Category: Soccer

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 0, Real Salt Lake 0

Photo: Kris Lattimore
Photo: Kris Lattimore

A midweek game with few quality chances gave the Portland Timbers a point on the road, earning a scoreless draw against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday.

After an hour and a half-long weather delay the game finally started. Head coach Giovanni Savarese put on the the same starting XI that he used last Saturday in the game against Vancouver, with the goal of getting three points on the road.

Strong defense

We’re not gonna lie: the Timbers didn’t create as much as they should’ve in the final third in this match. Maybe it was due to the weather delay, or maybe because this is the second game they played in four days.

Whatever the cause, the home team was the one that dominated the match, but Portland defended well. They worked as a unit, blocking a total of six shots out of the 17 Real Salt Lake produced.

All RSL blocked shots. Source: Opta
All of RSL’s blocked shots. Source: Opta

After the game, Savarese praised the work done by his defense, especially his fullbacks Juan David Mosquera and Claudio Bravo. “I think Mosquera and Bravo had a great game,” he said. “They gave us a lot of balance with two very difficult players that are very fast.”

RSL “had a fast team at the beginning,” Savarese said, “with [Anderson] Julio, [Maikel] Chang, and [AndrĂ©s] GĂłmez, with [Jefferson] Savarino inside—players that are very fast. We managed those moments that they tried to find in transition very, very well.”

Speaking of Mosquera, he was the player with the biggest percentage of passing accuracy on both sides of the field, with 90% overall and 85% in the opponent’s half. That means he only missed three passes out of a total 30.

Juan David Mosquera's passes. Source: Opta.
Juan David Mosquera’s passes. Source: Opta.

Bravo was really good in this game, too. He was second in duels won with eight,  created the most chances with two, made the most tackles with six, and was third in clearances with four.

Besides the fullbacks, the team could count on defender Zac McGraw, who was available again after missing a game due to yellow card accumulation. He was good as always, except maybe for his new look.

What Gio thinks of Zac McGraw blond hair. Source: Timbers FC
What Gio thinks of Zac McGraw’s blond hair. Source: Timbers FC
Jazzy with the big saves, again

Aljaz Ivačič finished the match with four saves and one catch. Maybe it was not the most saves he has made in a game, but those were crucial to collect his first clean sheet of the season and help Portland get a point on the road.

 

“Finally, no? Who would have said in Salt Lake?” said the goalkeeper when asked about his first clean sheet of the year. “I’m very happy about that, but as I said: we need to be more hungry. We could’ve won this game, so we need to work now and look forward to the next one.”

Ivačič might be right about the team not being hungry enough because the Timbers produced some worthy looks, although not many.

Not many quality chances 

Portland looked a little out of ideas in the attack, maybe because they were burned out after playing on Saturday. 

After two standout performances, Evander didn’t impact this game much. He didn’t create a single chance and was unsuccessful with all seven of the crosses he attempted. Nonetheless, he was the player who attempted the most shots with four, three of them on target.

Out of all the Timbers, it was Franck Boli who had the most promising chance of the entire match—an xG of 21.05% in minute 57’. Too bad RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath made a great save, denying him what might’ve been the winning goal.

Other than Boli’s chance, the Timbers didn’t create much. Evander had a free kick on frame, but it was an easy catch for MacMath. And it was a true shame that Dairon Asprilla’s shot in the 75th minute hit the post; it was a nice low shot.

The Timbers finished this match with an xG of 0.45, while Salt Lake’s was 1.01. Given the better and more chances the home team had, we have to be grateful that they couldn’t put the ball in the back either.

What the coach said

As always, coach Savarese spoke to the media and shared his thoughts after the match.

“We created some very good moments that, if we maybe would’ve managed a little bit better, we could’ve gotten out from here with three points,” he said. “The point is a good point. It is always difficult to play at Salt Lake. And as I said to the guys, I thought we did a lot of good things in the way we managed the game and move the ball. With the possession probably at the beginning, we were strong in the first few minutes and then we started to play very, very well.”

Last but not least, we gotta give a special mention to Christhian Paredes. The midfielder put on a great performance, contributing everywhere.

He was first in duels won with 12, first in tackles with six, was tied with Bravo for second in recoveries with seven, made three clearances and one interception, and created one chance.

Here is an example of one of those seven recoveries he made. He was brilliant!

 

The Timbers will be back in Providence Park on Saturday, May 20th, when they play Minnesota. The kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT.

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 3, Vancouver Whitecaps 1

Photo Credit: Kris Lattimore

After losing to the Whitecaps 0-1 in Vancouver in April, the Portland Timbers had revenge on their mind when they hosted one of their Cascadia rivals Saturday.

In the previous matchup, the Timbers were outmatched, overwhelmed, and shorthanded. But this time, Portland got their sweet revenge, with a 3-1 win in their most complete performance of the year.

Timbers head coach Gio Savarese was very pleased with his team’s performance.

“Very important win for many, many reasons,” said Savarese. “Three points. Cascadia Cup. Home game. Then we performed very well.”

Still, he said, “I think we can still progress, we can still get better. There’s areas that we have to continue to work, but I think the first 20 minutes and the entire second half, I thought we were very, very good.”

In the second minute, Franck Boli broke out of his scoring drought to put Portland on the board first.

The Timbers continued to create chances after the opening goal, with combination play between Juan David Mosquera, Santi Moreno, and Evander putting another one away in the 18th minute.

This was some of their finest work all year.

This team has been clicking offensively for weeks, and it showed off big time. Portland outshot and had more shots on target than Vancouver, putting up 13 and seven to the Whitecaps’ seven and four, respectively.

Unfortunately in the 24th minute, Zac McGraw went for a clearance that turned into an own goal.

In the 54th minute, Evander put on a insane move to freeze his defender and then ripped a shot for Portland’s third goal for the final score.

This was his best game as a Timber, and he has let the entire MLS know, too.

The Evander Show
Photo Credit: Kris Lattimore

After early struggles with form and injury, Evander has played his best ball the past few weeks. He is playing with tons of confidence, his decision making is so much quicker, and his passing has been very crisp. This is the exact player general manager Ned Grabavoy and  Savarese wanted to sign.

Evander is one of the most in form players in MLS right now, and the Timbers are steadily climbing the table thanks to his contributions.

The Portland Timbers are playing their best football of the season, which happens to coincide with his best run of play.

Is that a coincidence? Absolutely not.

“I was going for the hat trick,” said Evander. “Of course, not doing crazy things, but I wanted one more opportunity for a goal. I knew that nobody [on the Timbers] has scored a hat trick in an MLS competition, and I wanted to be the first, but I’ll have to wait till the next opportunity.

Still, he was pleased with his team’s performance. “I think this shows us how good we are” he said, “how good we are when we play together and as a team… When we play together, when we are compact and play soccer and enjoy the game, things become much easier. The win today gives us more confidence for the rest of the season.”

All You Gotta Do is BOLIeve
Photo Credit: Kris Lattimore

Boli scored his first goal for Portland in his Timbers debut. Since then, he has been hungry for his second.

His work rate and comfort level has been steadily climbing in the past couple weeks.

“I am a striker. I create goals. Last game I wanted to score so bad, I missed some goals and got angry,” said Boli. “But you’ve got to try again.

“I’m very happy to score today and also that the team won,” he said. “That’s even more important than my goal. As a striker, you want to score every time and I’m happy about that.”

Boli has continued to be get more comfortable with the team and league.

“He’s getting to understand the league,” said Savarese. “He’s getting to feel more chemistry, and he’s getting fitter as well.

“You saw his movements today,” Savarese said. “Now he knows how to move around the defenders because they’re physical here in MLS. He needs to understand how to find good areas in order to make sure to be in good places to get the ball. He created some very good moments, attacking-wise.”

Fun stats
  • xG: Portland 1.15, Vancouver 0.59
  • Evander led the team in shots, shots on goal, and goals.
  • Santiago Moreno paced the team in chances created, successful dribbles, and completed passes in the final third.
  • Juan David Mosquera had the most touches, crosses attempted, completed passes on the team.
  • Dario Zuparic was stout in defense with 10 recoveries and seven aerial duels won.
  • Diego CharĂĄ made his 350th MLS appearance.

 

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Soccer Timbers

U.S. Open Cup Takeaways: Timbers 3, RSL 4

Credit: Kris Lattimore

The Portland Timbers hosted Real Salt Lake in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, with a spot in the final 16 up for grabs.

This game had end to end action, limited amounts of defending, and a bunch of fireworks.

In total, seven goals were scored, with RSL coming out on top 4-3 at Providence Park and eliminating Portland from the next round of the tournament.

Timbers head coach Gio Savarese was very honest with his post match thoughts. “We allowed them to score four goals at home,” he said, “which is not good. And the way we sometimes allow those moments to happen, we need to have a little bit more maturity.

But, he said, “It’s good for some of the players that don’t have that many minutes to be able to come and play. That makes them better, that makes them stronger, that makes them more available to be able to compete and ready to play. ”

Noel Caliskan – T2 Promotion to T1
Photo Credit: Kris Lattimore

Noel Caliskan was selected 15th overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft out of Loyola Marymount University.

He signed his first professional contract with Timbers 2 ahead of the 2023 season. In four appearances with T2, he has scored three goals.

After a strong performance in Portland’s 3-1 win over Orange County in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup, the Timbers rewarded Caliskan with a promotion to the senior team.

On April 28, the club announced that he signed a contract for the 2023 season with options in 2024 and 2025.

Caliskan moved from Germany to the United States to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional footballer.

“It’s obviously an honor,” Caliskan said. “I came to the US with a dream to pursue my career, be a pro and to finally make it and play with the like of [SebastiĂĄn Blanco], Eric [Miller], Diego [CharĂĄ], big names and MLS legends. It’s an honor to share the locker room with them and to share the field with every day.”

On Wednesday, he was one the bright spots in the team’s home loss. Caliskan recorded two assists and showed off his talent.

Gio Savarese gave Caliskan positive remarks for his performance.

“He was one of the mature guys on the field,” Savarese said. “He did really well. He managed things excellent and endured the match very well. With the ball he gave us what we needed.

“We saw how he pressed on top to create a moment for [Blanco] to score,” he said, “and how great of a moment it is for Seba to score, too.”

With the team shorthanded in midfield, Caliskan has a chance to make a difference for the Portland Timbers this season.

Sebastian Blanco scores his first goal since injury comeback
Photo Credit: Kris Lattimore

Seba made his second start since his return from injury and gave the Timbers the early lead with his goal.

Just having him back is a boost to the team. He continues to get better with each appearance. A healthy Blanco will be crucial to Portland’s playoff chances.

Defense?
Photo Credit: Kris Lattimore

“Losing this game at home, allowing four goals after we scored three is no good,” said Savarese. “We talked about it in the locker room and the guys take the responsibility and now we continue to work.” 

The backline of Pablo Bonilla, Larrys Mabiala, Tyler Clegg, and Justin Rasmussen had many positives from the game, but there were many moments they would like back.

Scoring three goals and not winning at home is a tough pill to swallow.

The Timbers can put together a good starting backline in Juan David Mosquera, Dario Zuparic, Zac McGraw, and Claudio Bravo. Beyond that, as Wednesday showed, it is a concern if any of them are unavailable for any reason.

The defense, especially the backline, will decide how this season goes.

Key Stats
  • Portland had the advantage over RSL for xG: 2.02 to 1.62
  • Marvin LorĂ­a led the team with 5 chances created, crosses attempted, and completed passes in final third.
  • Victor Griffith paced the Timbers with three shots
  • Noel Caliskan led Portland in assists and completed passes in the final third.
  • Tyler Clegg won the most tackles for the team
  • Larrys Mabiala had the most completed passes and recoveries
  • The Timbers statically dominated almost every category offensively against Real Salt Lake
Categories
Soccer Thorns

Takeaways: Courage 3, Thorns 3

Photo by Kris Lattimore.

Last Saturday, the Portland Thorns earned their second consecutive 3-3 draw, fighting back from going down a goal three separate times against the North Carolina Courage.

“I think to find ourselves down three times, it’s probably hard for to wrap me head around,” Thorns head coach Mike Norris said after the game, “but group kept pushing”—showing a resilience and rebound that Norris said he was “really proud of.”

So, let’s break all that down.

In defense of Emily Menges

Portland was unlucky to go down in the first minute, after a North Carolina cross deflected weirdly off of Thorns defender Emily Menges. It’s the third time the Thorns have conceded off an unfortunate deflection this year—the first being a Meaghan Nally own-goal against the San Diego Wave—and I’m not really sure what to make of that happening twice in the first month and a half of 2023 play. Are the new white kits cursed? Possibly.

North Carolina’s other two goals came in the forms of a brilliant individual effort from Kerolin and Courage rookie Olivia Wingate nutmegging Menges and getting off a cross to meet Victoria Pickett’s near-post run.

“I don’t want to be a team that’s conceded three goals,” Norris said, “but I didn’t think it was a poor defensive performance. I thought it was anything but that, to be honest.”

I don’t think Norris is outright wrong—it wasn’t an awful defensive performance—but the Thorns definitely could’ve been better on North Carolina’s third goal.

In that play, the Courage are working the ball up Portland’s left flank. As we’ve alluded to above, Kerolin sends a ball ahead to Wingate, who drives endline and ‘megs Menges. Klingenberg has been drawn out to mark Kerolin, so it’s center-back Kelli Hubly who has to step to Wingate, leaving Pickett in space.

As we see above, Hubly stepping leaves Natalia Kuikka marking two Courage players (Pickett near post and Tyler Lussi far post). Dunn and Sam Coffey have been standing at the top of the box and are just beginning their runs to cover—but it’s too late.

Of the goals, this one feels the most like a situation that could’ve been avoided with a little more communication and anticipation. Even if Menges doesn’t get beat here, the Thorns are defending three-on-three, which is a situation they’d want to avoid.

(In Menges’ defense, she also wasn’t the only Thorn to get beat on a North Carolina goal; Coffey dove in too early against Kerolin on the Courage’s second goal, getting beat and leaving Kerolin with far too much space in the center of the field.)

Still, I don’t think that’s a cause for concern, yet. Even though individual players got beat on North Carolina’s second and third goals, Portland’s other defenders weren’t able to effectively drop back and cover—an issue that will hopefully resolve itself as the team gets more used to playing together. Or as Crystal Dunn put it postgame, “We’re still early enough in the season where we know that it’s just these growing pains that we’re going to go through.”

Portland can still hurt you in so many ways

Outside of capitalizing on their chances, North Carolina, for their part, put together a pretty solid performance against the Thorns—especially in their work limiting Portland’s space in midfield. The Thorns, for their part, were forced to play wide or find quick passes through the center of the park, the latter of which they struggled to do consistently.

“We’re a team that’s at our best when we’re fluid,” Dunn said, “when we’re able to break teams down and not be stagnant.” Portland’s second goal was a prime example of that, she said.

In the buildup to the goal, we can see the Courage’s pressure—and the Thorns successfully playing out of that through quick passes. After Sophia Smith’s flick on to Meghan Klingenberg’s overlapping run, Dunn just has to push toward goal from where she’s sitting at the top of North Carolina’s box to get on the end of the cross.

Portland’s other two goals—the first from Dunn and the third from Olivia Moultrie—show another area where the Thorns found success: in their late runs out of midfield.

While we’re here, let’s take a moment to appreciate Moultrie’s game-tying goal—the cherry on top of her impressive performance off the bench.

It’s still incredibly silly that, as a 17-year-old, she isn’t eligible for a player of the week nomination after that.

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, Austin FC 2

"I’m happy because we looked like a team the last two games." Credit photo: Kris Lattimore
"I’m happy because we looked like a team the last two games." Credit photo: Kris Lattimore

The Timbers got a draw at home on Saturday night.

After winning on the road against St. Louis, it looked like Portland would be more than capable of getting another three points at home, but Austin came up from behind twice and got the equalizer in stoppage time.

The one that got away? Let’s analyze the game and see.

Some changes in the lineup

Timbers head coach Gio Savarese had to make changes in the starting XI after the game against St. Louis. David Ayala was among the absentees (ICYMI, Ayala’s season is over after tearing his ACL. The Rose City Review wishes him the best in his recovery process.)

Center-back Zac McGraw also missed the game due to an accumulation of yellow cards, and defender Eric Miller was out due to health and safety protocols.

Given these absences, Larrys Mabiala, Claudio Bravo, and Christian Paredes were on the field from the start. This match had two defenders scoring and Evander having another great game and distributing the ball from the midfield.

Timbers missing chances

It is safe to say that Franck Boli was the hero over a month ago, when he scored the equalizing goal against Dallas FC in the dying minutes of that game.

Boli got the start in this match, but despite a number of the clear chances, he couldn’t put any in the back of the net.

Nonetheless, despite Boli’s misses, the most clear chance of the first half happened in the ninth minute. This chance, which Juan David Mosquera missed, had the highest xG of all of Portland’s shots—12.54%, according to Opta. Props to him for pressing high to recover the ball in the first place and then stay engaged in the play, nonetheless.

In the absence of McGraw

McGraw has cemented his spot in the Timbers’ starting XI, and his absence was felt. And although it is true that Mabiala was the one marking Will Bruin and ergo, let him head that ball to tie the game in stoppage time, there wasn’t much more Mabiala could’ve done.

If we look at the video below, the problem is actually before the cross. Diego CharĂĄ lets Ethan Finlay turn, and Finlay passes the ball to Owen Wolff, who ended up serving that ball to the far post. These kinds of dangerous crosses have a high probability of putting a team in trouble when they defend in a high zone like the Timbers did in the last minutes of the match.

“It was too many crosses in the last 15-20 minutes,” Timbers center-back Dario Ćœuparić said. “It’s not easy to play one-v-one inside the box. The guy who scored [Bruin], he’s really good with his head, and he always scores goals like that. It wasn’t easy to mark him.

“First, we need to prevent that cross,” Ćœuparić said, “and then I think Larrys [Mabiala] stayed with him. It was a perfect ball and he scored the goal. If I was in Larrys’ position, I think I would stay the same as he stayed. For me, he marked [Bruin] good.”

Still, Mabiala’s stats for this game are pretty good. He was first in duels and aerial duels won, as well as in clearances and interceptions. And he was third in passing accuracy after Ćœuparić and D. CharĂĄ.

Larrys Mabiala's heat map. Source: Opta
Larrys Mabiala’s heat map. Source: Opta
Evander keeps making an impact

After being included in the Week 10 MLS’ Best XI, Evander showed once again why he’s one of the players to watch in Portland.

 “I think we can all concur in the fact that every game he is getting better,” Savarese said. “We’ve seen that he’s getting more comfortable, he’s getting better, he’s looking more for the ball, he’s looking to be the person that is dictating the ball and that is managing the situations a little bit better. We see that he’s adapting to the league. We saw a couple of moments where he found good spaces toward the end in order to hurt them and increase opportunities.

“I think we see every game something better from him,” Savarese said, “so it’s good.”

Evander might have not had shots on goal against Austin, but he created three chances in the match—the same amount as the rest of the team—and two of those were the assists that led to Ćœuparić and Claudio Bravo’s goals. The Brazilian also registered three successful crosses.

All that made him worthy of being included in the MLS Team of the Matchday Bench for Matchday 11.

 

Ćœuparić scores his second goal in three years

The opening goal of this match was great. Evander’s ball was exquisite, and the header by the Croatian was great. Nonetheless, what he said in the post game press conference was equally good.

“I didn’t know how to celebrate,” Ćœuparić said. “That’s for sure. I’m happy, but unlucky we conceded that goal at the end. I don’t care about my goal. I don’t like scoring goals. I like to keep zero [goals conceded]. I just closed my eyes and scored the goal. I don’t do that often, but it happened. I don’t like to score goals. For me, it’s important to win the game and we need to think about that to win games.”

Ćœuparić also got a knock from an opponent’s knee, and everyone was concerned about him. He was the opposite. “I like that,” said about the knock. “I like to be a fighter and get some kicks on my head. When I see blood on my arms and on my shirt, I was happy.”

What can we say? The guy is certainly a warrior.

The verdict

Coach Savarese shared some very interesting thoughts after the game. One of those things was that they left the game “lingering at the end.” The Timbers couldn’t close the game. They didn’t play smart defensively and kept letting Austin cross balls until they found the one that Bruin headed.

It was a true shame that made feel this draw like a loss. That’s also why the coach also said that they need to be more pragmatic and manage moments a little better.

After winning against Seattle and St. Louis, it was expected for them to get three points at home against a team that is at the bottom of the table.

Of course, Portland had their good moments and we could say that in way they overperformed (they had a xG= 0.78 and scored two goals nonetheless) but still. The Timbers cenrtainly let this one got away.

Despite the Timbers playing better than before, they’re still wasting opportunities and letting points slip away due to a lack of concentration.

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, St. Louis 1

Credit: Matthew Wolfe
Credit: Matthew Wolfe

After playing in the U.S. Open Cup during the week, the Timbers hit the road again Saturday to play against St. Louis. It seems like Portland is not afraid to go against tough teams this year; they beat the first and second clubs in the Western Conference table during April, starting with Seattle and finishing with St. Louis.

This win by Portland was special for the Western Conference, since the Timbers were the only team from it to win in week 10 of MLS play.

Even though both teams didn’t show much in the attack, the visitors were the ones who dominated the ball in the first part of the first half. It was a little weird to see, since most of the time, the Timbers are used to playing off the ball and making counterattacks.

By the end of the first half, all stats were pretty even, but Portland was slightly stronger than St. Louis in the final third.

Despite the Timbers’ decent half, they suffered a big blow when David Ayala got injured at the 19′ mark. The midfielder was marking Eduard Löwen when he hurt his knee, trying to close Löwen’s passing lanes near the box. The Argentinian had to leave the field on a stretcher.

Christian Paredes, the super sub

Although Ayala’s injury was awful to witness, it was nice to see the game Christian Paredes had. He subbed in in the 21st minute for Ayala, and he started to win aerial duels and create chances right from the start.

Paredes’ second half was even better. He was the player with the most chances created with five. Too bad Portland couldn’t convert more of them.

Besides chances created, Paredes was good in duels. He won seven total—the second-most second on the team.

Who was the first in this department?

Santiago Moreno, the unsung hero

Santiago Moreno finished the match with a total of 12 duels won. The Colombian had another game good game, contributing to both Timbers’ goals. In the first one, he sent this (below) great ball to Franck Boli. The forward couldn’t convert, but the play led to the penalty kick that gave Portland the lead.

Not only that, Moreno he held the ball and left three defenders behind in the look that led to Yimmi CharĂĄ’s winning goal:

 

Defensively, Moreno contributed with five tackles, the most of any player on the team. He was also strong in aerial duels with four. (The only Timber who won more aerial duels than him was Zac McGraw with five.)

Moreno has been instrumental all this time for the team, but for some reason, he hasn’t been recognized as much as he should.

Someone who has indeed been watched and under the microscope, on the other hand, is been Portland’s midfielder Evander.

Evander gets included in the MLS week’s best XI

The Brazilian has been trying to adapt to a new team in a new league this season. That is without mentioning the fact that he has been battling with injuries. It looked like he found some rhythm this week.

In the game against St. Louis, Evander registered seven shots (two on target, four off target, and one blocked) and one goal, the most shots any Timber attempted. Besides that, he created one chance and was second in the team in interceptions with three, after McGraw.

Evander's shots. Source: Opta
Evander’s shots. Source: Opta.

“I think he has adapted to the change and MLS very well,” Y. CharĂĄ said. “I think he will be an important player to us, especially this season. He has a lot of calmness that helps out in the team and will be able to help us out on the field.”

Evander had a good week. Even though he’s coming back from injury, and defense is not really part of his job description, it will be important for him to be better positioned while trying to mark inside the box.

The Timbers cannot afford the luxury of not being smart in defense. Unfortunately, St. Louis’ only goal scored showed exactly that—not only from Evander while he tried to mark TomĂĄĆĄ OstrĂĄk but from the rest of the team, who left space for CĂ©lio Pompeu to score.

Welcome back, Yimmi CharĂĄ

The Timbers are getting their starters back little-by-little. This game marked the return of the younger CharĂĄ: Yimmi.

The Colombian entered the game in the 64th minute and made all the difference in the 82nd, when he finished with a low diagonal shot to score the winning goal.

It was promising to see CharĂĄ making an impact the very same day he came back to the field.

“I think it’s really nice to come back from the injury,” CharĂĄ said. “I have a really nice feeling from being back on the field with the team, scoring a goal, and leaving with three points.”

What the coach said

After the match, head coach Gio Savarese summed up pretty well how the season has been so far and how the game went.

“It hasn’t been easy to have so many injuries and trying to keep the team engaged,” he said. “Credit to the players because anyone I put on the field will put up a good fight, is going to be in a lot of work, and everyone has to believe to keep the Portland Timbers stay competitive. So credit to the players for going through all that difficult time.

“We have been close in all matches except the Atlanta second half,” he said. “I think today, with the mature performance we put in, with guys coming back, that can make a difference. With this maturity, we can get good results like we had today. St. Louis is difficult to play against. They are always high-energy. Today was a good day to get a win away from home.”

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Soccer Thorns

Kickin’ It with Reyna Reyes

Reyna Reyes made her regular season debut for the Portland Thorns against the Houston Dash. Credit: Matthew Wolfe
Reyna Reyes made her regular season debut for the Portland Thorns against the Houston Dash. Credit: Matthew Wolfe
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NWSL Soccer Thorns

Gallery: Portland Thorns 3, Angel City 3

Photo by Matthew Wolfe.
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Soccer Timbers

U.S. Open Cup Takeaways: Portland Timbers 3, Orange County SC 1

April 26 2023; Portland, OR, USA; Timbers vs Orange County SC in the US Open Cup at Providence Park. Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer-Portland Timbers
April 26 2023; Portland, OR, USA; Timbers vs Orange County SC in the US Open Cup at Providence Park. Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer-Portland Timbers

After a tough loss to on Saturday at FC Cincinnati, the Portland Timbers returned home to face USL team Orange County SC in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Both teams were coming off 1-2 losses in regular season play and looking for a huge bounce-back game to advance to the fourth round of the tournament. 

The Timbers received huge news and a boost for the encounter. Returning from injury for the was Sebastiån Blanco, who would be available to play his first minutes for the club in 2023. 

Three players from Portland’s second team received opportunities to play this game. Tyler Clegg started at center back next to veteran Larrys Mabiala, Noel Caliskan—who today signed a one-year contract with the senior Timbers team—started in midfield, and VĂ­ctor Griffith came off the bench.

The first ten minutes saw the visitors outshoot Portland three to zero, but outside of a few shaky moments, Portland was in relative control of the match.

Portland would end up winning the game 3-1, thanks to goals from Marvin Loría in the 37th minute, Clegg in the 48th minute, and JarosƂaw Niezgoda in the 92nd minute.

Here’s some takeaways from the match.

April 26 2023; Portland, OR, USA; Timbers vs Orange County SC in the US Open Cup at Providence Park. Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer-Portland Timbers
April 26 2023; Portland, OR, USA; Timbers vs Orange County SC in the US Open Cup at Providence Park. Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer – Portland Timbers
The return of Seba!

Blanco is one of the best players in Timbers history. His contributions include 40 goals and 50 assists in his MLS career. He is vital for this team’s success, and his return provided a huge boost.

The star has battled through injury and adversity most of 2022 and at the start of 2023. His pain in the right knee was so excruciating, that it caused him trouble to even walk at certain times. Blanco even had doubts if his comeback was even possible, but giving up was never an option, he said.

“You know me,” he said, “and I never give up. No matter what the people or someone can say to me. If I have the possibility, I will give everything back. I tried to help my team in the minutes that I can do it and what the coach wants also, but I think I have more time for play.”

He played 34 minutes on Wednesday, but just seeing him on the pitch again should bring a smile to every single person.

Blanco, himself, said he was “very happy” to be back. “It was really hard work mentally and physically to get back,” he said. “It wasn’t easy for me, but I was so happy to pass another obstacle and try to help my team in the way that I can do it.”

Congrats on being back on the pitch again, Seba!

T2 stepping up

As discussed earlier, the Timbers made three call-ups prior to the game: Clegg, Caliskan, and Griffith.

Caliskan, 22, was selected in the first round, 15th overall, by the Timbers in the 2023 MLS Superdraft out of Loyola Marymount University.

Clegg, 22, was drafted by Portland in the third round, 85th overall,  of the 2023 MLS Superdraft out of James Madison University.

Griffith, 22, joined the club ahead of the 2022 T2 season. The Panamanian international made his first-team debut as a starter in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup match against LAFC on May 10.

Caliskan and Clegg started against Orange County, while Griffith came off the bench. Center back Clegg headed home a corner kick off a gorgeous cross from Pablo Bonilla in the 48th minute. 

All three T2-ers played major roles, and head coach Gio Savarese was full of praise.

“They played great,” he said. “They were very competitive. Caliskan [played] the entire 90 minutes, plus [and] did very well. Not only with managing a lot of the middle but also with the ball. Then Griffith came in for Paredes… Griffith did a great job. His second game in the U.S. Open Cup for us, and this is good from a club. When you’re able to play these players and they deliver… [Clegg] looked good in the back. He scored his goal.

“These are the exciting moments for us as a club,” Savarese said, “to see players step up and then deliver.”

April 26 2023; Portland, OR, USA; Timbers vs Orange County SC in the US Open Cup at Providence Park. Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer- Portland Timbers
April 26 2023; Portland, OR, USA; Timbers vs Orange County SC in the US Open Cup at Providence Park. Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer – Portland Timbers

Savarese said he could see some of the T2 players making appearances for the senior team later this season. He also credited Shannon Murray, the head coach of T2 for all the work he has done.

Stat zone
  • Portland outshot Orange County 18 to 13.
  • PTFC xG: 1.54, OCSC xG: 0.86
  • Bonilla led the team in crosses attempted, successful dribbles, and chances created.
  • Rasmussen and Caliskan led the team in tackles won.
  • LorĂ­a had four shots to lead the team.
  • Mabiala was the team’s leader in touches, passes completed, and possession won.
April 26 2023; Portland, OR, USA; Timbers vs Orange County SC in the US Open Cup at Providence Park. Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer-Portland Timbers
April 26 2023; Portland, OR, USA; Timbers vs Orange County SC in the US Open Cup at Providence Park. Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer-Portland Timbers
Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: FC Cincinnati 2, Portland Thorns 1

Santiago Moreno. Credit: Kris Lattimore
Santiago Moreno. Credit: Kris Lattimore

Another week, another Timbers takeaways.

Just when we thought the game against the Seattle Sounders was going to be a turning point in the Timbers’ path to success in the season, Cincinnati got in their way.

Nonetheless, the team showed some positive things despite the loss. Head coach Gio Savarese was absent due to health and safety protocol, and assistant coach Carlos Llamosa replaced him in the dugout.

Not the best of defensive performances

Sadly, left back Claudio Bravo was unavailable after the good game he had against Seattle. His absence was noticeable, with lineup replacement Justin Rasmussen giving away balls in dangerous places of the field that led to Cincinnati’s attacks.

As a matter of fact, the first real chance the home team got came after one of Rasmussen’s mistakes.

The same mistakes were repeated in the second half. In minute 55’ Rasmussen did well to stop Cincinnati’s Brandon Vazquez, but then he missed his mark, and that led to a dangerous cross. Two minutes later, a miss when he trying to clear a ball led to another dangerous cross by Cincinnati.

Of course, the Timbers also suffered defensively as a team, not just because of Rasmussen’s mistakes. 

In the host’s first goal scored, Portland’s center backs left much to be desired. Despite both of them marking SĂ©rgio Santos, Santos got to head the ball sent by Álvaro Barreal.

Near the end of the first half, Portland fell into this defensive trap in the midfield, and chaos ensued. Cincinnati’s look didn’t end in a goal by mere inches.

 

Evander 

A lot has been said about the Brazilian midfielder, despite his not being on the field. After coming back from his injury, Evander is growing back into his more clinical skills, but he showed some interesting touches in this match.

We could see his game awareness during the match, like in this backheel. Evander knew Portland’s David Ayala was behind him, and this play ended up in a shot. The shot was not on frame, but knowing how much the Timbers have struggled to get multiple shots in past games, the slight improvement is still very positive.

The Brazilian also showcased his great services to the box, as he did in minute 14′.

 

Learning to be patient and to take their chances

Portland finally didn’t look bad in the attack in this match, especially in the second half when the team was able to create some very beautiful transitions.

The key was in their patience to move the ball from left to right and vice versa. As a matter of fact, the Timbers created three very nice team build-ups in less than five minutes, from minute 65′ on. 

 

The downside of this was the finishing. Portland wasn’t clinical in the final third, and that showed. “For 90 minutes we created chances,” Llamos said. “We just need to be more clinical in finishing those chances. I think we created problems for this team up top and we started to get in the rhythm. Little by little we’re getting much better in the attack.”

Of course, we don’t expect the Timbers to score every single shot they take, but they definitely need to be more clinical—and more so against a tough team like Cincinnati.

Asprilla is a man with a goal in mind 

After his bicycle goal against Seattle, Dairon Asprilla’s confidence has gone up, up, up. Too bad he couldn’t get this chance right.

Hopefully, he’ll put his name in the scoresheet again next game.