moving toward a better fit for the role is a good start.

“What I find encouraging is that people are frustrated and people are pissed off that we’re not doing well and we care,” Becky Sauerbrunn said after the North Carolina game. That combination of frustration and caring is a catalyst for change.

The Thorns have shown that they’re ready to take that first step as an organization by opening up the search for a head coach that can better fit the team’s needs. And hopefully that shift—and the players’ hunger to be better—can help this team start to click in the right ways.

Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, LAFC 2

Photo by Kris Lattimore

After a dramatic tie against Sporting KC, the Portland Timbers returned home to Providence Park—to earn another draw against Los Angeles FC.

“I thought it was a brilliant game of football,” said Timbers head coach Phil Neville. “We spoke three weeks ago about mentality, and I think we showed that mentality today. There’s a clear identity forming with our mentality, and I’m super proud with the way that they played.”

In one of the most aggressive moves of his tenure, Neville opted to play Jonathan Rodríguez on the left and Felipe Mora in the middle, starting the Timbers’ two best attackers in the same game for the first time. Their limited time together has been super effective—and one the head coach was forced to field due to Mora’s stellar play.

Neville also put Diego Chará and David Ayala in a double pivot for the first time. Ayala has been drawing rave reviews from Neville and the coaching staff. He has been influential in every game thus far.

Crepeau, Mosquera, Araujo, K. Miller, Bravo D. Chara ©, Ayala, Antony, Evander, Rodriguez Mora Subs: Pantemis, Mabiala, E. Miller, Moreno, Paredes, Williamson, Asprilla, Fogaça

In the 12th minute, Evander slipped in a beautiful ball to Mora, who somehow guided it home for the 1-0 lead. The home team’s sequence of play started with Juan David Mosquera winning a turnover and dribbling toward the right side of the box before laying the ball off to Evander.

Portland dominated the early proceedings. They didn’t allow LAFC’s first shot until the 21st minute (and by that time the Timbers already recorded four shots).

Unfortunately, all it takes is one bad moment. In the 22nd minute, the Timbers’ backline fell asleep, and Mateusz Bogusz made them pay dearly with a perfectly pinpointed far-post shot past Max Crépeau. Kamal Miller tried to close it down, but he had absolutely no help from Miguel Araujo, who was nowhere to be found in the sequence.

After being outshot four to zero in the following 10 or so minutes, Mosquera hit a nicely-weighted cross to Evande,r who smashed home a  gorgeous volley in the 34th minute. That goal came against the run of play.

Unfortunately, the second half could not have started in worse fashion for the home side.

In the 48th minute, Crépeau came off his line hard, but could not win the ball and was given a red card for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. This forced Portland to take off Mora and bring on James Pantemis.

Bogusz struck the ensuing free kick brilliantly to equalize for LAFC in the 52nd minute.

In the 66th minute, Evander struck a nice free kick at the top of the box, but it hit off the post. Even down a man, the Timbers continued to fight.

The teams traded shots back and forth the rest of the way, but neither was able to put together enough for a win. The game ended with a 2-2 draw.

Although they went down a man, the Portland Timbers worked their butts off to preserve the point.

No ZZs
Photo by Kris Lattimore.

Zac McGraw and Dario Župarić were both unavailable for the game, due to a concussion and personal reasons, respectively. That left Miller, Araujo, and Larrys Mabiala as Portland’s only options at centerback for the game.

Miller and Araujo ended up with the starts. Miller has been a starter all season, and Araujo made his second consecutive start.

The results were very mixed in their first start together. In this regard, Neville had no choice due to lack of options.

“It’s growing better and better,” said Miller. “Those goals […] could have been avoided, but all throughout the run of the 90 minutes, I feel like we’re defending strong. And to go man down with so long left in the game, against a team like LAFC that keeps possession of the ball so well. I felt like we defended well, and I believe we got a clean sheet with a man down.”

Their chemistry is building, but I do think McGraw should be starting all future games alongside Miller.

Jon and Pipe

The first start together for Rodríguez and Mora was not a surprise and was the right move by the head coach. Neville has spoken to the media about the sense that they paid to play Rodríguez as the No. 9. Mora’s stellar play as a reserve forced Neville’s hand, and rightfully so.

Although their connection is new, the duo are currently Portland’s best two goalscorers and finishers. They only got to play 48 minutes together, but the team looked extremely dangerous, with the attention both of them draw opening space for Evander, Mosquera, and Antony.

Moving forward, they are going to scoring tons and providing a ton of assists. This is just the start for the dynamic duo.

Another new pair
Photo by Kris Lattimore.

Neville and his staff have talked up Ayala big time since his return. He does all of the hard work necessary in the midfield and has an accurate left foot. His passing has surprised some, but it shouldn’t. Ayala can switch the point of attack, do the defensive work, and keep the attack moving.

His pairing with Chará is a bit special, as Ayala has been seen as a possible heir apparent.

This midfield looked sharp with those two rotating the defensive and attacking assignments. Their chemistry looked smooth and efficient. Although the Timbers have Eryk Williamson and Cristhian Parades, who are both extremely talented, Ayala offers the perfect balance. Depending on the matchup, Williamson should still get his fair share of starts, as should Parades.

Neville’s range of available options in the midfield is a blessing. For now, it seems like he has finally found the right mix (especially once Ayala returns to full fitness).

The Evander

“I think Evander is the best player in the conference at this moment in time. He’s playing incredibly well,” said Neville. “I don’t see a better No. 10 in either conference at this moment in time than Evander—that’s how highly I rate him.”

In the past three games, Evander has five goal contributions (three goals and two assists), including his golazo against LAFC.

He has quickly become one of the most dangerous players in all of MLS and is heating up at the perfect moment.

Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 3, Sporting KC 3

Photo: Kris Lattimore
Photo: Kris Lattimore

After three consecutive losses, the Portland Timbers finally got a point on the road against Sporting KC on Sunday.

The Timbers proved once more that they’re perfectly capable of scoring goals and getting a result. However, they also proved once again they like to shoot themselves in the feet.

When it rains, it pours 

Not only did the Timbers have a terrible first half, but they also had bad luck. Portland wasn’t playing poorly at the beginning of the match, but KC’s fortuitous 13th-minute goal was like a bucket of cold water that sent the team into a spiral, and the home team smelled the blood in the water.

In the 19th minute, Sporting’s forwards counter-pressed near the visitor’s box, and it led to a shot that was just inches off target.

The Timbers’ shambolic defense made another appearance about half an hour into the match. Four players were too focused on William Agada and completely forgot about Dániel Sallói. As a result, the KC No. 10 had all the time and space to receive a pass and shoot.

Image: MLS
Image: MLS

Portland was surely grateful that goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau protected his near post well—and that Sallói shot off target. However, this led to a corner, where Crépeau was beaten by Daniel Rosero when trying to make a clearance, putting Sporting up 2-0.

What is more, Juan David Mosquera and Miguel Araujo weren’t complementing well, and space on the left half was a highway for Portland’s opponents.

No wonder Timbers head coach Phil Neville decided to make a change in his backline at halftime—just like he did against Vancouver. He subbed out Mosquera and moved Eric Miller to the right, and Claudio Bravo came in and occupied the left. 

It remains unclear what the Timbers were doing in the third goal KC scored on them, but it’s safe to say that they looked like complete amateurs, and the coach had enough.

Source: Twitter
Leveling the score

By now, coach Neville’s halftime speeches must be something worth listening to if they can make the team turn 180° in less than 15 minutes.

Even so, the second 45 could’ve started with disaster, when Agada beat Araujo and almost scored KC’s fourth goal. The Peruvian recovered and prevented what could’ve thwarted Portland’s plans to revert the score in their favor.

We could see the change in attitude early in the half, with the Timbers pressing high and trying to occupy Sporting’s side of the field.

A new disaster loomed on the horizon, though, when in minute 59’, Claudio Bravo fouled Erik Thommy inside the box, and the referee awarded a penalty kick. In play that led to this defensive mistake, Portland left way too much space in between their lines, which helped KC move the ball freely and get to the Timbers’ box in only six passes.

Luckily for the visitors, Agada shot a terrible penalty that went out of bounds. KC’s mood fell after that. Only one minute later, Tim Leibold fouled Felipe Mora inside the box, and the Timbers were awarded a penalty. Finally, a Timber had the chance to step up to the penalty spot. It was Evander who buried the ball in the back of the net and put Portland in the game.

Felipe Mora

Portland was encouraged by Evander’s goal and immediately looked for another. The Timbers stayed wide, and that helped Antony receive the ball and then send the cross that helped Portland to score their second. Sporting did an awful job positioning defensively inside their box, which we can see in the screen capture below. KC left at least three Portland players very open to be recipients of Jonathan Rodríguez’s assist. One of those players was Felipe Mora.

The Chilean forward has been on a mission since he came back from injury. His goal in this game puts him at two goals and one assist in two matches.

Image: MLS
Image: MLS

Another important detail: Rodríguez on that left wing did some serious damage, and the Timbers recognized crosses to that side were causing problems for KC.

Antony’s magic

A lot has been said about Evander, and rightly so, but his countryman proved in this game that he can do a lot of damage on the right wing with his crossing and dribbling abilities. 

He not only got fouled and earned the free kick that led to Portland’s equalizer, but he sent the cross to the box that Rodríguez headed to Eric Miller’s finish.

Antony has proved in this game that he can certainly make a difference in the team and influence the outcome of a match. No wonder his coach has such high expectations for him.

Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter

The team was certainly relieved to stop accumulating losses, and after two matches on the road, it’s time to go home. Will Portland be able to play for 90 minutes instead of just 45 and get a win against LAFC next Saturday?

We certainly hope so, since they’ve showed they have the tools for it.

Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, Vancouver Whitecaps 3

Photo: Kris Lattimore
Photo: Kris Lattimore

The fun is over. The Portland Timbers are officially just as frustrating as they were last season.

Just when we thought Portland did a 180° turn… the last three games were as if reality slapped fans in the face.

“Unacceptable”

In the first Cascadia derby match of the year, Timbers head coach Phil Neville’s squad went down 0-1 only 90 seconds into the match. “I felt that the first 30 minutes were totally unacceptable for a derby game,” Neville said. “You don’t start a derby game like that, going down in the first 90 seconds.”

It’s the same old story: The Timbers look like a world-class team one minute and then look like clowns the next.

On the flipside, the first goal Portland scored was stunning. It’s an example of how the Timbers can play in every game. Those guys have a nag for shooting themselves in the foot, and they showed that outstanding ability again in this game. 

Look at the buildup: Cristhian Paredes not only occupied the half space well, but Jonathan Rodríguez did well distracting defenders, which helped Evander stay unmarked at the edge of the box. The positioning also gave Evander enough space and time to produce a world-class finish, one that was almost impossible to stop.

So, the question is: How can the Timbers look that good and then play like complete amateurs?

“You can’t […] concede three goals and expect to win games“

We’ll rephrase coach Neville and point out the way those three goals were scored. Of course, the Vancouver Whitecaps deserve some recognition for finishing them, but we cannot help but think the Timbers contribute a lot to those goals. Heck, they should even get part of the expected goal credit!

In the first one, Ryan Gauld entered the box through the half-space, while Diego Chará failed to track him. Then, Zac McGraw couldn’t clear the ball, and the rebound fell to Gauld’s feet. The forward finished with a shot to the near post that beat Maxime Crépeau.

It didn’t take the Whitecaps much hassle—only four passes on the right wing, in fact—to get to the Timbers’ box for the second goal. Well, that and McGraw’s backheel assist.

For the third… well, Crépeau couldn’t hold the ball, and then Portland’s entire defense forgot to watch their backs, making it too easy for Ryan Raposo to get into the box and hit that ball home.

So, if we rephrase the coach, we would say, “You can’t […] concede three goals in that way and expect to win games.”

Do they know how to build from the back?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but many times it looked as if the Timbers didn’t have a clue about what to do with the ball when trying to build from the back. When Crépeau sent the ball to his centerbacks instead of sending a long pass, the defenders moved the ball here and there, but they had serious issues with the progressive phase.

Actually, that’s what led to Vancouver’s second goal. If we rewatch the tape, we’ll see that after six passes, McGraw tried to send the ball to the midfield where Rodríguez was, but it was blocked. Vancouver took advantage of the interception to regain possession, switched the point of attack, and ended up scoring.

We know the Timbers have more often than not played direct in the past and felt more comfortable being in the back seat regarding possession. They’re used to forcing errors and then going fast in counterattacks. But in this match, it was different.

Vancouver let Portland press in the final 20 minutes of the first half, and then the Timbers took the main seat in the second half. Evander grew exponentially—and he was everywhere, scoring and assisting.

They were things of beauty, his finish and his assist. But no magic designated player can save a team that has serious lapses in defense. As we already established, the three goals scored by Vancouver were preventable if Portland’s defense had stayed organized. And as long as the Timbers can’t get their defense together, no designated player will save them.

Going back to build up, the Timbers need to learn to feel comfortable with their ball at their feet. They need to learn how to build from the back and use the midfield properly. It is true that Chará might not be the same as he has been in seasons past—age is taking its toll—but the team has a true creator in Evander, and Santiago Moreno can be his partner in crime in that midfield.

Speaking of Moreno, he needs to get his act together. He did well against Vancouver, staying high to steal balls and always staying connected to the game, but he needs to connect better with his teammates in the attack to make chances count.

The Timbers will play again on Sunday, this time against Sporting KC. If they want to get at least a point on the road, they need to stop gifting the ball to their opponents, and they need to stop doing that in dangerous positions.

It finally looks as if the attack won’t be a problem this season, but who cares if the team can score beautiful goals if the coach has to sub one of the centerbacks out at halftime due to a very poor performance among other serious defensive problems?

Categories
Soccer

Takeaways: Portland Thorns 2, Racing Louisville 2

Photo by Kris Lattimore

The Portland Thorns are off to their slowest start in their 12-year history, scraping one point from their first three games of the season (and only one in their last five games, all-competitions), and it’s a valid question to ask where everything is going wrong. For two games in a row, the Thorns have put out their best XI (minus Hina, who needs to be starting and is not, for some inexplicable reason), and in both games they have been outplayed. 

In the season opener against the Kansas City Current, the poor performance and shocking number of goals conceded could be fairly overlooked due to extenuating circumstances: a large portion of the starting XI had their minutes managed after coming back from the Gold Cup days prior, and the backline consisted of three players who were making their NWSL debuts. But this many poor showings in a row, the common denominator must be the coaching. There are too many talented players on the roster for each to individually be making repeated errors. I am going to attempt to break down why the Thorns’ current tactical approach is not working, and ultimately propose that new leadership is desperately needed. 

First, let’s look at the Thorns’ shape. This season, their go-to formation is a 4-3-3, with only two new Thorns featured in the lineup against Louisville: Marie Müeller at left back and Jessie Fleming as a box-to-box midfielder. From the whistle, it seemed clear the the Thorns were instructed to try to build the ball out of the back, beginning with familiar duo Becky Sauerbrunn and Kelli Hubly at center back. The two of them have been playing together for four seasons now and should be extremely comfortable with one another. In the first image, we have Sauerbrunn on the ball, looking to begin to build. Both the left back (Müeller) and right back (Reyna Reyes) are pushed wide and high and wide along the touchlines, so much so that Müeller is out of frame. The Racing Louisville front three are pressing high and have eliminated most of the Thorns’ passing lanes, forcing Sauerbrunn to pass square to Hubly, which ultimately does not move the ball in a productive manner. 

In the second image, the ball has moved wide left to Müeller on the touchline. Once again she is isolated, with not many players cutting in and looking to become an option, forcing her to play backwards toward Olivia Moultrie or Sauerbrunn. While these two stills are from the opening minutes of the game, they are reflective of how the Thorns spent the first half, especially with Norris sitting up in the press box, unable to provide tactics or changes to the players. 

Based on OPTA’s “Zone of Control,” the Thorns have the most ball control and touches through the center of the field. With talented wingers like Reyes and Müeller, it would be in the team’s best interest to try and activate them in the wings, providing a different look that does not rely on Sophia Smith taking on three players successfully to earn her team a shot on goal.

Now, let’s take a look at the build-up that led to Racing Louisville’s first goal. The play starts with Hubly at the center circle, as she looks to move the ball forward to Janine Beckie, who is crashing in. Instead, Louisville player Uchenna Kanu intercepts the ball and is able to start a fast break. There are two main issues with this play. First, the Thorns are once again looking first to play through the center of the pitch—even though most of Portland’s players are grouped together further up the pitch and are not immediate passing options.

Over the course of all three games, it has become clear that head coach Mike Norris’s number one strategy is to get the ball up to Smith, who’s playing high and central as the No. 9, and allow her to work her individual magic. Unfortunately, other teams have caught on to the fact that Smith is the best player in the league, which means they often will have two or three defenders marking her. This means that the Thorns will have several open players, which, frustratingly, they never seem to find. Instead, they are choosing to move the ball through the congested center of the pitch, where Louisville is pressing high, which leads to frequent turnovers. 

The buildup to the second goal, which came only two minutes later, was the same. Louisville was able to capitalize off of an errant pass from Portland’s backline and to get off a cross. A two-vs-one in the box (including 1.75m Hubly versus 1.53m Kanu) ended with Kanu sending a looping header into the side netting. (Editor’s note: That’s 5’9″ for Hubly and 5’8″ for Kanu, for those of us who aren’t living in Ireland.) Just like that, before the game had even really begun, the Thorns found themselves deep in a hole of their own creating. 

I am not asking the Thorns to play like Prime Barcelona, but it is incredibly frustrating to see the same tactics being deployed over the first three games, all while getting incredibly disappointing results. It is not enough to expect “grit” and “relentlessness”—as Norris spoke of in the post-match presser—to come through and save points for the team in the end. Portland needs strong tactics and an identity, both of which they are currently lacking. 

Norris said that these errors, “did not define the team today”—a statement that seems at odds from the product on the pitch, which has been consistently below standards across all three games. The Thorns have allowed eight goals so far this season—the most of any team in the league—and show no sign of closing the dam unless there is a serious switch-up in tactics and coaching for the team.