Category: Soccer

With the Cascadia Cup at stake, the Portland Timbers drew with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday. Jonathan Rodríguez was the lone goalscorer for the visitors.

The lineup

Portland’s most noticeable absence was. of course, Evander, who missed the match due to yellow card accumulation.

Dario Župarić started in the centerback position along with Miguel Araujo, while Claudio Bravo was benched. Kamal Miller started on the left, with Juan David Mosquera in the right-back position. In the midfield, David Ayala wasn’t available, and Eryk Williamson was benched so, coach Phil Neville decided to start Cristhian Paredes and Diego Chará. Antony, Rodríguez, and Felipe Mora were the attackers, with the Brazilian going through the right and the Uruguayan on the left.

Maybe the greatest challenge for the Timbers in this game was to see if they could create magical moments and get a good result without their most valuable player.

The expected goals

In the game against Real Salt Lake, the Timbers overperformed and beat their expected goal probability. In this match? Not so much. Even though they had more shots (11 to Vancouver’s nine) and shots on target (four to the Whitecaps’ three), it was Vancouver who had a better probability of scoring (0.51 Timbers to 0.98 for Vancouver).

The Timbers actually were lucky to have drawn a point away from home. Rodríguez’s first goal was disallowed due to offside, and two different Vancouver players barely missed their shots when they hit the post.

Portland had a hard time creating looks without their playmaker Evander. In the absence of the Brazilian, Santiago Moreno assumed some of Evander’s responsibilities, but Moreno is simply not an MLS MVP candidate. However, he was able to do enough to help his side rescue a point.

The goal and the protagonists

Vancouver infringed some damage, with Sebastian Berhalter sending crosses from the Timbers’ left side. That’s how their goal came. It’s never good to see Portland concede first, but the scenario was made worse by the fact that they did so only three minutes into the match. It is as if Portland went back to catch those bad habits they left at the beginning of the season, and they can’t shake them off now. Well, you know what they say: “Old habits die hard.”

Portland hit the snooze button when the referee blew the first whistle of this game and stayed like that for the first 20 minutes, until they finally decided to start playing. Up until then, what they showed was a very poor performance.

After a subpar opening, the dynamic changed. The two balls Moreno put up for Rodríguez were superb. Too bad the Uruguayan was offside in the first goal; a cross from the right all the way to the far post and a one-touch finish would’ve made for a great goal.

The forward didn’t agree with the offside call, but he didn’t have much time to lament because only one minute later, Moreno sent another great pass to him—this time from the middle of the park—and Rodríguez was able to put it past the goalkeeper.

Getting the equalizer before halftime was important. Despite not  being the goal scorer, Araujo also did excellent carrying that ball to the middle of the park, showing his dribbling skills in the process.

However, there was another player who did a lot for this team in the first half: Mosquera. The defender was everywhere, intercepting balls, adding himself to the attack, sending dangerous crosses, creating chances. He ran out of gas in the second half, but the man showed up when needed.

Of course, Paredes also put out a well-rounded performance. During the last couple of months, he has taken a more secondary part in this squad, but the midfielder put on a great shift when he was given the opportunity.

If you look at the graphic below, you can see some of Paredes’ individual game actions. Green triangles are tackles won, recoveries are in blue. Duels are represented with green diamonds.

Paredes was also good in the passing accuracy department, connecting 88.1% of his passes. Only Chará did better with 95%.

Cascadia Cup

In this game, not only was securing a playoff spot was on the line but also the Cascadia Cup. Portland didn’t do themselves a favor by getting a draw against Vancouver, but what are you going to do, right?

The good thing is that if the Seattle Sounders beat Vancouver by at least one goal, Portland will still have their destiny in their own hands when they meet Seattle in the last game of the season.

That Oct. 19 matchup will undoubtedly be a day to remember—and an exciting one. Hopefully, the Timbers will have secured their playoff spot by then. Right now they’re on the verge of dropping out of playoffs altogether if they continue losing points. The good thing is their next two games—against Austin and FC Dallas— are winnable; the bad thing is Portland should’ve also won against Vancouver.

The difference? These next matches are going to be played at home.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The big four?

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

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

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