It’s been an awfully strange past few weeks in the world of sports.
Just two weeks ago, the Portland Timbers played against Nashville SC in their second home game of the 2020 MLS season. There were clear areas that needed improvement, but they won 1-0 and claimed an important three points before a challenging two-game road trip. Little did players know that those 90 minutes would be their final time stepping onto the field at Providence Park until at least late spring.
The coronavirus, formally known as COVID-19, is a virus that has, so far, infected over 250,000 people and killed more than 10,000. Over the past week, the virus forced nearly all sports worldwide to come screeching to a halt; people have been told to avoid large gatherings to prevent further spread.
After the Nashville game, the Timbers closed off their locker room to the media, instead opting to bring players to the press conference room individually. On March 12, MLS officials announced that its season, just two weeks old at that point, would be suspended for 30 days. A week later, the league pushed the timeline back even further, giving an optimistic restart date of May 10 with a training moratorium lasting until March 27.
“These are times that are very difficult,” head coach Giovanni Savarese told reporters via a video conference call on Friday. “Our generation hasn’t gone through this type of situation, so every day we have a new challenge, but the good thing is that everybody is in constant communication to make sure that we always know if someone is in need of something.”
The communication between players and coaching staff has been important, as players have been advised to stay in Portland. Through the Kitman Labs Athlete app, members of the Timbers can enter their exercises and communicate with one another daily while training at their respective homes. Players also have their own training plans, designed by the strength and conditioning staff, and have recently been given stationary bikes. The coaching staff is making every effort to keep in constant communication with each individual.
In addition to working with players, Savarese and the Timbers organization are in constant communication with the league office and other organizations throughout MLS in order to check-in and talk about any potential updates. At times over the past week, Savarese has even talked with other coaches and professionals overseas to gain a more global view of how teams are dealing with this crisis.
“We are making sure that we are seeing what the other clubs are doing and that we can share ideas, how to go in the best scenario possible,” Savarese said.
At this time, nobody within the Timbers organization has exhibited any symptoms of COVID-19. With limited state-wide tests, the team is making sure that players are only tested if it is absolutely necessary.
“We’re also very diligent to make sure that we only test players when we know that there’s something that might show some symptoms because we want to make sure that we don’t overstress the situation,” Savarese said. “We know there are many people that need the testing and that’s why we are making sure we communicate first and we’re thorough with each player. So far, thank God, everybody has been very healthy.”
While players have regimented training plans, all the coaching staff can do is constantly communicate with one another and go through game film. For Savarese, that means watching back the season’s only two games with excruciating attention to detail.
Savarese said that he organized the games into four halves. The ultimate goal, according to him, is maintaining the level that they played at in the first half against Minnesota United. His ideal style of play is one that is high-pressing, always on the front foot, and creative in possession. However, that style doesn’t always fit this roster, which is why oftentimes when the team opens up, they find themselves allowing too much space in the back that other teams ultimately capitalize on. Against Nashville, Savarese said that the team needed to be better on the ball in the first half, and mentioned that, in the second half, the team defended too deep.
“It was a game that we didn’t give up any opportunities to the other team,” Savarese said when asked to reflect on what he’s seen from the tape so far. “We need to be good defensively, but also be better offensively than what we showed against Nashville. I think there are many things that we can improve looking at each player, and I think these are times for reflection and it is important to do that.”
Now, the key word for the Timbers and every team throughout MLS is “adjust.” Within a week, the league went from a suspension of 30 days to 60. How quickly can organizations continue to adjust for a situation that has no known end-date? Portland’s coaching staff prepared plans to train on Monday in small groups, but that no longer is a possibility. What will happen when the league eventually restarts play? That much is still unknown, but, in the real world, these questions don’t even compare to the much bigger ones needing to be answered.
Near the end of the 35-minute conference call, Savarese addressed his own family, many of whom reside in Venezuela and Italy. He touched on relatives that are police officers currently working in the streets of Bologna, Italy. A cousin of his is afraid because of a neighbor that has contracted the virus. Savarese said that he makes sure to keep in daily communication with his family. These are worrying times, which is why he cannot wait for the distraction of soccer to return. The toughest part is waiting it out.
“Our hearts go out to all of those affected by this situation in one way or another,” Savarese said. “Either by sickness, by financial stress, by not being with their families close by. Our hearts go out to all of them.
“These are difficult times, times that go beyond soccer, and right now our minds are more on making sure we go through this difficult time in the best possible way.”