Tag: evander

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, LAFC 2

Photo by Kris Lattimore

After a dramatic tie against Sporting KC, the Portland Timbers returned home to Providence Park—to earn another draw against Los Angeles FC.

“I thought it was a brilliant game of football,” said Timbers head coach Phil Neville. “We spoke three weeks ago about mentality, and I think we showed that mentality today. There’s a clear identity forming with our mentality, and I’m super proud with the way that they played.”

In one of the most aggressive moves of his tenure, Neville opted to play Jonathan Rodríguez on the left and Felipe Mora in the middle, starting the Timbers’ two best attackers in the same game for the first time. Their limited time together has been super effective—and one the head coach was forced to field due to Mora’s stellar play.

Neville also put Diego Chará and David Ayala in a double pivot for the first time. Ayala has been drawing rave reviews from Neville and the coaching staff. He has been influential in every game thus far.

Crepeau, Mosquera, Araujo, K. Miller, Bravo D. Chara ©, Ayala, Antony, Evander, Rodriguez Mora Subs: Pantemis, Mabiala, E. Miller, Moreno, Paredes, Williamson, Asprilla, Fogaça

In the 12th minute, Evander slipped in a beautiful ball to Mora, who somehow guided it home for the 1-0 lead. The home team’s sequence of play started with Juan David Mosquera winning a turnover and dribbling toward the right side of the box before laying the ball off to Evander.

Portland dominated the early proceedings. They didn’t allow LAFC’s first shot until the 21st minute (and by that time the Timbers already recorded four shots).

Unfortunately, all it takes is one bad moment. In the 22nd minute, the Timbers’ backline fell asleep, and Mateusz Bogusz made them pay dearly with a perfectly pinpointed far-post shot past Max Crépeau. Kamal Miller tried to close it down, but he had absolutely no help from Miguel Araujo, who was nowhere to be found in the sequence.

After being outshot four to zero in the following 10 or so minutes, Mosquera hit a nicely-weighted cross to Evande,r who smashed home a  gorgeous volley in the 34th minute. That goal came against the run of play.

Unfortunately, the second half could not have started in worse fashion for the home side.

In the 48th minute, Crépeau came off his line hard, but could not win the ball and was given a red card for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. This forced Portland to take off Mora and bring on James Pantemis.

Bogusz struck the ensuing free kick brilliantly to equalize for LAFC in the 52nd minute.

In the 66th minute, Evander struck a nice free kick at the top of the box, but it hit off the post. Even down a man, the Timbers continued to fight.

The teams traded shots back and forth the rest of the way, but neither was able to put together enough for a win. The game ended with a 2-2 draw.

Although they went down a man, the Portland Timbers worked their butts off to preserve the point.

No ZZs
Photo by Kris Lattimore.

Zac McGraw and Dario Župarić were both unavailable for the game, due to a concussion and personal reasons, respectively. That left Miller, Araujo, and Larrys Mabiala as Portland’s only options at centerback for the game.

Miller and Araujo ended up with the starts. Miller has been a starter all season, and Araujo made his second consecutive start.

The results were very mixed in their first start together. In this regard, Neville had no choice due to lack of options.

“It’s growing better and better,” said Miller. “Those goals […] could have been avoided, but all throughout the run of the 90 minutes, I feel like we’re defending strong. And to go man down with so long left in the game, against a team like LAFC that keeps possession of the ball so well. I felt like we defended well, and I believe we got a clean sheet with a man down.”

Their chemistry is building, but I do think McGraw should be starting all future games alongside Miller.

Jon and Pipe

The first start together for Rodríguez and Mora was not a surprise and was the right move by the head coach. Neville has spoken to the media about the sense that they paid to play Rodríguez as the No. 9. Mora’s stellar play as a reserve forced Neville’s hand, and rightfully so.

Although their connection is new, the duo are currently Portland’s best two goalscorers and finishers. They only got to play 48 minutes together, but the team looked extremely dangerous, with the attention both of them draw opening space for Evander, Mosquera, and Antony.

Moving forward, they are going to scoring tons and providing a ton of assists. This is just the start for the dynamic duo.

Another new pair
Photo by Kris Lattimore.

Neville and his staff have talked up Ayala big time since his return. He does all of the hard work necessary in the midfield and has an accurate left foot. His passing has surprised some, but it shouldn’t. Ayala can switch the point of attack, do the defensive work, and keep the attack moving.

His pairing with Chará is a bit special, as Ayala has been seen as a possible heir apparent.

This midfield looked sharp with those two rotating the defensive and attacking assignments. Their chemistry looked smooth and efficient. Although the Timbers have Eryk Williamson and Cristhian Parades, who are both extremely talented, Ayala offers the perfect balance. Depending on the matchup, Williamson should still get his fair share of starts, as should Parades.

Neville’s range of available options in the midfield is a blessing. For now, it seems like he has finally found the right mix (especially once Ayala returns to full fitness).

The Evander

“I think Evander is the best player in the conference at this moment in time. He’s playing incredibly well,” said Neville. “I don’t see a better No. 10 in either conference at this moment in time than Evander—that’s how highly I rate him.”

In the past three games, Evander has five goal contributions (three goals and two assists), including his golazo against LAFC.

He has quickly become one of the most dangerous players in all of MLS and is heating up at the perfect moment.

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, Vancouver Whitecaps 3

Photo: Kris Lattimore
Photo: Kris Lattimore

The fun is over. The Portland Timbers are officially just as frustrating as they were last season.

Just when we thought Portland did a 180° turn… the last three games were as if reality slapped fans in the face.

“Unacceptable”

In the first Cascadia derby match of the year, Timbers head coach Phil Neville’s squad went down 0-1 only 90 seconds into the match. “I felt that the first 30 minutes were totally unacceptable for a derby game,” Neville said. “You don’t start a derby game like that, going down in the first 90 seconds.”

It’s the same old story: The Timbers look like a world-class team one minute and then look like clowns the next.

On the flipside, the first goal Portland scored was stunning. It’s an example of how the Timbers can play in every game. Those guys have a nag for shooting themselves in the foot, and they showed that outstanding ability again in this game. 

Look at the buildup: Cristhian Paredes not only occupied the half space well, but Jonathan Rodríguez did well distracting defenders, which helped Evander stay unmarked at the edge of the box. The positioning also gave Evander enough space and time to produce a world-class finish, one that was almost impossible to stop.

So, the question is: How can the Timbers look that good and then play like complete amateurs?

“You can’t […] concede three goals and expect to win games“

We’ll rephrase coach Neville and point out the way those three goals were scored. Of course, the Vancouver Whitecaps deserve some recognition for finishing them, but we cannot help but think the Timbers contribute a lot to those goals. Heck, they should even get part of the expected goal credit!

In the first one, Ryan Gauld entered the box through the half-space, while Diego Chará failed to track him. Then, Zac McGraw couldn’t clear the ball, and the rebound fell to Gauld’s feet. The forward finished with a shot to the near post that beat Maxime Crépeau.

It didn’t take the Whitecaps much hassle—only four passes on the right wing, in fact—to get to the Timbers’ box for the second goal. Well, that and McGraw’s backheel assist.

For the third… well, Crépeau couldn’t hold the ball, and then Portland’s entire defense forgot to watch their backs, making it too easy for Ryan Raposo to get into the box and hit that ball home.

So, if we rephrase the coach, we would say, “You can’t […] concede three goals in that way and expect to win games.”

Do they know how to build from the back?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but many times it looked as if the Timbers didn’t have a clue about what to do with the ball when trying to build from the back. When Crépeau sent the ball to his centerbacks instead of sending a long pass, the defenders moved the ball here and there, but they had serious issues with the progressive phase.

Actually, that’s what led to Vancouver’s second goal. If we rewatch the tape, we’ll see that after six passes, McGraw tried to send the ball to the midfield where Rodríguez was, but it was blocked. Vancouver took advantage of the interception to regain possession, switched the point of attack, and ended up scoring.

We know the Timbers have more often than not played direct in the past and felt more comfortable being in the back seat regarding possession. They’re used to forcing errors and then going fast in counterattacks. But in this match, it was different.

Vancouver let Portland press in the final 20 minutes of the first half, and then the Timbers took the main seat in the second half. Evander grew exponentially—and he was everywhere, scoring and assisting.

They were things of beauty, his finish and his assist. But no magic designated player can save a team that has serious lapses in defense. As we already established, the three goals scored by Vancouver were preventable if Portland’s defense had stayed organized. And as long as the Timbers can’t get their defense together, no designated player will save them.

Going back to build up, the Timbers need to learn to feel comfortable with their ball at their feet. They need to learn how to build from the back and use the midfield properly. It is true that Chará might not be the same as he has been in seasons past—age is taking its toll—but the team has a true creator in Evander, and Santiago Moreno can be his partner in crime in that midfield.

Speaking of Moreno, he needs to get his act together. He did well against Vancouver, staying high to steal balls and always staying connected to the game, but he needs to connect better with his teammates in the attack to make chances count.

The Timbers will play again on Sunday, this time against Sporting KC. If they want to get at least a point on the road, they need to stop gifting the ball to their opponents, and they need to stop doing that in dangerous positions.

It finally looks as if the attack won’t be a problem this season, but who cares if the team can score beautiful goals if the coach has to sub one of the centerbacks out at halftime due to a very poor performance among other serious defensive problems?

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, NYC FC 1

Photo: Matthew Wolfe
Photo by Matthew Wolfe.

The Portland Timbers hit the road to play NYC FC on Saturday afternoon, and after a great second half, they flipped the score in their favor and got the three points.

The Timbers arrived at this match with one win and one draw on the season, and they showed some positive things on the field that were absent in 2023—with the highlight being a better end product in the final third.

A change in the lineup

Due to Eryk Williamson’s absence, head coach Phil Neville started Evander, who supposedly couldn’t go 90 but finished the game on the field as a hero. The rest of the lineup remained the same as last game’s against D. C. United.

“He probably should’ve played 60 minutes maximum coming back from injury,” Neville said of Evander after the match. “He didn’t want to come off; he could smell the game was there for him. He was enjoying his football, and in this league, you are going to suffer adversity away from home, and it’s how you deal with that.”

Not a very good first half

The game didn’t start in the best way for the Timbers. After a corner that Portland never could clear, the marking in the box was a mess, and the post helped Santiago Rodríguez to open the score for the home team. The early goal against in the 10th minute made them lose all their nonchalance, leading them to make bad decisions when passing the ball. 

After that, the defense looked shaky, with Zac McGraw not having the best time. Five minutes later he lost the mark of one of NYC’s wingers. Timbers goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau came up big and stopped what could’ve been the second goal of the night for the Citizens. The left wing was a highway for NYC, and if it weren’t for their lack of aim and Crépeau’s timely interventions, Portland could’ve lost the match in only 45 minutes.

McGraw was beaten by his opponent on at least three occasions and didn’t look solid as usual. Still, he had the most duels won of all Portland’s defenders with eight, was second in passing accuracy with 88.2%, was first in tackles with four, second in clearances with seven, and tied with Eric Miller for two interceptions.

It took the Timbers half an hour to produce a nice build-up. At the beginning of the game, they were hasty and weren’t very assertive with their passes going forward. They chose to make long passes, which more often than not ended with a loss of possession in the midfield, helping New York attack Portland’s box over and over again.

In the following video, we can see the Timbers making 10 passes before deciding to go forward. Then, the progression phase is pretty fast, and they lost possession, but Diego Chará recovered it and made a key pass in the process, giving Antony the chance to shoot. Sadly, his finish was very amateur-like.

Although the home team kept controlling the ball and tempo in the first half, Portland started to show more patience after this good buildup.

(The above play also shows how NYC left some space in the right top of the box that the Timbers could exploit—and would in the second half when they found the equalizer.)

A different game, a different mentality

It was nice to see the players’ work ethic in the second half. Unlike the first half, Portland started to press NYC high and recover the ball on New York’s side of the field, near the box, over and over again. They collected second balls and rebounds, won duels, and therefore didn’t let the home team make counterattacks. Portland stopped them before they could cross the midfield, and in this way, kept the risk of NYC doubling the lead at bay.

It was also nice to see how the Timbers took matters into their own hands in the second half. The home team could barely touch the ball from minute 50 on, and if not for NYC’s disciplined defense, Portland could’ve gotten the equalizer sooner.

The plan worked just fine. On previous occasions, Portland had found some space on the right top of the box. Just watch how open Juan David Mosquera is, and how much time he has to send the ball to the box in the following video:

So, it wasn’t a shock when, after a second half of intense pressing, Evander opened up to the right, where Mosquera was above, and sent a low cross to the penalty spot where Antony was placed. The Brazilian beat the goalkeeper with a high shot, and the Timbers still had some minutes to try to turn the score in their favor.

The ball was clearly on the Timbers’ side, and they took advantage of it. 

They didn’t give up, not even in the dying seconds of the game. And although it was indeed Evander’s magical right foot that beat goalkeeper Matt Freese, center back Kamal Miller deserves some recognition; he was the one who played smart and sent the precise aerial pass to Antony in the first place.

Then, the Brazilians worked their magic and produced the winning goal in the last minute of the game. A lot has been said about Portland’s next designated player, and the performance by Evander shows why it’s important for the club to sign one and soon. Those are usually the game-changers and the ones who can help a team to win matches.

“You saw the benefit of having a designated player with high quality and what happens when one person on the team shows quality and courage the rest take confidence from that, and that’s exactly what happened,” Neville said of Evander. “I thought his winning goal was just a reward for a brilliant performance.”

Evander's distribution map. Source: Opta
Evander’s distribution map. Source: Opta

What could’ve been a loss on the road ended with three points in the bag for Portland, thanks to this team performance, and ultimately, to the Brazilians on the team. Evander’s stoppage time screamer gave the visitors their second win in three games. And what is more, the Timbers are at the top of the table of the Western Conference.

I think it’s safe to say that it’s time to get excited about this team now.

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, San Jose Earthquakes 1

Photo by Riya Patel.

The Portland Timbers went into this game coming off two consecutive wins for the first time all season. Unfortunately for them, they had to play three days after Sunday’s dominant 2-1 win over Austin FC.

In the interim head coach Miles Joseph era, Portland have scored two goals in each of their past five games. The 10 goals in that span is the club’s best run of form this season, by far.

This time, however, the Timbers had to do it with a rotated lineup at home against the seventh-place San Jose Earthquakes.

Bingham, Mosquera, McGraw, Zuparic, Bravo, Paredes (C), Acosta, Evander, Moreno, Boli, Blanco Substitutes: Sulte, Araujo, Mabiala, Miller, Antony, Asprilla, Y. Chara, Loria, Mora

Under their interim coach, the home side has played on the front foot quite a bit more than under his predecessor. This would be no different and led to their most complete performance of the year with a 2-1 win. The scoreline does not show their dominance over the game.

“In the first half, I feel like we controlled a lot of the game, especially with our ability to step into the front half of the field and press them and cause a lot of turnovers,” said Joseph. “We gained possession out of that in the front half of the field which is great. We created a lot of chances off that.”

The Timbers had more possession—51% to 49%—shots, shots on goal, crosses, total passes, and better passing accuracy. The offense ran through the midfield and fullbacks. Evander, Cristhian Parades, and Santiago Moreno ran the show in the first half, with support from Juan David Mosquera and Claudio Bravo. Their combinations and link-up play were a beautiful sight to behold. Still, the final product was not there until stoppage time.

In the last minute of stoppage time, Portland unleashed their counterattack, with Franck Boli leading the charge. Boli played it out wide to Bryan Acosta. The newcomer played the perfect ball across goal to find Paredes for the 1-0 lead.

The second half saw much more of the same for the Timbers.

In the 58th minute, Sebastián Blanco blasted a shot that deflected perfectly to Evander, who calmly finished double the lead to 2-0.

There was one slight hiccup. In the 60th minute, San Jose answered, thanks to a Matthew Hoppe goal off a rebound.

True to the Timbers’ new aggressive style, in the 64th minute, Felipe Mora, Yimmi Chará, and Antony were subbed on for energy and to preserve some legs for Saturday.

Instead of parking the bus, also Joseph subbed on Dairon Asprilla for Moreno and looked for the third goal.

“In the second half we continued, and we refreshed with some exciting players again,” Joseph said. “We were able to get in behind and create some more scoring chances. After we gave up the goal, we didn’t have to sit all the way back and protect ourselves. We still tried to progress and keep it in the front half of the field. Really, really good performance from our guys.”

After one of their best performances of season, the Timbers are now eighth in the Western Conference.

They host a reeling Colorado Rapids next, which will be Portland’s last home game until decision day against the Houston Dynamo.

Rotation?

Given the short turnaround, Joseph was required to rotate his lineup. He started Mosquera, Acosta, Blanco, and Boli in place of Eric Miller, Chará, Asprilla, and Mora.

By making this change, Joseph allows the team to play almost a full first XI on Saturday (except Paredes, due to yellow card accumulation).

Joseph’s willingness to trust depth players will pay dividends for this late run. He has refused to play it safe and prefers to turn on the jets, even late in the game.

Luckily, this will be the last short week the Timbers have the rest of the regular season.

Stay on the front foot!
Photo by Riya Patel.

Even if you are accustomed to playing on the back foot, it’s imperative you come out at home stepping on the gas. The Timbers executed their game plan almost to perfection against San Jose and won quite comfortably.

In the first half, the Timbers outshot the visitors five to one. The second half would see Portland grow into the game even more. They continued to attack nonstop, evidenced by their 14 to five shot advantage. In total, Portland outshot the Earthquakes 19 to six.

Much of their success was found by playing through their midfield and having good width with their wingers and fullbacks.

Joseph specifically praised Joseph and Acosta postgame.

Paredes has flourished under Joseph, who has allowed Paredes to be the box-to-box midfielder that suits his game most. He led the game in touches, chances created, shots, expected goals, completed passes in the final third, tackles, and recoveries.

He has been wearing the captain’s armband while Diego Chará recovers from his appendectomy. This year, he is a crucial influence on the team with his play and leadership.

“Cristhian continues to impress, as always, with his energy,” Joseph said. “His positioning has gotten so much better and his ability to control pockets of space with his possession now. I’m just really happy with him.”

Paredes wasn’t the only midfielder who shined on Wednesday.

Acosta played his best match since he joined Portland and paced the team with the game’s only assist. He also led in passing accuracy with 90.2%, chances created, and tackles won.

Evander scored his team-leading ninth goal of the year and led the team in shots on target, chances created, and crosses.

Joseph has the team playing quick, decisive, and exciting football. This is what fans have wanted to see all season, and it’s finally arrived.

Miles is him

In his six games as interim head coach, Joseph has completely turned Portland’s season around. His era is off to a hot start (4-1-1), and it shows no signs of slowing down.

He has changed the team’s mentality, play, and ambition.

“I think we show more character than before,” said Dario Župarić. “When a team changes the coach, something happens. We’re the same team, same group. But I think we’ve changed mentality.”

A team that was on the brink of being eliminated from the playoffs are now at the door for the postseason.

Portland has now found a clear identity. What has been missing all season has been discovered. The structure is clearly defined, and Joseph is making it work by playing to his team’s strengths.

“We were then able to set some structure into place and define some clear roles with everybody available,” Joseph said. “Now, the guys are seeing things much clearer, and it’s been really nice to watch.”

Key Stats

Portland Timbers xG: 2.13
San Jose xG: 1.27

Shots inside the box: Portland 12, San Jose 5

Touches inside the box: Portland 32, San Jose 23

Another Santiago Moreno Performance: He had five dribbles, three successful dribbles, 17 final third passes, and two fouls won to lead the team.

Underrated, Claudio Bravo: Paced the team with three successful dribbles, three aerial duels, and 13 passes in the final third.

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, Austin FC 1

Photo: Matthew Wolfe
Photo: Matthew Wolfe

The Timbers traveled to Texas to play Austin in hopes of keeping their playoff hopes alive. The visitors had to endure 40 minutes of pressure, but in the end, they came out victorious.

Portland endured and then fought back
Credit: Timbers FC
Credit: Timbers FC

Austin gave the Timbers a wake-up call only 60 seconds into the game, when Emiliano Rigoni scored a goal that was wiped off due to offside. Austin knocked on the door again 10 minutes into the match, when Gyasi Zardes hit the post with a header. Right after that, Sebastián Driussi forced David Bingham to make a one-handed save.

The Timbers had to clear corner kick after corner kick in the first minutes of the game, and they were nowhere near Austin’s box. The home team controlled the ball and the midfield, and they used the center of the park to their advantage in the attack.

It took the Timbers half an hour to shoot on frame. Evander set up a counterattack, sending a diagonal ball from left to right to Dairon Asprilla. Asprilla sprinted but waited a couple seconds for Santiago Moreno to make a run into the box. Moreno took the shot but hit it right to where Brad Stuver was standing.

Portland looked more alive after that. Just minutes later, they opened the counter. Bingham played a long ball that fell to Asprilla after Austin’s defenders couldn’t control it. Asprilla muscled his way to the end line and sent a low cross to the middle. A combination of a lucky bounce and Felipe Mora’s good positioning were enough to score the first goal of the night.

Austin tried to revert things in the second half, but the Timbers were more in control thanks to a better presence on the midfield. So, Austin tried to attack Portland through the middle, as they did in the first half, but to no avail this time. 

The visitors started to win battles in the midfield; Moreno doing just that led to the second goal of the night. Yimmi Chará sent a service from the left to the far post, where Mora was. Mora chested it to assist Evander, who scored with his right foot from close range.

It was unbelievable, but true. 

Of course, the hosts weren’t going down without a fight. After a great save by Bingham, Driussi scored one back in the 75th.

After that, Portland endured and created more chances. Maybe the clearest one was a sitter that Franck Boli couldn’t put in the back of the net in the 81st minute. A real shame.

The cases of Santiago Moreno and Dairon Asprilla

Moreno was playing his best soccer at the beginning of the year. As the season progressed, we learned he wasn’t that happy at Portland, and you could see it since his brilliance started to fade away little by little.

Nonetheless, in this game, the Colombian went back to his old self. We could see him shining in the midfield again, creating opportunities for his teammates and winning duels. 

Moreno is a valuable player for the Timbers, and with Diego Chará absent for the next couple of weeks, Portland needs a strong presence in the midfield. This improvement in Moreno’s game is very welcome.

Dairon Asprilla also had a great match. His presence on the field was evident. He created four chances and used his body pretty well to win 11 battles and five aerial duels. And let’s remember that it he was the one who battled for the ball that he later sent to the six-yard box, so Mora could score.

Hopefully, those two will keep pushing the Timbers forward in this critical last part of the season.

David Bingham, No. 1

Both Aljaž Ivačič and Bingham had opportunities to showcase their talents in the Gio Savaresse era, but in the end, the Slovenian was the one who won the starting position.

Things have changed under interim head coach Miles Joseph, though. Joseph said he’s happy with Bingham’s work, and for now, Bingham’s going to be the starting keeper.

And although many fans would rather see Jazzy on goal, a brief look at the stats helps Bingham plead his case:

Source: Opta
Source: Opta

Ivačič has started 15 games so far and registered many more saves than Bingham, who has 14 starts. But the American has conceded almost half the number of goals that his teammate has. Bingham also surpasses the Slovenian in all the other stats.

True, these are cold numbers. We should analyze who was available in the backline when each of them started and who wasn’t. It would also be important to see who the opponent was and who was in the front line they had to face, among other important details.

Nonetheless, you can’t deny the numbers and how well Bingham has been doing lately.

It is important to add, though, that the Timbers have a tight schedule this week. They play the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday and the Colorado Rapids on Saturday. Joseph has said he’s anticipating some rotation. Will he give minutes to Jazzy?

With the three points they got in Texas, Portland is occupying a playoff spot. Will they be able to keep climbing the table and secure it? Playing at home should help them in this quest, so it’s a good thing the next two matches are at Providence Park.

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Soccer

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, LAFC 0

Photo Taken by the Amazing Matthew Wolfe

International duty made a mark on this game for both teams.

Five Los Angeles FC players missed the match due to international duty: Denis Bouanga, Stipe Biuk, Denil Maldonado, Christian Torres, and Cristian Olivera.

Three Portland Timbers got call-ups for their countries: Juan David Mosquera, Miguel Araujo, and Bryan Acosta. However, the most notable absence was Dario Župarić, who was out due to yellow card accumulation.

If you play against LAFC, you never know which stars will show up—even on the road.

Unfortunately for Will Ferrell, who is a member of the LAFC ownership group and made the trip up to Portland for the match, a shorthanded LAFC had no answer for the home side.

Interim head coach Miles Joseph led the Timbers to a 2-0 statement win over one of the best sides in MLS.

Although LAFC is struggling as of late, this takes nothing away from how tough of a season it has been for Portland, and how big of a victory this was.

LAFC goalkeeper John McCarthy misplayed two balls in a span of two minutes that allowed the Timbers to strike first.

In the 28th minute, Larrys Mabiala had his biggest moment of the season with a headed goal off the corner kick.

 

In the 53rd minute, Claudio Bravo finished one of the best-worked goals of the season for the Timbers.

The home side were absolutely dominant in the second half and could have scored even more.

But Portland’s backline was the key. Defenders scored both of the goals and kept the clean sheet.

“I was really pleased with the performance from the start of the game all the way to the end. It was really a complete game for us,” Joseph said. “We even came in at half time and spoke a little bit about some adjust[ments] and showed a little bit of video again, and we came out an scored a goal in that exact way. It was pretty impressive.”

Photo by Matthew Wolfe
No Župerman? No Problem!

Larrys Mabiala filled in for Župarić and Araujo in both of their absences. Did he deliver? Absolutely.

His first half goal set the tone for the Portland Timbers.

Photo by Matthew Wolfe

Mabiala led the team in shots and shots on goal and was third on the team in possession won.

“The back line was shorthanded, but those are the same guys that are going out every day on the training ground,” Mabiala said. “We know what we have to do; the instructions are very clear from the coaching staff, and we all try to make a positive point. We are trying to show the coaching staff and everyone that the guys that are not playing that much, we can have a chance, and they can count on us whenever they need us. […] It doesn’t matter who’s playing just as long as we’re all targeting the same thing, which is getting the wins on the weekend to qualify for playoffs.”

His partnership with Zac McGraw and with fullbacks Eric Miller and Claudio Bravo helped preserve a rare shutout for the team.

Photo by Matthew Wolfe

Bravo, in particular, was brilliant. It doesn’t get much tougher than Carlos Vela as a defensive assignment, but Bravo met the challenge head-on. He also led the team in tackles, tackles won, possession won, shots on target, and tied for one goal.

Offense! Attack!
Photo by Matthew Wolfe

Joseph has led a resurgence for the Timbers in the attack.

In his four games at the helm, they have scored two goals in each.

Joseph said scoring was something Portland has been focused on in the postgame presser.

If he can somehow lead the team into the top nine of the table, does the interim title get removed for a permanent one?

Don’t say it

Could this Portland Timbers side really make a late season push? Joseph and the team are giving themselves a chance and making things very interesting.

McGraw put everything in perspective.

“It’s known to everyone we haven’t won two games in a row yet this season all year,” he said. “We need to build off this. Obviously, last year we went on a similar run winning games at the end, but it came down to decision day, and ultimately, we didn’t make the playoffs.

“All we can do is really go into Austin, which is not an easy place to play by any means, and push for three points,” McGraw said. “LAFC is a great team; they’re defending MLS champions, and it’s a big morale booster for the team.”

Matthew Wolfe
Photo by Matthew Wolfe
Photo by Matthew Wolfe
Photo by Matthew Wolfe
Photo by Matthew Wolfe
Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2-2 Seattle Sounders

Credit: Kris Lattimore
Credit: Kris Lattimore

The Timbers traveled to Seattle after last Wednesday’s win at home in search of the elusive back-to-back win. What looked like the end of their unbeaten streak at Lumen Field took a wild turn, helping Portland gain a point and spoil Seattle’s party.

This was interim head coach Miles Joseph’s third game in charge of the Portland Timbers, and he made changes to the starting XI after Wednesday. Eric Miller, Yimmi Chará and Felipe Mora started instead of Claudio Bravo, Franck Boli, and Sebastián Blanco.

Source: Timbers FC
Graphic via Timbers FC

In terms of attacking prowess, Bravo brings more to the table than Miller. But after some poor performances by the full-back, it was understandable that the coach wanted to see what Miller might bring to the table. That and the match being the team’s third game in one week might have been the reasons to let Bravo rest a little.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the best of games for Miller—losing Raúl Ruidíaz’s mark less than 10 minutes into the match wasn’t good at all—but he didn’t give the ball away as easily as Bravo, which is always welcomed. Miller also didn’t get into as many duels as the Argentine does, but the times he did, he was more successful. (He won 67% of his duels, while Bravo only won 37.5% last match.)

Seattle’s first half was a party

Of course, the Timbers handled the ball to their rivals. That’s how they play and how they’ll probably keep playing until the end of the season. Still, seeing Portland playing catch against the Seattle Sounders wasn’t fun at all. What also hurt was to see five-and-a-half-feet tall Ruidíaz beat Miller in a set piece.

Eric Miller marking (?) Ruidíaz. Source: MLS / Apple TV
Eric Miller marking (?) Ruidíaz. Source: MLS / Apple TV

When you see that caption, you might wonder, ‘What is Miller doing trying to cover Ruidíaz from behind?’ Well, I don’t have the answer for that question, other than that he tried to zone mark but ended up leaving Ruidíaz in a perfect position to head that ball home.

And speaking of full-backs, Juan David Mosquera going forward is good and all, but most of the time he was caught in transition when the Timbers lost the ball in the midfield, and he wasn’t fast enough to backtrack on time. Other times he would just fail to read the play well and cut pass lanes, leading to most of Seattle’s attacks coming from the Timbers’ right flank.

Y. Chará didn’t have the best of games either and contributed little to nothing on the attack.

Thank you for the celebration, Léo Chú

Half an hour into the game, Cristhian Paredes checked his back twice, saw Albert Rusnák nearby, and when Diego Chará passed the ball to him, he checked João Paulo’s position but never registered Léo Chú’s.

Source: MLS/ Apple TV
Paredes checking Paulo. Source: MLS/ Apple TV

The Sounders attacker came from Paredes’ blind side to steal the ball, and the rest is history. At the half-hour mark, the home team was already up 2-0. The minute the goal was scored went to the books, but Chú’s celebration did not, although that was crucial for the final outcome of this game as well. Chú took off his shirt and earned a yellow card—setting the stage for the second half.

It looked as if the Sounders were unbeatable in the first half. The Timbers had a great opportunity in the 40th minute, but the ball refused to go in, and João Paulo had a lot to do with it. Then, Portland had a free kick near the end of the first forty-five that was so close to goal! You could say it was the prelude to the golazo Evander would score in the second half.

A three-minute spell

You might say the foul on Zac McGraw was soft, but that didn’t matter to the referee, who didn’t hesitate to show a second yellow to Chú for tackling McGraw when he already won the position and the possession of the ball.

Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer couldn’t believe it either.

Source: MLS / Apple TV
Source: MLS / Apple TV

In the 67th minute, Joseph made a triple substitution and put on the pitch a player that has built a reputation around scoring important goals for the Timbers. That’s right: Dairon Asprilla stepped on the field along with Blanco and Boli. The Colombian would prove to be key once again only seconds after he got into the game.

“Asprilla comes in and scores the goal,” Joseph said. “As long as I’ve been here, he’s amazing. I just couldn’t have been more pleased at that moment to get that goal that turned around the half for us.”

Kudos to McGraw, because he flicked the ball, and by doing so, he discombobulated Seattle’s defense—a move that left Asprilla unmarked to head that ball home. The Colombian received a yellow card for his celebration, like Chú, but there was a difference between those two.

Source: MLS/ Apple TV
Kids, don’t take your shirt off when celebrating a goal if you don’t know how to play on a yellow. Source: MLS/ Apple TV

Three minutes later Evander tied the game. His goal was incredible, but so was the Sounders’ apparent short-term memory. Just before halftime, the Brazilian was close to scoring—which he has from that spot (screen capture below) many times now this season.

How did Seattle give him so much space and time? That is a real doozie.

Evander's shot. Source: MLS/ Apple TV
Evander goal’s xG= 4.15 (Opta). Image: MLS/ Apple TV
Final thoughts

In a year where almost everything seems lost, games like this have the power to make people believe again… or at least make them come back home with a smile on their faces. Spoiling Seattle’s party is always fun and this match will go into the Cascadia rivalry games history book  as one to remember.

A point on the road is not much. Due to this draw, Portland lost the Cascadia Cup (congratulations, Vancouver), and they’re four points shy of the playoffs. But having come back from being down 0-2 against the Sounders in Seattle tastes sweet.

A lot has been said about how this draw also extends Portland’s unbeaten streak at Lumen Field, but not much has been said about how this draw might have given the Timbers the momentum they needed.

“It’s been a long week,” Joseph said. “Guys are tired, and this is a huge point for us. And that carries us through to next weekend against LAFC.” 

Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, Real Salt Lake 1

Photo taken by the Kris Lattimore

Interim head coach Miles Joseph earned his first win as the leader of the Portland Timbers with a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake in front the Providence Park home crowd.

The Portland Timbers snapped a four-match losing streak across all competitions—and a three match losing streak in MLS regular season play.

Bingham, Mosquera, McGraw, Zuparic, Bravo, Paredes, D. Chara (C), Evander, Moreno, Boli, Blanco Substitutes: Ivacic, Araujo, Mabiala, Miller, Acosta, Antony, Asprilla, Y. Chara, Mora

Portland came out on the front foot and with a ton of energy.

Back in the starting XI was Zac McGraw, who has been absolutely superb this season. His partnership with Dario Župarić has been one of the few bright spots for the Timbers this year.

Starting in his first MLS regular season game in 2023 was Timbers legend Sebastián Blanco.

In the 13th minute, the home side worked the ball beautifully down near the box. Franck Boli slipped a pass to Evander out wide. Evander played a well-placed ball to Juan David Mosquera, who looped a high cross in the top of the box. Real Salt Lake refused to make any effort to the ball, and Santiago Moreno made them pay with a headed goal to open the scoring.

Felipe Mora subbed on for Boli in the 57th minute. After scoring in the match against Vancouver Whitecaps, he would make it a second consecutive game. In the 64th minute, he doubled the lead for the Portland Timbers, thanks to a well-played assist from Moreno.

Real Salt Lake did not go down quietly. In the 82nd minute, Cristian Arango would cut the lead back down to one with a deflected goal past David Bingham.

Photo taken by the Kris Lattimore

Mora’s continued comfort and ascension is the extra boost the Portland Timbers need to possibly make a late playoff push.

First win

Joseph led the Portland Timbers to a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake for his first ever head coaching win.

After praising the team’s second half efforts against Vancouver, he was proud of how his team came out for this game.

“I thought it was a good continuation from our last game in the second half,” Joseph said. “So that was kind of the message going into the game to continue on from the second half of the last game and the guys really put a great effort in the first half to start off on the right foot.”

The Santi Moreno Show
Photo by Kris Lattimore

Don’t look now, but Moreno has put up consecutive fabulous performances.

“He did what was asked of him,” Joseph said. “On the attacking half of the field, he stayed wide, and I think his opportunities came pretty frequently.

“I think the important thing is for Santi to get his confidence, and I think tonight was a really, really good start for him,” he said.

Moreno scored his first goal of the season and tallied an assist for a goal contribution brace. The best part? His mom was in attendance to see him play his best football of the season.

“A very special moment for myself to score a goal and also do it in front of my mom,” Moreno said. “I haven’t been able to score this season, so it has been rough. But in front of my mom, it makes it very special and also, for me, to be able to score when we get the three points makes it even better.”

Officiating

The referees have been a bit inconsistent in their officiating against the Timbers for the last few weeks.

Diego Chará mentioned it in the post-game presser, and Joseph seem to agree with his captain’s sentiment about how games are being called for the team.

Next: Seattle

The Timbers make the trip up to Lumen Field to face their rivals, the Seattle Sounders today.

Joseph and the team will be ready.

“This is a great win for us to build momentum,” he said after the RSL victory. “I think every game against Seattle is important.”

Kris Lattimore
Photo by Kris Lattimore
Photo by Kris Lattimore
Photo by Kris Lattimore
Photo by Kris Lattimore
Photo by Kris Lattimore
Photo by Kris Lattimore
Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, Vancouver Whitecaps 3

Photo by Kris Lattimore

A week ago today, the Portland Timbers fired the winningest coach in the history of the franchise.

Gio Savarese gave everything he had to the club, fans, and city for over six seasons as head coach. He and his family will be missed for everything they did in the community.

There will never be anyone else like him. We, at the Rose City Review, wish Gio and his family all the best.

Former assistant Miles Joseph was asked to take over as the interim head coach in this final stretch, starting at home against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Even with the incredible effort the Timbers showed in the second half, it was not meant to be. They fell to Vancouver 2-3.

The loss was the Timbers’ lost their fourth straight defeat in all competitions.

In the 13th minute, the Whitecaps’ Ryan Gauld got the road team on the board, when a deflection fell perfectly to him. In the 36th minute, Gauld placed a brilliant cross and found the head of Brian White to double Vancouver’s lead.

The Timbers would not go down without a fight.

In the 53rd minute, Darion Asprilla hit a perfectly pinpointed cross to find the head of Felipe Mora, who scored his first regular season goal of the year.

In the 60th minute, Evander recklessly tackled Richie Laryea in the box and gave up a penalty kick. Gauld would finish past David Bingham for his goal contribution hat trick (two goals and one assist).

In the 84th minute, the home team would respond once again. Sebastián Blanco, who came on as a second half sub, played a low driven ball near the top of the box to Evander, who made no mistake with it to cut Vancouver’s lead back to a one-goal difference.

During the final moments of the game, the Portland Timbers gave it all they had, but they couldn’t find the equalizer.

Interim

Taking over for someone as successful and beloved as Gio Savarese is a tall task.

Joseph has an uphill climb to bring Portland to the playoffs.

Still, his energy is fantastic and on display constantly. The players seem to be responding positively to it, both at training and during the game.

And he seems to have a game plan for the team.

“We trained this week on the wide triangles and trying to open up the field, especially against Vancouver,” Joseph said after the match. “The first half we were getting a little bit too narrow. So, we presented some video at halftime, and they corrected it. We needed to get to the end-line more, and we did. We got a goal out of it.

“I think as we stick to the process and move forward, we’re gonna create a lot of scoring chances.” 

No Bash Bros
Photo by Kris Lattimore

Although star center back Zac McGraw returned to training this week, he was not ready to start. Miguel Araujo took his place once again. Unfortunately, any pairing outside of Dario Župarić and McGraw has been unsuccessful for the Timbers this season.

Each time one of the stud centerback duo is not available, it is a struggle for the team.

Without McGraw starting the last two games, the Portland Timbers have surrendered eight goals.

This shows the lack of depth the team has, Araujo’s need for more time to get used to the pairings and system, and the importance of the Zs duo.

Cascadia Cup

Coming into the game, the Portland Timbers could have controlled their own destiny with a win or a draw at home against Vancouver Whitecaps.

With the loss, they now need to win next weekend in Seattle and for Vancouver to lose to Seattle in their Cascadia Cup finale.

Photo of the Match
Photo by Kris Lattimore
Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 1, Tigres UANL 2

Photographer: Kris Lattimore

After securing three points in their Leagues Cup opening game against the San Jose Earthquakes, Portland was in position to clinch a spot in the knockout stage with at least a draw. The Timbers could also advance in a three-way tie through goal differential. 

Tigres is one of the most storied clubs in North America—and in the world. The opportunity to play a team of this historic stature is huge. 

Playing at a disadvantage for over a half would be too much to overcome, as the Timbers dropped the last game of the Leagues Cup group stage 1-2. 

Photographer: Kris Lattimore

In the 24th minute, Evander took on his best Leo Messi impersonation and hit the perfect free kick into to the upper 90 to put the home side up 1-0. 

Photographer: Kris Lattimore

The good times would not keep on rollin’, unfortunately. 

In the 42nd minute, former France international, André-Pierre Gignac scored the equalizer for Tigres.

To make matters even worse for Portland, Evander got sent off with his second yellow in the 44th minute. 

Even down a player in the second half, the Portland Timbers refused to bunker. Both teams exchanged chances, tackles, and shots. 

In the 81st minute, Jesús Angulo beat Juan David Mosquera far post and gave the visitors the 1-2 lead. 

In order to try to get a result out of the game, head coach Gio Savarese made a triple sub in the 88th minute: Franck Boli for Dairon Asprilla, Sebastián Blanco for Claudio Bravo, and Miguel Araujo for Mosquera. The Timbers would play the rest of the game with a three-back of Miguel Araujo, Dario Župarić, and Zac McGraw.

Still, the Timbers did enough to move on in the Leagues Cup. (There is no scenario that existed where they didn’t move on.) 

Evander

The biggest transfer in Timbers history has taken the reigns of this team and won’t let go.

He is putting his stamp on games and has shown his best stretch of play. 

In the 24th minute, Evander delivered once again for Portland. 

The Timbers will continue to win games if this stud continues to take over matches. 

Unfortunately, Evander picked up his first yellow in the 39th minute. Then, the head official decided to get involved in the 44th minute and give Evander his second yellow.

Replays showed that this was not warranted, and it was a real shame, as the game was starting to go end-to-end with a ton of action. 

As a player on a yellow card, you’ve got to be extremely careful and not put yourself in that position. 

It was a frustrating way for Evander to end his time in the game, especially with such a big start. 

Felipe Mora

Mora has worked his tail off to come back and has recently returned to play. However, this start was a huge milestone for him. 

His professionalism through it all shows his character. There aren’t many players who have committed to the city and team the way he has. These moments and opportunities are more than deserved for the Timbers’ No. 9. 

Officiating 

Instead of playing this entire game at full strength, Evander’s second yellow card put us down to 10 players for the second half. 

The official decided to intervene and have the main say over the game.

The atmosphere was amazing throughout, and the fans would have loved to see these teams go at it with everything they’ve got. 

Make no mistake, the official allowed both teams to play. But Tigres is a phenomenal side and did not need the extra assistance.

“I just think the referee ruined the game,” said Savarese. “The referee ruined the game on a red card that was not conscientious of what is happening in the game. For me, there was no need. We were facing a very good team that didn’t need any extra help.”

It’ll a long time before we ever see these two sides go at it again, if ever. It’s a shame that a game was decided in that fashion.

Photographer: Kris Lattimore
Quote of the Night