Tag: Felipe Mora

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 4, Nashville SC 1

Photo by Matthew Wolfe

To round out their third game in eight days, the Portland Timbers faced off against Nashville SC Sunday at Providence Park. The match was one of the most complete performances Portland has put together all season, and they continue to rise in the table.

Unfortunately, both head coach Phil Neville and Evander were suspended for this match. Dave Van den Bergh and Eryk Williamson  took Neville’s and Evander’s places, respectively.

The city of Portland is in the midst of a heat wave. The kickoff for the game was 98 degrees. Luckily, there was absolutely no sun on the pitch.

Pantemis, Mosquera, Araujo, Zuparic, Bravo Chara (C), Ayala Moreno, Williamson, Rodríguez Mora Subs: Muse, McGraw, Mabiala, E. Miller, Paredes, Enriquez, Antony, Fogaça

In the early going, neither team could muster much going forward. They were feeling each other out and trying to find the game.

However, the flood gates opened right after that for the Timbers.

In the 18th minute, Jonathan Rodríguez stole the ball near midfield and proceeded to drive to the top of the box. He slipped a ball into Felipe Mora, who calmly finished for his tenth goal of the season.

In the 21st minute, the team executed a perfect counter. Juan David Mosquera initiated it with a dribble and a great ball out wide to Williamson. Williamson returned the ball to Mosquera, who “passed” it to a wide open Rodríguez for an easy finish.

Minutes later, the Portland Timbers won a spell of possession. Santiago Moreno served the ball from midfield out wide to Rodríguez, who calmly took a few dribbles and smashed it far post past Nashville’s Joe Willis.

In the 29th minute, Williamson made it 4-0 off a perfect, low-driven cross from Moreno. This marked his second goal of the season and first since the season opener.

After that, the cooling break took effect, and Nashville SC interim head coach Rumba Munthali had a chance to get after his team for their abysmal showing in the first half.

Unfortunately, that didn’t cool them off one bit and only made it worse. After a VAR check, in the 35th minute, Brian Anunga’s yellow card was upgraded to a red card after video showed Anunga’s  studs going into the back of David Ayala’s leg. The visitors were down four goals and had to play with 10 men for the rest of the game.

In stoppage time, Forster Ajago’s goal was called offside.

In the next Portland possession, Rodríguez was taken down in the box. The official called it right way, but reversed it after going back to VAR.

The first half demonstrated the prolific attack Portland possesses and how dangerous this team is when they are allowed to play on their own terms.

In the second half, the Timbers were on cruise control.

With Rodríguez on hat trick watch, the team did everything they could to feed him the ball.

In the 82nd minute, Nashville’s Sam Surridge found a tap-in goal after the Timbers could not stop their opponent’s initial through ball or the following low-driven cross. They gave up the clean sheet on a very well-worked goal. It was Portland’s only blemish on a beautiful evening of football.

Photo Taken By The Matthew Wolfe

“A bit of a hiccup, obviously, last Thursday, so we wanted to have a bounce back,” said Van den Bergh. “And I think this was a good game for that, so very happy with the three points. On the other side of things, a little disappointed we couldn’t keep a clean sheet that would have been really big for James [Pantemis], for our defenders, but at the end of the day, when you’re facing Nashville at home, and you tell me in advance that we’re going to win 4-1, I would have signed a dotted line. So, all in all, a good win. I would have liked to have scored a couple more goals in the second half, but that’s the way it goes sometimes. But all in all, was a good performance by our guys.”

Eryk

With Evander out, Van den Bergh opted for Williamson in that role.

In the first half, he tallied his second goal of the season.

Once Antony was subbed on in the second half, Williamson moved back to a double pivot with Diego Chará to help preserve the win.

However, after Moreno came off, Williamson moved back to the No. 10.

His versatility, dynamism, and creativity makes him extremely valuable to have on this team. Even though MVP candidate Evander and rising star David Ayala, are ahead of him on the team’s depth chart, there is still a role for Williamson.

“Eryk Williamson showed why he is a very, very good player for us and why we have him on the roster” said Van den Bergh. “I mean, he was outstanding tonight, not just his goal, but overall, I don’t think he lost three balls tonight […] He’s been good in practice, and he deserved his chance.”

History

For the first time since 2022, an MLS club has had three different players to score at least 10 goals or more: Rodríguez, Mora, and Evander.

The three designated players have been money all year and show no signs of slowing down.

“You can see we got along so well, and we try a lot to have fun while we’re playing” said Mora. “And I think we’re enjoying playing alongside each other.”

Image
Graphic via MLS Communications

“Extremely happy with the fact that we have three players on 10 goals,” said Van den Bergh. “I found out that it’s the first time in Timbers history, which is pretty wild. Very happy for those three. They’ve been putting in the work since the day I got here.”

Hat trick watch
Photo by Matthew Wolfe

Never in the history of the Portland Timbers has a player scored a hat trick. Rodríguez was the latest one burned by the team’s curse.

Rodríguez had a brace in a matter of minutes, and had the rest of the game to make club history. He drew a penalty late in first half stoppage time, but for some reason VAR overturned the call. Although the initial ruling was a tad soft, reversing the decision still doesn’t make much sense. After that, the team tried to find Rodríguez every time they got down in the attacking third, but it was not meant to be.

The wait continues…

Photo of the night
Diego Valeri with drums in Timbers Army. Photo by Matthew Wolfe.
Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 2, Sporting KC 1

Photo by Matthew Wolfe.

The Portland Timbers had a favorable home run, going against the Seattle Sounders, the San Jose Earthquakes, and ending with Sporting KC. All three opposing teams were near the bottom of the table. But Portland fell short against the Sounders. The Earthquakes were on their way to a win before Portland was gifted a late red card to turn a 0-2 deficit into a 4-2 win.

Sporting KC is not a good team this year, which they’ve shown through their play all season long. Playoff teams—as the Timbers hope to be—need to beat these types of sides at home. The Timbers were the better team going into Saturday, and they needed to show it.

Crépeau, Mosquera, Araujo, Zuparic, K. Miller Chara (C), Ayala, Antony, Evander, Rodríguez Mora Subs: Pantemis, Bravo, Mabiala, McGraw, E. Miller, Paredes, Williamson, Asprilla, Fogaça

The main surprise was Portland head coach Phil Neville opting to start a four-back after beginning the past few matches in a three-back. Along with the formation change, he gave Kamal Miller the start at left back for the first time all season.

In the beginning, it was an ugly affair of football. Miscommunication, sloppy passes, and bad decision-making consumed most of the first half.

It took until the 16th minute either side to get a shot off. At the half both neither had registered a single shot on target.  Although the Timbers were the better side, they had almost nothing to show for it. They were ahead in shots (five to one) and expected goals (0.39 to 0.05).

Portland took over in the second half. In the 51st minute, Evander put on a bunch of moves and played a perfect cross into the box. The ball found Felipe Mora’s head to open the scoring.

But true to form, this team struggled to hold a lead or sniff a clean sheet.

In the 62nd minute, Sporting worked the ball in and around the box under barely any pressure from Portland. Alan Pulido laid it back to Memo Rodríguez, who ripped one past Max Crépeau to equalize.

Still, the Timbers were largely the better team on the field, which paid off in the 79th minute. Antony steamed forward with the ball and played it to Jonathan Rodríguez. He found Mora for the header. Mora who steered the ball to Evander, who placed it past KC goalkeeper Tim Melia for the 2-1 lead. Initially the ruled was called offside, but a VAR check overturned the call.

In the last minutes of stoppage time, Crépeau came up with possibly his biggest save as a Timber when he denied Johnny Russell’s header to preserve the win.

Portland needed to take care business, and they did. Outside of one hiccup the Timbers played like the better team, putting up an expected goal margin of 2.05 to KC’s 0.25, and got the job done.

“I’m really pleased with the three points” said Neville. “It’s two wins out of three now, which is what we expect and what we want. I think we’ve seen improvements now over the last two or three weeks. Tonight was probably our best defensive performance in terms of our shape and organization.”

David Ayala’s time?

With Diego Chará at 38 years of age, the Timbers have been looking for his successor. They may have found him in David Ayala. Both play similar brands of football and do all the hard work necessary to be Portland’s No. 6. When either leave the pitch, there is no doubt that they gave it their all.

Ayala was the biggest bright spot for the team in the first half. He led the team in five stats: defensive actions, clearances, chances created, duels won, and interceptions.

This has been a common occurrence for him. He fills the stat sheet with his incredible work rate, efficiency, and soccer IQ.

Neville has spoken glowingly about him all season, and the hype has not slowed down one bit.

“I thought David had his best game” said Neville. “I got him in before the game tonight, and I told him I didn’t want any bullshit tonight… He needed that little bit of tough love. He knows what I think of him.”

The only thing holding Ayala back seems to be his match fitness. After coming back from an ACL tear, he has yet to play a full match. The 75 minutes he played against KC were the most since his return to the pitch.

“I told him I’m not taking him off after 60 minutes anymore,” Neville said. “If you can’t make it to 90 minutes, you can’t make it at this club.”

Kamal Miller LB
Photo by Matthew Wolfe.

Miller was one of the biggest surprises in the starting XI. The shock did not come from him starting, but that he started at left back.

“Kamal obviously is a centerback when I brought him [in],” said Neville. “In a way, he’s my boy. But there’s no way I could leave out Miguel Araujo, or Dario Župarić [who both started the match in the middle of defense]. They’ve been playing really well, and they give us some maturity in that back line.”

With Claudio Bravo returning and only available for limited minutes, Neville opted to start Miller.

Miller provided stability on the left side and ventured forward in opportune times. This was one of the most solid performances from any left back who has started for Portland this season—although we should note that it was against Sporting KC.

Wow

Miguel Araujo led the team Saturday in defensive actions with 15, clearances with six, recoveries with 11, and interceptions with two.

Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 1, Seattle Sounders 2

Photo Taken by the Amazing Kelsey Baker

After the Portland Timbers 2 and the Portland Thorns put on exciting shows Friday and Saturday against the SeaTac side of their respective leagues, the Portland Timbers had a chance Sunday to try to hit the trifecta for a nine-point PTFC weekend. Unfortunately, that’s not how the day played out.

Timbers head coach Phil Neville has been very open about the team’s struggles and his frustration with Portland’s lack of results and disastrous performances. Going into the weekend, the Timbers were winless in their last eight games.

Fortunately, the Seattle Sounders have struggled mightily all year. They have had trouble to scoring goals, while the Timbers have problems keeping the opposition out of their net.

The cumulative issues meant that this edition of the Cascadia Clash featured the two worst teams in MLS’ Western Conference. Portland and Seattle had 10 points apiece and sat in 13th and 14th place, respectively.

Crépeau, Mosquera, Zuparic, K. Miller, E. Miller Moreno, Chara (C), Paredes, Antony Mora, Rodríguez Subs: Pantemis, Mabiala, McGraw, Ayala, Evander, Williamson, Asprilla, Fogaça

The Timbers’ head coach said to expect lineup changes, and they arrived in a new center back pairing of Dario Župarić and Kamal Miller. He also started Eric Miller in the place of the injured Claudio Bravo. Antony and Cristhian Paredes also made their returns to the starting XI. Evander would return, but only to the bench.

One thing about Neville: he is never afraid to make changes.

In the 15th minute, Župarić played a long ball in to find Jonathan Rodríguez, who chested it to Felipe Mora in-stride to make it 1-0. Mora has shined since coming back from injury, scoring five goals in six games.

Unfortunately, in the 19th minute, Cristian Roldan equalized off a deflection.

At halftime, it was tied at 1-1, with both teams tallying five shots. However, Portland was sound defensively and was unlucky to concede. Seattle offered very little in attack and were hesitant moving forward.

Still, it was the Sounders who took the lead in the 50th minute, thanks to Raúl Ruidiaz. The Timbers refused to close him down, and Max Crépeau had no chance to stop the goal.

Ruidiaz’s tally made the match Portland’s eighth consecutive game where they allowed two or more goals.

Evander made his return in the 56th minute. This team has struggled mightily without him. But beyond his return to the pitch, the remainder of the game and the entirety of the second half was one to forget. The drive and urgency was nowhere to be found.

The inconsistency of the backline is the only consistency this season has provided. In this game, they actually played well, but when your team isn’t performing, the luck or bounces don’t tend to go your way either. This team needs to create their own good fortune, but they refuse to shoot the ball to create opportunities. It’s a complete mess right now.

“Massively disappointing. I think the run that we’re on at the moment, I’ve got to take full responsibility for this run,” said Neville. “There’s no time for sulking. Any criticism that comes our way begins with me. I select the team, I pick the system, I pick the tactics. The last nine games, we’ve got to be better.”

Tillamook

What an announcement to make before kickoff! The Timbers faithful have been hoping for a new shirt sponsor that everyone can get behind since DaBella was dropped for allegations of sexual harassment against the company’s CEO.

There was one unanimous dream: Tillamook. That became reality when Diego Chará was shown on the jumbotron with the beautiful new kit on.

All credit to the Timbers and Tillamook for listening to the incredible supporters of the club and doing what’s best for business and everyone involved.

Make no mistake: this doesn’t make up for everything, but it is a step in the right direction.

New backline
Photo Taken by the Awesome Kelsey Baker

The Timbers started the quartet of Juan David Mosquera, Župarić, K. Miller, and E. Miller for the first time all season.

Župarić has made it clear that he wants to play and earn every penny of his paycheck. He has made a trade request if the club does not see that as a possibility.

He provided the ‘hockey’ assist on the lone goal for Portland.

Although the scoreboard is unpleasant, his partnership with K. Miller was a definite positive for the Timbers. Neville will need to make sure he comes back to this partnership later on.

At this point, however, Zac McGraw being benched and without a chance to regain his form could hurt this team a lot. Neville teased a three-back early in preseason, but he has not tried it in regular season play. McGraw, K. Miller, and Župarić could execute this very well. The formation would also allow Mosquera to attack even more without worrying his defensive duties as much—though (sigh) this is the case anyway.

E. Miller provided a ton of stability on the left in place of Bravo. He is underappreciated for what he brings to this team on and off the pitch and for his consistency in what he brings to every match. His fullback counterpart, Mosquera, had a decent game, but Mosquera’s attention on the defensive side of the ball was below par—and has been for the majority of the season.

Rivalry week
Photo Taken by the Fantastic Kelsey Baker

As with every Cascadia Clash, these teams absolutely despise each other. The game is played on another level physically, no matter what.

This game was no different. Unfortunately referee Alan Chapman allowed too much rough play to continue all match long, inevitably leading to at least some kind of skirmish.

The game got incredibly chippy in the 54th minute when Nouhou Tolo and Mosquera went at it. The Sounders’ defender picked up a yellow card for multiple shoves.

However, the play was ultimately uninspired from both sides. I’m not quite sure either team deserved three points. The only thing that met expectations was the intensity in the challenges, fouls, and rough play that we’ve come to expect from this rivalry.

Lone bright spot

The only true positive from this match was Mora scoring his fifth goal in six games.

Honesty
Photo Taken by the Incredible Kelsey Baker

“I’ve got to be better, but the one thing I’m absolutely convinced of is that we will get this right,” Neville said. “I’m more convinced today than I’ve ever been.”

The grace period is over, and the excuses for this team need to stop. They need to start getting results, or they’ll be heading for the No. 1 draft pick in the MLS SuperDraft very soon.

What evidence do we have to believe they’ll get this right?

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Soccer Timbers

Kickin’ It with Felipe Mora

Photo by Matthew Wolfe.
Photo by Matthew Wolfe.
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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.

Categories
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?

Categories
Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 3, LA Galaxy 3

Photo by Matthew Wolfe.
Photo by Matthew Wolfe.

In an exciting match, the Portland Timbers got a point on the road and extended their unbeaten streak to seven games.  

A Diego Chará- and Evander-less Portland traveled to Los Angeles to play the LA Galaxy on Saturday night. 

Timbers ahead… wait, not so fast!

It didn’t take much time for the Timbers to put themselves ahead. A good team play positioned Dairon Asprilla to run with the ball on his feet on the right wing. The Colombian sent a low pass to the far post, and Santiago Moreno held his run to come from behind and buried that ball home with one touch.

The lead wasn’t going to last for long because Portland failed to defend a corner in the 10th minute. Eriq Zavaleta headed the ball home despite Juan David Mosquera’s marking. 

The Timbers took another hit when Cristhian Paredes had to be replaced by Noel Caliskan in minute 36′ for a no-contact injury. So far, the club hasn’t released any news regarding the Paraguayan player.

Lady luck played its part

Portland put themselves ahead in the score again before the first half finished. A quick combination between Felipe Mora and Moreno made it possible—with some help from Zavaleta who, while trying to defend, scored an own goal.

Sadly, the advantage wasn’t going to last long. LA Galaxy equalized again some minutes later. You can say they got lucky, too, because when Noel Caliskan tried to clear the ball, it hit Raheem Edwards and fell right into the feet of Douglas Costa. The winger was totally unmarked and smashed it home.

The hosts were going to hit again before halftime after a soft foul by Brian Acosta near the box. Tyler Boyd faked the service, but it was Costa the one who sent the ball to the far post. That little movement confused the Timbers’ defense and both Zavaleta and Edwards ended up unmarked—and onside near the 6-yard box—to head the ball in the back of the net.

Image: MLS/ Apple TV
Image: MLS/ Apple TV

Timbers and set pieces… am I right?

The players might have wanted to kick themselves at halftime knowing they let the Galaxy equalize twice and then put themselves ahead on the score in such a crucial moment of the game.

A different attitude

Despite the Timbers conceding a late goal before halftime, the team was able to embrace the words of Fred Astaire sang in his famous song, “Pick Yourself Up.”

“Don’t lose your confidence if you slip,” Astaire says in the song. “Be grateful for a pleasant trip. And pick yourself up. Dust yourself off. Start all over again.” And that’s exactly what Portland did.

In the second half, they created some nice buildups and didn’t get deterred by the absence of a key player like Paredes. Caliskan did well helping Bryan Acosta and Moreno in the midfield. Maybe Portland’s fullbacks were quieter than usual, but other than that, the team worked as a unit.

Captain Felipe Mora strikes again

In the end, the Timbers found the equalizer thanks to the never-give-up attitude they’ve found under interim head coach Miles Joseph. And who else but captain Mora could’ve done it? The Chilean has been instrumental for the Timbers since he fully recovered from injury. (Let’s remember that he was the one who scored the winning goal in Portland’s previous game against the Colorado Rapids.)

Mora’s right-footed shot from the center of the box to the top right corner showed his constant awareness of any goal opportunities that might arise—and how he’ll always do his utmost to take them.

The final recognition of this takeaway is for the substitutes. All of them contribute to something, no matter if they played many or just a few minutes. You could see how lively Sebastián Blanco, Franck Boli, and the others looked and how they kept the energy high.

A point on the road with important players injured is not a poor result. Maybe it can boost Portland in their next match against the Montréal Impact, the penultimate game of the season.

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
Categories
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.

Categories
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