The Portland Timbers had lost three games in a row heading into their home game Saturday versus the LA Galaxy. The Galaxy came into the match winless in their opening three games, with their last two ending in draws. Both teams desperately needed a result coming into the game.
Both teams would play to a scoreless draw at Providence Park.
In order to inject some life into the club, Timbers head coach Gio Savarese inserted Diego “Guti” Gutierrez and Pablo Bonilla into the lineup. Nathan Fogaça earned his second consecutive start.
The Portland Timbers and LA Galaxy had an injury list that looked like an NFL midseason injury update.
It was rather impressive (and a little depressing) hearing Gio rattle off all of these updates. #RCTIDhttps://t.co/RthBIQA9QF
LA had their fair share of issues too. They were missing seven players: Chicharito, Douglas Costa, Jonathan Bond, Marcus Ferkranus, Dejan Joveljić, Kelvin Leerdam, and Eriq Zavaleta.
The Timbers went extremely direct with their play in the first half, and all of the statistics backed it up. It was an ugly display of football and highlighted how sloppy they were with the ball.
Both teams were extremely physical, and there were a ton of fouls committed and not called in the opening 45 minutes. Guti and David Bingham were the two bright spots for the Timbers.
In the first half, the Galaxy dominated proceedings with 10 shots on goal, while Portland had one. The Timbers were out-possessed 29% to 71%. In the 13th minute, Portland got lucky when Galaxy forward Preston Judd’s shot hit the post after he got past the backline of Portland.
In the second half, play continued to be chippy. For 80 minutes, the Timbers were outplayed by the Galaxy.
In the last 15, though, Portland found some magic and dangerous moments. Tega Ikoba brought a spark to the game when he subbed in for the Timbers in the 76th minute. Portland outshot LA Galaxy 9-7 in the second half.
The final possession numbers were terrible for the Timbers: Portland with 32.8% and LA with 67.2%.
Identity crisis
I will ask continue to ask until we get an answer: who is this Portland Timbers team? What are they trying to accomplish on the pitch? Where is the creativity? Is the counterattack completely gone?
The performance early on was sloppy, and they couldn’t manage to escape a single line of pressure. In the second half, the Timbers were a lot better and finally showed the trademark counterattack in the last few minutes.
With the team finally getting healthy, we could see improvement coming sooner rather than later.
The @TimbersFC look so far from scoring and you don’t need the stats to back that up. Possession was never an issue for them because they’d get you on the counter. However the #9 position has been lacking vs other teams in @MLS (West Conference) over recent years. #RCTID#MLS
“I thought it was a performance of a team that wanted to get a win three points,” Savarese said. “When we have players missing, then players have to step up, and I saw a lot of players stepping up today. It wasn’t perfect, but when you have the desire, the heart, the commitment and determination to give everything that you have, what else can I ask?”
Jazzy benched
Through the first five games of 2023, goalkeeper Aljaž Ivačič has made one start, while Bingham has made four.
Although Bingham has been good in goal, he does not possess the immense upside that Jazzy does.
However, Bingham is as reliable as they come. Savarese knows exactly what he can expect from Bingham each time he’s in goal.
He made huge saves throughout the match to keep the game scoreless. His positioning was very good and played a fine game in goal.
This was his second clean sheet on the season, but unfortunately the turf monster claimed its next injury in Bingham.
We wish him all the best in his recovery.
Gio Savarese: “It’s unfortunate that a player would go and talk to a reporter in that way. … He’s still an important part of our team. … Sometimes players say these things because they’re too emotional.”
The tension between Ivačič and Savarese could land him on the bench for the near future. Not a good look for a struggling Timbers side.
Could we see 20-year-old Hunter Sulte start, instead? It looks like it.
Guti & Bonilla start
Diego Gutierrez made his first start against LA Galaxy. Photo by Kris Lattimore
Guti has been strong for the Timbers in the minutes he has received. Those opportunities earned Gutierrez his first start. Juan David Mosquera, who is on international duty with Colombia, was replaced by Pablo Bonilla.
Gutierrez and Bonilla were both active and energetic throughout the game. Bonilla did not have many opportunities to come forward, but he was efficient in defense. He also led the team in crosses. Guti had many bright moments with his dribbling and passing.
After the match, Gio said Guti could see more minutes moving forward if he continues his current form. “Gutierrez played very well,” he said. “Now he’s going to compete and push others, and that’s what we want.”
Injury list
At this rate, the Portland Timbers could field a whole injured side. That’s how long their list is. Players continue to get healthier each week, but so far, when they get players back, more go on it.
“Right now, we’re unlucky with the injuries,” Diego Chará said after the match. “That’s really disappointing for us.”
Still, the Timbers have no choice but to continue on.
Standouts
The Post: Soccer is a brutal game, especially when it comes to the score. You could dominate a match and still not get the desired outcome. The Galaxy hit the post twice, and that was the difference in the game.
Diego Gutierrez offers something very different as a winger and it will help the Timbers this season. Guti has the ability to dribble and keep possession or take players on. He keeps putting up good performances and should have a role on the team moving forward. He led the team with six dribbles and three successful dribbles on Saturday. He also was near the top for completed passes, crosses attempted, recoveries, and touches.
David Bingham got the nod over Ivačič, and it paid off. Bingham was clutch throughout the game, and his positioning was solid throughout. He came up with four saves, all in crucial moments. His injury at the end was the worst news you could get at the end of the game. He has two clean sheets in four starts this year.
Tega Ikoba continues to bring the energy and excitement. In his 14 minutes, the Timbers were the better team in the game. Savarese said he will see more minutes in upcoming games.
Tega Ikoba rises over everyone to win a header. Photo by Kris Lattimore
Stock down
Injuries: Another game, and two more injuries.
Officiating: This got out of hand and overly-physical. Referee Chris Penso needed to set the tone earlier and refused to do so. It was very fortunate to not see more players injured. The only consistency was that he was bad for both sides. The game ended with 29 total fouls.
Chris Penso is having one of the worst officiating performances I’ve ever seen at Providence Park. #RCTID
Congrats on your 30,000 minutes with the Timbers, Chará! Photo by Matthew Wolfe.
Nightmare at Mercedes-Benz Stadium! Atlanta embarrassed the Timbers on Saturday night, trashing them 5-1.
Saying Portland had a bad game would be an understatement. Everything was fine the first minutes after kick-off. Eryk Williamson scored a banger at minute two, and it looked as if the Timbers were about to leave their two back-to-back losses behind.
But then… the referee called Williamson’s goal off due to a teammate’s offside position, and everything went downhill from there.
What could’ve been a dream start away from home ended up being a 90-minute nightmare.
With a formation of a back five, Timbers head coach Gio Savarese expected to stop Atlanta and, most importantly, keep United’s Thiago Almada at bay.
The score doesn’t lie… or maybe it does. The gap between a depleted Portland and a fully loaded Atlanta was that big, and the visitors were lucky not to have been scored on more.
Portland’s chosen formation has its strengths and weaknesses, as happens with every formation. In this particular case, the space between the center backs and fullbacks is pivotal and can be exploited by the opponent if a team is not deploying it right. That is because the wingers can have more room to go forth, and a team needs to be very disciplined to stop them.
And that’s one of the things that went south with the Timbers on Saturday night.
Notice the huge space that opens up between Claudio Bravo and Zac McGraw. The opening allows Atlanta to find time and lots of space to pass the ball and shoot.
A five-back maybe could’ve stopped Atlanta with the right personnel. Of course, with that formation, it is expected for the fullbacks to go back and forth on the wings. When under attack or when building from the back, they need to stay back and when they have the ball.
Bravo and Juan David Mosquera were going to be key in that regard, but Bravo coming back from injury clearly wasn’t up to the task. Mosquera didn’t do that well, either.
Savarese said at the post-match press conference that he assumes full responsibility for the loss, but he also thought that some players could’ve done better.
Among those players was Bravo. He lost six duels—tied with Nathan with most duels lost—and only won two and had 66.7% passing accuracy, the lowest of the entire backline after the goalkeeper. He made four crosses, and all of them were unsuccessful. Bravo also conceded two fouls and won a yellow card.
In transition
Over and over again, Atlanta put the Timbers under the test with fast transitions that left players out of position and running like hell to go back to defensive formation. This was especially on display in the second half.
“They were dangerous in the moments when we lost the ball and were high up the field. In their transition, [Atlanta United] created so many moments in the first half as well,” said Savarese about this.
Almada deserves a special mention here. He not only scored a golazo with the filthiest swerve you’ll ever see from a free kick, but he also scored a brace and registered two assists that night.
Almada was a fundamental part of that fast transition to the attack and had Portland’s number all game long. As you can see in the clip above, he assists Wiley after Bravo and Mosquera obstruct each other and lose the ball.
It was 3-vs-3 in this attack. The Timbers should’ve been able to do something more, but they were caught in a fast attack. Mosquera didn’t help much either. He tries to close down Almada but ends up obstructing Bravo, and no one can recover the ball for Portland. In doing so, Mosquera also left the left side of the field totally uncovered, giving Luiz Araújo all the space to add himself to the attack.
Not the best goalkeeping
Aljaž Ivačič started on goal for the first time in the season after recovering from injury.
It wasn’t the best of games for Ivačič who, besides being scored on five times—which wasn’t entirely his fault—had problems distributing the ball. Against Atlanta, he had 51.6% passing accuracy—and 15.4% in the opponent’s half. Of course, that is far from ideal.
Ivačič’s distribution map. Source: Opta
Also, this. It is true that Almada’s kick was pretty much unstoppable, but Nick has a point here:
Thats 30+ yards out. Should be max 2 players in wall, theres 4 & Atlanta adds 3. 7 man wall now. GK blinding himself. If theres not a wall I guarantee he saves it. Puts him in the right angle and sees the ball the whole way. Less is more when the free kicks are are at distance. pic.twitter.com/HUN277CTIt
Besides fast transitions, Atlanta added another layer to their offense by switching the point of attack. This is something that worked well in the first half but especially brought results in the second half with Atlanta’s third goal.
Notice how the Timbers focus on that switching ball to Wiley so much that they don’t even pay attention to Giorgos Giakoumakis, who heads the ball and beats Ivačič.
The last two of Atlanta’s goals were similar in the fact that both goalscorers were marked closely but found space to shoot, nonetheless. Justin Rasmussen came into the match for Bravo and didn’t have the desired impact. He was the one marking Araújo, but Araújo beat his mark easily. At minute 86, something similar happened with Larrys Mabiala while marking Almada.
The Timbers got one back through Tega Ikoba, who beat Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan with a header. This goal was special because with it, at the age of 19, Ikoba became the youngest goalscorer in the team’s history.
Congratulations, Diego Chará!
In the midst of so much negativity surrounding the game in Georgia, there was something to celebrate last Saturday. Diego Chará has always been essential for Portland, and his presence in the midfield is something the team can rely on.
Now, he’s not only a club legend but also an MLS legend after becoming the only field player to amass over 30,000 regular season minutes, all of them played with the Timbers.
Zac McGraw against St. Louis FC on Mar. 11 at Providence Park. Photo by Kris Lattimore.
After a 2-3 defeat at LAFC, the Portland Timbers faced off against MLS’s newest expansion side, St. Louis City SC. The Missouri side came into the game undefeated, with victories over Austin FC and Charlotte FC.
In a game the Timbers could have won, they were left with no points and a home defeat. The injury list continues to pile up and their identity continues to be a mystery.
With the Timbers bringing a makeshift lineup into the game, there were a lot of questions and concerns. Still, they saw the return of Claudio Bravo and the first start for Nathan Fogaça in 2023.
One of the biggest question marks is the identity of this Timbers side: Who are they? Unfortunately for Portland, St. Louis knew the answer.
St. Louis has capitalized on mistakes early this season, and this game was no different. Their side is physical, tough, and opportunistic. As a result of their ability to grit out results, they’re currently the only 3-0-0 team in MLS.
St Louis City head coach Bradley Carnell said the club has spent preseason trying to prepare their players for MLS. “We played a very competitive opponents in pre-season,” he said. “We’ve been committed to a style of play for over a year now. We’ve had a very committed group of guys and this style of play is not easy. It demands a lot of commitment, not just to the philosophy but to each other as a teammate.”
The takeaways were plentiful, but I broke it down into a few.
With Evander less than 100%, Portland opted to insert Cristhian Paredes in the game. Sadly, that plan quickly went awry, as the Timbers were forced to make a change in the 11th minute, with Evander coming in for Paredes.
Timbers head coach Gio Savarese said the team was “very unlucky” in terms of injuries. “We felt maybe that we still had our group to put a fight, and all of a sudden this first sprint [Paredes] gets injured,” Savarese said. He said this is the team’s second hamstring injury—the previous being to Yimmi Chará—though he is optimistic that Paredes’ is less severe.
“And then we have this situation with Evander during the week,” Savarese said. “He couldn’t train, and then we were able to make it to the game. In the game, he was feeling a little bit of groin tightness, and we didn’t want to risk in any way to get another injured player.” Saverese said the move to sub Evander out in the 69th minute was a reflection of that precaution.
“We’re very thin,” he said, “but we still have to continue to work a good fight.”
The officiating allowed physical play throughout the game without much repercussion. In a game with five yellow cards, head official Victor Rivas could have set the tone way earlier. Portland was very fortunate to not have more injuries.
St. Louis won 61.6% of duels, while the Timbers only won 38.7%. To make matters even worse, the Timbers only had nine tackles with four won, compared to St. Louis’ 29 and 17 won.
Nathan Fogaça starts vs. St. Louis City SC on Mar. 11. Photo by Kris Lattimore.
Fogaça for Niezgoda
Fogaça has provided a much-needed spark in the Timbers’ attack in each opportunity he’s received this season. He continues to have an insane work rate and relentlessness that is unmatched by any other Timber on the frontline.
Fogaça allows the Timbers to play their press higher up and consistently throughout the game, but he also has the ability to open lanes in the counterattack. This was evident early in Saturday’s match, when Fogaça almost put one away in the second minute.
The Timbers have not been able to find their trademark counterattacking this season, and it showed again this game. If they are going to sit back and counter, it has to be way better.
Fogaça should be the starter moving forward, unless another option presents. He gives them the best chance to win right now.
Jarosław Niezgoda could very well regain his finishing form, but it needs to come soon; unfortunately for Portland, he has not looked like himself this season.
Just before PTFC conceded the second, they were breaking 4v4 and Niezgoda had Mosquera running outside of him. Instead of playing that simple ball to JDM that would’ve forced StL to break open, he played a hopeless and pointless ball into the middle that killed the break. #RCTID
JDM against St. Louis City SC on Mar. 11. Photo by Kris Lattimore.
Going into the year, the Timbers’ backline was a question mark, with Juan David Mosquera and Zac McGraw being two notable exceptions. Mosquera and McGraw continue to be the two bright spots on the team.
Against St. Louis, McGraw scored his second ever goal in third minute off a beautiful corner kick by Eryk Williamson, and Mosquera routinely created chances and dominated the right side of the pitch.
After Timbers rolled out a traditional four-back for the first two games, Savarese threw a changeup to St. Louis in the form of five defenders. The new formation allows the Timbers to maximize their attacking fullbacks in Bravo and Mosquera.
By replacing an attacker in the starting XI, the Timbers were also able to add veteran Larrys Mabiala as the third center back.
What does this formation not solve? Their set piece defending. In the 75th minute, the Portland Timbers surrendered another one, conceding their second goal of the match. If this team wants to finish in the top half of the table, this needs to be cleaned up.
Still, we must give credit to St. Louis; they played this game on their terms and made sure the Timbers were particularly ineffective coming forward.
Missing: Portland Timbers
What is this team’s identity? Where is the counterattack? Where are the dynamic runs? Where is the creativity?
Whatever product the Timbers are putting out on the pitch right now is not good enough, and there’s absolutely no rhythm to it. Portland has a lot of soul searching to do before the results start pouring in.
They can’t move forward until these questions are solved.
Standouts
Zac McGraw Opened his scoring account for 2023 and has been the best CB for Portland.
Juan David Mosquera continues to be excellent moving forward and helping on defense. As always, he was dominating the right side of the pitch and even paced the team with four chances created.
Santi Moreno led the team in four shots, with one shot on goal, and two tackles.
Santi Moreno against St. Louis on Mar. 11. Photo by Kris Lattimore.
Bonus Stat
On a positive note, Portland has somehow continued to find the back of the net consistently:
23 – @TimbersFC have scored in 23 consecutive matches, the longest active streak in MLS and the longest in club history. Standard. pic.twitter.com/J9BEoq5SqZ
The Timbers forgot how to play soccer in the first 45 minutes, but they got their memory back in the second half. Even if it wasn’t enough for them to come away with a point against LAFC, Saturdays match saw Evander score his first goal as a Timber, and Cristhian Paredes also put his name on the score sheet.
The Timbers went to California searching to spoil the LAFC title party, but they fell short. According to The Analyst, Portland was the underdogs, with only an 18% chance of winning against the MLS reigning champions, and they just couldn’t beat those odds.
LAFC started to move the ball fast and find spaces from the get-go, putting the entire Timbers XI to work to stop the fast transitions. Portland could only break the pressure twice before LAFC scored the first goal of the game
The host showed they can use the half spaces very well, as we could see in the previous play to the goal. It was Kellyn Acosta who sent a long pass through the half-space, full back Juan David Mosquera lost Denis Bouanga, who got to the ball before it went out, forcing Timbers goalkeeper David Bingham to make the save and send the ball to the corner.
Defending set pieces
One of the many weaknesses the Timbers showed in the first half was their defense of set pieces. That’s how Giorgio Chiellini scored the match’s first goal. Justin Rasmussen lost the mark on Chiellini, and the Italian finished with a tap. Marvin Loría and Zac McGraw contributed to the defensive mistake, obstructing one another and favoring the bouncing of the ball toward Chiellini.
Before the end of the first half hour, the hosts could’ve scored their second goal, but the referee deemed it as a foul. This time, Portland double-marked Chiellini, with McGraw helping Rasmussen. It was the latter who couldn’t clear the ball and gave LAFC’s Ryan Hollingshead the chance to tap it and score. Loría was marking him, but for some reason he stopped following Hollingshead closely and let him get to the ball. The visitors had to thank the referee for calling it off.
Not long after that, LAFC had another corner. Bingham got to punch the ball but it fell to Kwadwo Opoku. Santiago Moreno came too aggressively on him, and the referee granted the home team the PK. LAFC star Carlos Vela took it and scored, and it seemed like the Timbers would have a long afternoon.
Set pieces and defensive problems aside, some of the players looked slow when taking decisions. LA was pressing high during the entire first half, and they were taking advantage of turnovers in the midfield, which led to fast transitions in the attack. So, you would expect the Timbers to pass the ball quickly and be aware of their surroundings.
Well, that wasn’t always the case.
Moreno giveaway. Credit: Fox Sports.
We had to wait almost 50 minutes to see a decent chance from Portland in the attack. This started with Rasmussen sending a good service to the far post. Loría headed the ball but goalkeeper John McCarthy reacted quickly and made a save with his chest. The Timbers created one more chance, but weren’t able to finish it.
Starting the second half with a bang
Just seconds after the start of the second half, Vela could’ve scored a brace, but a great tackle by McGraw denied him of the opportunity.
But LAFC was on a mission, and the slowness of some players was this time reflected in Diego Chará, when José Cifuentes stole the ball from him. The turnover led to Portland’s defense being outnumbered and to Opoku scoring. (Fun fact: Opoku was the LAFC player most involved in attacking sequences in 2022, with Vela coming in second, according to Opta.)
Defense outnumbered and bad positioning. Source: Fox Sports
So yeah, LAFC was actually the one starting their second half with a bang.
The impact of the subs
By 54′, it was obvious the Timbers needed some subs to change the dynamic of the game… and quickly.
Župarić with the giveaway when trying to build from the back. Source: Fox Sports
Head coach Gio Savarese moved the bench. Christian Paredes replaced Loría, Larrys Mabiala entered for Moreno, and Claudio Bravo came in for Rasmussen.
The Timbers finally put one in in minute 62 with a fast transition, outnumbering LA’s defense. Paredes showcased nice off-the-ball work, and left the ball to Evander after sucking the attention of LAFC defenders. That made it possible for the Brazilian to shoot, unmarked.
Jarosław Niezgoda didn’t have a good game in the attack. True, no Timber did in the first half, but at the end of his 72 minutes, he registered zero shots on target, zero duels won, and zero chances created, and he barely stepped a foot inside LAFC’s box.
No wonder he was replaced by Nathan Fogaça. The Brazilian didn’t do well in duels or passes—he missed three out of seven passes total and lost nine duels—but he made his presence notorious in the last 10 minutes of the game. After a corner, McCarthy couldn’t get ahold of the ball and left his goal open for Mosquera to score. The defense reacted, but Fogaça kept the ball inside the box and, by doing so, assisted Paredes.
After that, both teams could’ve scored at least one more, but the hosts kept the three points at home.
What Gio said
If anything, the game against Sporting KC showed us Savarese has some decisions to make regarding the Timbers’ starting XI.
The coach spoke about Fogaça, Paredes, and Bravo and what they brought to the game after the LAFC loss. “[Bravo] didn’t look off at all,” Savarese said. “It looked like he was comfortable, and he created a lot of good moments going forward.
“Bravo and Paredes brought a lot of energy into the team,” he said, “and I think that’s also the reason why the team elevated their level at a particular time.”
Congrats on your 50 games as a Timber, Claudio Bravo! Credit: Timbers FC
Fogaça surely made a case to be in the starting position next game. “Nathan is competing very well,” Savarese said, “and he’s putting himself in a situation that he’s pushing me to get more playing time.”
It is true that the Timbers were missing Sebastián Blanco, Dairon Asprilla, Felipe Mora, and Yimmy Chará, but part of the coach’s job is to find a way for the team to work without them. And this game against LAFC showed that maybe there’s a way for Savarese to do so.
Two of the things to look at are the style and system of play. “We pressed completely differently,” Saverese said. “We pressed 4-4-2 last game. We played more with a 4-3-3 [in this game] that ended up being with five midfielders. That’s why we changed, to be a little more aggressive, to press a little bit higher.”
Zac McGraw put on a masterclass at CB for the Portland Timbers in their 1-0 season opening win at Providence Park.
Photo by Matthew Wolfe.
After a snow-delayed start to their 2023 season, the Portland Timbers escaped with a 1-0 regular season opener win Monday night against a talented Sporting Kansas City side.
The match was the first season opening win under Portland head coach Gio Savarese and team’s first since 2017.
The victory came at the foot of right back Juan David Mosquera, who tallied the lone goal of the match in the sixth minute.
The score does not tell the entire story. This game proved it more than others.
Brr, It’s Cold in Here!
The originally scheduled home opener was postponed due to the snow storm. Instead of a weekend opener, the Portland Timbers hosted Sporting KC for Monday Night Football.
Thankfully, the Portland staff and crew made sure the field was cleared and the game was playable. We owe them all a huge round of applause and our gratitude.
The More Things Stay the Same, the More They Change?
Heading into the season, the Timbers returned primarily the same roster they had in 2022, with only three new starters on opening day. Evander, the highest paid transfer in team history at $10 million, was tasked with combining with midfield stars Eryk Williamson and Diego Chará to hopefully return Portland’s unit to elite status. The other two changes came in defense: After trading center back Bill Tuiloma and moving on from right back José Van Rankin, rising star center back Zac McGraw and last season’s transfer Mosquera are now starters. They are hoping to improve a backline that gave up the 11th-most goals in MLS in 2022.
Elite Midfield? Not just yet, but soon.
When El Maestro, Diego Valeri, departed from the Timbers before the 2022 season, he left a legacy in the center of the pitch. Evander has been hyped as the team’s next magician in midfield.
Evander made his Portland Timbers regular season debut versus Sporting KC. Photo by Matthew Wolfe.
His debut was tough sledding. Evander was not able to get into a rhythm, and it showed. However, he put energy into his defending. His commitment to that end should excite everyone. Even if the game is unable to find him, he’s shown a commitment to being a difference maker.
If this is an “off game,” he still led the team in duels, dribbles, successful dribbles, and possession won.
Savarese described Evander’s night as “a performance of a player that just arrived in a new league, a performance of a player that, at the beginning, was finding and looking to try to be involved in the game.”
Savarese said Evander found “really special moments” in the game’s second half, even if they didn’t all go Portland’s way. “But I think for me, the most important thing is how much he ran for the team,” Savarese said, “how much he put work to make sure that we got a win. And for me, that’s so important […] He has those moments, and he’ll be able to provide it the more he’s going to adapt, the more that he’s going to play, the fitter he’s going to get. But he ran for the team today, and that is something you feel is very important from a player of his caliber. Very proud of him, very proud of the group. I’m excited for what is coming in the future from him.”
Williamson is at his best when he has the freedom to sit next to Chará and roam all the way up next to Jarosław Niezgoda. In the first 15 minutes, he was able to do that.
Once Sporting KC made a commitment to press and look for the equalizer, Portland’s entire XI was pinned back defending. Williamson was phenomenal on the ball and was one of the only players who seemed comfortable playmaking and beating the press.
Chará is the most consistent No. 6 in MLS, and he brought it on the defensive end. He led the team in interceptions, blocks, and tackles won, reliable as ever in the opener.
Just one game in, it’s clear the midfield of Evander, Williamson, and Chará is going to improve with more time to build chemistry and rapport. They are going to be the key to Portland’s season this year.
Juan Mosquera scores his first Timbers goal in the 2023 regular season home opener versus Sporting KC. Photo by Matthew Wolfe.
Where Will the Goals Come From?
Last year proved that the Timbers can rely on every single player on the team to score goals. This game was no different. If the Timbers are going to be a top team in MLS—as is their hope—everyone will need to contribute.
The game’s only goal belonged to Juan David Mosquera.
“It was a great feeling to be able to help the team,” Mosquera said after the match,” because of course with the goal we were able to get the first three points of the year. I just hope to keep going that way. To me, the most important thing is to be able to help the team.”
Next week at LAFC, it most likely will be another hero.
Don’t be surprised if the team has a bunch of 5+ goal scorers this year. This team will be one that has a goals-by-committee approach.
How Did the Backline Look?
Portland’s defense was missing Claudio Bravo, who was brave going forward and a willing defender in 2022. He is one of the best left backs in MLS—a tall order for the Timbers to replace this game.
Bravo had a career year in 2022, when he led the team in tackles won with 77. He also paced the Timbers last season in interceptions, touches, and duels won.
Only one issue: He is still not 100%.
Justin Rasmussen was inserted in the starting XI in place of Bravo, and it didn’t go so well.
Rasmussen, bless his heart, is having a rough go against Shelton and Salloi tonight. #RCTID
Fresh off appearances for the Colombian National Team, Mosquera was ready to make the right back position his this season. After only making three appearances—and two starts—for the Timbers in 2022, he was determined to make the most of the opening day start for the club.
Mosquera took almost no time to make his mark. Known for his attacking prowess from the fullback position, Mosquera lived up to the hype. In the sixth minute, he scored his first career goal for Portland.
After a shaky start—including a a yellow card in the 26th minute—Dario Župarić was clinical. He came up huge when his name was called upon. At one point, Župarić even dove head first to snuff an attack and paid the price. Amazingly, he stayed in the game and battled the rest of the evening.
David Bingham was solid and came up clutch throughout the game. He had a crucial double save in the 24th minute, which would set the tone the rest of the night.
Zac McGraw was excellent in defense: numerous chances denied, hit solid passes, and great marking. Every time Sporting KC got close to scoring, McGraw was ready. There isn’t a center back in the MLS with more upside. With former Timbers legend and current coach Liam Ridgewell by his side, he is poised to have a career year.
And starting off the season by holding Kansas City scoreless is right in line with that trajectory.
“That’s what you take pride in,” McGraw said of the Timbers’ clean sheet. “Try to limit shots, limit their shots on goal, at the end of the day get a shut out. Because if you get a shutout, we did our job, so it’s up to the offense to take care of their job. Obviously Mosquera, a defender, made that goal so just all-around good performance from the defensive line.”
This backline is going to improve immensely this season and it’ll get even better with the return of Bravo in a few weeks. The early signs are encouraging and exciting.
The Portland Timbers played without starting left back Claudio Bravo and goalkeeper Aljaž Ivačič ,while Santiago Moreno also started on the bench.
The team did not have a full complement of first team players, and it showed for stretches of the game. Portland had a lot of bad giveaways, sloppy passes, and misconnections.
Sporting KC dominated possession by 58% to 42%. Their press wreaked havoc on the Timbers’ attack. If we’re being completely honest, they were the better side. Kansas City were very unlucky not to get a result.
“We were all over [Portland] in the second half,” Sporting KC head coach Peter Vermes said. “We created some good chances in the first half, as well as the second half. We couldn’t find it, but the effort, the desire, the passion, everything was there in the game. Other than the mistake on the first goal, I thought we had it. Outside of that, the team played well.”
The frontline duo of Marvin Loría, Niezgoda, and Yimmi Chará seemed out of touch and off their games. However, Loría’s work rate was phenomenal, and he still put in a fantastic shift.
Niezgoda’s conversion rate plummeted in 2022, and the early hopes of a rebound season do not look good. He got in good positions, but the first touch let him down all game. Y. Chará assisted on Mosquera’s goal and was subbed off later on with an apparent hamstring injury. Savarese said it will be weeks before he returns.
Santi Moreno checked in for Y. Chará in the 33rd minute.
The midfield of Evander, Williamson, and D. Chará looked exceptional for the first 15 minutes but had to focus on covering defensively for the remainder of the game. They had moments, but moving forward they’ll need to more. Portland will need to play on the front foot and counterattack more often if they want to take advantage of their midfield.
We must give credit where it’s due, to the Portland Timbers defense, especially from the backline. The entire team put in massive amount of effort to make sure the score ended in their favor. Many of the standouts were on that backline.
Standouts: Stock up!
Player of the Match:Zac McGraw
McGraw has all the talent in the world and led the the backline to a shutout of Sporting KC side who did everything they could to get a result at Providence Park.
He put on a masterclass at center back and led the team with six aerial duels won and two blocks and was second with four tackles.
The best center back I’ve ever played with coaching the man who has unlimited potential. Things you love to see. pic.twitter.com/WrpPacBycj
He led the team in touches, goals, tackles, and tackles won. Don’t be surprised if Europe comes calling sooner rather than later.
Juan David Mosquera is in for a breakout year and, sooner rather than later, a lucrative transfer to Europe. Clubs have already come to Portland for the Colombian right back. Big talent.
After starting in place of star goalkeeper Aljaž Ivačič, Bingham absolutely came up clutch and commanded his backline well.
He came up with four huge saves to preserve the clean sheet.
Eryk Williamson:
There are no players in MLS who can do what Williamson does. The USMNT is calling because of his ability to play world class soccer. He led the midfield in passing accuracy and chances created, which should be a common occurrence this season.
Santi Moreno:
Even though he didn’t start, Moreno came on and made a difference.
He led the team in chances created and passes in the final third. He also contributed three successful dribbles, two tackles, and eight possessions won.
Just another day at the office for him.
Head coach Gio Savarese:
Savarese is now the winningest head coach in club history with 69 victories. He continues to find ways to win with this club each season. Congrats to Gio!
Here's Gio Savarese's on becoming the winningest coach in Timbers history:
"When it's for an organization that you care so much, for fans that you care so much, you feel proud… I was told right after the game. I didn't know that was the case. I was thrilled and happy." https://t.co/Y3gjpPNfcTpic.twitter.com/7iqhPLc3Ru
Timbers midfielder Eryk Williamson is ready to terrorize defenders this season.
“Last year, I was able to make the final pass,” he says, “Continuing that, I can always get better at that, but it’s a fact of also finishing.” He’s hoping to change that in 2023—and to continue to grow as a box-to-box midfielder, working in tandem with Diego Chará.
Williamson’s ambition of becoming an even more complete player for Portland feels in line with his trajectory since he joined the team in 2018.
A Star is Born
On January 23, 2018 the Portland Timbers made a rather under-the-radar move to acquire the MLS Homegrown Player rights from D.C. United. In turn, they gave up $100,000 in 2018 general allocation money, $100,000 in 2019 targeted allocation money, a 2018 international spot, and a second-round pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. Portland used those Homegrown Player rights to pick up a player who had spent three years at the University of Maryland and been on the USYNT scene.
Williamson joined a team with a legacy of superstar talent in the center of the park. From Chará to Diego Valeri to Sebastián Blanco and Darlington Nagbe, outstanding star power has always been present in the Timbers midfield.
In a year that halted sports—and life—across the globe for months and months, Portland managed to find a bright spot. The Timbers’ 2020 MLS season was the chance for Williamson to show off his ability, and did he ever. After getting his first taste of MLS by making seven appearances in 2019, he balled out in 2020, playing in 26 games and tallying three goals and six assists.
Williamson has shown himself to be an absolute playmaker for Portland and the USMNT when given the chance to be himself. He sees the game with elite eyes and picks out passes that are, frankly, ridiculous, with an insanely high degree of difficulty. The way he plays soccer is one that reminds you what is so special about this sport. It’s about being unique and true to who you are.
Williamson is a gamechanger, with moments of brilliance that can alter the momentum of a game.
Nothing is Ever Easy
By 2021, Williamson had cemented himself as a key part of the club’s core and future—and he was also finally in the USMNT discussion.
He made his senior national team debut in July 2021 in the Gold Cup against Haiti, helping the team to a tournament title. But on August 29, 2021, against the rival Seattle Sounders, Williamson suffered a season-ending ACL injury.
Everything had to be put on hold.
Williamson attacked rehab with intentions to make it back on the pitch better than ever. He worked tirelessly to make his triumphant return after seven months (or 210 days), but wasn’t able to make it back into the national team mix ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
“To be somewhat in the conversation is a good feeling,” he says of the beginning of 2023. But he wants to cement himself as a regular on the USMNT.
“I’m not satisfied with it,” Williamson says. “It’s an honor to wear the crest, and I think I want to do it on the biggest stage. The only way to do it is to continue to push. Knowing that I’m lucky enough to wear the crest, I’ve been able to wear it a couple games. It’s getting that first go-around out of the system and making sure it’s a consistent performance for the national team, but also here.”
If the Timbers are able to rebound from last year’s disappointment and be in the MLS Cup chase this year, Williamson will be a catalyst for their ascent.
It’s about “being a player we can’t go without,” Williamson says. “Try to make sure I can play 90 minutes every game and continue to help guys around me. Also, just gel with the midfield we have. We have a lot of talented players, lot of pieces that we brought back, few pieces we brought in. It’s exciting.”
Better Than Ever
Portland made their biggest full transfer in club history this offseason by acquiring Brazilian midfielder Evander from the Danish club FC Midtjylland.
The move puts Evander, Williamson, and Chará in the position to be an elite midfield and one of the best in MLS.
“It’s honestly scary,” Williamson says. “Diego is Diego. You know what he is going to bring, but he has added this attacking side as well. Evander is the new piece that we started to fit in. We want it to be where guys can’t stop us, they can’t defend us, and making sure that we are beating teams with not only talent, but how hard we are working off the ball, too.
“I know we can learn from each other,” he says. “We all have different pieces that gel it all together, which is exciting.”
After an offseason focused on decompressing without the pressures of rehab, Williamson is rearing to go. “I’m flying,” he says. “It’s the best I’ve felt in a preseason.
“That’s kind of the biggest thing for me: making sure that my body and mind was in a good place to start this year,” he says, “knowing that the comeback story is just starting. It’s good to be back with the national team, but [I’m] not satisfied with just one call up—trying to make it a regular thing.”
He’s also focused on “performing here, with Portland, and making sure that we are a top three team in the West.”
In the Timbers’ preseason game against the LA Galaxy, Williamson is already showing off his incredible talent. He was brilliant with his connecting play and had two assists.
He’s going to have a monster year.
I know I basically tweeted this exact same thing on Friday, but dang Eryk Williamson’s free kick delivery has turned into a weapon for the Timbers as of late. #RCTIDpic.twitter.com/P0808NCvpO
And maybe, we’ll get to see the return of the brilliant journalist William Erykson, who made a memorable reporting debut for the Alexander Times at the Portland Thorns’ 2022 NWSL Championship media day.
Felipe Mora, Sebastian Blanco, and Yimmi Chará. Photo by Kris Lattimore.
With just days to go until the start of the 2022 MLS season, the Western Conference promises to be as competitive as it’s ever been before.
For the first time, the West is up to 14 teams — adding a quality side in last year’s third-place Eastern Conference finisher, Nashville — as expansion side Charlotte FC take their place in the East. (There is no expansion side in the Western Conference this year.)
Several of the West’s worst teams last season, such as Houston and Dallas, have splashed out club-record transfer fees on new strikers. As the Timbers get set to defend their Western Conference crown, there will likely be few easy games.
1. Seattle Sounders
That’s right. After their humiliating exit from the playoffs last year, the Sounders enjoyed an outstanding offseason.
There’s a sparkling new training facility and a rebrand centered around the club’s 50th anniversary underway. Seattle signed the best player on the team that eliminated them last season in Albert Rusnak. They inked several stars to contract extensions. And they brought several incredibly important depth pieces back.
Brian Schmetzer’s teams have not always been all that good in the regular season, but — given Seattle’s CONCACAF Champions League ambitions and the depth on this roster — this year may well be different.
The front six, which includes five internationals and an ace Brazilian central midfielder, is probably the league’s best unit. The back five isn’t far behind.
If Seattle has had an obvious flaw in recent years, even at full strength, it’s that they could be beat in transition and often played methodically. That necessarily hasn’t changed — but on their day, this team is going to take some beating.
Lineup: Frei, Nouhou, Arreaga, Gomez Andrade, A. Roldan, C. Roldan, J. Paulo, Rusnak, Lodeiro (C), Morris, Ruidiaz
2. Los Angeles FC
LAFC’s regression in the final two years of Bob Bradley’s tenure at the club felt both unnecessary and disappointing. Unnecessary because so many of the club’s personnel moves didn’t make sense, and disappointing because the 2019 team was so tremendous to watch.
Now, the club has turned the page entirely from its hugely successful first era. Bradley is in Toronto; Eduard Atuesta and Diego Rossi are overseas; and new boss, Steve Cherundolo, has a bevy of new recruits to plug in around mainstays like Carlos Vela and Latif Blessing.
Interestingly, many of those new players came from within MLS, a marked departure from LAFC’s player acquisition strategy the last several years. Kellyn Acosta, Ryan Hollingshead, and Maxime Crepeau have played in and won a ton of MLS games. Given the issues LAFC had gutting out wins last season, the team should benefit from their experience.
At no point during the last two years did the underlying numbers ever not like LAFC, and it feels like even a touch more composure and toughness could put them on track to have an excellent year. If Cherundolo can adapt quickly to the league, they’ll be contenders again.
Nashville makes the move from the East back to the West for their third year and first in a new soccer-specific stadium. The travel will be grueling, and the lack of games against their geographic rivals in the South seems like a missed opportunity.
They’ll likely shift back to the East when St. Louis joins next season, but for now Nashville should have the quality to make a serious impression on the West.
This team easily could have advanced to the Eastern Conference Final last year, and they strengthened in key areas in the offseason — adding MLS veterans like Sean Davis and Teal Bunbury to compete for minutes in the spine of the team.
Nashville isn’t exactly thrilling to watch, and they won’t blow many teams away, but they’re very difficult to play against, very good defensively, and in every game have two of the best players on the field with Walker Zimmerman and Hany Mukhatar.
They still may be one or two attackers short when it comes to competing with the league’s very best. But they’re built for consistent regular season success, no matter what conference they’re in.
Last year, on the field anyway, it was the tale of two seasons for the Timbers: very, very poor through mid-August, and very, very good after.
That was almost enough to win the club’s second MLS Cup, and definitely enough to give the its leadership faith that the Larrys Mabiala/Diego Chará/Sebastian Blanco core has another title run in them with just a few reinforcements.
There is good reason to believe. Chará and Blanco, when healthy, remain elite — two of MLS’s most impactful players. There’s plenty of talent around them, too, particularly in the midfield and attacking positions. Giovani Savarese has never missed the playoffs as a manager; there are few better tournament coaches in the league.
But if Blanco gets hurt, or Chará gets old, or the defense looks more like the unit that was shipping goals last summer than the one that locked things down in the fall, the Timbers will fall off in a hurry.
Lineup: Ivacic, Bravo, Zuparic, Mabiala, Van Rankin, D. Chará, Williamson, Y. Chará, Blanco, Asprilla, Mora
5. Sporting Kansas City
In many ways, Sporting is the model of consistency in MLS: Their manager, Peter Vermes, is entering his 14th season at the helm, and his teams are always well drilled. Lately that means they get veteran leadership, value the ball, and try to control games with it.
It works — mostly. Save for the COVID season of 2020, Sporting hasn’t missed the playoffs in ten years. They also haven’t been to the Western Conference Final since 2013, in large part because of a lack of team speed and a tendency to fade in seasons.
This team right now looks no better or worse than any of the last five or six Sporting teams: They’ll have quality players in attacking positions, they’ll play cohesive soccer, and they’ll rack up a bunch of points at home.
But they’ll still likely get run over in transition by faster, more explosive teams, and even on occasion less talented teams like RSL in the playoffs last year. In addition, center forward Alan Pulido is out for the year, leaving a huge question mark.
Unless Vermes has something up his sleeve, this Sporting team will be solid, but limited.
People around MLS waited years for Robin Fraser to get another managerial opportunity, and the Rapids have benefitted handsomely for giving him the controls two years ago.
They’ve also built their roster very well by stockpiling proven MLS players, young American players, and a select few internationals, and inserting them into a clearly defined system. It worked exceptionally well last year, when the Rapids cleared the 60-point mark and topped the West in the regular season.
But there’s little indication that this year’s side is better than last year’s. Kellyn Acosta and Cole Bassett are both gone, and Austin Trusty is headed off to Arsenal in the summer. The key offseason acquisitions, Bryan Acosta and young attacker Max Alves, don’t inspire a ton of excitement.
The glaring issues the Rapids had last season — namely, the lack of a standout center forward or truly elite attacking players — remain the glaring issues right now. This team has a high floor, but very possibly a low ceiling.
Ah, the Galaxy. It’s been quite a few years now since this team was the unquestioned class of MLS in the Bruce Arena/Robbie Keane era, and quite a few years in a short stretch where the team has faded down the stretch and failed to make the postseason.
This year, it looks for all the world like the Galaxy will again be right in the middle of the pack.
The attack, spearheaded by a locked-in Chicharito, should be excellent. Whether or not Douglas Costa produces, the combination of Hernandez, Kevin Cabral, and the inimitable Victor Vazquez pulling the strings will produce plenty of goals.
Defensively, there’s no real indication that this team will be markedly improved from the one that conceded 54 goals last year. They need better individual performances from their backline and more steel in central midfield. Is Mark Delgado the player to give them that? We’ll see.
Greg Vanney has a very good track record, and the Galaxy did improve in his first year, but this will likely remain an entertaining work-in-progress.
This is year six for Adrian Health in St. Paul, and it feels like his team has stagnated somewhat: After fielding a very competitive team in 2019 and nearly making it to MLS Cup in 2020, the Loons regressed last year, struggling to score goals and getting handily dispatched by the Timbers in the first round of the playoffs.
The offseason, following that 3-1 loss, has been rather indifferent. The club re-acquired striker Luis Amarilla and brought in Honduran midfielder Kevin Arreaga, but lost captain Osvaldo Alonso and kept the bulk of last year’s side intact.
There’s certainly quality enough here to ensure that the Loons are professional and competitive each time they take the field, but aside from Argentinian playmaker Emanuel Reynoso, there are very few elite players in the squad.
Will that be enough to make a fourth straight playoff appearance? Possibly. Will it be enough to do serious damage in the playoffs should they get there? Unlikely. This team needs some pop, both up front and at center back, and until they get it, I’m betting on another regression this year.
Dallas appeared adrift at the end of last season when they fired manager Luchi Gonzalez and were on their way to selling Ricardo Pepi for a club-record fee. There were serious questions about the ownership’s commitment to winning.
Those questions, in one offseason, appear to have been answered. Dallas was aggressive from the outset, and ended up singing Alan Velasco from Independiente and committed huge amount of money to a trade for Paul Arriola. They also brought in a new coach, Nico Estevez, who will install a new 4-3-3 formation.
Best of all, perhaps, is the possibility of a full year of Paxton Pomykal in midfield. He has the ability to be a top MLS player if he stays fit, and a could be a creative hub behind what projects to be a lethal front three.
Defensively, there are more questions than answers: How much does Matt Hedges have left in the tank? Who is the starting goalkeeper? Overall, Dallas promises to be more interesting than they have been since the Oscar Pareja era.
Between the pandemic and an MLS investigation into the club for its handling of allegations of misconduct against two former Whitecaps women’s team coaches, it has not been an easy few years for Vancouver supporters.
But, the way the team played at the end of last season under then-interim coach Vanni Sartini was one small bright spot. They went for it in the months following the sacking of Marc Dos Santos, and, improbably, reached their first postseason since 2017.
We’ll see whether they can keep that momentum going this year, and — particularly — whether they can play as aggressively over the course of an entire season and get away with it.
Their standout goalkeeper, Maxime Crepeau, is gone and, while Ryan Gauld is here for the entire campaign, the front office made few reinforcements to a team that, talent-wise, is not among the West’s best.
There was, despite overwhelmingly poor results, plenty to like about Austin’s expansion season: They played cohesive attacking soccer in Josh Wolff’s system, they valued the ball, and they were clearly just a few pieces away from competing for a playoff spot.
Austin tried to get those pieces in the offseason, though the jury is very much out on whether they did enough work on last year’s roster to give themselves a chance to compete all the way into the fall.
Jhojan Valencia has arrived to play defensive midfield, while Ruben Gabrielsen and first round draft selection Kipp Keller will slot in the for the likes of the retiring Matt Besler in central defense. The defensive spine of the team was a major area of need, and Austin addressed it.
The problem is that none of those players have any MLS experience, and none appear to be the kind of proven, show-stopping defender that would improve the unit on day one. This team will score goals and stay in goals more than they did last year, but it doesn’t look like a playoff team on paper.
It was a wild finish to last season in Utah, in which the club saw its manager leave to become an assistant for one of its rivals, get bought by a new ownership group, and then make an improbable run to the Western Conference Final.
RSL got waxed by the Timbers in that game at Providence Park, but they did enough to land Pablo Mastroeni the full-time coaching job and generate a springboard of goodwill to take into 2022.
Now, the hard part. RSL lost its highest profile player in Albert Rusnak to Seattle, the same club their former manager Freddy Juarez joined in the middle of last year, and they haven’t really replaced him.
In fact, this team, which played plucky and brave soccer last year, but rarely very good soccer, hasn’t been improved much at all. Only one player has come in, and while more signings may be in the offing, RSL just isn’t going to scare anybody at the start of the year.
Mastroeni was mostly very aggressive tactically when he got the job last year, but that meant that his team was often wide open defensively. We’ll see if he decides to change tack with more to lose personally this go around.
Lineup: Ochoa, Brody, Glad, Silva, Herrera, E. Luiz, Ruiz, A. Julio, Kreilach, Rubin, Wood
13. San Jose Earthquakes
This looks set to be the final year of the great Matias Almeyda experiment in San Jose, which started with such promise in 2019 and has since fizzled into an acrimonious wait for the end.
Almeyda gave an interview where he ripped the club’s player-acquisition strategy in the offseason, and it’s true that San Jose was lapped in spending ambition by the likes of Dallas and Houston this offseason, not to mention the LAs and Seattles of the conference.
It’s also true that this ‘Quakes team has enough talent to be competitive — though it’s an open question whether Almeyda’s man-marking system, or whatever hybrid of it he uses, in whatever formation, helps or hinders them this season.
In Cade Cowell and Jeremy Ebobisse, there’s some exciting attacking talent. Offseason pickups like Jamiro Monteiro and Jan Gregus are proven in MLS. The roster build looks a lot like Colorado’s from a few seasons ago, even if the overall vision looks less cohesive.
It’s not hard to see San Jose causing some problems for teams this year. But it’s also not hard at all to see the whole project falling apart relatively quickly.
It is very clearly a new era in Houston. The club is under new ownership, and that new ownership appears eager to spend and revitalize a team that has slid so far from relevancy in its city that even its biggest games last season were sparsely attended.
The first order of business was bringing in proven MLS sporting leadership in former goalkeeper Pat Onstad to run the front office and Paulo Nagamura to manage. The next order of business was spending big to acquire Paraguayan forward Sebastian Ferreira for a club-record fee, and there will likely be one or two more big name DP signings to come.
For now, though, this is still largely the team that trudged through last season under Tab Ramos, struggling on both sides of the ball, with effort week in and week out, and with a not inconsiderable talent deficit to boot.
Steve Clark, as Timbers fans can attest, will help in goal. The center back partnership anchored by Tim Parker looks a strength. But until the Dynamo bring in a pair of high-level attacking midfielders and a two-way center mid, the ceiling will be low.
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