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Portland Timbers

Portland Timbers

Trouble in PTFC: How did we get here?

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers suffered a 3-1 loss in Austin, TX Saturday night, conceding three goals before the 30-minute mark to a team with the worst goal-scoring record in MLS (0.85 goals/90 entering Saturday). This came off the back of a one-point week that included a 6-2 drubbing at the hands of their arch-rivals and a 1-1 draw that could have been an impressive win in Kansas City.

For many fans, the Seattle result put head coach Giovanni Savarese on the hot seat. The same suggestion has also been lobbed for General Manager/President of Soccer/Technical Director Gavin Wilkinson. So how did we get here? Why isn’t there a quick fix?

The answer is that there are multiple elements that have gone awry within this organization.

The Moves

It’s worth noting that there is tension between the front office and Savarese himself. Gio was visibly unhappy at the FO’s trade deadline decision to sell forward Jeremy Ebobisse to playoff competitors San Jose for $1.167 million.

The thinking was that new Young Money winger Santiago Moreno and the return of DP forward Jaroslaw Niezgoda would leave no spots for Ebobisse, who struggled to crack the full-strength XI despite being a fan favorite.

While Gio had a right to be angered about this, he should also shoulder partial blame. He constantly stuck Jebo out on the wing instead of playing him at his natural #9 position, claiming the American forward had the ability to play in both spots.

Wilkinson has also failed to deliver a new center back, something he’s been mentioning since before the start of last season. With the back four struggling, the most consistent piece this year has been right back Josecarlos Van Rankin, who’s on loan from Chivas Guadalajara.

Dario Župarić has locked down a starting center back spot, but even he has struggled. Bill Tuiloma and Larrys Mabiala are both inconsistent at best and still seem to be battling for the other spot. Homegrown Zac McGraw may develop into a starting-caliber MLS center back someday, but he’s not there right now. Those are the only four CBs on the roster.

Highly-touted left back signing Claudio Bravo has been steadily improving; but his trip to the Olympics, adjusting to the physicality of MLS, and the constant rotation of players has rendered him less effective than he could be.

Arguably Wilkinson’s best move was bringing in Brian Fernández in 2019, but that depends how one distributes the fault of how that saga ended. Fernández lit up a team destined for failure, but his own habits eventually led to the termination of his contract.

We never found out if the Timbers recollected that $10 million transfer fee from Necaxa.

The Performances

It’s safe to say there is no distinct tactical style for the Timbers under Savarese, who rode the defensive 4-3-2-1 “Christmas Tree” formation to an MLS Cup final in his first season. Sebastián Blanco’s pair of miracle goals may have helped some, too.

Nearly three years later, the Timbers are still reverting to a three-man defensive midfield in times of crisis. At times under Savarese they’ve been deadly on the counter, and at others they’ve been ruthless in possession. But neither strategy has stuck around long enough to make itself a consistent identity.

Since that magical run to the Cup in 2018, Portland have been bounced from the first round of the playoffs twice.

In 2019 the team would not have made the playoffs sans Fernández. By the time Portland faced Real Salt Lake in the first round, their ringer was out of the 18. They lost 2-1, conceding a late goal to Jefferson Savarino.

In 2020 the Timbers had reinforcements, including a new non-DP deal for Diego Valeri. Two new DPs—Niezgoda and Yimmi Chará—joined the squad, and Portland went onto win the MLS is Back Tournament amidst widespread pandemic chaos.

At times, the Timbers seemed unbeatable in 2020. Two six-goal performances in five straight wins gave reason for optimism.

But the defensive shortcomings were still there. Late concessions plagued the Timbers, and FC Dallas used one to bounce third-seeded Portland out of the first round.

None of the defensive issues from last year have been repaired. While Wilkinson can bide his time and wait for the right deal to emerge, the squad is obviously desperate for a new center back.

Portland are now under the playoff line. They’ve conceded a conference-worst 39 goals in 20 games and have a conference-worst -15 goal differential. They have one win and two draws from 10 away matches.

  • None of this, by the way, scratches the surface of the FO’s direct problems with the fans. From the Iron Front controversy to the lack of urgency in requiring vaccinations to the treatment of the Portland Thorns, there’s plenty of ongoing friction between those two entities.

What Now?

This article may be obsolete by playoff time. MLS is the League of Chaos, and maybe Gio will have the squad winning in Seattle this weekend. Maybe they’ll make another run at the cup come playoff time.

Maybe we’ll see the unstoppable offensive dynamic of Blanco, Yimmi, Jarek, and Valeri render defense unnecessary. After all, we’re still yet to see all four of them on the pitch at the same time. Maybe Diego Chará and Eryk Williamson become a lockdown duo in midfield or the Timbers find their best formation.

But maybe they won’t. In all likelihood, the Timbers will slink into the playoffs and get beat by a better team. Or miss out entirely.

That certainly seems the most likely outcome considering Savarese’s post-match comments Saturday night.

There is no short-term plan. There are long-term steps that have to be taken to revamp this club. I’m still waiting to be convinced we have the right people in charge to take those steps.

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Portland Timbers

Scouting Portland’s Newest Signing, Santiago Moreno

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers have a new signing, and his name is Santiago Moreno! This rumor first surfaced a couple of weeks ago and now has enough legs for Tom Bogert to write about it on MLSsoccer.com. That’s officially official in my eyes.

Where does he play?

Moreno has played exclusively with Club América de Cali—not to be confused with Deportivo Cali—in the Colombian Primera A. He has 34 career Primera A regular season appearances (24 starts), seven in the playoffs (all starts), and 11 in international cup competitions (seven starts).

He’s listed as a right winger but has also filled in at the 10 and on the left.

In order to evaluate South American players, it’s always important to understand the competitions in which they play. Primera A is the top league in Colombia, meaning they send their best clubs to the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana (effectively the South American-versions of the Champions League and Europa League, respectively) every year. These competitions are a much bigger deal and have a much higher competitive level than Primera A.

Like Liga MX, each Primera A calendar year is split into Apertura and Clausura seasons, with the aggregated table determining who goes to the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. A team can also qualify for Copa Sudamericana by winning the domestic cup competition, the Copa Colombia.

Separate champions are crowned for each Apertura and Clausura season. América de Cali won the 2019 Clausura and 2020 Apertura titles, both of which Moreno played a minor role in (seven total starts in those two years).

Unfortunately, Moreno’s increased minutes led to a downturn in overall team performance, likely from the departure of fellow winger Matias Pisano. The good news, though, is that Moreno has been one of CD América’s best players since then, grading out as their highest-rated player from the 2021 Apertura season by LiveScore.

How does he play?

Some kind soul made this touch compilation of Moreno’s performance against Club Athletico Paranense (from Brazil) in Copa Sudamericana. This was his most recent appearance for CD América, and it will likely be his last. There’s also a public 10-minute highlight compilation of Moreno for those unable to use Wyscout.

Moreno is the main chance creator for CD América. His biggest strengths are his speed, 1v1 dribbling, and off-ball movement. He also has some nice touch on the ball, as seen in 4:52 of the video below.

Moreno’s ability to turn into space could be a little better, but the biggest attribute that needs work is his decision making. This is a super obvious statement for a young player—especially one from a more chaotic league like Primera A—and he’ll have plenty of opportunity to improve this in MLS.

My first instinct was to compare Moreno to Dairon Asprilla because of their shared tendencies to play one inch out of control on the ball, but there’s another Colombian winger on the roster he reminds me of: Yimmi Chará. I think the best description would be a combination of the two.

There is little advanced statistical insight of Primera A available, but the most promising praise has come straight from the CD América manager, Juan Carlos Osorio:

That’s a good thing to hear if you’re a fan of the club a player is moving to.

Are we getting a good deal?

This is always the toughest question when it comes to young prospects entering MLS. Transfer fees can vary based on how much of a player’s rights you purchase (for future sign-on fee purposes), what the bonuses are, and what mechanism you use to sign them.

Transfermarkt values Moreno at $1.76 million, the highest on CD América’s squad. Rumors have said his fee will be anywhere from $2.5 million to $5 million.

The Athletic reported that Moreno will be on a U-22 Initiative deal. If you don’t know what that means, good on you. You’re not insane. You can read about it in the roster rules, but briefly:

  • U-22 Initiative is NOT the same as a Young Designated Player
  • MLS made it up last year to encourage more investment in young players
  • Portland will save salary cap space while getting a good young player

We can’t quite answer this question without knowing contract details, but the early signs say probably. Obviously it also depends on how well Moreno can perform at the top level of MLS, but this is a great soon-to-be-starting-caliber signing for a squad dealing with a ton of injuries.

 

Catch more thoughts on Moreno and the Portland Timbers on the Double Post Podcast and on Twitter @DoublePostPod. Give us your questions, comments, and concerns about Moreno, the Timbers, or MLS!

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Portland Timbers

Tired Timbers give up first Austin home win, 4-1

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers fell to Austin FC 4-1 on Thursday, July 1st, 2021 at Q2 Stadium in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. 

Austin winger Jon Gallagher scored the first MLS goal in Q2 Stadium history in the 28th minute and Diego Fagundez would double the Verde lead five minutes later, but Jeremy Ebobisse pulled a goal back for the Timbers right at the end of first half stoppage time. 

Once Austin were able to break through Portland’s high press, the chances came flying. 

Timbers defender Dario Župarić headed a Héctor Jiménez shot off the line in the 51st minute before Jared Stround pulled a relatively open shot wide of the post a few minutes later.

Steve Clark needed a full stretch to save a Tomas Pochettino shot in the 63rd minute, and a scuffed shot from Cecilio Dominguez three minutes later gave the Timbers another brief reprieve. 

Austin would make their second-half breakthrough off a set piece header from Alexander Ring in the 77th minute to get Cecilio Dominguez his second goal. Jiménez would seal the deal four minutes later with a crafty dribble-and-finish in the box. 

The effort levels clearly slowed as the Timbers tired midway through the second half. It was only a matter of time before Austin broke through. 

Portland now have 15 days of rest before their next match, when they host FC Dallas. They will hope to have some key contributors back; namely forward Jarosław Niezgoda, winger Yimmi Chará, and midfielder Sebastián Blanco. 

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Portland Timbers

Wounded Timbers take all three points in San Jose

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers (2-3-0, 6 pts, 9th in West) defeated the San Jose Earthquakes (3-3-0, 9 pts, 4th in West) 2-0 at PayPal Park in San Jose, CA on Saturday, May 15th, 2021. 

Eryk Williamson assisted both goals while squaring off with San Jose’s Jackson Yueill in midfield. Yueill was selected over Williamson for the U.S. Men’s National Team U23 squad that missed out on the Olympics a few months ago.

Portland’s newest goalkeeper, Logan Ketterer, made a massive penalty save to keep Portland’s lead intact, and the Timbers would go on to win the match 2-0. 

With nine players on the injured reserve list, Timbers Head Coach Giovanni Savarese elected to “park the bus” and look for counterattacking opportunities in this match. You can be the judge how that worked out. 

Match Recap

The opening few minutes started with a jolt. San Jose maintained most of the possession—as they would for the rest of the match—but a high press by Portland forced a turnover, which Eryk Williamson expertly weaved into a chance. As he popped the ball through to Yimmi Chará, Williamson got decked at the edge of the box. Referee Rosendo Mendoza called an advantage, but it was not needed. 

Yimmi Chará’s first goal in 2021 MLS play took the pressure off Portland mentally, but not physically. San Jose would work the ball around Portland’s half relentlessly, as the Timbers relied on counterattacks and the occasional high pressure to shake the Quakes off the ball. 

One such counter came in the 30′, as Portland pushed for a corner that nearly led to a headed Dario Župarić goal—his shot kissed off the post. On the other end, a nervous moment for Logan Ketterer reminded the Timbers that the match was still very close. 

Second Half

The Timbers leapt out to a quick start again in the second half, with Andy Polo nearly assisting Felipe Mora merely seconds into the half. His shot missed wide right, but it was a good sign for the Timbers. 

That chance would be one of many for Portland in the first 15 minutes of the second period. Mora himself had a chance from his head (51′, blocked by defender) and his feet (55′, saved incredibly by J.T. Marcinkowski) before Bill Tuiloma had a header go wide. 

While the Quakes started breaking Portland’s front line, the chances continued. Pablo Bonilla had maybe the best of the second half, as his beautiful one-two with Mora gave him a decent look at goal in the six yard box. Unfortunately, his left-footed shot was over the bar. 

Just when it seemed like Portland were taking control, disaster struck. Claudio Bravo used his arm to block a Carlos Fierro cross, giving the ageless Chris Wondolowski a chance to level the tie from the spot—but Logan Ketterer rose to the occasion. 

Ketterer, who was brought on as an emergency loanee signing after three Timbers ‘keepers went down with injuries, had an amazing night between the sticks for Portland. In all, he made four saves and one punch—none more important than the penalty stop. 

The missed penalty gave Portland another jolt of confidence. The Timbers kept fighting as San Jose turned up the heat. 

Jeremy Ebobisse’s night ended somewhat conspicuously as he limped off the field after grabbing his calf. Dairon Asprilla had already been slated to come on, and Jebo limped around to the bench in the 68′. 

With Portland needing an insurance goal, Williamson came up big once again. After a bit of offensive pressure from Portland, Williamson whipped in a perfect ball to Marvin Loría, whose header over Marcinkowski gave the Timbers a 2-0 lead with just over 15 minutes to play. 

Andy Polo became an unsung hero from tonight, with a match-high four chances created despite having zero assists to his name. He would be replaced by Renzo Zambrano in the 72′. 

Diego Valeri, Jose Van Rankin, and Zac McGraw would make appearances in the 82′, replacing Mora, Loría, and Bonilla, respectively. 

San Jose chased a goal with everything they had, but Portland’s defense held firm. The best chance came and went as Benjamin Kikanovic watched his header spin wide of the post in the 93′, but the match was already out of reach. A huge win for Portland in such unlikely fashion will serve the Timbers well as the regular season heats up. 

Takeaways

Timbers fans (including myself) might not have had much faith in the team entering Saturday night, but Gio did. This match threw massive shades of the 2018 playoff run in Savarese’s inaugural season—a tough road win in which, on paper, the Timbers seemed outmatched, turned into a glorious victory as Portland put away enough chances. 

A massive win for the Timbers during an exceptionally-tough period, and counterattacking the way God (I mean, Gio) intended. 

Follow @doublepostpod for total coverage of tonight’s match (and every match!), including our postgame reaction podcast later this evening.

As always, RCTID!

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Portland Timbers

Expectations and Predictions: Portland Timbers at San Jose Earthquakes

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers (1-3-0, 3 pts, 12th in West) are in San Jose to take on the Earthquakes (3-2-0, 9 pts, 2nd in West) after both teams fell to the first-place Seattle Sounders in the last week. Portland hosted the Sounders on Sunday and fell 2-1, while San Jose hosted on Wednesday and lost 1-0. 

Shaking Things Up

San Jose’s impressive start has been led by the young American duo of Cade Cowell and Jackson Yueill.

Let’s start with Cowell. He is Matias Almeyda’s new center forward (after the departure of Danny Hoesen to Austin and the aging of Chris Wondolowski), but nothing is so straightforward with Almeyda. His man-marking system isn’t as intense as it once was, but it still requires constant awareness and movement from every Earthquake. Enter Cowell, who at 17 years old has the energy to contribute on offense and defense. He’s scored twice and assisted thrice in five matches, but his defensive numbers may be even more impressive. 

Cowell grades out near the top of most statistical comparisons for MLS forwards, including the 96th percentile for tackles + interceptions and the 96th percentile for tackles in the defensive third. Check out his full Football Reference Scouting Report to see all of his glittering green bars. 

Yueill, a defensive midfielder who was part of the U-23 U.S. Men’s National Team that ultimately failed to qualify for the Olympics, has been the glue in the center of San Jose’s 4-3-3 so far this season. He scored twice against DC United and grades out well as a high-volume passer. 

The Quakes enter this match scoring two goals per game (T-2nd in MLS). Their three wins (Houston, DC United, and Real Salt Lake) have included some memorable goals, including Yueill’s stunner against DC and the immortal Wondo coming onto score a brace for a comeback win in Utah. 

Short-staffed in Stumptown

Overall, this is not the time Portland want to be playing San Jose (or really anyone, for that matter). The Timbers are perhaps the most banged-up team in MLS, with an injury list so long I had to double-check it. 

There are five starters on this list, not including second- and third-string goalkeepers. After Jeff Attinella and Larrys Mabiala left Sunday’s game against Seattle with injuries, the news only got worse. Giovanni Savarese confirmed this week that Diego Chará, the man historically most critical to Portland’s success, also strained a hamstring. (His backup, Cristhian Paredes, is still out for an extended period.) 

The Timbers added a goalkeeper to the roster on Thursday, signing Logan Ketterer to a loan deal from USL-Championship side El Paso Locomotive FC. With 19-year-old Hunter Sulte as the only healthy goalie on the roster, this makes a ton of sense. Ketterer was actually one of the best ‘keepers in the USL-C last season, ranking first in regular season clean sheets (8 in 16 matches) and fifth in save percentage (78.3%).

Not to mention Sulte has had one of the rudest introductions to a pro career one could ask for: a four-goal thrashing in Dallas with a C-team lineup and a second-half-substitute appearance while losing to your bitter rival (which so happens to be the best team in the league). The goals he’s given up haven’t even necessarily been his fault, but that’s just the way it goes. 

With all that in mind, here’s my prediction for Portland’s starting XI on Saturday:

The Timbers do have Jeremy Ebobisse back, and I have a hard time thinking that Gio will prefer Dairon Asprilla over JeboOnTheWing™ if the latter is up to full speed. I would not be surprised to see Jebo starting at center forward and Asprilla or Marvin Loría in that winger spot.

Prediction

I’m not feeling very well about this match, and it’s not just because I ate Cheez-Its for breakfast and lunch today. I would applaud a draw, though I understand a loss is very likely. The only silver lining is that this will be San Jose’s third match in a week, but I still expect them to be prepared.

Either way, we’ll see, but I’m predicting a 2-1 loss Saturday night. 

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Portland TimbersSeattle Sounders

Timbers suffer brutal 2-1 loss to Seattle in Providence Park

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

After a disappointing week that saw the Timbers concede four times to FC Dallas and thrice to Club América, Portland returned home to Providence Park for a date with their bitter rivals, the Seattle Sounders. 

Portland missed chance after chance, including two from the penalty spot, before Seattle put two second-half goals in. Bill Tuiloma’s late free-kick made it close, but not close enough to threaten a result. The match would end 2-1 to the Sounders. 

Match Recap

Portland were without regular starting goalkeeper Steve Clark, as well as would-be starters Sebastián Blanco and Jarosław Niezgoda. Forward Jeremy Ebobisse made his return to the starting XI but would be replaced by Felipe Mora after an hour. Playmaker Nicolas Lodeiro was out for the Sounders, though it hadn’t meant much so far this season. 

Portland were on the front foot in the first half, but missed a series of chances in the 30th to 42nd minutes—and by a “series” I mean four or five half-chances and three more legitimate ones. The worst miss came from Ebobisse in the 40′, slipping as he fired a left-footed shot wide. 

The first major moment of the match came in the 55′ as Ebobisse was brought down by Shane O’Neil in the box for a penalty. Valeri stepped up and had his attempt saved by Frei, but was awarded a second chance after Nouhou encroached and Frei came off his line. 

Valeri’s second attempt offered no added joy for Timbers fans. His penalty smacked off the post and while his rebound went in, it would have required Frei touching it to count. Valeri was immediately subbed off for Dairon Asprilla, and the match continued at 0-0. 

Ebobisse was also replaced by Felipe Mora in the exchange, and Andy Polo would replace Marvin Loría shortly after. 

Portland’s attack struggled mightily without Valeri. His creativity and oversight of attacking combinations usually out Portland in successful positions, but post-60′ the Timbers resorted to getting the ball wide before stalling and losing it. 

Few minutes passed before the deadlock was broken. Ruidiaz stumbled over Tuiloma and Attinella on the other end, culminating in a penalty for the Sounders. Ruidiaz took the pen and slid it to Jeff’s right, opening the scoring in the 62′. 

Not a minute after the ensuing kickoff, disaster would strike once more for Portland. Attinella went down with a non-contact injury after playing the ball with his left foot and needed to be replaced by 19-year-old Hunter Sulte. 

“How many times do you see three goalkeepers going down at the start of the season?” lamented Giovanni Savarese post-match. While he praised Sulte’s performance (one save, 3/5 accurate passes) he also noted that it was an exceptionally tough spot to be put in. 

Ruidiaz nearly drew another penalty in the 76′ and Williamson couldn’t get on the end of a cross at the other end. It would be punished in due time. 

A Seattle free kick from the right side of Portland’s defense found the head of a barely-onside Fredy Montero, who beat Sulte to give Seattle a 2-0 lead in the 79′. 

Halfway through the six minutes of added time, Bill Tuiloma (of all people) blasted a beautiful curling free kick past Stefan Frei. Tuiloma’s fourth goal for the club was his most impressive, but the Timbers couldn’t muster another one. The match ended 2-1 to the visitors in a match that looked like it was Portland’s to lose. 

“You don’t get some things in your favor that you’re supposed to get,” said Gio. “Unfortunately, the score doesn’t show what we gave to the game today.” 

Other Notes

  • Joao Paulo was showing his quality in the middle of the field for Seattle, stopping numerous attacks with well-timed challenges and springing the Sounders forward in the same role Diego Chará has historically played for the Timbers. 
  • Nouhou Tolo and Diego Chará were locked in a battle during the first half, with Chará getting the better of the always-unpredictable Nouhou early. A caution was issued to Nouhou after taking down Diego as he broke away down the right. 
  • Portland’s overall passing play was amazing, building up and transitioning well from defense-to-attack. Now the focus shifts back to finishing chances, a la 2019 pre-Brian Fernández. 

Follow @doublepostpod for total coverage of tonight’s match (and every match!), including our postgame reaction podcast later this evening.

As always, RCTID!

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Portland Timbers

Timbers fight hard but fall to Club América in Azteca, 3-1

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers fell to Club América in Estadio Azteca Wednesday night after a gritty performance.

Portland fought hard, but the exhausted Timbers were no match for the Mexican giants. Two goals from Federico Viñas sealed the deal for Club América, who now advance to face the Philadelphia Union in the semifinals. 

Match Recap

América threatened first, with Jeff Attinella making multiple key saves before Viñas rose to direct a beautiful ball into the  back of the net. In the 21′, it was 1-0. 

Fidalgo was inches from doubling the lead in the 28′, but his shot was just over the bar. 

Despite winning four fouls in the attacking half, Portland couldn’t register a shot on target. In fact, they had just one shot total. 

There was plenty of space for both teams going forward, but Portland were either too tired or too confused to use it. The Timbers resorted to lobbing in crosses toward the end of the first half, which 

It wouldn’t take long for the shooting drought to end. Mora turned quickly to fire a shot at Ochoa’s far post, but it was saved fairly easily. On the other end, Attinella was forced into a save of his own less than a minute later. 

Diego Chará registered a rare shot on goal from distance in the 49′, but he couldn’t beat Ochoa. Portland were certainly on the front foot to begin the half, though. 

Yimmi Chará had a go from the same spot as his brother in the 53′, but Portland’s confidence took a quick turn.

With open space abound, Leo Suarez found enough room to zig and zag at Bravo. Bravo played him tough but was dragged down by Suarez in the box. A questionable call at best, VAR confirmed the contact and Viñas’ penalty barely slipped under Attinella, who guessed perfectly.

Not five minutes later, the Timbers had their make-up call. Mora fired a shot that was saved by Ochoa, but the follow-through from Luis Fuentes was deemed to be a penalty. Valeri stepped up and blasted the shot past Ochoa, and the match was back on.

With the Timbers needing just one unanswered goal to win the series, they pressured América high and allowed Leo Suarez to find more space on the right. He cut inside, took a touch, and fired a shot from outside the box. One big deflection later, his shot rolled past the outstretched Attinella to give América the 4-2 aggregate lead. 

Jeremy Ebobisse made his first contribution of the series right after coming on, flying into his teammate Valeri for a header. He offered more of a threat than Asprilla had, but Portland still struggle to get shots off.

Even when Mora found himself in golden opportunities, he couldn’t pull the trigger. 

Suarez could have really put the tie to bed in the 86′, but the crossbar spared the Timbers. The referees did not. Three minutes were given for a half full of fouls, penalties, and plenty of injuries. 

By the end of it, the Timbers had fought valiantly, but not valiantly enough. A 4-2 aggregate defeat was certainly not the worst we could have hoped for, but it also could have been a lot worse. 

 

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Portland Timbers

Resting Timbers drop three points in Dallas

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers lost 4-1 to FC Dallas this Saturday, and that’s OK.

Why? Because with a trip to Mexico City on everyone’s mind, this was the starting lineup:

MLS debuts for Hunter Sulte and Zac McGraw went alongside season debuts for Andy Polo and, later, Jeremy Ebobisse.

Dallas switched from a back-three to back-four after conceding three goals in under an hour against San Jose last week.

Match Highlights

It wouldn’t take long for FC Dallas to strike first (96 seconds, to be exact). Andres Ricuarte put the finishing touches from a simple overload combination through the legs of Dario Župarić.

 

 

In the 12′, disaster struck again for the Timbers. A direct-flight clearance from Phelipe bounced past Renzo Zambrano and perfectly into the path of Jáder Obrian, who chipped Sulte to gain a 2-0 lead.

Felipe Mora and Claudio Bravo, two guys who will probably get starting minutes on Wednesday, each had half-chances

If the overall quality of play wasn’t enough to disgust you, FC Dallas’ third goal before halftime probably did. Sulte fumbled an original save and Bressan cleaned up the rebound to make it 3-0.

Portland made a line change in the second half, bringing on Diego Valeri, Eryk Williamson, Dairon Asprilla, and Josecarlos van Rankin. Mora, Chará, Polo, and Bravo were the departures.

Portland’s attack pricked up instantly, pushing Dallas into danger before their announcers could even finish the substitutions.

Zac McGraw nearly scored on his debut by heading a corner hard and down, but it hit bar-out and Župarić couldn’t get to the rebound.

Portland’s breakthrough would come in the 62′. Williamson played a beautiful one-two with Valeri and slid the finish past Phelipe for the goal. The tone of the game had undoubtedly begun to shift.

Dallas’ own reinforcements would follow in the 67′, as Edwin Cerrillo and Franco Jara replaced the youngsters, Tessmann and Pepi.

Jeremy Ebobisse made his return to the pitch after missing the start of the season. He was subbed in for Bodily in the 75′.

Ryan Hollingshead provided the best entertainment of the night by threatening Gio Savarese with a throw-in. No, I’m not joking.

Dallas were clearly getting frustrated as they had a much harder time against Portland’s fresh legs, but they would get their sealer courtesy of Dante Sealy in the 85′.

For Timbers fans, there’s really not too much to be mad about from this game:

  • The starters only got 45 minutes each (rest for Club América!)
  • The game was over at halftime (low-stress!)
  • Portland were the better side in the 2nd half (validation!)

As for FC Dallas, they deserved this win. Two quick goals, a third before half, and held their own in the second.

Follow @doublepostpod for total coverage of tonight’s match (and every match!), including our postgame reaction podcast later this evening.

As always, RCTID!

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