Tag: Major League Soccer

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 4, Colorado Rapids 1

Photo by Thomas Lal

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

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

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

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

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

Lineups

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Zen garden

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Portland by the numbers

xG: Portland Timbers: 0.45, Colorado Rapids: 1.51

Shots: Portland Timbers: 7, Colorado Rapids: 13

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

Shots: Antony (3)

Ball possession phases: Juan David Mosquera (55)

Passes: Kamal Miller (42)

Crosses: Antony (4)

Clearances: Zac McGraw (9)

 

 

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Soccer Timbers

Kickin’ It with Eric Miller

Photo by Kris Lattimore

Entering his third season with the Portland Timbers, MLS veteran Eric Miller’s versatility has been crucial in Portland’s defense.

He played minutes at both fullback positions and at centerback in 2023. The team announced Jan. 9 that Miller signed a new contract through the 2025 MLS season.

Former Timbers head coach Gio Savarese had very appreciative words to say about him.

“We got really lucky that he became available,” former Timbers head coach Gio Savarese said. “I think every team needs players like him.”

Eric Miller is also a standout off the pitch; he has been a vocal ally to LGBTQ people and advocate for causes including pet adoption. The city of Portland and fans should feel fortunate to have a player who is a superb human being and person.

Contributor Phuoc Nguyen had the chance to sit down and chat with Miller last year. Here’s some highlights from that interview.

Photo by Kris Lattimore

Phuoc: What do you like to do for fun on an off day?

Eric Miller: We’ve been trying to get out and explore Oregon a little bit. We’ve been doing some wineries, checking out restaurants, coffee shops, kind of all that stuff there.  Just getting to know the city a little bit.

Phuoc: Have you found your favorite spots to eat or coffee shops yet?

Miller: There’s a spot—it’s like 10 minutes south [of] where I live, called South Store Café—that is amazing. That’s like in farm  country, it is so good. They have an amazing breakfast. Really cool vibe, which is like a restaurant and a house. Then Ken’s Artisan Pizza, really good too, in Southeast. It’s amazing pizza. It’s really, it’s an awesome place.

Phuoc: Do you have a favorite food and dessert?

Miller: Favorite food is probably chicken parmesan. I love it. Favorite dessert is probably anything that my mom bakes. My mom’s, like, an incredibly good baker. She’s working hard around the holidays, making really delicious baked goods.

Phuoc: What is your favorite berry?

Miller: I recently tried these berries from all around Oregon. We went to the Hill Farm Market with our buddies, and we had Mt. Hood strawberries. They were amazing. They were so good, really good blackberries from, I don’t know where they were from honestly, but just like really phenomenal berries.

Phuoc: Do you have any pets?

Miller: We have two dogs. We have a German Shepherd who’s six, named Otto, and an English Shepherd who’s nine, named Cooper.

Phuoc: Have you ever played FIFA as yourself?

Miller: Way back in the day, when I was a younger player. We used to use a bunch of guys who live in the same place, and we were, like, goalies and defenders, so we all put ourselves as forwards and tried scoring on each other, which was pretty fun.

Phuoc: Do you have a favorite movie?

Miller: My favorite movie? I’ll say Saving Private Ryan, that’s a great movie.

Phuoc: What’s your favorite music to listen to? Do you have a favorite artist?

Miller: I like a very wide variety of music. After being in Nashville—my wife was really into country before. She kind of got me to the country. I really like Chris Stapleton. He’s really good. I love seeing him live.

Phuoc: If you could pick an entrance song, what would it be?

Miller: Ah man, I don’t know. We had a guy in Nashville who’s goal song was “Danger Zone.” I would do “Danger Zone.” That’s pretty good. I might go with that, too.

Phuoc: Do you watch any television? If you do: any TV show you’re currently obsessed with?

Miller: We’ve been watching Only Murders in the Building, me and my wife. That’s a really good show. I’ve been watching The Bear, that’s a great show. We, a while ago, finished the show Downton Abbey. It’s, like, a show for old people, but I absolutely loved it. It’s phenomenal.

Phuoc: If you could have a dream vacation, or go to a place you haven’t been to, what would it be?

Miller: My dream vacation? Me and my wife went to Hawai’i on our honeymoon—that was awesome. I loved it. We went to Kauai which was super cool. So, I would say maybe my dream vacation would be to go to, like, the Mediterranean or Europe in the summer, because we don’t really get to do that.

Phuoc: Do you have any items on your bucket list you could share with us?

Miller: On my bucket list? Win MLS Cup, you know? That’d be great. I’d love to do that. Other than that, just travel, see the world. All that fun stuff.

Phuoc: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Miller: Maybe being able to teleport? So I can go see all my friends and family in different places.

Phuoc: Would you rather teleport once every 24 hours or shapeshift for the entire week.

Miller: Teleport.

Phuoc: Do you have a favorite Pokémon?

Miller: No, my mom didn’t let us have the cards. I played video games at my friend’s house, but I’m not a big Pokémon guy.

Phuoc: Who’s your best friend on the team? (Editor’s note: Reminder that this interview was from last year.)

Miller: [David] Bingham, that’s my boy! We golf a little bit together.

Phuoc: If you could take one thing from your hometown [in Minnesota] and bring it to Portland, what would it be?

Miller: Can I choose my family, or no? I choose my family because I should, and it would be great to have them out, especially when we have our daughter[…] But if I couldn’t choose people, I think I would choose like the lakes. The general lake life there is so fun, and we have great weather here [in Portland[ to just have, like, a bunch of lakes, to be able to go to and boat and fish and tube and all stuff. That would be awesome.

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Soccer Timbers

Kickin’ It with ‘Big Save’ Bingham

Photo by Matthew Wolfe.

Now in his 12th MLS season, David Bingham is the starting goalkeeper for the Portland Timbers. In 2023, he has started 14 games and tallied six clean sheets.

His entire playing career has been spent on the west coast—from the San Jose Earthquakes to the Los Angeles Galaxy to Portland.

Phuoc sat down with Bingham to chat about his non-soccer thoughts in our latest “Kickin’ It” segment.

Photo by Kris Lattimore.
Kickin’ it with David Bingham

Phuoc Nguyen: What do you like to do for fun on an off day?

David Bingham: Off days? [I] like to get on the course, play some golf with some of the guys. [I] like to train dogs, anything outdoorsy.

Phuoc Nguyen: Have you found your favorite restaurant and coffee shop in Portland?

David Bingham: Yeah, definitely some good restaurants. Janken‘s probably number one on my list. Then there’s a lot of good coffee shops in Portland, everyone knows that. So you kind of walk around [and] stumble upon stuff. That’s really good.

Phuoc Nguyen: What is your favorite food and dessert?

David Bingham: Definitely steak, and favorite dessert is probably warm chocolate chip cookies.

Phuoc Nguyen: Do you have any pets?

David Bingham: I have three dogs.

Phuoc Nguyen: What are their names?

David Bingham: Bandit is the oldest, Fred is a boxer, and then Nitro.

Phuoc Nguyen: Have you ever played as yourself in FIFA?

David Bingham: No, only Call of Duty.

Phuoc Nguyen: Do you have a favorite movie?

David Bingham: Favorite movie? I’ll have to think about that. For comedies, probably Wedding Crashers. That’s probably a classic.

Phuoc Nguyen: What type of music do you like to listen to?

David Bingham: Country, house, some rock.

Phuoc Nguyen: If you got to choose an entrance song, what would it be?

David Bingham: I’ll have to think about that one. That one’s hard.

Phuoc Nguyen: Are you obsessed with any TV show right now?

David Bingham: [Special Ops] Lioness. I think it’s on Prime or Paramount. That’s with Zoe Saldaña. That one’s really good.

Phuoc Nguyen: Do you have a few items on your bucket list you can share with us?

David Bingham: Ooh. Play Pebble Beach is definitely up there and probably play like St. Andrews.

Phuoc Nguyen: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

David Bingham: Probably teleporting.

Phuoc Nguyen: Do you have a favorite Pokémon?

David Bingham: Pikachu.

Phuoc Nguyen: Who’s your best friend on the team?

David Bingham: Probably Zac [McGraw].

Phuoc Nguyen: If you could bring one thing from your hometown to Portland, what would it be?

David Bingham: The sunshine, every day of the year.

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, 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.

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
Categories
Soccer Timbers

Kickin’ It with Dario Župarić

Photo by Kris Lattimore
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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
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Soccer Timbers

Diego Valeri Day: Portland Timbers 3, Columbus Crew 2

Photo via Portland Timbers FC

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.

Diego Valeri Day

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.

After 30 minutes, Asprilla had already scored two goals—his first MLS brace.

Unfortunately, after 62 minutes, he was subbed out.

The wait continues.

Heavy heart

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.

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Soccer Timbers

Takeaways: Portland Timbers 1, FC Dallas 0

Credit: Kris Lattimore

The Portland Timbers are in a bit of a scoring drought, with only two goals in their past four games heading into their match against FC Dallas. To make matters worse, left back Claudio Bravo was out due to yellow card accumulation, and the Timbers had fallen to 12th in the Western Conference standings.

Dallas, on the other hand, came into the game in tied for third in the west.

Portland needed three points, badly.

The Timbers showed their hunger early and often, forcing Dallas to play the majority of the game on the back foot. The visitors looked nothing like their usual selves, and the Timbers picked them apart all game.

The one issue for the Portland Timbers has been their finishing—a story that held true early on in the match. They could not punish FC Dallas for their lackadaisical defending and turnovers.

In the 36th minute, that all changed. Evander hit a perfect cross onto the head of Franck Boli, who put it away to make the scoreline 1-0.

Defensively, the team remained stout and up for the challenge all evening.

The biggest controversy came in the 71st minute, when FC Dallas’ Geovane Jesus and Portland’s Diego Chará got tangled up. Referee Ted Unkel’s original call was a straight red for Jesus, but that was later overturned in favor of a yellow to both players.

Unkel’s officiating all night was inconsistent and led to frustration from both sides.

Still, the Timbers were able to pick up their first home win in nearly a month to move back into eighth place in the table.

Credit: Kris Lattimore

Moving forward

Right now, Boli is the Timbers’ best option as the No. 9. His work rate gives the team so many opportunities.

Although he has not always been the most clinical, he has deserved every start and minute he’s played this season.

After being benched at Seattle, Boli made a huge difference at home against FC Dallas—most notably scoring the lone goal of the match.

 

Credit: Kris Lattimore
It’s Miller time

After starting at right back ahead of Juan David Mosquera at Seattle, Eric Miller earned another start against Dallas, this time at left back. Miller has not seen a lot of playing opportunities, but has been solid when given the chance.

His understanding, communication, and leadership with the backline has been superb the past two matches. The role and responsibilities the coaching staff has given him has been simple and effective.

Head coach Gio Savarese was pleased with Miller’s performances. “We got really lucky that he became available” said Savarese. “I think every team needs players like him that can provide so much discipline on the field. I thought he was phenomenal today.

“Not only today,” he said, “also in Seattle. Playing on the right side in Seattle, playing now on the left side and didn’t miss a beat. His leadership, his communication, his way of not only playing but his presence on the field was very, very good. He faced different guys today. He managed all of them very well… He managed everyone the way he had to and helped the team make sure that we had a very solid defensive type of game today.”

Miller’s experience in MLS—he’s played in the league since 2014—has paid dividends for the Timbers and will serve them well for the rest of the season.

Final stats
  • xG: Portland 1.29, FC Dallas 0.3
  • Total Shots: Portland 14, Dallas 5
  • Evander led the team in shots, chances created, completed passes in the final third, and crosses attempted.
Credit: Kris Lattimore