Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, LA Galaxy 3

The Portland Timbers did more than a decent job Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the LA Galaxy at home. They ended up losing 3-2.

It was definitely a fun game. Portland faced off against the leader in the Western Conference, and they played a great first half, where they looked very dangerous but couldn’t find a way to finish the looks they created.

DP stuff

Riqui Puig might not be one of the fans’ favorite players in MLS, but the guy can ball. He proved so against the Timbers. He was LA’s engine in the midfield, the one distributing passes here and there, and his through balls were great. The way Puig uses his body is very smart; he knows he’s not the biggest guy in town and takes advantage of that. After one or two tricky touches on the ball, he tried to squeeze himself into little gaps between defenders to keep progressing the ball or to win fouls. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t, but in the end, it helped LA keep possession. He was always connected to the game, which surprised Portland at the beginning of the second half when Puig beat James Pantemis with a low shot.

Gabriel Pec also had a great game, putting Claudio Bravo to work during the entire time the left-back was on the field. In the end, Pec was just having fun and helped his team to guard the margin lead to secure the three points at home. 

Source: MLS/ Apple TV
Source: MLS/ Apple TV

But enough talking about the opposition. What about Jonathan Rodríguez and Evander? 

Well, Rodríguez showed once more that he’s comfortable on the left wing.

Jonathan Rodríguez's heatmap. Image: Opta
Jonathan Rodríguez’s heatmap. Image: Opta

He was best when he remained wide open on that wing, receiving the ball, interchanging positions with Bravo or Santiago Moreno, and getting into the half-space.

He didn’t need much space to get a shot, as the first part of the video above shows. He could take a shot even with a defender inches in front of him and two more behind that one.

So, when given as much space as he was in the 52nd minute, it’s not surprising that he scored especially given Rodríguez’s great form as of late.

In the case of Evander, he didn’t have the best of first halves. He did have some good chances in the first half—and some others in the second that he couldn’t put away, but the midfielder still looked more alive in the second half. It wasn’t the best of his matches for sure, and that’d have been okay if he wasn’t playing against the Galaxy. However, in games like this, when the team in front is at the top of the table, everyone needs to bring it during the entire game, especially the DPs.

Santiago Moreno

Santiago Moreno’s season has been full of ups and downs. Against the Galaxy, however, he looked great. Not only did he prove he can be a perfect army of one when needed with that great goal, but he also showed that he could play comfortably the team can use him.

Santiago Moreno's heatmap. Source: Opta.
Santiago Moreno’s heatmap. Source: Opta.

Moreno’s incredible goal gave Portland life and drove them to search for the equalizer until the final whistle. His tally—with an expected goal chance of only 5.76%—happened with him recovering the ball in the midfield and going from there to the Galaxy’s box. 

We already spoke about how Rodríguez was at his best when staying wide. In this goal, Rodríguez went to the left and took two defenders with him while Evander served as a decoy inside the box. Having only one defender in front of him, Moreno knew he could bury that ball, and he did.

His goal was important not only for the individual effort but also because it gave Portland life and put them back into the game, helping the team fight until the end.

Not good enough

The Timbers should’ve taken at least a point out of this match. Both teams recorded 16 shots, but the Galaxy had two more on frame than Portland, with six to the Timbers’ four. Despite the stats, Portland should’ve been better in possession in the final third and more careful when passing the ball.

As you can see in the video below, the Timbers were good at trying to create passing networks and find spaces, but then they would just give the ball away to the opponent. Sometimes, they made it too easy for the LA defense.

Portland is showing a good quality of soccer, but they’re not just where the Galaxy is: playing no-look passes or playing by memory, thinking a teammate will be there just because he should.

They also need to be more clinical or make better decisions when other teams do the kind of giveaways like the Galaxy did below:

We know these kinds of teams don’t usually make these mistakes, but when they do, the opponents need to make a profit out of them. That’s what the Timbers didn’t do, and the Galaxy made them pay for it.

Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 3, Real Salt Lake 0

Do you want to see fireworks? The Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake are the two best goalscoring teams in the Western Conference, and in the top three of MLS.

Ahead of their latest matchup, Timbers head coach Phil Neville jokingly said that the game screams “nil-nil” scoreless draw. The 3-0 scoreline told a different story.

The game kicked off a scorcher at 88 degrees, but luckily the shade covered the entire pitch.

Eryk Williamson earned a second straight start, this time in place of David Ayala, who is on a minutes restriction due to a knock he took against Nashville.

Portland’s starting XI asked Diego Chará to do more heavy lifting in protecting the backline and Williamson to help more defensively as well.

This game came down to both team’s backlines, an area where RSL excels on paper.

Pantemis, Mosquera, Araujo, Zuparic, Bravo Chara (C), Williamson, Moreno, Evander, Rodríguez, Mora Subs: Muse, McGraw, Mabiala, E. Miller, Ayala, Paredes, Antony, Fogaça

Against Salt Lake, the Timbers continued to play without care in the world. They’re having one heck of a time with one another, and the results match the on-field vibe.

In the second minute, Santiago Moreno outmuscled his way to the ball outside of the box and hit a beautiful low-driven cross into the box. Moreno’s cross hit Felipe Mora in stride for the 1-0 lead.

In the 8th minute, Portland saw Chará get a yellow card for something that could’ve simply been called a foul. To make matters worse, Jonathan Rodríguez received one for dissent.

The match got extremely chippy in the 22nd minute when, Cristian Arango “inadvertently” fouled Evander into the ground for refusing to stop play for Braian Ojeda. Both teams intervened in midfield. Mora received a yellow for having a hand to the face of Andrés Gómez. Arango and Gómez also received yellows for their roles in the altercation.

In the 43rd minute, Gómez lead an RSL counter, and Miguel Araujo made a goal-saving intervention. James Pantemis made the next one to keep the score unchanged.

If you thought Portland would slow down in the second half, you’d be dead wrong.

In the 48th minute, the Timbers released a barrage of shots on goal: starting with Rodríguez’s header, then Mora’s close-angle shot, and finally Moreno’s smashed volley home to make it 2-0.

The Timbers continued to play with confidence. They were precise in their counters and in possession, and controlled the match. This team is playing their best football of the season (outside of the Dallas game).

Neville deserves a ton of credit for finally finding the right mix of players, but so does general manager Ned Grabavoy, who has added the right pieces to the team. To make it even more exciting, Portland is expected to add another designated player in the summer window.

2-0 is the most dangerous score for a team, and RSL nearly got on the board in the 75th minute with a Arango header, but it caromed off the post.

In the 90th minute, Evander put RSL to sleep with an absolute blast, with a fantastic assist from Antony, for the final score of 3-0.

“I’m really pleased,” said Neville. “I think it was our most complete performance of the season. We’ve played like that for 20 to 30 minutes, maybe even a half, but we’ve not played like that for a 90-minute period.”

This performance was a masterclass from the Timbers, who put together what is definitely their best win of the entire season.

Source: FotMob
The big four?
Photo by Kris Lattimore

Moreno is making a case to be included in the designated player squad of Evander, Rodríguez, and Mora. He has found consistency and has played his role on the right wing phenomenally.

Neville and his staff have spoken glowingly of Moreno in recent weeks. He’s contributed to five goals in the past four games. His role is quite unique with the team—although he aligns as a right winger, he has freedom to drop into midfield like he did for much of the second half.

“His growth has been incredible” said Neville at the team’s media availability prior to the match. “We’ve got some incredible assets, and I think he’s probably one of our biggest.”

With an assist in his pocket, Moreno also tallied a goal in the 48th minute with an amazing volley. He is now up to 13 goal contributions on the year, with five goals and eight assists this season.

In his 100th appearance for the club, he was lights out.

He subbed off in the 84th to a rousing, and well-deserved, ovation of “Oh, Santi Moreno.”

“It’s a special moment,” said Moreno. “Ever since I got here, the fans have been absolutely amazing. I want to send them greetings and hellos from here, because they’re always there for us, and thanks for helping us get three points as we try to fight for the playoffs and ultimately bring a trophy to Portland.”

Who just passed Darlington Nagbe for fourth all-time in assists for the club? Yup, you guessed it: It’s Moreno.

Eryk
Photo by Kris Lattimore

In a report from Tom Bogert, “the expectation is Eryk Williamson would be on the move. Clubs around MLS are aware he’s available and there has been interest…” 

Last week, Williamson started as the No. 10 in place of Evander. This week, he started as part of Portland’s double-pivot in place of Ayala. His versatility has been on full display the past few weeks.

Neville has also spoken highly of Williamson on what seems to be a weekly basis for the past month or so.

When Ayala is healthy, that’ll be his starting spot. However, Williamson has made a statement that he deserves more minutes and starts even with a logjam at midfield.

Complaints continue to be about Williamson’s defensive work, but he has put shifts in. He led the team in the first half with six defensive actions.

Obviously he is gifted with the ball at his feet, but he is becoming a two way asset for the Portland Timbers. Losing a player of his caliber, especially when Cristhian Paredes has not been in-form would be a massive blow.

“I keep thinking about Eryk Williamson’s performance in the last two games and think he played really well,” said Nevile. “But for me, he just played to his level. The level that I expect, the level that we want, the level that he’s capable of.”

Backline
Photographer: The Kris Lattimore

Inter Miami, RSL, and Portland are the three best goalscoring teams in MLS right now. RSL leads the Western Conference in goals and came into Providence Park looking to continue their attacking ways. Ahead of the game, Neville talked about how the match was an important one to see where his team is at. He also spoke about his backline needing to rise to the occasion.

Claudio Bravo, Dario Župarić, Araujo, Juan David Mosquera, and James Pantemis got the message loud and clear.

“The back four played really well, but I also thought that our defensive shape from the front was probably the best it’s been,” said Neville. “They pressed, they blocked paths, they doubled up. I think Claudio Bravo had his best games since he’s come back, and he needed that game. All the back four playing really well. [James Pantemis] played well.”

This was Portland’s fourth clean sheet in their past nine matches. They’ve only allowed nine goals in that span, as well. It’s not the best record, but they’ve come a long way from where they started the season.

“For me personally, all I want to do is never let in a goal, but we know that that’s just not realistic,” said Pantemis. “I do the best I can, and the fact that we’re able to get [a clean sheet] and the team’s helping me is even better. I think I’m more happy for the guys. I know that at the beginning of the year, we were letting in quite a few goals. From a goalkeepers perspective, it was frustrating, because it wasn’t necessarily we were getting broken down or we were letting bad goals. It was just mistakes. I think we’ve cleaned that up, and knowing that we have quality like that in the back, and then with the keepers as well, I can foresee more clean sheets and even better defensive performances. I just think now it’s all clicking, and I’m just happy that we’re all finally getting what we deserve for clean sheets.”

Outside of a few RSL chances and one close call, Portland’s defense was dominant and looked decisive cleaning up their goal. Pantemis had little work to do, but he commanded his box extremely well all game.

Can they build on this? Is this something everyone can expect more of? Those are the only remaining questions.

Amazing
Image
Photo via Jeremy Peterman/@SportsGuyJeremy
Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 4, Nashville SC 1

To round out their third game in eight days, the Portland Timbers faced off against Nashville SC Sunday at Providence Park. The match was one of the most complete performances Portland has put together all season, and they continue to rise in the table.

Unfortunately, both head coach Phil Neville and Evander were suspended for this match. Dave Van den Bergh and Eryk Williamson  took Neville’s and Evander’s places, respectively.

The city of Portland is in the midst of a heat wave. The kickoff for the game was 98 degrees. Luckily, there was absolutely no sun on the pitch.

Pantemis, Mosquera, Araujo, Zuparic, Bravo Chara (C), Ayala Moreno, Williamson, Rodríguez Mora Subs: Muse, McGraw, Mabiala, E. Miller, Paredes, Enriquez, Antony, Fogaça

In the early going, neither team could muster much going forward. They were feeling each other out and trying to find the game.

However, the flood gates opened right after that for the Timbers.

In the 18th minute, Jonathan Rodríguez stole the ball near midfield and proceeded to drive to the top of the box. He slipped a ball into Felipe Mora, who calmly finished for his tenth goal of the season.

In the 21st minute, the team executed a perfect counter. Juan David Mosquera initiated it with a dribble and a great ball out wide to Williamson. Williamson returned the ball to Mosquera, who “passed” it to a wide open Rodríguez for an easy finish.

Minutes later, the Portland Timbers won a spell of possession. Santiago Moreno served the ball from midfield out wide to Rodríguez, who calmly took a few dribbles and smashed it far post past Nashville’s Joe Willis.

In the 29th minute, Williamson made it 4-0 off a perfect, low-driven cross from Moreno. This marked his second goal of the season and first since the season opener.

After that, the cooling break took effect, and Nashville SC interim head coach Rumba Munthali had a chance to get after his team for their abysmal showing in the first half.

Unfortunately, that didn’t cool them off one bit and only made it worse. After a VAR check, in the 35th minute, Brian Anunga’s yellow card was upgraded to a red card after video showed Anunga’s  studs going into the back of David Ayala’s leg. The visitors were down four goals and had to play with 10 men for the rest of the game.

In stoppage time, Forster Ajago’s goal was called offside.

In the next Portland possession, Rodríguez was taken down in the box. The official called it right way, but reversed it after going back to VAR.

The first half demonstrated the prolific attack Portland possesses and how dangerous this team is when they are allowed to play on their own terms.

In the second half, the Timbers were on cruise control.

With Rodríguez on hat trick watch, the team did everything they could to feed him the ball.

In the 82nd minute, Nashville’s Sam Surridge found a tap-in goal after the Timbers could not stop their opponent’s initial through ball or the following low-driven cross. They gave up the clean sheet on a very well-worked goal. It was Portland’s only blemish on a beautiful evening of football.

Photo Taken By The Matthew Wolfe

“A bit of a hiccup, obviously, last Thursday, so we wanted to have a bounce back,” said Van den Bergh. “And I think this was a good game for that, so very happy with the three points. On the other side of things, a little disappointed we couldn’t keep a clean sheet that would have been really big for James [Pantemis], for our defenders, but at the end of the day, when you’re facing Nashville at home, and you tell me in advance that we’re going to win 4-1, I would have signed a dotted line. So, all in all, a good win. I would have liked to have scored a couple more goals in the second half, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. But all in all, was a good performance by our guys.”

Eryk

With Evander out, Van den Bergh opted for Williamson in that role.

In the first half, he tallied his second goal of the season.

Once Antony was subbed on in the second half, Williamson moved back to a double pivot with Diego Chará to help preserve the win.

However, after Moreno came off, Williamson moved back to the No. 10.

His versatility, dynamism, and creativity makes him extremely valuable to have on this team. Even though MVP candidate Evander and rising star David Ayala, are ahead of him on the team’s depth chart, there is still a role for Williamson.

“Eryk Williamson showed why he is a very, very good player for us and why we have him on the roster” said Van den Bergh. “I mean, he was outstanding tonight, not just his goal, but overall, I don’t think he lost three balls tonight […] He’s been good in practice, and he deserved his chance.”

History

For the first time since 2022, an MLS club has had three different players to score at least 10 goals or more: Rodríguez, Mora, and Evander.

The three designated players have been money all year and show no signs of slowing down.

“You can see we got along so well, and we try a lot to have fun while we’re playing” said Mora. “And I think we’re enjoying playing alongside each other.”

Image
Graphic via MLS Communications

“Extremely happy with the fact that we have three players on 10 goals,” said Van den Bergh. “I found out that it’s the first time in Timbers history, which is pretty wild. Very happy for those three. They’ve been putting in the work since the day I got here.”

Hat trick watch
Photo by Matthew Wolfe

Never in the history of the Portland Timbers has a player scored a hat trick. Rodríguez was the latest one burned by the team’s curse.

Rodríguez had a brace in a matter of minutes, and had the rest of the game to make club history. He drew a penalty late in first half stoppage time, but for some reason VAR overturned the call. Although the initial ruling was a tad soft, reversing the decision still doesn’t make much sense. After that, the team tried to find Rodríguez every time they got down in the attacking third, but it was not meant to be.

The wait continues…

Photo of the night
Diego Valeri with drums in Timbers Army. Photo by Matthew Wolfe.
Categories
NWSL Soccer Thorns

Takeaways: Thorns 0, Royals 0

The Portland Thorns have been resting on their laurels since their 2022 NWSL championship season and have not worked to cultivate a new identity in the two seasons since. After an uninspiring 0-0 draw to the worst team in the league, the Utah Royals, on Saturday night at altitude, it’s clear that the eight-week Olympic break cannot come soon enough. 

There are a multitude of valid reasons why the club has been in purgatory for several years, most notably being the sale of the club from Merritt Paulson’s cold hands. The ownership tumult has further complicated the club’s ability to find a permanent, competent head coach to step in after Rhian Wilkinson’s resignation. The club has been slowly leaking world class players from that 2022 squad, and they have not brought in many replacements. Coupled with the lack of tactics and willingness to change and adapt from former head coach Mike Norris and current interim Rob Gale, it seems almost like a miracle that Thorns have managed to dig out a niche in fifth place in the NWSL standings. (Even that placement feels less impressive when we’re reminded that over half—the top eight of 12—teams qualify for the postseason.)

It almost feels futile to try and break down the team’s tactics when it’s the same each week (get the ball to Portland’s wingers, who then are tasked with taking on the defense one-vs-one to get to goal), and the rest of the league has figured the Thorns out. But alas, I will try to. 

Against Utah, Gale chose to start Nicole Payne at right back and Reyna Reyes at left back, relegating the Thorns’ best defender, Marie Müller, to the bench. Müller has been consistently leading the Thorns on several stats, including tackles, recoveries, and crosses, and post game Gale clarified that her absence was to allow her to rest after the many minutes put on her legs in recent games. Against a dismal attacking side that has only scored seven games thus far, it seemed like a reasonable action. However, Müller’s absence required Reyes to play on her much weaker left side to accommodate Payne at right back. Payne is a good pure defender, but is weak in possession. She made  one progressive pass and only had two touches in the Thorns’ attacking third. For a team that likes their outside backs to push high and join the attack, these numbers are dreadfully low. Reyes, in her sophomore season with the team, is seeing the field markedly less, mostly due to the competition at her best position, right back. Her strengths are opposite those of Payne; Reyes is better on the ball due to her time in midfield at the University of Alabama, but she lost all of her duels on the night against the Royals. Her attacking play was much better, with 13 touches in the final third and two in the Royals’ penalty box, but on her weaker foot, her passing and distribution suffered. 

Like Gale said post game, “sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition,” and the Royals were able to successfully mark the Thorns’ midfield out of the game. Hina Sugita and Sam Coffey have been the fulcrum of the Thorns’ build this season, and other teams have begun to realize that if they press them high, then the Thorns are forced to play through their wingers, who are much more easily dispossessed. The Royals’ press led to many misplaced and overhit passes, particularly from Coffey, which resulted in easy turnovers and put the Thorns right back on the defensive foot. Gale has been asking Hina to play deeper to allow for Coffey to push forward, and the two of them work very well together. Still, Hina and Coffey ended up accounting for one through ball between the both of them, which meant Sophia Smith severely lacked opportunities to show off her skills in behind the defense, and Portland’s attack suffered greatly. 

The other most puzzling part of the Thorns’ lineup on Saturday was the inclusion of Ana Dias as the starting No. 9, which pushed Smith out wide. Dias put on a show in the charity match midweek, scoring a hat trick, and I had hoped that her confidence would translate to the league game. Which unfortunately was not the case. In her 75 minutes , Dias had one accurate pass and three shots, none of which were on target. She had three touches in the Royals’ box, and only 0.1 expected goals. To put it bluntly, she had a very poor showing. While Dias’ signing was relatively low stakes for a player with only seven appearances for her country and who had been playing in the Russian league (i.e, not a very competitive one), the gamble has not paid off, and the Thorns’ offense is lacking as a result. That she plays in the No. 9 position exclusively forces the Thorns’ best player to play in a position that she is not as successful in, and means that the crosses and plays into the box that Smith does get off are oftentimes wasted by Dias. Against a team like Utah that has allowed 27 goals thus far, it was a reasonable gamble for Gale to take, but unfortunately, the team is paying for it.

The Thorns have one more game before they take an eight week break, and it’s against the incredibly lost San Diego Wave, who just fired their head coach. On paper, it’s a home game that the Thorns should win handily, but, if the Wave press high and are disciplined at the back, it could easily turn into another 90 minute slog. The Olympic break cannot come soon enough, and hopefully the pause will give the Bhathals a chance to finally make an announcement about which world-class coach will come in and take over, hopefully lifting the Thorns out of their holding pattern and back to the top of the table where they belong. 

Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 3, Minnesota United 2

The Portland Timbers honored Dairon Asprilla Saturday with a whirlwind 3-2 victory against Minnesota United.

Unfortunately, the Timbers did not get the memo early on, as the visiting Minnnesota hammered Portland for their sloppy, uninspired, and dreadful play early—and earned two goals for the effort.

Although the home side had their chances, the finishing was absolutely horrific. Jonathan Rodríguez, Santiago Moreno, and Felipe Mora all had chances and could not put anything away. When they got a good shot on goal, United goalkeeper Clint Irwin denied them. It looked very similar to the Philadelphia Union debacle earlier this season.

However, Mora drew a penalty late in the half, and Evander converted convert to halve the lead at 1-2.

The second half was all Portland. In the 73rd minute, Moreno finally broke through to equalize with a left-footed rocket.

Asprilla came on right after and looked to make one last heroic play.

The Providence Park crowd rightfully gave him the standing ovation and applause he desperate deserves. He is loved, adored, and appreciated by the Rose City. As a club legend, he will never be forgotten.

Thank you, Dairon Asprilla

Asprilla joined the Timbers ahead of the 2015 season. Little did he or the club know, it would change their lives forever. Nearly 10 years later, he finally said goodbye to his second home, Providence Park.

In his goodbye letter to Portland, Dairon Asprilla shared a heartfelt message to everyone:

Image

Head coach Phil Neville confirmed the club legend would play minutes in his final game at the last training before the Minnesota match.

As reported by Jeremy Peterman of Cascadia FC, it was Asprilla’s wish to retire as a Portland Timber. Unfortunately, the front office and ownership could not agree on the terms.

As he arrived to the stadium, fans were waiting to greet and thank him one last time. There was something special in the air, and it was going to be a wonderful night.

Photo by Kelsey Baker.
A magical moment

In the 82nd minute, Evander lobbed a ball to find Asprilla. He hit it one-time into the box. It found Moreno’s header in stride and directed it to Rodríguez, who just needed to tap it in. But Rodríguez missed it…

The Timbers again thought they’d found the game-winner in the 87th minute off Antony’s header, but after VAR called it back.

The stage was set for the Timbers legend to shine and finish his story the only way he knows how.

Like a fairytale, in the 92nd minute, Asprilla got on the end of a long ball and hit it off the bounce. He placed it in front of the box to find Rodríguez for the match winner! In his final game as a Portland Timber, he created a moment that 22,000 supporters would never, ever forget.

Photo by Kelsey Baker.

This player has been magical since he arrived. Would you expect him to end it in any other way? Of course not.

“I’m very fortunate to have been part of this club for nine years,” said Asprilla. “I’m leaving happy, and my heart is happy.”

Postgame, he has one final message for the fans: “I think not only today, but these past days have been very, very long days” he said. “I tried my best to prepare for it, and I didn’t expect the moment of leaving to come so fast. I have a good opportunity to go back home and be very close to my family. I’ve tried to control my emotions as best as I can through these days, maybe hide my feelings a little, although people around me have given me a lot of great words. It’s been great to be around them. It was hard to come here from another country alone, but then this became my home. It’s been hard to see all the amazing messages and not being able to respond to them all. But mostly, I just want to thank everyone for the love that they’ve given me. I hope they can see this video, this message, and just to tell them that they’re my family.”

Photo by Kelsey Baker.
¡Gracias, Dairon!

“Thank you” is not enough, and it’s not even close to what he deserves, but all we can do now is say those two words.

Thank you for sharing your gifts on the pitch with everyone. Thank you for always being your authentic self. Thank you for all that you did for the city and community.

Thank you, Dairon Asprilla!

Photo by Kelsey Baker.
Did you know?

Asprilla, Diego Valeri, Diego Chará , and Darlington Nagbe are the only four players in club history to make at least 200 appearances for the Portland Timbers.