On Sunday, the Portland Timbers traveled to New York to pay a visit to expansion side NYCFC and came away with a 1-0 victory on the strength of a 79th minute goal from Darion Asprilla. Unfortunately, many of you were unable to see the game, as Fox preempted the game on its originally scheduled channel and pushed it to online-only (if you have Comcast). This was frustrating on a number of levels – not only as a Timbers fan, but as a fan of American soccer at large, to see the sport so casually brushed aside by what is supposed to be a major broadcast partner.
With that said, this was a huge victory for Portland. The Timbers have been on the wrong side of the standings early this season with an imposing trip to rival Seattle Sounders looming next weekend. After the match against Seattle, Portland will be 1/4th of the way through the regular season, so let’s look at some of the good and bad of the Timbers’ season thus far:
Good: Darlington Nagbe’s Assertiveness – Caleb Porter knew coming into 2015 that playmaking maestro Diego Valeri would be missing in action for the first couple months of the season. He, along with most every astute Timbers fan, knew that Portland’s offense would be exactly as creative as Darlington Nagbe made it. Thus far, he has not disappointed. While he has not scored yet this season, he has been Portland’s offensive talisman, keying the attack and breaking down defenses with his dribbling and speed. The question has never been one of talent with Nagbe – since he entered the league in 2011 as the Timbers first draft pick, he has teased Portland fans with flashes of talent that few, if any, players in MLS can match. The ability to consistently dominate and key the attack has never been a part of Nagbe’s game, however, until this year. Assuming he continues this level of play throughout the season, no development will end up being more significant for the Timbers this season.
Bad: Portland’s Finishing – Nagbe’s assertiveness and creativity has created multiple opportunities in almost every game this season; but Portland has still only scored a total of seven goals so far. The Timbers are top 5 in all of MLS in total shots taken, shots on goal, fouls taken, and corner kicks earned – and yet, they barely crack the top 10 in goals scored, and are behind four teams that have played less games than Portland has. In particular, Fanendo Adi, Maxi Uruti, and Rodney Wallace have been especially guilty of leaving potential goals on the table. If even one or two of these missed chances are converted over the past seven games, Portland’s barely-acceptable 9 points might be improved by 1-4 points.
Good: Portland’s Defensive Triangle – Portland’s biggest struggle last season was on the defensive end; a revolving door of center backs only partially alleviated by the arrival of Liam Ridgewell in July gave opponents chance after chance down the spine of the Portland defense. It was frustrating to watch, and it ended up costing the Timbers a playoff spot. With the offseason acquisition of Nat Borchers, Ridgewell was given the running mate he needed and Portland was given the beard they deserved. Borchers makes at least a half-dozen plays every game that are rarely flashy but are critical clearances or tackles. These are plays that were not being made last year, and Portland allowed goals as a result. But with Borchers and Ridgewell teaming well with new goalkeeper Adam Larsen-Kwarasey (who played a great game on Sunday), the spine of the Timbers’ defense has never been more solid.
Bad: Missed Opportunities – The Timbers currently sit with a record of 2 wins, 2 losses, and 3 draws, for a total of nine points which is good enough for 8th (out of 10) in the Western Conference. Portland has dropped points at home to Orlando City, LA Galaxy, and Real Salt Lake, while also dropping road points against Sporting Kansas City and Vancouver. Of these games, only Orlando City badly outplayed Portland; and in games against RSL and Vancouver, the Timbers dominated the run of play, only to drop points (draw against RSL, loss at Vancouver) to both. These matches, along with the late header given up against Los Angeles, cost Portland valuable points they will inevitably miss as the season moves along. While the Timbers may make the post-season regardless, those points may mean the difference between a bye and a first-round game played away from the friendly confines of Providence Park.
Good and Bad: Alvas Powell – Make no mistake, Alvas Powell has made great strides and is, at only 20 years old, worthy of his position as a regular starter on a quality MLS team. His speed and dribbling ability have caused numerous problems for Portland opponents this season, and he is second on the team in completed dribbles, trailing only Nagbe. His defensive positioning has improved as well; he is picking and choosing his attacking spots better, and as a result is being caught out of position less than he was a year ago. But Powell still has a tendency to push at inopportune times and can get caught in possession, leading to breaks for opponents. Against NYCFC, one of these led to an excellent chance against Portland, with only a pitch-perfect tackle from Borchers standing between the NYCFC winger and a 1-on-1 against the goalie. Powell also lets his frustrations about missed calls spill over to the next play too often. Multiple times this season, Powell has expressed his frustration about a missed call on the attack by cynically taking down an opponent and earning a card in the process. While he has not yet been sent off in a match this season, they are completely unnecessary and only harm the team. Powell’s development has been a bright spot in Portland’s season thus far, but he still has areas to improve on to reach the top echelons of MLS wing defenders.
Thus far, Portland as a whole has earned a passing grade. They’ve kept touch with the rest of the Western Conference despite multiple injuries to key players. However, they have had the opportunity to do more, and instead left multiple goals and points off the board. As last season proved, a playoff spot cannot be earned in the first two months of the season, but it can be lost. Portland has done enough to stay in the hunt, which is all Timbers fans realistically hoped for through the first part of the schedule. The second quarter of the season features games against bottom feeders from both conferences in Montreal Impact, Toronto FC, and Colorado Rapids, along with two games against Houston Dynamo. In addition, both Diego Valeri and Will Johnson are expected back in the lineup in May. If the Timbers are going to make noise in the race for the Western Conference, Supporter’s Shield, and MLS Cup, taking advantage of this stretch will be critical.
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