Timbers’ Alhassan Player Of The Game

On a dream debut in for John Spencer and the Portland Timbers, one player stood out brighter than the rest. No it is not new signing Kris Boyd, who will win the battle of the headlines after his game-winner, but the real hero of this match was midfielder Kalif Alhassan.

Alhassan, who was quoted earlier in the week as, “thinking he needed to do more”, in order to keep his starting spot on a talented roster, delivered in a big way for the Timbers.  He was involved in every Timbers goal, drawing the foul that set up Andrew Jean-Baptiste’s game-tying goal, and netting a goal and an assist.

While Boyd’s header was indeed a thing of beauty, that goal never develops without the awareness and touch of the former Ghanaian International. Alhassan used a great first touch to control a ball coming over the top along the right sideline, made a couple body fakes, then gently finessed a left-footed ball onto the near post for Boyd to guide into the net.

Alhassan tormented Philadelphia defender Porfirio Lopez all night with his quick footwork and speed, especially in the second half when he was the spark-plug going forward on the right hand side. He seemed to be the most confident Timbers player on the pitch all night, taking risky touches along the sideline that, when successful, opened up the Timbers attack. A great example was a superb chip pass in the 33^rd minute to Lovell Palmer that ended up in a Timbers corner kick

He capped of the night with a messi-esque chip from nearly parallel to the goal line that put the Timbers in smooth waters. For a team that struggled in giving up late game goals last season, the insurance was no small deed. His 76^th minute goal put to rest any concerns about Portland relinquishing its lead, as he took a quick free kick from Jack Jewsbury and split two defenders with a deft touch, creating enough space to place a chip (or possibly a cross) into the opposite side of the net.

He displayed creativity during a stagnant first 45 minutes, and sparked the timbers attack during the second 45. The winger was superb with his touches from the beginning, including great interplay with Jorge Perlaza in the 8^th minute that resulted in a shot from Shawn Alexander trickling inches wide of the post. Alhassan dummied his initial cross, sending Lopez sliding by on the slick surface.

The build-up to Boyd’s goal was not fancy, and Alhassan, who had developed a bit of a stigma for his trickery, stuck to his fundamentals. The 21 year old showed a maturity that was often invisible last season, and Timbers fans can hope that his early form can continue throughout the season, and especially on the road.