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
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:
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.