Tag: Antony

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Seattle Sounders 1, Portland Timbers 1

Photo by Kris Lattimore.

The Portland Timbers drew in enemy territory Saturday and are the kings of the Cascadia Cup! What’s more, they get to host a playoff game!

The XI

It was surprising to see head coach Phil Neville put James Pantemis in goal for Decision Day instead of Maxime Crépeau. Kamal Miller was suspended due to yellow card accumulation, hence we saw the debut of Finn Surman.

Santiago Moreno was out due to injury, while David Ayala was on the bench.

Although this was an important game behind enemy lines, the Timbers had the odds in their favor; Seattle hadn’t won against their rivals at home since May 2017. 

Foreshadowing much? Image: Timbers FC

Encouraged by their fans at home and by what was at stake, Seattle took the driver’s seat. But in the first 15 minutes, the Timbers were defending well. As you can see in the video below, they were applying a high press, to force the Sounders to play the ball back.

However, the home team started to tip the scales in their favor, and Portland had to hold on. Dropping back  gave some of the players such as Surman the opportunity to make some amazing defensive actions.

Despite the defensive efforts, the Sounders were getting closer and closer to opening their tab. Portland endured 20 minutes under siege (as you can see in the excitement index below), which ended only after the hosts found the opening goal they were looking for. They did so through a set piece, which wasn’t a surprise, since Seattle has found the back of the net 13 times in that way this year.

Excitement index. Source: aiscore

A corner on the left, while nobody was marking Yéimar Gómez, was the recipe for disaster. The Seattle centerback only had to take two steps back to connect with the ball and score with his head.

The second half was another kind of game

Although the Timbers started the second half in a better way, their midfield started to disappear little-by-little. That’s why after the hour mark, Neville made the first substitutions for Portland. Diego Chará and Cristhian Paredes went out, while Ayala and Eryk Williamson were subbed in.

After that, Portland found it  easier to disrupt Seattle’s play, but they still couldn’t gain enough control. However, not even 10 minutes after the subs came in, the Timbers found the equalizer.

Up until then, Jonathan Rodríguez hadn’t been able to impact the game much. But in the 68th minute, Williamson made a tackle. Then the Uruguayan recovered the ball and passed it immediately to Evander, who, in turn, sent it to Antony. Antony put his ability to drive past defenders into action to find the back of the net.

The goal was a bad omen for the home team, who had a player sent off literally one minute after Portland scored. Added to that, Albert Rusnák saw a yellow for dissent.

Of course, with Seattle being down to 10 men, the Timbers felt more at ease and started to create more chances. Nonetheless, their expected goals for this match was low (only 0.6). Good thing they could beat that stat once again, huh?

Evander

The Brazilian couldn’t do much in the first half. As we can see in the graphic below, most of his touches were in the middle of the park, not close enough to a place where he could hurt Seattle.

Evander’s first half touches and distribution maps. Source: Opta

His distribution map from the first half shows most of his passes directed toward the back line, and the rest of them were horizontal. Through passes and key passes to advance the ball were pretty much nonexistent. The few Evander attempted weren’t successful.

The second half was different, since the midfielder could get closer to Seattle’s box and be more dangerous. He was credited the assist for Antony’s goal, and with that, he reached 15 assists this season. (He’s now second in MLS in assists after Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta, who has 16.

Evander’s second half touches and distribution maps. Source: Opta.
Final thoughts

The Timbers’ stats are not the best. Just seeing they had two shots on target says a lot, but props to them. They did what they had to do to claim the Cascadia Cup, and for this reason, the draw feels like a win. The draw tastes even sweeter because Seattle thought for some minutes that they could take it away from their rivals’ hands, but Portland’s designated players showed up when needed and helped to get the result.

And not only the designated players but the whole team. This result was indeed a team effort, and a valiant one, from the Timbers. The effort is important, but so is the fact that they’re honest and know their limitations and strengths.

“I feel like we don’t deserve a home game, to be honest,” centerback Dario Župarić said after the game. “There were a lot of times when we didn’t play as a team that deserved playoffs, but in the end, we have points. We deserve that. Now is the time to bring something more because I think we could be much better. We didn’t play as we know we could play.”

Besides that, this team has lady luck on their side. And now they’re hosting the wild card game today, due to a conflicting event at BC Place. Since there are no other venues available in the Vancouver market, fans will head to Providence Park to see if this team can pull another result.

This will be a single-elimination game, and the winner advances to a best-of-three series against top-seeded Los Angeles FC.

Do not miss the action. The match starts at 7:30 p.m. PT.

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 1, Colorado Rapids 2

Photo by Matthew Wolfe

The Portland Timbers couldn’t get the win on the road Saturday.

Inconsistency

With only six games to go, the Timbers haven’t been able to find consistency in this final part of the season. In their last five matches, Portland had a big win against Real Salt Lake, then a loss against LA Galaxy, then a fun draw against St. Louis with lots of goals, the win in the Cascadia Rivalry game, and now this loss against Colorado.

What is head-scratching about this result is that the Timbers recently trashed the Rapids in the Leagues Cup. It was a 4-0 win that showed the team’s scoring prowess. Antony, David Ayala, Mason Toye, and Santiago Moreno, all put the ball in the back of the net that day. True, the Rapids’ started a different XI than they had in the League’s Cup, but Portland’s didn’t change so much.

So, what happened? Let’s take a look.

A defensive and offensive problem

It’s interesting how Portland is third in MLS in goals scored with 56 (the Galaxy has 57 and Inter Miami 65), but we’re still talking about how the team are wasting good chances. The most obvious example was the opportunity Antony wasted near the end of the first half. In the 43rd minute, Antony went one-vs-one with the goalkeeper, but he took too much time to make up his mind about when to shoot and ended up wasting one of the biggest chances the Timbers had in the entire first half to put the score in their favor.

Going off the team’s expected goals, they should’ve scored at least one more goal and should’ve prevented the Rapids from scoring the winning goal. Portland had 2.12 expected goals, while Colorado had 1.3.

How do we explain this result, then? The graphic below gives us a clue:

Graphic source: MLS Statistics and Analysis

According to the MLS Statistics and Analysis Twitter account, this graphic shows which teams’ defenses limit their opponents’ chances and those who fail to prevent good chances. The first of these are in the bottom left, and the latter group is in the top right.

The Timbers are in neither of those quadrants, but they’re dangerously close to the top right, which goes hand-in-hand with their latest result against Colorado.

Not through the middle

Colorado did well preventing the Timbers from sending passes into the box from the middle, so Portland had no choice but to do it from the wings.

In the video below, Evander is carrying the ball after a Colorado turnover near their box. The home team did well to organize the defense quickly and deny the playmaker the opportunity to pass the ball through the middle, making him go sideways. (Because he’s Evander, he was able to find a shot on target. However, the goalkeeper stopped it.)

Colorado is keeping the marks tight in the image below, with both man-to-man and zonal marking. No doubt, they were very disciplined.

Caption: MLS/ Apple TV

In the graphics below you can see that the events of the above clip happened during the entire match. The Rapids let the Timbers pass the ball from the middle to the sides, and never to the box.

Graphic source: MLS Statistics and Analysis
Antony and Moreno, you have a problem

We’ve already gone over how the Brazilian winger missed a great opportunity at the end of the first half. However, there was another big chance he missed at the beginning of the second half.

Santiago Moreno and Evander were carrying the ball on the right wing while Antony was going through the middle. Then, Evander put the ball on a platter for his fellow countryman. Antony only needed to redirect it, but he couldn’t do it and missed the biggest chance in the entire match. He had more looks, but the outcome was the same.

Source: Opta

Moreno, on the other hand, uploaded a video to his personal TikTok account on gameday that created a big feeling of discomfort among the fans.

In the video, Moreno was celebrating a Brazilian club’s interest in him. We know that players have hopes and dreams of playing for their dream club someday, and who knows? Maybe Moreno’s dream is to play in Brazil, and we shouldn’t have a problem with that.

However, the video left a terrible taste in the mouths of many, many fans. The fact that he posted that video on a game day, as a prominent player on the team and knowing his team is battling to secure a playoff spot, shows no class at all. It’s understandable if fans are pissed at him. On the other hand, Moreno had a good game, even though maybe Portland is not the place he wants to be anymore.

What’s next

After the international break, the Timbers’ week got shortened. They’re playing LA Galaxy on Wednesday night. That’s going to be a huge home game against the top team in the conference. Hopefully, Ricky Puig won’t have Portland’s number this time and the defense can keep him and the rest of the team at bay.

Last but not least, a big shout-out to David Ayala, who scored his first MLS goal and always shows up for the team. Let’s hope he can be one of the Timbers who will make the difference on Wednesday.

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 4, Colorado Rapids 1

Photo by Thomas Lal

The start of Phil Neville’s Portland Timbers era could not have started with worse pregame news. The new head coach was still without his two unannounced designated players. Maxime Crépeau, Claudio Bravo, Felipe Mora, and Evander were also unavailable to play.

Despite the absences, Neville had the guys ready to go. And go they did, scoring three times in the first 30 minutes of the game to come away with a 4-1 win.

“I’ve got to say, it felt like a Champions League type feeling,” Neville said. “You know, there’s a buzzing in the air. There’s an anticipation.”

The players have commended Neville’s training structure, as well as his emphasis on team-building and fostering strong relationships with everyone in the organization.

These bonds and trust in one another led the Portland Timbers to a Saturday night rout over the Colorado Rapids.

Lineups

Despite the aforementioned player absences, the Timbers were still able to put together a strong XI—especially in midfield. Cristhian Paredes sat next to Diego Chara in more defensive roles, while Eryk Williamson played underneath Dairon Asprilla, with Williamson having the flexibility to roam back deeper into midfield.

Williamson, who has gone through significant setbacks in the past two years, has never wavered one bit. With Evander out, he stepped up and played as the team’s No. 10. In the 10th minute, all of the blood, sweat, and tears would be worth it.

Antony, who Neville heralded as the team’s best player all preseason, wasted absolutely no time after Williamson went on the board and tallied a first half brace. In 2023, Antony had made nine appearances and recorded one goal. He bested last year’s scoring mark in his first half of football in 2024.

To make matters even worse for the visitors, they surrendered an own goal to make it 4-0 for the home side going into halftime.

The Rapids would made the proceedings a bit precarious for Portland in the second half, but the game was already out of hand by then.

Neville’s first memory as Timbers head coach would be of sweet victory.

“I’ve had a lot of messages over the last 24 hours, and I’ve been really calm,” he said. “I’ve been really calm because what I’ve seen and how I’ve been accepted here, it’s been so good. It feels like home.”

The Zen garden

Williamson took to gardening in 2023 to stay mentally strong while rehabbing from an ACL injury.

“I stayed really big on vegetables and gardening,” he said. “Little things like that kept you grounded. You didn’t realize how long you were away from the game.”

After working his tail off nonstop for the past few years, Williamson scored his first goal since 2021 only nine minutes into the 2024 regular season. There isn’t a player who deserved that moment more than him.

“Eryk had trained in the No. 10 position earlier in the week when Evander had a day recovery” said Neville. “So it was pretty straightforward.

“Eryk Williamson—from day one of preseason, he’s worked every day of the offseason. In his own mind, he’s probably got a lot of time to make up because of the amount of time that he’s missed. And to score the goal early in the game gave him a massive boost.”

In the absence of Evander, Williamson took on the No. 10 role and shined. He has made it clear his goal is to make it back on the USMNT, and if he keeps racking up performances like this, another call-up is coming.

After everything he’s been through, he continues to persevere and find joy in the game again.

Photo by Thomas Lal. (Fun fact: Zac McGraw said Eryk Williamson is his best friend on the team.)
A star has arrived

All preseason, the Timbers coaches, especially Neville, were talking up Antony as the best performer. Their faith in him was rewarded immediately.

“I’m excited that he got to start tonight, and he got to produce some really fantastic moments” said Neville. “You know, funny enough, I thought some of his best moments were defensively as well, in terms of the work that he put in.”

After staying in Portland all offseason, the winger is looking to build upon a huge 2024 campaign. Now he is playing for so much more, his newborn son and family.

“It was a very happy night for me,” Antony said. “Most of you all know that my son was actually born recently, so I think it was a perfect way to show him how good it is to play football, especially after scoring two goals.”

Portland by the numbers

xG: Portland Timbers: 0.45, Colorado Rapids: 1.51

Shots: Portland Timbers: 7, Colorado Rapids: 13

Goal contributions: Eryk Williamson (1 goal, 1 assist), Antony (2 goals)

Shots: Antony (3)

Ball possession phases: Juan David Mosquera (55)

Passes: Kamal Miller (42)

Crosses: Antony (4)

Clearances: Zac McGraw (9)

 

 

Categories
Soccer

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 3, Colorado Rapids 2

Photo by Kris Lattimore

The Portland Timbers went into Saturday night’s match against Colorado Rapids coming off three straight wins and unbeaten in their last five matches.

The home side desperately needed three points, with the playoff race in the West insanely crowded. Being in eighth place leaves almost no room for error the rest of the way.

With Saturday being Portland’s third game in six days, interim head coach Miles Joseph would rotate in Noel Caliskan, Antony, Felipe Mora, and Dairon Asprilla into the starting XI.

Bingham, Mosquera, McGraw, Zuparic, Bravo, Acosta, Caliskan Moreno, Asprilla, Mora (C), Antony Substitutes: Sulte, Araujo, Mabiala, Miller, Rasmussen, Loria, Blanco, Boli, Gutierrez

In an unexpectedly chaotic game, Portland found a wild 3-2 win over Colorado.

After controlling the early action, in the 20th minute, the Timbers struck first, thanks to a beautiful header by Antony and the excellent service of Asprilla.

Antony’s first goal with Portland could not have come at a better time. Under Joseph, this team has played on the front foot and shows no signs of slowing down. The structure he has put forth highlights this team’s true strengths in attack.

In the 30th minute, Caliskan played a perfectly disguised pass to find Santiago Moreno, who calmly finished to double the lead.

However, for the second match in a row, Portland conceded almost immediately after scoring. Diego Rubio would cut the lead down to 2-1 for the visitors.

The momentum was not done shifting completely. In the 44th minute, Andrew Gutman ripped a shot that deflected off a Timbers defender into the back of the net. Portland went into the break tied 2-2 after a dominant first half where they outshot the Rapids nine to four and out-possessed them 65% to 35%.

Heading into the half with a 2-2 scoreline was unacceptable. “First half, we felt we had the game in hand a little bit,” Joseph said. “Then we let it slip. We gave up a couple opportunities, and it was unfortunate.”

In the second half, the game got chippy, physical, and brutal. Looking to pick up three points, both teams traded blows.

In the 71st minute, though, Mora dribbled around the goalkeeper and slotted home the goal to give his squad the 3-2 lead. Asprilla provided his second assist of the game with another perfect ball.

Photo by Kris Lattimore

“Scoring the goal, I’m just very filled with happiness,” Mora said. “Definitely makes it a lot better when I’m able to score and celebrate with our fans.” 

Although Joseph subbed in defenders Miguel Araujo and Larrys Mabiala, the team never stopped looking for the fourth.

The relentless counterattack from the end-of-the-game backline of Juan David Mosquera, Zac McGraw, Araujo, Mabiala, Dario Župarić, and Eric Miller one-of-a-kind look from the Timbers. That surprise helped preserve the 3-2 win.

Joseph said he was glad Portland made the necessary adjustments to close out the huge win.

“I was happy we got the third,” he said. “In that situation when teams are desperate and they’re in your house, you have to make some changes to play the game out, and I felt we did a really good job getting the guys on at the end of the game to close the game out.”

The Timbers are now unbeaten in their last six matches and on a four-game winning streak.

Timbers U22
Photo by Kris Lattimore

The Timbers young talent stepped up in a huge way on Saturday. Antony, who occupies an international and a U22 Initiative Slot for the team, made his first start and scored his first goal.

“I think you’ve seen the progression of Antony, and he’s still going to progress. Tonight was just a small little highlight of what you’re going to see,” Joseph said. “He’s an electric player. We’re building his minutes, and I think, as we progress and get into the playoffs and then make our run, he’s going to be an important player.”

Moreno also occupies a U22 Initiative Slot and joined the party with his second goal of the year. He led the team with 21 completed passes in the final third and 12 recoveries.

And we can’t leave out Mosquera. JDM put in one heck of a shift. He led the team with five chances created, two successful dribbles, and two fouls won. This player is one of the best young attacking fullbacks in the MLS.

These young players are set to be the future of this team, but they are not willing to wait. The present is also theirs.

More rotation
Photo by Kris Lattimore

Joseph’s willingness to rotate his lineup during short-turnaround weeks has paid dividends. The only players to play full minutes for the three games were the bash bros: McGraw and Župarić. Joseph gave minutes to 17 different players, which demonstrates his trust in the players and his squad’s depth.

The closers

As mentioned above, Joseph presented yet another tactical wrinkle with the late game backline of Mosquera, McGraw, Araujo, Mabiala, Župarić. It was a departure from Joseph’s regular aggressive subbing patterns late in the game.

When you are the one in charge, these decisions impact whether or not you win a game. Joseph continues to surprise with tactics and his ability to make the right call.

Having six on the backline to close out the game was brilliant. Joseph said he wanted to bring on players that would push the wingbacks up but also lock down the team’s defense—especially given all the squad rotation.

“I think closing out—like having experienced guys and at the end of the game—was really important,” he said. “They know how to close games out.”

Photo by Kris Lattimore
Key Stats
  • Bryan Acosta led the team with 46 completed passes, three tackles, and two tackles won.
  • Dairon Asprilla paced the team with two assists.
  • Felipe Mora was an attacking force with six shots, two shots on target, and the game-winning goal.
  • Zac McGraw had a huge game defensively, winning five aerial duels and three tackles.
Photo by Kris Lattimore