The Portland Timbers honored Diego Valeri by inducting him into the club’s ring of honor before their Saturday night match against the Columbus Crew—and by earning a 3-2 win on the field.
Coming into the game winless in their last five matchups, Portland was hoping to honor ‘The Maestro’ with three points to snap the winless streak.
Celebrating his birthday, head coach Gio Savarese wanted the win as a present.
The day was made right for both, as the Timbers secured the nail-biting 3-2 win over the Crew.
Neither team could create much early in the first half, as the game lacked any sort of rhythm or control. However, that changed after the first 25 minutes.
In the 28th minute, Claudio Bravo somehow found a way a collect the rebound to find Dario Župarić. The center back played it to Dairon Asprilla, who finished past Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte to put the home side up 1-0.
Two minutes later, Franck Boli played a perfect through ball into Asprilla, who beat two defenders and Schulte double the Timbers’ lead. Evander’s pass to the frontline had sprung the counterattack.
This made the match the first time Portland had scored more than one goal in a game since their 3-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in May.
Still, in first half stoppage time, Columbus responded with a Lucas Zelarayán goal to cut the lead in half.
In the 49th minute, Zac McGraw headed a potential Christian Ramírez equalizer off the line.
In the 62nd minute, the Portland Timbers put out their best substitutions of the year with Sebastián Blanco, Yimmi Chará, and Felipe Mora coming on.
The party was spoiled in the 65th minute, when Zelarayán would tally a second goal for a brace. His golazo was hit perfectly from outside of the box to beat Timbers goalkeeper David Bingham.
In the 69th minute, the Crew nearly went ahead when Jacen Russell-Rowe got passed the backline. Bingham came up with the biggest save of the night to keep it level.
In the 73rd minute, Mora won the header off a set piece and to redirected it to Y. Chará, who hit off the post.
The Timbers were not going to let the party end on a sour note. In the 80th minute, Y. Chará played a ball across goal that found Blanco, who smashed it home for the 3-2 lead.
This was Seba’s first regular season goal since his amazing comeback from injury.
The Timbers legend was not only being honored for his successes on the pitch—but fro what he did off of it, too.
Valeri was a player who loved being in the community and giving back to people. Any time he was given the change to help, his mind way already made up.
He will go down as a legendary player in the team’s history—and as one of the best people to take the pitch for the club.
Valeri and his family have the utmost love for the city of Portland. They should be remembered for always being a light to everyone who came across them.
Thank you, Diego, Florencia, and Connie.
You all be missed very much. We are forever grateful.
Hat Trick watch
In Timbers history, no player has ever tallied a hat trick, but that could have changed Saturday.
Cooooool finish from Dairon Asprilla to put @TimbersFC ahead!
Our condolences are to Dairon Asprilla’s hometown friend and their family. His strength in the face of great loss is remarkable and inspiring. Please send all your positive thoughts and vibes to him.
Photos by Matthew Wolfe (left) and Kris Lattimore (right)
Portland midfielder Eryk Williamson’s downtown apartment is pretty simple. There’s furniture and standard appliances, but nothing out of the ordinary. In both appearance and purpose, it’s just a place for him to crash between team training sessions and games.
Just two canvases hang from the apartment’s beige walls. One is a classic world map. The other is a picture of Williamson and his close friend—and Timbers teammate—Jeremy Ebobisse.
The lack of pictures and wall art throughout the apartment gives more weight to what is hung up. That’s certainly true with the cropped picture of him and Ebobisse, which was taken during Portland’s 2019 media day. In it, Ebobisse is hanging onto Williamson’s back. Both are smiling.
“It’s one of the two canvases I have up in my place,” Williamson said. “It’s one that really speaks to our relationship. About how I have his back, and he has my back.”
Ebobisse and Williamson have built a rapport on the field, but their relationship didn’t start in Portland. They’ve known one another since they were teenagers playing youth soccer in the Washington, DC suburbs. When they grew older, they became teammates in the United States youth national team system and competed at the Under-20 World Cup in South Korea together.
Now, they’re both expected to play important roles for a Timbers team with MLS Cup aspirations. The photo from that 2019 media day serves as a humbling reminder of where both players started and how they’ve progressed in their careers. Most importantly, it’s a symbol of their close bond years in the making.
“We’re always joking around, Ebobisse said. “They just so happened to capture that moment with a picture.”
It’s not uncommon to hear multiple languages at Portland’s training sessions. Those nearby are just as likely to witness coach Giovanni Savarese belting out instructions in Spanish as they are to hear players shout at each other in French or English during a heated drill.
Listen carefully and you also might also hear the word “sice.” It sounds natural in conversation, but like other regional jargon, it stands out.
The term is DC lingo used after a hyperbolic or exaggerated saying, commonly after jokes. Williamson gave the example of calling someone’s foot bigger than their head. Because that isn’t true, it’s often followed “sice” or “I’m sicing you.” It’s a small thing, but speaks to a commonality Williamson and Ebobisse share from growing up just miles apart.
“That’s something that me and Jeremy have on a lot of guys,” Williamson said. “We have this lingo and can get around explaining it to them, or use it as our own little word that we use until they figure it out.”
Photo by Kris Lattimore
Williamson grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, just south of downtown DC, while Ebobisse grew up north of the city in nearby Bethesda, Maryland. Both were ‘97 kids who played a year up for their club teams—Williamson for the Annandale Firestorm and Ebobisse for the Olney Rangers.
The two first played against one another when they were 12 or 13 years old. Williamson said Ebobisse’s style immediately stood out, specifically the frosted tips the young forward sported. However, the hair—which Williamson later learned came from the chlorine in pools Ebobisse competitively swam in—paled in comparison to Ebobisse’s talent on the field.
Just five minutes into the game, Ebobisse took a shot 40 yards from goal, which rattled the crossbar and rebounded to Williamson in midfield. The Firestorm lost 6–1 that day.
As they grew older, the pair continued to compete against each other, Williamson in Virginia’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) system and Ebobisse for Maryland’s ODP.
Eventually, Williamson and Ebobisse became teammates on the United States U-20 youth national team, where they roomed together at international competitions. They often joked around and enjoyed each other’s company, but also spent plenty of time discussing their game on the field, providing one other with suggestions and constructive criticism.
The occasional deep conversations at night—whether about their personal lives or struggles on the field—helped their relationship blossom.
“We were really able to understand each other’s tendencies,” Ebobisse said. “The things that made us uncomfortable [and] the things that made us really click. By the end of our time there, it wasn’t one of those situations where we didn’t want to be around each other any more.”
The text popped up on Ebobisse’s phone out of the blue.
“RCTID…,” it read.
It consisted of just an acronym, but Ebobisse knew right away what Williamson meant. RCTID: Rose City ‘Til I Die, the Timbers’ recognizable social media hashtag. His close friend, who he grew up competing against and later roomed with, was about to become his teammate in Portland.
“I told him that he better not be messing with me,” Ebobisse said. “But it turns out that he had made the decision and what happened, happened. He was due to fly in 24 hours later and I was just excited.”
Ebobisse had spent a portion of that summer at his home in Maryland. He sometimes played pickup soccer at the nearby University of Maryland campus, where Williamson went to school. Right before Ebobisse returned to Portland for preseason, the two had an honest conversation about the young midfielder’s career goals.
At the time, Williamson was mulling over the decision to either stay in school and play collegiately for another season or to go pro. If he chose to go pro, Williamson told Ebobisse, he would probably end up at one of two different clubs, one being Portland. Still, Ebobisse never thought he would actually share the field with Williamson that very season.
Then the text arrived, sending Ebobisse scrambling to come up with a plan to welcome his friend to his adopted home.
He first volunteered to pick Williamson up from the airport, but a team official had that covered. Instead, Ebobisse took Williamson out to dinner at one of his favorite sushi spots in Portland, Bamboo Sushi, later that night. In a way, Ebobisse wanted to give his friend—completely new to the west coast—something he didn’t have when he first arrived in Portland.
“The previous year, I didn’t have many close relationships on the team,” Ebobisse said. “As a young rookie in an older locker room with a lot of cultural experiences, I didn’t necessarily find my footing immediately. That was definitely a helping hand in my process as much as I helped him as well.”
Off the field, Williamson and Ebobisse played board games like Settlers of Catan and explored the city, often taking trips to local coffee shops. They also roomed together on road trips, where they continued the honest conversations they had while with the youth national teams.
Photo by Nikita Taparia
In 2019, specifically, those discussions really helped Williamson, who struggled to earn minutes with the first team while Ebobisse began to break into the starting eleven. The midfielder asked his friend about what he needed to get out of training and how he could stand out. While nothing changed immediately, those exchanges, which stemmed from their close bond, proved pivotal.
“When you spend that much time with someone, it’s not always going to be joking and laughter,” Ebobisse said. “Sometimes, it’s going to be about serious personal growth on both of our ends. We’ve both gone through a lot on the athletic front and then we’ve also had a lot of different experiences personally. They shaped the way that we do our jobs in the world and we trust each other to give and receive that advice.”
At the time, Ebobisse treaded lightly. He knew Williamson was working as hard as he could to earn time with the first team beyond US Open Cup games and heavily rotated midweek lineups. So, Ebobisse became his friend’s sounding board, having experienced similar early struggles prior to his breakthrough.
“I think he realized that he stepped in right when I think I needed it the most,” Williamson said. “There have been times, it may have been car rides either to or from an event or something along those lines, where it was reassuring. Although I’m not playing, people believe in me and want me to keep pushing.”
They’ve had those conversations more recently too, after neither received a call-up to the United States U-23s to take part in the 2020 Olympic qualifying tournament. Both Ebobisse and Williamson made the preliminary roster, but didn’t make the final cut for manager Jason Kreis’s 20-man team.
“I think we were both a little frustrated there, but we both know that this is a big year for us,” Williamson said. “We sat down and had that conversation. We can’t dwell on it and we have to keep moving forward. Ultimately we have each other and we will do it together.”
As the 2021 MLS season approaches, both are preparing to take another leap forward in their careers. Despite not making the Olympic qualifying roster, they are more confident than ever before, and a lot of that stems from those conversations and their close bond.
What began as a competitive relationship in the DC club soccer scene developed into a close bond built up during their time on youth national teams and now with the Timbers. So, regardless of what happens this season or in the future, the pair will always have one another.
It’s something Williamson is reminded of every day, thanks to the picture, in canvas form, that hangs from his apartment walls.
After a slow start to the 2020 Major League Soccer season, the Portland Timbers came to Orlando with something to prove. Although they’ve only played two games in the MLS is Back Tournament, it seems as if they are starting to do just that.
With a pair of 2-1 victories, the Portland Timbers are one of just four teams to take all six points from their first two games. Against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Portland came out sharp and played with a sense of confidence and precision that eluded them against Minnesota United and Nashville SC. They continued that against the Houston Dynamo, playing between lines and controlling possession against one of the most dangerous attacks in MLS.
Through strong and inspired play, the Timbers have guaranteed themselves a spot in the knockout rounds with a game to spare. But just because they know they will advance doesn’t mean they are taking the next game off or will be complacent—at least not with a game against LAFC looming.
“I think there is too much at stake [to be complacent],” head coach Giovanni Savarese told reporters via a Tuesday morning Zoom conference. “First, we want to come away with three points and finish first in the group. We’re not looking at who we’re playing after, that is why the mentality is very strong. We know that it is going to be a competitive match, and they’ve always been competitive games every time that we play LAFC.”
As Savarese mentioned, these two teams have a history in knockout competitions. In the two seasons since LAFC joined MLS, each team has knocked the other out of the US Open Cup in exciting, albeit at times contentious, games. Despite sitting on only four points after two games, an easy argument can be made that LAFC, even sans 2019 league MVP Carlos Vela, is the strongest team in this tournament.
“We have seen in the last two matches that [LAFC] have been challenged,” Savarese said. “I think this is a group that wants to prove to everyone that it is no longer dependent on Vela because many have said that, so maybe that’s one part of LAFC at the moment. We expect a very competitive match, we know that they are very difficult to play against, and we will bring a very good challenge to them like we always have.”
There is Eduard Atuesta and Latif Blessing creating havoc in midfield. Savarese explicitly pointed out the importance of limiting one-on-one opportunities from dynamic wingers Brian Rodríguez and Diego Rossi. At striker, there’s always-potent Bradley Wright-Phillips.
All of this talent available to head coach Bob Bradley is enough to give opposing coaches migraines. Staying focused for all 90 minutes is vital, but it is easier said than done against a team like LAFC.
“I think a major adjustment we need to have is finishing games a little bit stronger,” Eryk Williamson said. “We were up 2-0 both games and conceding late isn’t ideal, but it’s a clear focus point now and knowing us, LAFC’s strength is turning it on late in halves, and I think it’s something where we have to make sure that we are locked in for the 90-plus minutes.
“If we can disrupt them in any way possible and just continue to play our game with the fluidity we have up top and all the interchange to make it really difficult for them to get going.”
In all likelihood, whichever side controls the midfield will most likely win the game. Over its past two contests, Portland has made connecting play through midfield a priority. Managing the midfield means controlling possession, giving LAFC less time on the ball to pick out passes and easily dissect the Timbers’ shape. Emphasizing quick combination play also helps the Timbers create some one-on-one opportunities of their own.
“The combinations that we have practiced have been key,” Yimmi Chará said through a translator. “It is something that we have improved a lot, it’s something that we have been training on for a long time, and taking advantage of that space our opponent gives us. Up until now, it’s been one of the team’s strengths. Now, Gio Savarese wants us spatially to take advantage of those last few feet on the field so we can always take advantage of the one-on-one and come ahead.”
Another benefit of controlling midfield is that it helps shield Portland’s backline, allowing them to focus on defending deeper areas and to not be as concerned about leaving space if they have to help contain Rodríguez and Rossi out wide. If the Timbers can find some success in the midfield, they could prevent counter-attacking opportunities, limit the space LAFC desires, and control the ever-important balance between sending numbers forward in attack versus staying back.
“I know LAFC has a strong midfield and that we want to be known as one of the top midfields in the league,” Williamson said. “I think this is a good test for us as midfielders to win the midfield battle, but not only that, continue to help our backline defend Rossi and Rodríguez. It’s just a very good task for us and we’re excited for the challenge.”
According to Savarese, the Timbers will be playing with a full-strength lineup come Thursday night. He’s reported no injuries to the media, and despite fielding two full-strength lineups over the past week, he doesn’t plan to heavily rotate the lineup in anticipation for the knockout rounds.
Savarese anticipates that Bradley will play his strongest lineup, and once again emphasized the team’s collective goal of taking all three points and winning the group.
Thursday’s game projects to be one of the Timbers’ toughest challenges this season. As the press conference neared its end, Savarese put everything in perspective. The repeating message to the team has been to not take anything for granted, because just two months ago players were locked in their homes. Now, they prepare to take on last seasons Supporters’ Shield winners for the top spot in Group F.
“We enjoy being here, we’re excited to compete, we’re happy to be in a tournament,” Savarese said. “We missed this game when we were at home and now every game for us is a final.”
