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Cristhian Paredes

Eryk Williamson made his long-awaited return for Portland in the 86th minute.
Portland Timbers

Timbers salvage home point in rock fight versus Orlando

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers drew Orlando City SC 1-1 at home after a wild second half Sunday afternoon.

“At least we got a point,” Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese said. “We worked really hard, especially with 10 men.”

Junior Urso’s 52nd minute goal off an assist from Alexandre Pato gave the visitors a 1-0 lead at Providence Park, and they looked to have a win in the bag after Josecarlos Van Rankin was sent off in the 76th minute.

However, Cristhian Paredes drew and converted a penalty kick to tie the game in the 80th minute.

“In the moment I saw Yimmi run in front of me,” Paredes said through a translator. “Fortunately they put a foot on me and I was able to draw the foul.”

Sebastian Blanco opened up the game immediately following his arrival in the 62nd minute. He created two big chances and nearly finished the match-winner with the final kick of the match (it was saved well by Mason Stajduhar).

“We still looked good in the 4-3-2 with 10 men and Seba almost found that goal,” Gio offered.

All seven of the game’s yellow cards came after Blanco’s arrival, as did most of the night’s expected goals.

Portland looked the more likely to score in the first half, but Paredes’ 30th minute header sailed just wide of the far post. The home team held 58% of the ball in the first 45 minutes.

Zac McGraw had a strong 90 alongside new center back partner Dario Zuparic, who returned from injury to replace Bill Tuiloma. McGraw finished with 10 clearances, including a vital poke in the six-yard box that saved a would-be goal, and won all five of his aerial duels.

“I thought we were very good defensively,” Savarese said. “I wouldn’t put that goal on the [center backs].”

Eryk Williamson made his long-awaited return to the pitch, replacing Santiago Moreno in the 86th minute.

“Words can’t describe it,” Williamson said. “It’s been a long recovery.”

Williamson and Moreno have never shared the pitch in a match for the Timbers — Williamson was out injured by the time Moreno was signed last year. Williamson said the two have developed a relationship on the practice field.

“We have little combinations in training,” he said. “I’m excited to share the pitch with him.”

Match notes

Orlando City were without a pair of key South American players for World Cup Qualifiers. Pedro Gallese (GK, Peru) and Facundo Torres (winger, Uruguay) were replaced by Stajduhar and Tesho Akindele, respectively.

Diego Chara entered the match needing six fouls to take hold of the league’s all-time record. He had three in the first half (all against Pereyra) but stayed clean in the second.

Paredes announced that he and his wife are pregnant with a baby girl. His goal celebration (with the ball in his shirt) said as much.

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Cristhian Paredes
Portland Timbers

Timbers extend midfielder Cristhian Paredes

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers have extended midfielder Cristhian Paredes’ contract by four years and one club option year, the club announced yesterday.

Paredes, 23, is entering his sixth season in Portland after joining from Club América. He has eight goals and nine assists in 79 appearances (60 starts) in MLS. That includes a borderline-starting spot alongside Diego Chara in a double-pivot midfield last season.

Paredes has improved his defensive acumen and excels in goalscoring (0.23 per 90, 88th percentile) and assisting (0.15/90, 83rd percentile) for his position.

Paredes is expected to compete for the starting midfield spot with Eryk Williamson, who missed much of the 2021 season with a torn ACL.

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Portland Timbers

Timbers announce initial roster updates

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

Major League Soccer never stops, even right after the MLS Cup final. The Expansion Draft will take place Tuesday, Dec. 14th and free agency opens Wednesday, Dec. 15th.

The Timbers announced a bevy of roster decisions Monday, including the list of unprotected players for tomorrow’s Expansion Draft.

No matter how you feel about general manager Gavin Wilkinson and owner Merritt Paulson, they have a lot of important decisions to make in the coming weeks.

Who’s gone?

Jorge Gonzalez, Ismaila Jome, Manny Perez, and Renzo Zambrano are all not re-signing. We know they’re gone. Gonzalez and Perez never saw action for the first team and Jome barely did. All four of these guys are unprotected for Charlotte FC’s expansion draft.

Who’s staying?

Portland left 10 of its 21 players on the current roster (so, not including the four names above) unprotected. The 11 protected players which Portland will definitely have next season are:

  • Goalkeepers – Hunter Sulte
  • Defenders – Dario Župarić, Bill Tuiloma, Claudio Bravo
  • Midfielders – Blake Bodily, Diego Chará, Yimmi Chará, Marvin Loría, Santiago Moreno, Cristhian Paredes, Eryk Williamson, Dairon Asprilla
  • Forwards – Felipe Mora, Jarosław Niezgoda

Who’s in limbo?

The ones we don’t know about yet:

  • Goalkeepers – Steve Clark, Jeff Attinella, Aljaz Ivacic
  • Defenders – Larrys Mabiala, Zac McGraw, Josecarlos Van Rankin, Pablo Bonilla
  • Midfielders – Sebastian Blanco, Diego Valeri, Andy Polo, George Fochive
  • Forwards – N/A

The Timbers are looking to re-sign Sebastian Blanco, Steve Clark, Aljaz Ivacic, and Josecarlos Van Rankin. I’d be shocked if Blanco didn’t re-sign. Not so sure about the other three. Briefly, here’s why:

  • Van Rankin was on loan from Chivas Guadalajara this season. There have been rumors of him both re-signing in Portland and re-joining Chivas. I could see this one going either way.
  • Clark is 35. He’s had some great moments for Portland, but he’s certainly more replaceable because of his age.
  • Ivacic has barely played for the Timbers. He conceded 12 goals in four starts this season and is clearly the third-best Portland ‘keeper when healthy. The Timbers also have both Hunter Sulte and Jeff Attinella still under contract. I’d say Ivacic re-signing is unlikely.

What should the priorities be?

Priority #1 for Gavin Wilkinson has to be to re-sign Sebastián Blanco. This should be obvious. Getting him on a non-Designated Player deal (like Valeri signed a few years ago) would be ideal, but might not be feasible. Either way, keep him in the club.

Diego Valeri’s future might not affect the team on the field much, but it’s crucial for fan buy-in (which has obviously been waning lately).

Beyond that, decisions on Van Rankin and Clark will be most important. If those two are gone, that’s two starting spots to fill. I doubt Charlotte takes anyone from Portland tomorrow.

Portland are not one of the top-five spenders in MLS, but they are consistently near the top. The front office has showed its willingness to spend in the right places and take full advantage of MLS’ wonky roster rules (using the U-22 initiative to sign Moreno, for example).

We’ll see how they approach a pivotal offseason.

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Portland Timbers

Timbers hold off Dynamo for first MLS win of 2021

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

It wasn’t always comfortable, but the Portland Timbers held on for a 2-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo in Providence Park on Saturday night.

Cristhian Paredes celebrates with Felipe Mora. Photo via Portland Timbers (used with permission)

Cristhian Paredes redeemed himself from an own goal to score the winner ahead of a reunion with his former club on Wednesday.

Coming off a tough 1-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps in Week 1, the Timbers redeemed themselves with a solid home performance against Houston’s A-team.

Gio Savarese went with a rotated squad for this match with a midweek meeting against Mexican giants Club América awaiting on Wednesday.

Homegrown player Blake Bodily started at center forward in his MLS Regular Season debut and struggled to get touches, though he did make a few good runs. Felipe Mora would replace him in the 59′.

“It was definitely a little different…playing up top is certainly not my first position,” said Bodily. “I think I did an OK job but I think I can improve.”

The night was sadly underscored by the passing of Diego Valeri’s father, Luis. The emotions of the night were felt by more than just El Maestro.

Match Recap

It wouldn’t take long for the Timbers to strike first, as Dairon Asprilla guided a Pablo Bonilla cross into the side-netting from the penalty spot in the sixth minute. Asprilla ran straight to the bench to celebrate with Diego Valeri after the opener.

Houston had a chance of their own in the 16′, but Fafa Picault’s shot from the top of the box went wide.

Houston tied the match in the 28′ when Cristhian Paredes mistakenly flicked a Tyler Pasher cross past Jeff Attinella off a short corner kick. It originally looked like Houston’s Boniek Garcia got the touch, but replay confirmed it hit Paredes.

Pasher was besting Bravo on Houston’s right flank in the first half, beating him twice before recording his second assist in as many MLS starts (see above).

Urruti was greeted with jovial jeers after tactically fouling Marvin Loría and receiving a yellow card. He had 15 goals in 28 MLS starts as a Portland Timber from 2013-15.

Diego Valeri and Dario Župarić swapped in for Yimmi Chará and Larrys Mabiala at halftime. Usual starters for usual starters makes sense for saving minutes; this was probably predetermined.

Things got spicy five minutes into the second half when Bonilla accidentally elbowed (hopefully) Picault in the face. No cards were given, but a foul was called on Bonilla.

A similar incident followed in the 54’—Bonilla caught another player in a similar way. Tempers would continue to flare, as a late Ismail Elfath foul call on Župarić caused a ruckus in midfield.

Tuiloma missed a great offensive set piece chance in the 69′, but the breakthrough would have to wait.

Three minutes later, Tuiloma would assist Paredes’ revenge—lumping the ball up to Felipe Mora, who headed it perfectly into the path of Cristhian Paredes to smash home. 2-1 Timbers with ~20 minutes to go? Let’s go.

In the shadow of the smoke, Williamson replaced Loría as Portland’s fourth sub of the match. Van Rankin replaced Bonilla in the 82′ to round out Gio’s swaps for the night.

Even with the 2-1 lead, Portland still looked vulnerable; giving balls away in their own third, wasting possessions, and nearly allowing Pasher to slide a in for a goal in the 85′.

Portland were not without their chances. Multiple counterattack opportunities went begging, with the 87′ Mora-to-Valeri fastbreak being the most dangerous. Valeri’s shot flew over the bar, and Asprilla’s effort would too a couple minutes later. Right on time another two minutes later (90 + 1′ by now), Van Rankin’s darting run and fantastic one-two with Mora produced yet another skied shot.

Asprilla nearly assisted a Mora goal in the 90 + 2′ but the pass drifted half a step too far. Nevertheless, the final whistle sounded like a crowd (with real fans!) enjoying Portland’s first MLS points of 2021.

Other Notes & Quotes

Asprilla was his usual self, including the goal:

  • Made a brilliant move to get past Adam Lundkvist before committing a caution-worthy foul a minute later in the first half.
  • Engaged in a few noteworthy clashes with Zarek Valentin on the other side of the box.
  • A header at the back post struck right to Marko Maric.
  • Nearly curling a great solo effort into the corner—slipped instead.
  • Bolting down the left side deep into the game and beating Houston’s whole midfield before poking Valentin in the face for a foul.

Portland registered 23 shots with five being on target, while Houston totaled only 10 and three, respectively.

Gio explicitly mentioned the impressiveness of the win with squad rotation, specifically with “having [Paredes’] fresh legs” next to Diego Chará in the midfield.

Last but not least, I found this at the end of the night. Enjoy.

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Portland Timbers

Timbers Roster Updates and Mock Depth Chart

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda
saprissa.jpg

The season is almost here, and it appears Portland is almost ready to go. The squad is currently doing some preseason training in Costa Rica. Their first preseason match was yesterday against Saprissa, which Portland won 2-1.

The Timbers recently picked up Chilean forward Felipe Mora and Polish forward Jaroslaw Niezgoda.

My first article here at CSN was about where a new signing named Brian Fernández would play. Times change. Players come and go. So here I am, predicting how two new forwards will fit into the squad.

Felipe Mora

Mora is on a loan using Targeted Allocation Money, according to The Athletic. The loan reportedly includes an option to buy, which means Portland can retain him next season if he finally becomes the #9 we’ve been looking for since… well, the #9 we’ve been looking for.

https://twitter.com/PumasMX/status/1221606061381169153?s=19

Mora has played in Chile and Mexico, the latter with Cruz Azul and Pumas.

Mora is a pure #9. He plants himself on the defense’s backline, often in between the opponent center backs. Most of his goals come from headers and poaching chances in the box. Not a bad plan for a team that fell into the empty void of crosses last season—Portland was 2nd in MLS in crosses (557) and 12th in goals scored (53)—so after a naive first glance, it would seem they need a proven poacher upfront.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH-PBeH_F08

Jarek Niezgoda

Brian Fernández was more of a dynamic forward, and so is Jarek Niezgoda, Portland’s newest signee. Niezgoda probably cost just under $4 million in transfer fees, and he joins the squad as a Designated Player, occupying the third and final DP spot on the Timbers’ roster.

https://twitter.com/TimbersFC/status/1222942735549624320?s=20

Since becoming a bonafide starter for Legia Warsaw in 2017, Niezgoda has scored 39 goals in 87 appearances. This includes a Polish-league-leading 14 goals in 18 appearances in the latest installment of the Ekstraklasa.

He’s a spry 24, so hopefully a touch quicker than CSN’s own Kevin Nesgoda.

After announcing the signing of Niezgoda, Timbers GM Gavin Wilkinson gave a very interesting sigh of relief to MLS’s Tom Bogert. Included was a scouting report of the new striker:

“Jarek is capable of playing as a single No. 9 or as a two, and he’s even played out wide in the past. Balancing his characteristics with Jeremy, we feel very good about that position. He’s a goal scorer, comfortable with both feet. Good size, good athleticism and can finish in a variety of ways. He attacks the ball. With his feet, he’s very quick, gets the ball off his foot very quickly and he’s an honest, hard-working player.”

via Tom Bogert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzPSadilxLg&t=1s

On the Pitch

In the aforementioned report, Gavin indicated the Timbers would announce the signings of Mora and Cristhian Paredes (who is still technically on loan from Club América). These were both given substance by fan-turned-insider Keith Palau, and the former was confirmed by the Timbers.

https://twitter.com/kpduck/status/1223129066464612352?s=20

Portland will have two DP attacking wingers and one DP forward. My assumption is that all three of these players will start, making an all-DP front line of Sebástian Blanco, Niezgoda, and Yimmi Chará. Both Blanco and Yimmi historically like to cut inside, meaning the Jorges (Moreira and Villafaña) will continue to bomb up the flanks and send in crosses.

This is all fine and good, except it would be ideal to have a big center forward on the end of those. Mora may seem like the obvious choice for this, but keep in mind that Niezgoda is 6’1″—small in basketball, but pretty dang tall for a soccer player. Within his quick assessment of Niezgoda, head coach Giovanni Savarese mentioned the forward being “good with his head,” so it hopefully he’s still be an aerial threat.

Possible Starting Formations

As per last week’s roster check, this is still how I saw the starting XI shaking out:

But Gavin’s comments from last week have me almost certain of a two-forward system. He mentioned the system itself and made it clear Jebo had a place in the squad:

“We believe in Jeremy Ebobisse,” Wilkinson said. ”He’s a quality player with a big upside and he’s not the finished product, so we have to be careful not to limit his growth and minutes. We wanted to acquire a Young DP that also has an upside that Jeremy can compete with, and with a profile to change systems and tactics so they can play with one another.”

via Tom Bogert

This dual-striker idea, while presenting an attacking pipe dream (via a probable solution to Portland’s problem of breaking down teams in a low block), begs the question—if we’re adding a forward, who comes off the field?

My instincts say a holding midfielder (so, Paredes) or moving to three at the back by replacing Villafaña and Moreira with another fullback (probably Bill Tuiloma). Playing with three center backs is something Savarese mentioned at Portland’s Media Day last week.

I’d also welcome a three-man backline that still included the regular outside fullbacks. For these purposes, I’m assuming the Jorges’ attacking tendencies (and long-lamented lack of tracking back) would keep them out of this system, but I’m sure Gio could justify a way of making it work.

Maybe some Jebo on the Wing™ will be a starting option in a 4-3-3.

Right now, the 4-3-3 would be my best guess as to what the Timbers will put out on March 1st. It checks all the boxes Gavin mentioned and keeps Portland’s most proven players on the field in a system that’s still similar to Gio’s past ones.

If one thing’s clear from these signings, it’s that it’s finally time to say goodbye to Savarese’s beloved 4-3-2-1 “Christmas Tree” that served as Portland’s security blanket XI in the past two years. Poor Tannenbaum.

Portland may also play with five at the back that adapts into a 3-6-1 or 3-5-2 in attack to utilize the strengths of the Jorges. Feel free to choose your own adventure and plugin Jebo somewhere with this formation, too.

Regardless of what exact system Gio goes with, the fact that we can even speculate this much highlights an important feature of this team: its positive evolution. At the beginning of last season, we were struggling to select 11 guys that were starting-caliber MLS players. Now it seems we have an embarrassment of riches, especially up top.

Although we haven’t seen them in action yet, Gavin and owner Merritt Paulson should be receiving a bit of praise for clearly identifying areas of need and filling them with no-nonsense signings. Again, we have to see how these newbies adapt, but on paper, it’s a job well done.

Depth Chart

Here’s my interpretation of a hypothetical Timbers “depth chart”—I went for realisticness over the organization. Considering we’re pretty far from even knowing what kind of formation or system we’ll play, it’s safe to say most of this is up in the air. Still, feel free to slander me on any social media platform or the comments below.

Goalkeeper

  1. Steve Clark
  2. Jeff Attinella
  3. Aljaz Ivacic

Steve Clark has proven his spot as the first keeper over the course of last season. In 24 starts last season, Clark finished third in MLS in save percentage (.755), second in goals allowed per 90 (1.04) and recorded a clean sheet 25% of the time. The Timbers are clearly committed to Clark, giving him a new contract over the offseason.

Attinella is still a starting-quality ‘keeper for the most part, and he did start in 10 matches last season. While he conceded 24 goals in that stretch, it’s worth noting that both these goalies dealt with some truly abysmal performances by the other 10 players throughout the season, too.

Ivacic is the clear choice above other Timbers 2 goalies Kendall McIntosh (who has departed) and Jake Leeker, who he’ll continue to share reps with in the USL Championship with T2.

Center Back

  1. Larrys Mabiala
  2. Dario Zuparic
  3. Bill Tuiloma*
  4. Julio Cascante

One of Portland’s worst overall positions last year was center back. When Larrys Mabiala was out with an injury, it seemed the Cascante-Tuiloma pairing took much too long to gel. Claude Dielna (who was not resigned) struggled to keep up with the competition when called upon, as well. Even when Mabiala returned, the defense was still not up to snuff. Often times, it took Steve Clark standing on his head to keep the ball out of the net.

It wasn’t surprising, then, that the first big offseason move Portland made was to sign a new center back, Dario Zuparic. A TAM signing, Zuparic will probably be good enough, especially because of Gio’s indication that Tuiloma can be used at positions other than CB.

*As of yesterday’s match against Saprissa, Tuiloma will be out for two months. Better sign another defender…

Left Back

  1. Jorge Villafaña
  2. Marco Farfan
  3. Bill Tuiloma

No signings have been made here (yet), so the depth chart pretty much stays the same.

Farfan is preferred on the left, and it feels like Moreira’s spot is a tad more secure than Villafaña’s.

Bill will appear on both outside back positions just as a filler. Unless there are injuries, I doubt we’ll actually see him there.

Right Back

  1. Jorge Moreira
  2. Marco Farfan
  3. Bill Tuiloma

Again, nothing new here, although right back was an area addressed by Gavin and Gio at Media Day. Farfan is still the second string at both these positions assuming he recovers well from injury.

Chris Duvall is currently on trial as a right back with the squad in Costa Rica. He’d be a solid backup at a thin position.

Stopper

  1. Diego Chará
  2. Cristhian Paredes
  3. Renzo Zambrano
  4. Andres Flores*
  5. Eryk Williamson
  6. Bill Tuiloma

*Flores is out for a bit with a meniscus tear, but that shouldn’t change this order too much.

Depending on how Gio decides to set up, we may continue to see the Paredes/Chará pairing in the holding midfield. If only one is used, it will be Chará. Portland’s only All-Star last year was sent there for a reason. He still hasn’t shown signs of slowing down, even at 33.

Zambrano and Williamson got intermittent reps with the first team last year, and Williamson especially got some crucial minutes. The soon-to-be-23-year-old played a full 90 in Portland’s 2-1 home win over Sporting Kansas City in September and started the next match, playing 61 more minutes. I wouldn’t be surprised if he passed the more experienced Zambrano during the year.

Tuiloma has actually played a bit of stopper for us in the past, so he’s another viable option should the midfield get thin.

Central Attacking Midfielder

  1. Diego Valeri
  2. Sebástian Blanco
  3. Tomás Conechny
  4. Eryk Williamson
  5. Blake Bodily

This might as well be called “the Valeri position.” It’s not exactly a #10 creative piece, but it’s also not a pure #8 box-to-box duty. El Maestro is back on a new contract, and although he’s no longer a DP, there’s no reason he shouldn’t be starting in this spot.

Blanco will often push in from the wing and be another creator from the inside, giving Portland more options in attack. When Valeri’s out, he’s filled in well at this spot, too.

Conechny has shown flashes of his ability to lead the team from the attacking midfield—our best example being the 2-1 midweek loss at Montréal from last year in which a bunch of fringe-starters and T2 guys played. Conechny scored in this match, although Williamson occupied this position.

I put Bodily here because he’s a warm body that can play in the midfield. Maybe he get some Open Cup appearances.

Winger

  1. Sebástian Blanco
  2. Yimmi Chará
  3. Jeremy Ebobisse
  4. Marvin Loría
  5. Andy Polo
  6. Dairon Asprilla
  7. Tomás Conechny
  8. Eryk Williamson

I’ve grouped the wingers together because in Savarese’s offense they are essentially interchangeable. All of these guys can play on either side of the field, it’s just a matter of where they line up. In my lineups I’ve been putting Yimmi on the right and Blanco on the left for simplicity, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Gio swapped them.

As mentioned previously, both Yimmi and Seba tend to cut inside, while Jebo gets in the box more and the rest mostly stay out on the wing.

Blanco and Yimmi Chará will both start, and you could basically swap them at 1 and 2 if you wanted to. I expect 1-4 on this list to get playing time, though. While Loría only logged 700 MLS minutes last year, he’s still only 22 with plenty of upside—just needs more first-team minutes.

As for Polo and Asprilla, I have to think they’d really need to show improvement to see significant minutes. Portland added two DP attackers, and it always seemed like Polo and Asprilla were placeholders rather than preferred starters.

Forward

  1. Jarek Niezgoda
  2. Jeremy Ebobisse
  3. Felipe Mora

While we may end up with an aforementioned two-striker system, the pecking order seems to be like this. I expect all three of these players to get significant playing time this year, albeit in this order.

While I have doubts about Niezgoda’s ability to produce like Brian Fernández did, I’m remaining optimistic.

According to this Richard Farley article, Mora’s more of a “Hey, this guy is buried in the bench of a solid Mexican team, so we might as well add some quality depth at forward” (quote non-verbatim). I like this move, and while Mora has a “3” beside him on my depth chart, he’s more of a 1.5-2. When we’re tied or down late in a match, it’ll be nice to have someone other than Asprilla to bring on.

Adieu

If I’ve learned anything from writing this, it’s that I am absolutely itching for the season to start. It’s a shame that the preseason matches in Costa Rica won’t be streamed, but I’ll see if I can piece together what goes on down there.

https://twitter.com/TimbersFC/status/1222034885826637824?s=20

Dare I say… if we sign a backup right back, this will be the deepest Timbers squad we’ve seen since 2015, possibly ever.

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Portland Timbers

Timbers Roster Check: January 2020

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda
rostercheck-scaled.jpg

A new year is here, and as the Trail Blazers flirt with their worst season since 2012-13, many Portland sports fans can’t wait for the start of Timbers season on March 1st. While the Timbers are still without a new Designated Player striker, they have made a few interesting roster moves.

Here’s a quick rundown on what roster moves have transpired since the season’s end back on October 19th, 2019:

  • Defender Dario Zuparic was signed using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).
  • Jorge Moreira‘s loan from River Plate was extended by six months.
  • The Timbers expressed interest in extending Cristhian Paredes‘ loan, and it appears they have, with announcements like this coming after the loan’s expiration date on the new year.
    • Sidenote on Paredes: there is another Cristhian Paredes playing in a club in Paraguay, leading some sources to falsely say our Paredes had been transferred there. The more you know.
  • Claude Dielna, Kendall McIntosh, Modou Jadama, and Foster Langsdorf were all let go.
  • Steve Clark was re-signed to a new contract.
  • Diego Valeri was re-signed using TAM.
  • Yimmi Chará (Diego’s brother) was signed as a Designated Player from Colombian side Atlético Mineiro.
  • Zarek Valentin was selected by Nashville SC in the Expansion Draft.
  • Portland drafted Aaron Molloy, Zac McGraw, and Joergen Oland out of the SuperDraft. These guys aren’t expected to see first team minutes, though.
  • Brian Fernández was signed by Colon de Santa Fe on a free transfer. The Timbers already terminated his contract last calendar year.
  • Midfielder Blake Bodily was signed as a Home Grown Player from the University of Washington.

Of course, you may have heard that the Timbers are probably going to sign Polish striker Jaroslaw Niezgoda from Legia Warsaw. Reports indicate that he was in Portland and getting a physical while the Timbers finalize things.

Finally, it looks like Portland might not be done quite yet during the transfer window:

https://twitter.com/williamconwell/status/1220092485298352128?s=20

This leaves the current roster as follows:

Assuming Niezgoda is added, there’s a pretty solid picture of how the Timbers will line up for the season opener on March 1st.

Note: I used #9 for Niezgoda because Polo already has Jaroslaw’s usual #11.

It’ll be interesting to see who wins out the starting spots on the back line. Hopefully having a new defender around will push Cascante, Mabiala, and Tuiloma to their best.

Ebobisse as a backup left winger or center forward sounds about his speed. Knowing our injury history and the rigors of MLS, I’m sure he’ll get plenty of reps as the season wears on.

All things considered, this looks like a great starting XI, but it’s not as good as it could be. I guess what I’m saying is, it’s a very Portland Timbers XI in that there’s not a ton of big names (outside the Diegos, to an extent) like you might see elsewhere in MLS, but plenty of potential for the new guys to become big names.

At the end of the day, it’s all about how this unit can work together to get consistent results—something we never really saw from the Timbers in 2019. I think one big lesson we can take from last year is that early-season games still very much matter, so it’d be nice to have a thorough season from start to finish.

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Portland Timbers

Timbers vs Real Salt Lake Preview: 8/31/19

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda
Fanendo_Adi_Portland_Timbers_vs_RSL_2016-09-10_29613806605.jpg

The Portland Timbers (11-4D-11, 37 pts, 8th in West) and Real Salt Lake (13-4D-10, 43 pts, 2nd in West) will meet in a classic late-season Saturday night showdown at Providence Park. 

Match Info

  • Time: Saturday, August 31st @ 7:30pm PT
  • Location: Providence Park, Portland, OR
  • TV: FOX 12 Plus (channel 49)

As you probably know, this match has huge implications beyond simply extending a mini unbeaten streak or avenging the legendary 2013 squad. A quick look at the Western Conference standings reveal 8th place Portland trails 2nd place RSL by only six points. I feel like a broken record when I mention Portland’s game in hand, but it only means something if they can capitalize on it. Two straight home defeats on national television and an injuries to both starting center backs didn’t do much to help that cause. 

Standings provided by Sofascore LiveScore

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A couple weeks ago, I looked at FiveThirtyEight’s MLS predictions for the Timbers, which gave them a 90% chance to make the playoffs. While that number is down, 83% is still a pretty good shot. The bigger question lies in what position the Timbers will finish. An expanded playoff format guarantees home field advantage for the top four teams in each conference, but Portland still has work to do:

Timbers final position in Western Conference standings FiveThirtyEight Probability (%)
2nd* 13%
3rd* 16%
4th* 15%
5th** 14%
6th** 12%
7th** 12%
8th or less (missing playoffs) 18%

  • *=home playoff match guaranteed
  • **=away match in 1st round

This only adds to the stress of the match for the Timbers, who already need this win badly.

On the Iron Front front

As you also probably know, there has been a much bigger issue raging in the background of these last few matches: while the Iron Front ban protest was certainly noticed, neither the league nor the Timbers Army seem keen to give up their side. Owner Merritt Paulson mildly evaded a question about fan safety to re-hash the issue of the flag’s political nature during a Portland Thorns Q&A, while the TA has stated they are in “ongoing talks” with the Timbers front office. This writer stands with the Timbers Army and hopes that the ban is rescinded soon.

Other Noteworthy Matches

Before we get to the match at hand, there are a couple of other critical matches you might want to be aware of before the Timbers kick off at 7:30. If college football isn’t your thing (and you have ESPN+), definitely check out these first two:

  • Cincinnati @ Dallas, 4:00 PT
    • FC Dallas is currently sitting on 40 points (three ahead of the Timbers), but they have also played two more matches. This should be an easy win for Dallas at home against the worst team in MLS, but we’ve seen crazier things happen in MLS. Root for Cincy!
  • Houston @ Kansas City, 4:30 PT
    • Don’t look now, but if Portland slips up in the remaining matches, these two sides will be nipping at their heels, especially Kansas City. SKC is within three points of the Timbers, and although Portland does have a game in hand, two remaining meetings with KC could make the playoff race trickier than expected. Root for a draw or Houston win!
  • Orlando City @ San Jose, 7:30 PT
    • This match will start at the same time as Portland’s, but keep an eye on San Jose, who are one of the teams Portland are chasing in the Western Conference standings. Root for Orlando!
  • LA Galaxy @ Seattle, 2:30 PT Sunday
    • Take a look at this matchup if you find time Sunday. The performances of both these teams will be critical to Portland’s playoff position. Root for a draw, although seeing either of these teams lose will surely bring a wry smile.

Match Primer

Ok, onto the match itself. In order to win this match, Portland will need to stop Albert Rusnák. The Slovak #11 pulls the strings for RSL’s attack, and if RSL sits deep to absorb pressure (more on that later), his creativity is deadly on the counter-attack. Luckily, the Timbers have Diego Chará, who is more than capable. Who they won’t have, though, is Larrys Mabiala and Julio Cascante. During the bulk of the regular season, this duo was the preferred starting center back pairing for head coach Giovanni Savarese—although I still prefer Tuiloma over Cascante when both are healthy.

Replacement Claude Dielna has had his fair share of mistakes, but he has also had some solid matches, most notably against NYCFC, Orlando City, and Colorado. It should be noted that Dielna’s weakness, though, is his lack of pace. This was exploited quite easily by Mason Toye and Minnesota United earlier this month. If RSL does end up finding space on the counter, things will be a lot more nervy for Portland’s back line. 

Lineups

What curveball will Gio throw us this week? Last week we had Marvin Loría starting over Jeremy Ebobisse and Zarek Valentin getting the nod over an injured Jorge Moreira. Now, Valentin is questionable with a hamstring injury and the Timbers find themselves with four healthy players on the back line (at least it makes my prediction easier). In the midfield, Cristhian Paredes should get the start next to Chará, but there have been rumblings of a leg injury that would undoubtedly see Renzo Zambrano get the start. In the attack, there have been some proponents of seeing Brian Fernández play out on the wing, but these pipe dreams were mostly dismissed by Gio’s comments in training. With rest no longer a factor (for now), I expect the lineup to look like this:

There have been suggestions of moving Fernández out to the wing, but Savarese does not seem too keen about the idea

Keys

  • Scoring against a low block: It’s no secret that Portland has had their fair share of trouble against defenses that stay compact and look to counter-attack. It’s how the Timbers made it to MLS Cup last year, and it’s how teams have been grabbing points from them this year. Hopefully getting Moreira back will help attack wide areas and exploit a back line that has given up only 34 goals this season.
  • Scoring the first goal: I know, duh. You want your team to score all the goals, not just the first one. But conceding the first goal buried the Timbers in their last two losses. I guess this key should read: Score before the other team, or if you don’t, don’t let yourself keep playing poorly.
  • Keeping things tidy on the back line: The last (and only) time Dielna and Tuiloma started together, it was part of a 5-man back line designed to stop Zlatan Ibrahimovic that went…poorly. This will be a big experiment, and I wouldn’t be that surprised to see a—dare I say it—back three at some point on Saturday. Salt Lake will be licking their chops at the thought of attacking this back four, and it could be a massive game for Steve Clark between the sticks.

RSL’s strategy should be to sit back and take what the Timbers give them on the counter. They are facing a pair of questionable center backs in Cascante and Dielna, and suddenly Sam Johnson’s nine goals in 20 appearances look even more impressive. HOWEVER, I think Portland wins this match because Real Salt Lake comes out of their shell and tries to compete. As long as the back line avoids any egregious errors, I think this should be a classic home win for the Timbers. 

And finally…

After a lengthy delay, my friend Reece and I have finally released the first episode of the Double Post Podcast! Check us out on Soundcloud and Twitter to keep up with all the hottest takes in the Timbers community.

As always, thanks for reading and go Timbers!

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