The start of Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers era could not have started with worse pregame news. The new head coach was still without his two unannounced designated players. Maxime Crépeau, Claudio Bravo, Felipe Mora, and Evander were also unavailable to play.
Despite the absences, Neville had the guys ready to go. And go they did, scoring three times in the first 30 minutes of the game to come away with a 4-1 win.
“I’ve got to say, it felt like a Champions League type feeling,” Neville said. “You know, there’s a buzzing in the air. There’s an anticipation.”
The players have commended Neville’s training structure, as well as his emphasis on team-building and fostering strong relationships with everyone in the organization.
These bonds and trust in one another led the Portland Timbers to a Saturday night rout over the Colorado Rapids.
Lineups
Despite the aforementioned player absences, the Timbers were still able to put together a strong XI—especially in midfield. Cristhian Paredes sat next to Diego Chara in more defensive roles, while Eryk Williamson played underneath Dairon Asprilla, with Williamson having the flexibility to roam back deeper into midfield.
Williamson, who has gone through significant setbacks in the past two years, has never wavered one bit. With Evander out, he stepped up and played as the team’s No. 10. In the 10th minute, all of the blood, sweat, and tears would be worth it.
Antony, who Neville heralded as the team’s best player all preseason, wasted absolutely no time after Williamson went on the board and tallied a first half brace. In 2023, Antony had made nine appearances and recorded one goal. He bested last year’s scoring mark in his first half of football in 2024.
To make matters even worse for the visitors, they surrendered an own goal to make it 4-0 for the home side going into halftime.
The Rapids would made the proceedings a bit precarious for Portland in the second half, but the game was already out of hand by then.
Neville’s first memory as Timbers head coach would be of sweet victory.
“I’ve had a lot of messages over the last 24 hours, and I’ve been really calm,” he said. “I’ve been really calm because what I’ve seen and how I’ve been accepted here, it’s been so good. It feels like home.”
The Zen garden
Williamson took to gardening in 2023 to stay mentally strong while rehabbing from an ACL injury.
“I stayed really big on vegetables and gardening,” he said. “Little things like that kept you grounded. You didn’t realize how long you were away from the game.”
After working his tail off nonstop for the past few years, Williamson scored his first goal since 2021 only nine minutes into the 2024 regular season. There isn’t a player who deserved that moment more than him.
“Eryk had trained in the No. 10 position earlier in the week when Evander had a day recovery” said Neville. “So it was pretty straightforward.
“Eryk Williamson—from day one of preseason, he’s worked every day of the offseason. In his own mind, he’s probably got a lot of time to make up because of the amount of time that he’s missed. And to score the goal early in the game gave him a massive boost.”
In the absence of Evander, Williamson took on the No. 10 role and shined. He has made it clear his goal is to make it back on the USMNT, and if he keeps racking up performances like this, another call-up is coming.
After everything he’s been through, he continues to persevere and find joy in the game again.
A star has arrived
All preseason, the Timbers coaches, especially Neville, were talking up Antony as the best performer. Their faith in him was rewarded immediately.
“I’m excited that he got to start tonight, and he got to produce some really fantastic moments” said Neville. “You know, funny enough, I thought some of his best moments were defensively as well, in terms of the work that he put in.”
After staying in Portland all offseason, the winger is looking to build upon a huge 2024 campaign. Now he is playing for so much more, his newborn son and family.
“It was a very happy night for me,” Antony said. “Most of you all know that my son was actually born recently, so I think it was a perfect way to show him how good it is to play football, especially after scoring two goals.”
Portland by the numbers
xG: Portland Timbers: 0.45, Colorado Rapids: 1.51
Shots: Portland Timbers: 7, Colorado Rapids: 13
Goal contributions: Eryk Williamson (1 goal, 1 assist), Antony (2 goals)
Shots: Antony (3)
Ball possession phases: Juan David Mosquera (55)
Passes: Kamal Miller (42)
Crosses: Antony (4)
Clearances: Zac McGraw (9)
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