A season removed from a season of disappointment, your Portland Timbers appear to be repeating the pattern that led to just that.
The Timbers lost 2-1 to rival Vancouver last Saturday, and in the process stood pat on the 3 points they’d amassed over their previous 3 games. But in spite of a second year of the type of start that can only sabotage a post-season run, third year coach Caleb Porter continues to sing the praises of his team and in the process excuse losses that should no longer be taken lightly.
For more than a year now I’ve watched this team and its coach drown in mediocrity. They didn’t get their first win last season until May 3rd, and through 4 games this year they’ve tallied just 3 points and in the process flushed 2 potential wins down the toilet due to late game goals allowed. I understand those things can happen. Even to the best of teams. But it’s become a troubling pattern for a franchise that wants more, and an even more troubling result for a coach losing the benefit of the doubt.
Following the loss to Vancouver, Porter echoed an increasingly annoying sentiment all-too-commonly heard since the beginning of last season.
“I thought we dominated the play and deserved to find the goal and should’ve scored the winning goal.” He continued, “You have to credit them certainly today for getting the three points. They defended well but I don’t know how we didn’t win; I really don’t…I haven’t seen us dominate a game on the road like this and lose since I’ve been here. It is what it is. I think it’s a bit unfair.”
Unfair? Maybe, but not so unpredictable based on what can only now be described as a pattern.
It’s now been consecutive years Portland’s stumbled from the blocks, and in the wake of such the excuses are getting old. Yes, you can dominate a game in which the scoreboard tells a different tale, but while that can explain an occasion, an occasion wouldn’t explain Porter’s tale of woe. At some point you need to win these games, and at some point a lack of doing so goes beyond that of misfortune, and falls on the coach and players simply not getting it done.
“We’re unbeaten and have played probably a heavier front-end schedule than most teams,” Porter said following last Tuesday’s training session at the team facility. “… We’re obviously playing good teams, and we’ve got three points, unbeaten, two clean sheets. You can look at the negative and say yeah we haven’t won, but we’re in the hunt, we’re right there in the pack and I think we’ve been managing the injuries, playing difficult opponents, we’ve been performing well.”
But now they have lost. And the injuries – while real – can’t be blamed because the players are by Porter’s own admission, “dominating games.” Right up to the point when it matters most. And I’m putting that on the coach.
Caleb Porter came to Portland as a bit of a flyer, established legitimacy almost immediately, and has since been spinning his wheels regarding going to another level. Is he capable? I did and would continue to like thinking so, but I’m starting to wonder a bit and am really beginning to tire of his act in the process.
“For me it’s all about the next game, and that’s what we’re focused on, and stock will go up and down with all the teams.” Porter said, “We can’t go five points in the first eight. We can’t do that, and we won’t do that; that won’t happen.”
It might not, but it also just might. After all, they’re halfway there as we speak, and at this rate the coach and his players will be full of excuses if they do.
Whether I like it or not.
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