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 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 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 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 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
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 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.
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
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
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
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.
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?
On Saturday, the Timbers picked up their first loss of the season against the Houston Dynamo.
It was the second game on the road for Portland, after traveling to NYC where a team effort turned the tables around and they picked up the three points. In this match, the Timbers went down first again, but there was no moment of brilliance from any of the players to collect at least a point.
Outperforming Houston
Although the team lost, the stats don’t lie. They don’t tell the whole story, but numbers are important. And what do they say? They say Portland was superior on shots (16 to Houston’s nine), shots on target (four versus the Dynamo’s three), and corners (again, four to the home side’s three).
Possession was not on Portland’s side, but that is less relevant. At the end of the day, it’s not as if the Timbers couldn’t generate opportunities due to a lack of the ball at their feet. Houston even let Portland play inside their box many times, as we can see in the touch maps below.
Touch maps (Opta)
So, what happened? Houston took one of their few chances, and Portland didn’t. That, added to a miscommunication between Juan David Mosquera and goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau, gave the Dynamo the win they needed at home.
The Brazilians
As much as we praised Evander and Antony’s performances against NYC, we have to be honest now.
It’s beginning to look like 2023 again, when Evander was hot in one game and cold in another. That raised many eyebrows among fans, asking themselves if he was worthy of his Designated Player status. After a great performance last week, he had an off night again—as did Antony. Both missed two clear chances that could’ve changed the outcome of this match in the second half.
Leaving those missed chances aside, Evander registered no shots on target, while Antony registered only one. Still, Evander did well in one-on-one situations, with six duels won and four lost, while Antonylost eight and only won one.
In the following video, we can a very nice play constructed by the Timbers. But in the end, Antony decides to cut inside, and the defender reads his intention by a mile and stops him.
Last but not least, Evander did well in winning four fouls, two of them being near the box, which gave Portland dangerous free kicks. Too bad the Brazilian’s aim wasn’t on point that night.
Diego Chará’s match
It is safe to say that Diego Chará usually has solid performances in the MLS, and this time it wasn’t the exception.
In the clip below, we can see the Colombian performing his defensive duties and immediately setting the team to launch an attack. His incisive through passes were always difficult for Houston to read. Too bad the team couldn’t finish the looks Chará helped to orchestrate.
Promising attacks
Despite the loss, the Timbers had their moments of beautiful ball movement, progressing the ball from the initial third to the final third. Houston didn’t have a capable midfield to stop Portland, and the team should’ve taken advantage of that. In the end, a lack of aim and the Timbers’ overall indecision when finishing let the home team come out victorious.
In the clip above, we can see how Santiago Moreno is very close to scoring a golazo. Evander’s key backheel pass is world-class; what a goal it would’ve been if Moreno had bent that ball just some inches more!
Despite the loss, the way the Timbers played can give the fans—and themselves—the assurance that this was just a stumbled stone on the road. And they can bounce back against Philadelphia at home.
Payton Linnehan. Photo courtesy of Penn State athletics.
On Jan. 12, the Portland Thorns’ coaching staff picked five new college players from the 2024 NWSL Draft. As of right now, three of them—Payton Linnehan, Olivia Wade-Katoa, and Kat Asman—have signed with the club for the 2024 season.
So, let’s get to know this year’s picks a little better and see how they can potentially help the team this season to stay competitive and win some silverware.
Payton Linnehan (forward, 11th overall pick)
Portland’s first-round pick certainly has fans excited to see her in action. This is only logical, since she has not only has played with Thorns midfielder Sam Coffey, but she also helped her school win the Big Ten Tournament Championship in 2019 and 2022.
Linnehan’s certainly fun to watch. The winger is very good at dribbling, with the ability to leave more than one opponent behind or get out of difficult situations when she’s double- or triple-marked.
Her work in tight spaces is great, and she can be unpredictable by fooling the opponent with just one touch. She might not be as fast as a forward like Morgan Weaver, but her dribbling abilities compensate for this. Linnehan has shown that she not only feels comfortable going on the right wing but also through the middle.
The already-existing connection with Coffey, as well as her dribbling abilities makes Linnehan a potential Rookie of the Year in this 2024 NWSL season. Portland has always been able to rely on their Penn State players; let’s hope Linnehan continues that trend.
Olivia Wade-Katoa (midfielder, 23rd overall pick)
Ahead of the draft, the Brigham Young University midfielder appeared on the NWSL Prospect Profiles—and rightly so. Wade-Katoa proved to be a game-changer in her time in college over and over again, notably scoring in BYU’s historic comeback against the University of North Carolina Tar Heels in the 2023 NCAA quarter-finals.
As a midfielder, of course, Wade-Katoa’s position on the field is behind the line of attack. But, interestingly, she always holds her runs, and unless there’s a corner, she stays put in the top of the box.
Her duties as a midfielder for BYU weren’t always to distribute the ball; usually, her work was without the ball. She would stay centrally and wait for her opportunity to arise. Wade-Katoa’s opponents recognized how dangerous she was. As soon as she got the ball on her feet, she would be double- or tripled-marked or would be fouled near the box.
The midfielder doesn’t need many touches or many opportunities to make her shots count, and that’s how she helped BYU to reach an NCAA semifinal last year.
Kelsey Kaufusi (defender, 25th overall pick)
Portland’s first ever draftee from Utah State is also the only defender they selected this year. Kaufusi is an interesting pick. Her natural position in college was right center-back, and she has a variety of qualities that make her an interesting prospect now that Emily Menges is gone.
Although Kaufusi,’s aerial presence is notable, as is her passing range, two other qualities stand out the most. That’s her speed and her passing precision.
Kaufusi can sprint almost 22 yards just under three seconds and 44 yards about five seconds. That feature of her game helped Minnesota many times when school’s defensive shape wasn’t the best in counterattacks.
Kaufusi will remind fans of Menges when it comes to speed, with the former Thorns center-back having saved Portland countless times in that manner.
Kaufusi’s long-passing range precision earned her the nickname “Coast to Coast Kaufusi” from Equal Time Soccer’s Matt Privratsky. And the title suits her perfectly. In this regard, fans will see that she can be likened to a player like Kelli Hubly.
Kat Asman (goalkeeper, 39th overall pick)
Out of all the picks, this was an unexpected one. Knowing Portland already had three goalkeepers, everybody thought there was no need for a fourth. But little did we know that starting goalkeeper Bella Bixby had a surprise for the Thorns’ world—a surprise she announced one day after the draft—which made fans understand why head coach Mike Norris selected a goalkeeper for the club.
Bella Bixby announced her pregnancy on social media. Image: Bella Bixby’s Twitter.
Make no mistake: Asman’s a certified wall between the pipes.
The Nittany Lion made herself a name while defending Penn State’s goal. “You’re gonna get absolutely nothing past her,” Penn State said to the Thorns after Asman was picked. “One of the greatest stories of growth and resilience in Penn State history. Portland, congratulations on drafting Katherine Asman, the best goalkeeper in America!”
Being a goalkeeper in the United States—and specifically in the NWSL—is hard because many of them are potential national team material. If there’s a position where there’s a vast number of options for the US, it’s in goal.
What about in Portland? Well, goalkeeper backup Shelby Hogan barely played last season. When she did, she did very well, but those performances still didn’t grant Hogan more significant minutes in the regular. When Norris decided to use her, it was maybe in the most important game of the year: the playoff semifinal. By then, Hogan hadn’t played in seven games, with the Challenge Cup match against OL Reign at the beginning of August being the last one she started in.
Third goalkeeper Lauren Kozal didn’t feature at all in the entire year. She sustained an injury in her knee last July, which made the club search for a temporary replacement.
Without Bixby, the logic points to Hogan getting the starting position this season. But Asman’s rookie status doesn’t entirely rule out her getting some minutes this year, since she will can battle for the backup goalkeeper position against Kozal, whose rookie year was hindered due to that injury.
Can Asman rise to the challenge? She proved her value in her time at Penn State, and her coach, Erica Dambach, has a high opinion of her. “Even as a young keeper, you could see her potential,” she said of Asman. “She’s brave and communicates well.”
Asman is not afraid to wait patiently until she’s game-ready. In college, she decided to redshirt her freshman year, and she saw the field as a redshirt sophomore in just five games. The goalie later said that was one of the best decisions she ever made because it helped her to develop as a person and understand what it really means to play soccer at a Division 1 level for the Nittany Lions and to be part of a family.
According to her coach, it was in Asman’s penultimate season when she realized she could really affect the outcome of a game. Dambach praised Asman’s consistency and steadiness, as well as the big saves she made to help her team win matches.
Asman is no stranger to winning silverware, having won the championship with Penn State in 2022. In the process, she collected individual recognition: she was named Big Ten Soccer All-Tournament and Defensive Player of the Year. Not only did she make history, but helped her team to do so as well.
Now that goalkeeper coach Nadine Angerer is gone from Portland, there’s this fear that the goalkeeper position will not be as good as it used to be. It is comforting to remember that Hogan has spent three years being coached by the German and can therefore pass all that knowledge to Asman. And although Bixby won’t suit up for matches, she is used to coaching young generations and will be sure to pass her knowledge to the younger keepers.
Katie Duong (midfielder, 53rd overall pick)
Given the success of Stanford’s women’s soccer program, it’s kind of impossible not to get excited about the addition of Cardinal Duong to the team.
Duong was a necessary pick. Portland’s midfield is composed mostly of players that have national team duties, and when they’re gone for FIFA windows, the team suffers because of it.
The Stanford graduate is great with quick short passes, which helped her team to get out of pressure and move the ball forward.
Duong is also very good with passing precision, distributing the ball from the midfield to the wingers. She never disengages from the play, which allows her to win rebounds and second balls. She’s not afraid to shoot from outside the box—although her aim could be better.
When it comes to defending, Duong tends to anticipate her rivals to recover the ball. Once she does, she scans the field to see which teammate is available to receive quick pass to start an attack or to make a key pass.
The Portland Timbers hit the road to play NYC FC on Saturday afternoon, and after a great second half, they flipped the score in their favor and got the three points.
The Timbers arrived at this match with one win and one draw on the season, and they showed some positive things on the field that were absent in 2023—with the highlight being a better end product in the final third.
A change in the lineup
Due to Eryk Williamson’s absence, head coach Phil Neville started Evander, who supposedly couldn’t go 90 but finished the game on the field as a hero. The rest of the lineup remained the same as last game’s against D. C. United.
“He probably should’ve played 60 minutes maximum coming back from injury,” Neville said of Evander after the match. “He didn’t want to come off; he could smell the game was there for him. He was enjoying his football, and in this league, you are going to suffer adversity away from home, and it’s how you deal with that.”
Not a very good first half
The game didn’t start in the best way for the Timbers. After a corner that Portland never could clear, the marking in the box was a mess, and the post helped Santiago Rodríguez to open the score for the home team. The early goal against in the 10th minute made them lose all their nonchalance, leading them to make bad decisions when passing the ball.
After that, the defense looked shaky, with Zac McGraw not having the best time. Five minutes later he lost the mark of one of NYC’s wingers. Timbers goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau came up big and stopped what could’ve been the second goal of the night for the Citizens. The left wing was a highway for NYC, and if it weren’t for their lack of aim and Crépeau’s timely interventions, Portland could’ve lost the match in only 45 minutes.
McGraw was beaten by his opponent on at least three occasions and didn’t look solid as usual. Still, he had the most duels won of all Portland’s defenders with eight, was second in passing accuracy with 88.2%, was first in tackles with four, second in clearances with seven, and tied with Eric Miller for two interceptions.
It took the Timbers half an hour to produce a nice build-up. At the beginning of the game, they were hasty and weren’t very assertive with their passes going forward. They chose to make long passes, which more often than not ended with a loss of possession in the midfield, helping New York attack Portland’s box over and over again.
In the following video, we can see the Timbers making 10 passes before deciding to go forward. Then, the progression phase is pretty fast, and they lost possession, but Diego Chará recovered it and made a key pass in the process, giving Antony the chance to shoot. Sadly, his finish was very amateur-like.
Although the home team kept controlling the ball and tempo in the first half, Portland started to show more patience after this good buildup.
(The above play also shows how NYC left some space in the right top of the box that the Timbers could exploit—and would in the second half when they found the equalizer.)
A different game, a different mentality
It was nice to see the players’ work ethic in the second half. Unlike the first half, Portland started to press NYC high and recover the ball on New York’s side of the field, near the box, over and over again. They collected second balls and rebounds, won duels, and therefore didn’t let the home team make counterattacks. Portland stopped them before they could cross the midfield, and in this way, kept the risk of NYC doubling the lead at bay.
It was also nice to see how the Timbers took matters into their own hands in the second half. The home team could barely touch the ball from minute 50 on, and if not for NYC’s disciplined defense, Portland could’ve gotten the equalizer sooner.
The plan worked just fine. On previous occasions, Portland had found some space on the right top of the box. Just watch how open Juan David Mosquera is, and how much time he has to send the ball to the box in the following video:
So, it wasn’t a shock when, after a second half of intense pressing, Evander opened up to the right, where Mosquera was above, and sent a low cross to the penalty spot where Antony was placed. The Brazilian beat the goalkeeper with a high shot, and the Timbers still had some minutes to try to turn the score in their favor.
The ball was clearly on the Timbers’ side, and they took advantage of it.
They didn’t give up, not even in the dying seconds of the game. And although it was indeed Evander’s magical right foot that beat goalkeeper Matt Freese, center back Kamal Miller deserves some recognition; he was the one who played smart and sent the precise aerial pass to Antony in the first place.
Then, the Brazilians worked their magic and produced the winning goal in the last minute of the game. A lot has been said about Portland’s next designated player, and the performance by Evander shows why it’s important for the club to sign one and soon. Those are usually the game-changers and the ones who can help a team to win matches.
“You saw the benefit of having a designated player with high quality and what happens when one person on the team shows quality and courage the rest take confidence from that, and that’s exactly what happened,” Neville said of Evander. “I thought his winning goal was just a reward for a brilliant performance.”
Evander’s distribution map. Source: Opta
What could’ve been a loss on the road ended with three points in the bag for Portland, thanks to this team performance, and ultimately, to the Brazilians on the team. Evander’s stoppage time screamer gave the visitors their second win in three games. And what is more, the Timbers are at the top of the table of the Western Conference.
I think it’s safe to say that it’s time to get excited about this team now.
Editor’s note: This story contains mentions of sexual assault, pedophilia, and physical and verbal abuse.
It is not difficult to find countless stories of abuse in women’s soccer. That is the sad reality that surrounds the sport nowadays. The NWSL had to go through hell some years ago, when The Athletic and The Washington Post opened a can of worms and showed that many prestigious coaches and laureated clubs are not immune to covering abusers and harassment complaints.
Unfortunatley, the NWSL is not alone. Liga MX Femenil’s Necaxa is the most recent club in the spotlight, after Mexico City-based publication Proceso released a report Dec. 7 in which players detailed experiences of sexual assault and abuse from their head coach.
It is a sad reality, but it looks like it’s also part of the sport’s growing pains: It is infuriating to learn what players worldwide have gone and are going through, but it is also a relief to know they have found the courage to speak. That they can now say, “That’s enough. We want change and better work conditions.” They’re not asking for anything extraordinary; they’re just asking for their rights as human beings to be respected.
Since its kickoff in 2017, Liga MX Femenil has been a beacon of hope for women’s soccer in Latin America. Maybe it is due to the macho mentality that so permeates this part of the world, or maybe it is something else, but the truth is that only in recent years have a handful of those countries started to invest in their women’s leagues.
Among them was Mexico, a nation desperate to start gaining some success and compete against their big sisters in CONCACAF: USA and Canada. After seeking to collaborate with the NWSL and the Americans failing to provide an environment where Mexican players could grow and develop, they started their own league and never looked back. (Of course, Mexico also needed a women’s league to be able to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.) Hence, Liga MX Femenil was born.
After six years of existence, the league has grown rapidly and set an example for many countries—not only Latino ones—in terms of organization, broadcasting, partnerships, and attendance. But not everything is as good as it looks.
Throughout the years, different players from different teams have reported cases of abuse and harassment, with the league unable to do something to protect them. Maybe the biggest and most renowned case happened this year when Scarlett Camberos reported being harassed by a “fan.” The situation got out of hand, and neither the club nor the league could do anything to guarantee her safety, which led Camberos to move to U.S. to continue with her career as a soccer player with the Californian club Angel City FC.
Many of Liga MX Femenil’s players continue to receive threats and abuse, but not all of them have offers from other countries to continue their careers. This leaves them with no other option but to stay put if they want to continue pursuing their dreams.
Another very noticeable problem is that despite the significant number of clubs the league has—18—most of those organizations don’t care much about their women’s teams. Some of them are just content with just existing. That’s the case of Mazatlán and Necaxa, who season after season, are the punching bags of the league.
Necaxa, unlike Mazatlán, has competed in Liga MX Femenil since its inception in 2016 but has never finished among the top teams—not even in the top 10. Last season, they lost 13 matches out of 17, putting up only two wins and two draws. What is more, they finished with 44 goals against and scored only 10.
Sadly, the Centellas’ problems run deeper than we thought. It’s not an investment problem anymore. Nor is it a lack of interest from the board. Their poor results are not just soccer-related; they come from the players being completely abandoned by those who were supposed to protect them as employees of the institution. That’s what the Mexican newspaper, Proceso, published some days ago.
A new coach, a new hope?
By the end of the Apertura 2022, Necaxa finished last in the table with only one win, five draws, and 11 losses. Added to that, they conceded 35 goals against and scored only 11. After that season, the club decided to terminate coach Gerardo Castillo’s contract and hire Jorge Gómez instead. Gómez arrived in Necaxa after leading Puebla’s women’s side and after being part of the U-17 and U-20 Mexican women’s national teams’ technical staff.
Coach Jorge Gómez. Photo via Club Necaxa.
It is sad to say that many Centellas felt hopeful when Gómez was announced as the new head coach. He had done positive things on the field with Puebla, and also he had a promising first month in Necaxa. But then things started to go south.
Gómez didn’t arrive in Aguascalientes with just his soccer experience; he was also accompanied by with dark rumors of him promising players starts in exchange for sexual favors in the past. A former Necaxa goalkeeper Dayri Hernández and former technical staff member Rosa Romero Hernández, as well as three anonymous former players and one current player, decided to speak up to stop this terrible situation.
In their testimonies with Proceso, all of them said Gómez made a habit of inviting players to his apartment or to go out to parties to drink. He would also give them compliments, all of that just to have sex with them. Those who would refuse started to get less and less playing time, and, as retaliation, were waived at the end of the season. Those who accepted Gómez’s invitations got more and more minutes and were part of the starting XIs.
All the players who had the courage to speak agreed that a group of four to six players were the ones who would always accept Gómez’s invitations. Those players would come and go from training with him in their cars because the coach would never arrive to training in his. These players and Gómez treated each other with a lack of respect in front of others. They would call each other “güey” and the players would call him “little whore” because it was known he was always looking to have sex with other players.
But Gómez wouldn’t invite just those from the senior team to his apartment or to go out to parties. According to one player, he also invited minors from the Necaxa U-18 squad, and two players ended up accepting his invitations and having sex with him. That wasn’t the first time Gómez was involved with a minor. One of the players told Proceso that one day, he invited her to his office and asked her what her expectations were for the season. Gómez proceeded to tell her that he dated a minor who was half his age when he was part of the technical staff of the Mexican women’s team, the player said.
Verbal abuse
“I was an eyewitness of how he verbally abused my teammates. If any of them wasn’t on the desired weight, he would call them ‘fat’. If we would make a mistake in a game, he would call us ‘mediocre’. He also called ‘dwarf’ to one of my teammates who is a little short and told her soccer is not for short people and that she would never accomplish anything,” one of the Necaxa players told Proceso.
The abuse was not limited to Gómez’s players. but also to others from other teams. “When we played against players who were no longer part of the club because they didn’t want to sleep with him or that did it but then didn’t want to do it anymore, Jorge [Gómez] asked us to hurt them,” the player said. “I didn’t do it but the six players that always surround him did it. They kicked them even though they didn’t have the ball.”
Former Necaxa former goalkeeper Dayri Hernández (right) and former midfielder Alejandra Guerrero (left). Photo Credit: Tar.mx
Gender discrimination
Rosa Romero Hernández arrived at Club Necaxa at the same time Gómez did, but while she went to work with the women, he went to work with the men’s young teams. She was warned about his unprofessional behavior with the players when he was named the women’s team head coach. And after that, she saw that everything the players told to Proceso was true.
But not only that. “He didn’t see me as his assistant because I am a woman,” she said. “When I asked him why he didn’t use me as an assistant, he sent me to pick up the training equipment. He also said that he was going to rotate me with the other assistants, but while he called Miguel Orozco and Miguel Ramírez to help him, he never called me.” She added: “Once he grabbed my shoulder and told me: ‘My Rox, don’t get mad for what I’m gonna say, but a woman can’t occupy an important position because she will only do stupid things’.”
When institutions fail
Even though many Centellas showed the messages Gómez sent them through WhatsApp or Instagram to team general manager Alberto Clark, his response was: “My boy is such a flirt.”
“Three weeks ago, we spoke with the legal responsible for the club [Anna Peniche], and we sent her many more screen captures, but nothing has been done. This is a very uncomfortable situation and more so because he continues to be the head coach,” said one of the players.
“We have shown photos, voice messages, videos, screen captures, and even some parents are aware of the situation now,” another player added, “but those with the power to do something haven’t done anything.”
All the players who spoke with Proceso have also said Clark is Gómez’s friend, so they’re not surprised he hasn’t done anything. Even though Gómez arrived at Necaxa to the institution to occupy the position of head coach, he was later named sports director of the women’s teams, which left the players even more unprotected when they tried to report the cases of abuse.
Gómez’s new position only emboldened him to keep trying to use his power to abuse more women. “One of the players told me her girlfriend was nearly abused by Jorge [Gómez]. […] When both got home, she told her how Jorge [Gómez] touched her and tried to take her to his room to make something else happen. She didn’t want to say anything because she didn’t want to ruin her career,” one player told Proceso. “I also found out he tried to abuse — [name omitted to protect the victim]. The next day, he sent her a message telling her he was sorry, that that wasn’t like that. Both were at a party, Jorge [Gómez] was already drunk, so he took her to his room and started to pull down his pants. She said ‘no’, pushed him, and left. The next day he said he was drunk and asked for forgiveness.”
What the league and the club should’ve done already
This year, Liga MX Femenil implemented a protocol against -bullying and harassment, which was supposed to help in cases like this. According to the model, once a person notifies the institution about a situation of bullying or harassment, the club has three days to interview the presumed victims. During that time the club should offer support, and once the interviews are done, they have to evaluate the situation. If they determine the presumed victims are in peril, the club must protect them. Three days after that, the presumed aggressor is notified of the complaints against them, and after that, the team has 30 days to get all the information they need to take necessary steps and make a final decision about how to address the harm.
Despite the clear guidance the protocol provides, players say Necaxa did nothing for three weeks. Only after Proceso published the anonymous interviews on Dec. 7 did the club post a statement on their social media channels, where they said they were open to listen to any player and that they never received any complaints against Gómez.
The club said that despite not receiving any formal complaints, they had activated the protocol. Whether that is true or not, Gómez is still with the club. On Dec. 9, the Centellas had an off-season game against Santos Laguna, and you can see him in the dugout of the photos the club uploaded to social media.
And if players and fans were waiting for the league to do something, they have failed them once again. Five days later, they haven’t even published a statement on the matter.
After seeing all these, no wonder the players who spoke with Proceso said he feels “untouchable.”
This is not the first time Necaxa has had this kind of problem. Back in Apertura 2017, the club’s personal trainer was sexually harassing players. They spoke up, and he was fired, but the Necaxa never alerted other teams about what he did.
Although neither Clark nor Gómez wanted to talk with Proceso when the publication reached out, the latter denied all the complaints against him in his social media channels—three weeks after Romero’s posts—and said he was following legal counsel’s advice as to how to proceed in this situation.
It is sad to see that this terrible situation didn’t have the impact desired in the women’s soccer world. Necaxa is a little club from a Latino country, but the players deserve better. Those women shouldn’t have had to go through a situation like this alone, just like Sinead Farrelly and Mana Shim shouldn’t have had to back in their time. And just like NWSL got to the bottom of the problem and U.S. Soccer removed coaching licenses when needed, we can only hope the FMF does something similar with abusive coaches once the league finishes the investigations.
However, in this case, criminal action might be needed if the investigations against Gómez prove that he indeed is guilty of pedophilic behavior.
Now, the Centellas have no other choice but to wait and hope for the best, as they always do season after season. Let’s hope this time they don’t get disappointed.
Photo via IMAGO 7.
The complete interviews can be read in Spanish here.
VINA DEL MAR, CHILE – NOV03: El equipo de Mexico obtiene medalla de oro en futbol femenino de los XIX juegos Panamericanos Santiago 2023 realizado en el estadio Elias Figueroa Brander el 03 de Noviembre 2023 en Valparaiso, Chile./ Mexico team wins the gold medal in football match of the 2023 XIX Pan American Games at the Elias Figueroa Brander Stadium on November 03, 2023 in Valparaiso, Chile.
(Foto de Raul Zamora/Santiago 2023 via Photosport)
Four nations battled on Friday for three medals. On one of the corners was Mexico and the USWNT U-19 and in the other, Chile and Argentina. At the end of each 90 minutes, the North Americans were the victors.
USWNT U-19 vs Argentina
This was the second time these teams played each other in the tournament, with the U.S. beating the South Americans 4-0 in the group phase.
Photo: US Soccer
In this game, the Argentinians showed a better defensive game, but when it was time for them to thread an attack, they usually fell short. Despite the organization Argentina showed defensively, the U.S. broke them down after 30 minutes. A long ball that couldn’t be controlled by the Argentines granted possession to the U.S., and Amalia Villarreal ended up beating goalkeeper Vanina Correa.
After that and only seven minutes later, the U-19s doubled the lead when captain Claire Hutton shot from downtown and scored a screamer. Props to Gisele Thompson for creating some space for Hutton after dragging defenders after her.
The second half wasn’t pretty for any team, with them not being able to complete their passes and losing balls easily. Argentina was in a hurry to score at least one goal, and that hastiness didn’t do them any favors.
As a result, the score didn’t change, and the USWNT U-19 secured the bronze medal. There’s no doubt that U.S. Soccer has good material to work with. The youngest squad in the tournament lost only one game and looked solid against senior national teams.
Chile vs México
In the middle of much off-the-field controversy, Chile hosted El Tri Femenil in the game for the gold medal.
Due to poor management from the ANFP, neither star goalkeeper ‘Tiane’ Endler nor second goalkeeper Antonia Canales were available to play in the big final. That meant Chile had to put a field player on goal and hope for the best.
It was good to see that despite the shortage in the roster, the home team showed a lot of grit on the field; the sole goal of Rebeca Bernal for Mexico made the difference in the score. The designated Chilean goalkeeper for this game, María José Urrutia, did well.
Photo: Raul Zamora/Santiago 2023 via Photosport
Of course, she had some nervy moments at the beginning, but after hearing the fans cheering every time she touched the ball and with the support of her teammates, Urrutia grew in confidence and made some good saves during the 90 minutes of the game.
It was an uncomfortable match for both teams, and although Mexico had some advantage over the Chileans, it couldn’t be reflected in the score. If it hadn’t been for the brilliance of Bernal, who knows what would’ve happened in the end.
Photo: Martin Thomas/Santiago 2023 via Photosport
After the goal, Mexico created more opportunities. but despite their eight shots on goal, Urrutia did well stopping some shots with her feet. On the other hand, Esthefanny Barreras didn’t have much work to do, since Chile only had two shots and only one of them was on goal.
As a result, at the end of the 90 minutes, Mexico won the gold medal—their first.
After a round-robin stage, the semifinalists of the XIX Pan American Games Santiago 2023 are set.
Group A
After being absent from a Pan American stage since 2007, US Soccer decided it was time to participate again. Instead of a senior team, they put together a U-19 squad.
The test for the youngsters went more than well, with the team finishing at the top of the Group’s A table. They dominated their group through and through, accumulating 13 goals in favor and only one against. They started strong, beating Bolivia 6-0, continuing their quest against Costa Rica 3-1, and finishing with a 4-0 victory over Argentina. Ava McDonald and Amalia Villarreal are the top goal scorers of the USWNT U-19 with three each, while Emeri Adames has scored two goals so far in the competition.
Besides the North Americans, Argentina will be advancing out of Group A and into the semifinals. The South Americans qualified after Costa Rica couldn’t win against Bolivia. The Ticas had the chance to leapfrog Argentina in the table if they had won in their last game of the group, but despite their chances, they couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. So the South Americans went through after having accumulated a draw, a win and a loss. Interestingly enough, all their three goals in the group stage came from defenders.
Costa Rica and Bolivia finished third and fourth in the group with no wins. The Ticas are starting a new cycle under a new head coach, Beni Rubido, and went to this competition without key players such as Rocky Rodríguez and Priscilla Chinchilla. Bolivia was invited after Venezuela decided not to participate. They finished their group phase with two losses and a draw.
Group B
Photo: Martin Thomas/Santiago 2023 via Photosport
The second group was more competitive than Group A, having the host Chile in it, along with a national team that has gone all-in for this tournament in Mexico. Paraguay was a fierce contender as well.
El Tri Femenil dominated this group scoring 14 goals and only conceding two against. Head coach Pedro López played the best XI he had available for each game, and it paid off. Their most significant win was against the host nation in a tough game they started losing but reverted the score after 90 minutes. Houston Dash’s María Sánchez and Diana Ordóñez are among the top goalscorers of the competition, with Sánchez leading this category with four goals.
Chile is the other semifinalist in this group. They qualified after registering two wins and one loss. They opened by winning against Paraguay by a narrow margin, then lost against Mexico and before they finished strong, hammering Jamaica 6-0 to secure their ticket to the semis. Goalkeeper Tiane Endler hasn’t been the brightest in this tournament by her standards, but she has the opportunity to show why she’s an international superstar in their next game against the USWNT U-19 today.
Paraguay did well in this Pan American Games, but their frustration got the better of them. They have talent to work with, but they fell short of qualifying for the semifinals. Forward Jessica Martínez finished the group phase among the top goalscorers with three goals, and she had the golden opportunity against Chile to equalize the game in the final minutes of the game. That chance might have made a difference in the group spots.
Jamaica’s participation in this competition is one to forget. Due to the problems with their federation, the JFF sent a very inexperienced team that did what they could but finished with 23 goals against and none in favor.
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