 |
| Like them, I see what you don't. (An Oscar, right?) |
First, there’s point arguing that losing 1-2 to the Los Angeles Galaxy was a good thing for the Portland Timbers, even if it happened in LA and all that entails (I don’t know what…well, you brought it up). All the same, and I don’t know about you, but that loss felt…better than the last two. After slowly, yet comprehensively, falling apart in one game, and getting overwhelmed by the occasion (and/or bribed to throw it in the other; I wanna see the soccerdon’s tax returns, dammit!), seeing Portland lose valiantly and angrily felt, full-stop fucking fantastic. I mean, there was this sequence early in the game where Diego Valeri spent 15 minutes wrestling over a ball near LA’s left corner flag and, once he lost it, he chased the ball backwards before flopping on top of it like he was smothering a grenade and causing the foul. This was nothing more and nothing less than the act of a man who would change the Portland Timbers’ fate or die trying.
There was a fair amount of that going around tonight, and that’s why the Timbers put in its best, bravest result of the season, and in a losing effort that may or may not portend eating shit over the balance of 30 games, but let’s hope not. To put down my marker, tonight gave me faith that this team won’t eat shit over the balance of 30 games. I’m not expecting glory, but I’m also not bracing for disgrace. The goal Portland scored tonight shouted loudly back to the team that punched five, ten feet over its weight through the 2018 post-season. This team at its best really is something – and it has been for years. The concern is that it’s been too many of them.
It majesty notwithstanding, that lone, glorious goal wasn’t enough tonight – a thought that actually steers the conversation to my fundamental feeling about today’s game. Doesn’t it feel so much fucking better to say, “dammit, the Timbers got robbed tonight,” than it is to say, “sweet flaming Jesus, what the Hell is wrong with our defense?”
About that “robbed” piece, a neutral could have questioned both of the penalty calls in LA’s favor. Commenting as a decidedly non-neutral, LA’s first penalty was straight-up bullshit – and, no, you can’t talk me down – and the other one was fine, but, after calling (and blowing) the first, what does good taste and smart society say about the less-but-still-dubious second penalty call? One possibility is that they say the same thing about why, despite ample provocation, Zlatan Ibrahimovic didn’t get a yellow card earlier in game and whether or not that would have tempered his latter-game bullshit to some degree. That’s less to argue it would have mattered if Zlatan got sent off than a defense of equal application of the rules of the game. The man has natural advantages, fer crissakes…
The question of whether or not they deserved them aside, LA’s penalties did their greatest damage by way of timing. Whether truth or a trick of memory, it felt like both of the Galaxy’s penalty calls came somewhere during a period of Portland dominance – e.g., less a momentum shift than driving your car at the highest speeds that reverse gear will allow against rush-hour traffic and without even one scratch to your own car, but I’m at peace with it. Both teams found their chances (and at remarkably equal levels), but only one team was handed chances on a silver platter. I don’t want to go too far into the “we was robbed” narrative – not least because, eh, were we? – so much as I want to celebrate the fact that Portland looked as likely to win this game as LA. Sebastian Blanco had at least two chances to open the scoring (even if I can only give you the least disappointing of the two), and those openings were yawning. The Timbers played tonight as the muscle memory from last season returned, and that’s the most hopeful sign in what has been a season one forgets, if only to remember what hope feels like.
To give LA a little time, I honestly expected more of them in this game. For all the adjustments Portland made (and psychic ground they ceded), the Galaxy only narrowly beat a battered team in LA. And the number of shots – shots on goal, in particular – telegraphs the clearest signal on how this game played out – i.e., LA in the driver’s seat, but Portland still dangerous. Did anyone for LA stand out in any way? Not really. Zlatan had a couple admirable freak shots – something that implies a play to set up those shots – but LA’s threat felt both general and reasonably effective throughout the game.
That’s the game generally, but I’m going to close out with some elaborations on the state of all things Portland and Timbers. In no particular order…
- I Like This Formation
If you’re asking whether I feel like a coward about this, the answer is yes. On the evidence, meanwhile, Portland needs 4-5 dedicated defenders on the field in order to keep just two goals from going in, apparently. Snark aside, it’s possible that five guys at the back has the effect of saying to the other five players on the field, go nuts, you’ve got a safety net behind you and, if that doesn’t work, Mardi Gras, motherfuckers. I’m tempted by that narrative on the sole ground that the other five players Portland had on the field tonight attacked without abandon. And, by and large, it was good. Finally, and for the simple reason that I can’t think of anything better, I hereby approve this formation. And I think the 5-3-2 that showed up in The Mothership’s line-up page is fairly accurate to how Portland played it.
- This solves the “David Guzman Conundrum,” if nothing else. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that Guzman’s natural tendency is to go forward. Whether he doesn’t like defending, or whether he’s bad at it is immaterial; getting a player like Guzman into a formation where he doesn’t have to defend (allegedly) feels like a plus.
- After watching him die, faint, and puke in a preseason game (none of that literally), it felt great to see Jorge Moreira come forward up the right of that 5-4-1, and to see what looked like upside that Portland could develop into real upside. I think Zarek got upfield fairly well too, but I think Moreira is the muscle they want to build into something influential. In the here and now, though, the proto-Moreira phase, if you will, Portland attacked really pretty well tonight, and, again, they got undone on unreasonable reasonable grounds.
- With a whole goddamn team playing more or less well top to bottom – e.g., Zarek Valentin brave and bold, and the smooth, confident passing Timbers fans haven’t seen since either Week 1 (yes, I know) or 2018 – a succession of subs followed, but only one player stood out. Yeah, Lucas Melano. With the glaring road traveled behind him, I want Melano to have a 20 goal, 10 assist season, but, in the real world, he’s the classic if you’re not the solution, you’re the problem…and that’s where this whole thing gets dark…
When the LA Galaxy made subs tonight, it was Chris Pontius coming on for Romain Alessandrini and Emmanuel Boateng on for (a solid) Uriel Antuna. Meanwhile, the Timbers subbed on Andy Polo for Guzman (not like for like), Melano for Jeremy Ebobisse (maybe), and Tomas Conechny for Claude Dielna. Polo aside, they all came on too late to influence the game (also, is there something in the water in or around Portland that makes coaches hate the idea of substitutions around here?). Also, Polo didn’t influence the game, then again, neither did anyone else. The real point, on the other hand, is that Portland doesn’t have players who could start on other teams (e.g., dangerous options) coming off the bench. They have Andy Polo. Dairon Asprilla. Lucas Melano?? I don't know how that doesn't matter.
At the same time, and with too little reason to fight for, I found today’s result encouraging. I don’t see any reason why the formation tried today wouldn’t carry them through a couple more results for the rest of their road trip - - though, for what it’s worth, I think Gio might want to try something more aggressive against the San Jose Earthquakes, because they're terrible in a special way right now (ask, literally, anyone), but, on the other hand, why not perfect the weapon you’ll use against the rest of the league on, let’s face it, the helpless combat dummy, fka, the San Jose Earthquakes? There's a fear on the other side of that, the idea that Portland hasn’t found its feet in 2019: what would it mean if San Jose beats Portland next weekend?
Anyway, that feels like a lot of rambling, but I hope it has its moments of useful clarity. If I have any overall concern with the Timbers, it’s that they’re not keeping up with the teams around them. For all that, tonight was a flat-out incredible reminder of what this team can do, both on the road and when it’s feeling it out there. The LA Galaxy is not the biggest challenge in the here and now, but they’re better than crash-test dummies, and the Timbers did well against them. But, to put all my cards on the table, Portland has San Jose next weekend and, if they can’t get a win down there – and, honestly, it should be a big result – my doubts about this team will be real. Not on the commitment side, but on transecting sides where talent runs into age. Playing on the road excuses a thing or two, but it can’t excuse losing to a historically bad San Jose team.
No comments:
Post a Comment