lamar hunt us open cup – Rose City Review

The Portland Timbers hosted Real Salt Lake in the fourth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, with a spot in the final 16 up for grabs.

This game had end to end action, limited amounts of defending, and a bunch of fireworks.

In total, seven goals were scored, with RSL coming out on top 4-3 at Providence Park and eliminating Portland from the next round of the tournament.

Timbers head coach Gio Savarese was very honest with his post match thoughts. “We allowed them to score four goals at home,” he said, “which is not good. And the way we sometimes allow those moments to happen, we need to have a little bit more maturity.

But, he said, “It’s good for some of the players that don’t have that many minutes to be able to come and play. That makes them better, that makes them stronger, that makes them more available to be able to compete and ready to play. ”

Noel Caliskan – T2 Promotion to T1

Photo Credit: Kris Lattimore

Noel Caliskan was selected 15th overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft out of Loyola Marymount University.

He signed his first professional contract with Timbers 2 ahead of the 2023 season. In four appearances with T2, he has scored three goals.

After a strong performance in Portland’s 3-1 win over Orange County in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup, the Timbers rewarded Caliskan with a promotion to the senior team.

On April 28, the club announced that he signed a contract for the 2023 season with options in 2024 and 2025.

Caliskan moved from Germany to the United States to pursue his dreams of becoming a professional footballer.

“It’s obviously an honor,” Caliskan said. “I came to the US with a dream to pursue my career, be a pro and to finally make it and play with the like of [Sebastián Blanco], Eric [Miller], Diego [Chará], big names and MLS legends. It’s an honor to share the locker room with them and to share the field with every day.”

On Wednesday, he was one the bright spots in the team’s home loss. Caliskan recorded two assists and showed off his talent.

Gio Savarese gave Caliskan positive remarks for his performance.

“He was one of the mature guys on the field,” Savarese said. “He did really well. He managed things excellent and endured the match very well. With the ball he gave us what we needed.

“We saw how he pressed on top to create a moment for [Blanco] to score,” he said, “and how great of a moment it is for Seba to score, too.”

With the team shorthanded in midfield, Caliskan has a chance to make a difference for the Portland Timbers this season.

Back like he never left 😏#RCTID pic.twitter.com/4KzymY6eWK

— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) May 11, 2023

Sebastian Blanco scores his first goal since injury comeback

Photo Credit: Kris Lattimore

Seba made his second start since his return from injury and gave the Timbers the early lead with his goal.

Just having him back is a boost to the team. He continues to get better with each appearance. A healthy Blanco will be crucial to Portland’s playoff chances.

Defense?

Photo Credit: Kris Lattimore

“Losing this game at home, allowing four goals after we scored three is no good,” said Savarese. “We talked about it in the locker room and the guys take the responsibility and now we continue to work.”

The backline of Pablo Bonilla, Larrys Mabiala, Tyler Clegg, and Justin Rasmussen had many positives from the game, but there were many moments they would like back.

Scoring three goals and not winning at home is a tough pill to swallow.

The Timbers can put together a good starting backline in Juan David Mosquera, Dario Zuparic, Zac McGraw, and Claudio Bravo. Beyond that, as Wednesday showed, it is a concern if any of them are unavailable for any reason.

The defense, especially the backline, will decide how this season goes.

Key Stats

Portland had the advantage over RSL for xG: 2.02 to 1.62
Marvin Loría led the team with 5 chances created, crosses attempted, and completed passes in final third.
Victor Griffith paced the Timbers with three shots
Noel Caliskan led Portland in assists and completed passes in the final third.
Tyler Clegg won the most tackles for the team
Larrys Mabiala had the most completed passes and recoveries
The Timbers statically dominated almost every category offensively against Real Salt Lake

After a tough loss to on Saturday at FC Cincinnati, the Portland Timbers returned home to face USL team Orange County SC in the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Both teams were coming off 1-2 losses in regular season play and looking for a huge bounce-back game to advance to the fourth round of the tournament.

The Timbers received huge news and a boost for the encounter. Returning from injury for the was Sebastián Blanco, who would be available to play his first minutes for the club in 2023.

Three players from Portland’s second team received opportunities to play this game. Tyler Clegg started at center back next to veteran Larrys Mabiala, Noel Caliskan—who today signed a one-year contract with the senior Timbers team—started in midfield, and Víctor Griffith came off the bench.

The first ten minutes saw the visitors outshoot Portland three to zero, but outside of a few shaky moments, Portland was in relative control of the match.

Portland would end up winning the game 3-1, thanks to goals from Marvin Loría in the 37th minute, Clegg in the 48th minute, and Jarosław Niezgoda in the 92nd minute.

Here’s some takeaways from the match.

April 26 2023; Portland, OR, USA; Timbers vs Orange County SC in the US Open Cup at Providence Park. Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer – Portland Timbers

The return of Seba!

Blanco is one of the best players in Timbers history. His contributions include 40 goals and 50 assists in his MLS career. He is vital for this team’s success, and his return provided a huge boost.

The star has battled through injury and adversity most of 2022 and at the start of 2023. His pain in the right knee was so excruciating, that it caused him trouble to even walk at certain times. Blanco even had doubts if his comeback was even possible, but giving up was never an option, he said.

“You know me,” he said, “and I never give up. No matter what the people or someone can say to me. If I have the possibility, I will give everything back. I tried to help my team in the minutes that I can do it and what the coach wants also, but I think I have more time for play.”

He played 34 minutes on Wednesday, but just seeing him on the pitch again should bring a smile to every single person.

Blanco, himself, said he was “very happy” to be back. “It was really hard work mentally and physically to get back,” he said. “It wasn’t easy for me, but I was so happy to pass another obstacle and try to help my team in the way that I can do it.”

Congrats on being back on the pitch again, Seba!

T2 stepping up

As discussed earlier, the Timbers made three call-ups prior to the game: Clegg, Caliskan, and Griffith.

Caliskan, 22, was selected in the first round, 15th overall, by the Timbers in the 2023 MLS Superdraft out of Loyola Marymount University.

Clegg, 22, was drafted by Portland in the third round, 85th overall, of the 2023 MLS Superdraft out of James Madison University.

Griffith, 22, joined the club ahead of the 2022 T2 season. The Panamanian international made his first-team debut as a starter in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup match against LAFC on May 10.

Caliskan and Clegg started against Orange County, while Griffith came off the bench. Center back Clegg headed home a corner kick off a gorgeous cross from Pablo Bonilla in the 48th minute.

All three T2-ers played major roles, and head coach Gio Savarese was full of praise.

“They played great,” he said. “They were very competitive. Caliskan [played] the entire 90 minutes, plus [and] did very well. Not only with managing a lot of the middle but also with the ball. Then Griffith came in for Paredes… Griffith did a great job. His second game in the U.S. Open Cup for us, and this is good from a club. When you’re able to play these players and they deliver… [Clegg] looked good in the back. He scored his goal.

“These are the exciting moments for us as a club,” Savarese said, “to see players step up and then deliver.”

April 26 2023; Portland, OR, USA; Timbers vs Orange County SC in the US Open Cup at Providence Park. Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer- Portland Timbers — April 26 2023; Portland, OR, USA; Timbers vs Orange County SC in the US Open Cup at Providence Park. Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer – Portland Timbers

Savarese said he could see some of the T2 players making appearances for the senior team later this season. He also credited Shannon Murray, the head coach of T2 for all the work he has done.

Stat zone

Portland outshot Orange County 18 to 13.
PTFC xG: 1.54, OCSC xG: 0.86
Bonilla led the team in crosses attempted, successful dribbles, and chances created.
Rasmussen and Caliskan led the team in tackles won.
Loría had four shots to lead the team.
Mabiala was the team’s leader in touches, passes completed, and possession won.