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| Mood. |
Was it a solid win? Absolutely. The first half fulfilled my pre-game prophecy - the prediction of equivalent of saying, “you will get sliced bread for dinner tonight” - but the Portland Timbers scored…was it even minute(?), into the second half. Diego Chara and Eryk Williamson worked something breezy up the right and Chara finished their work with a perfect cross to Jaroslaw Niezgoda, who finished with a header that I can’t imagine 95% of ‘keepers keeping out.
And, yes, San Jose forced a cold-sweat moment of doubt, one that sounded loud echoes of a dreaded relapse into one or two of the deadly sins - this was Tanner Beason’s put-back (speaking of, this kid looked good) - but Referee Guido Gonzalez, Jr. (badass handle, btw) called it back for handball or offside. Honestly, the Timbers leaned a little too heavily into the “most dangerous lead in soccer” trope tonight, but when Chara (yes, again; do they give medals for MVP?) floated another assist to Felipe Mora running naked at the back-post that put away the game and the jitters. The game ended 3-0, Portland over the San Jose Earthquakes…
…but let’s not speak of the Timbers’ second goal. And if the Timbers Army could turn this song into a chant, I’d be both happy and very, very impressed. Factually, you could squeeze that goal through the lens of San Jose ‘keeper, James Marcinkowski’s frayed second half. Who was it that he presented the open-goal opportunity to? That’s the kind of night it was: Portland could throw away gold tonight and it didn’t cost ‘em. Reminded me of the win over the Los Angeles Galaxy…and the obscured the memory of those dreary back-to-back wins over the Seattle Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
That said, to continue from the title, GUYS, has anyone either noticed or commented upon the fact that every player Portland brought in for 2020 has worked, like, all the way out (so far)?? For instance:
- Felipe Mora not only has six goals and one assist on the season, he’s a damned solid post-up player and he can pass and move inside the box. Like Jeremy Ebobisse, only they never stick Ebo out on the wing.
- Jaroslaw Niezgoda not only has five goals, but he’s also idling in the super-sub role as he does it (again, Ebo’s is part of this conversation). He shows clear upside every time he steps on - he’s a nifty combination player as well, he’s got butter for feet, and that he’s that rare combination of quick and fast (so fun in the open field) that bedevils defenders - and how deep is Portland at forward right now? More to the point: how long before the rest of the league - who’d worked off intel re Sebastian Blanco (get well soon!) - sorts out game-planning around all the different looks Portland’s throwing at them right now. Wait…still going…
- After putting out one fire after another against Los Angeles, Dario Zuparic not only anchored the defensive line tonight, he head-butted away one dangerous cross after another. When you’re playing a “get it deep and cross it” team like the ‘Quakes, what soccer skill counts for more?
-(a) - I have some thoughts around this down below. Hold on, one more…
- I suspect I’ll get a little more push-back on calling Yimmi Chara solid, but I think he has grown into his role as a solid-to-very-good two-way winger on the Timbers’ left. Given how often Jorge Villafana gets forward, I can only assume he has to coordinate on when to straight up attack, but he’s a good, energetic player - and with three goals and three assists besides. Yeah, yeah, maybe he’s burning money as a DP, but it’s not my money, so who gives a shit? In the here and now, he’s playing a bigger role on the team each week and I’ve got several more warm feelings than complaints.
If you throw Eryk in the mix, you could even argue that every personnel decision the Timbers made after (when did Zuparic sign?) has paid off. First off, how often does that happen? Second, the pay-back has been tangible - e.g., one of three trophies for 2020 (seriously, what if there is never another Bubble Cup? it'll be like an upside down stamp), a five-game winning streak that looks better each week, and tied at the top of the Western Conference…if with more goal differential than I thought to make up for against those pricks up north. (I kid; it just sounded right in the moment.)
Of course, who can say? Maybe it all falls apart down the stretch, Portland backs into the playoffs…I won’t go into the darker scenarios, but you get my point: this has been a fun season. I’d take a team that damns the results and goes out and plays over a team that forces out one 95+ minute eyesore after another, week after week. I’ve seen that team - whose name shall go unmentioned out of both fondness and longing - and rather pick up in a dog-walk for 95 minutes every week than sit through that again. (Why do I miss them? And yet I do.)
And…there goes the inspiration. I hope I covered the game adequately (also, hard boring data). If not, it went something like: both teams came out swinging over the first 25-30 minutes(?), after which things got more cagey; Portland’s two goals early in the second half knocked the wind out of San Jose until…about ten minutes after that (see this (stunning) miss, and this stout save) and the general state of that - or, rather point at which the fretting stopped - continued until the early 80th minute, or so. Mora’s header iced the game, but I still wouldn’t fall all the way asleep on San Jose for 2020.
I guess that’s the weird thing: even with Chris Wondolowski (getting close to) aging out (also, helluva header, geezer), they’ve got decent players in the side - e.g., Jackson Yueill, Christian Espinoza (who invited double teams) and Nick Lima - the latter two of which give them a strong right side. They have some general weaknesses, most of them surrounding depth - e.g., Marcinkowski’s no Daniel Vega (and I’ve seen Vega drop some uglies), and Danny Hoesen’s down injured, but they also had Florian Jungwirth (small, but smart) suspended, Vako and Guram Kashia (eh) gone on international duty; losing a lucky penny like Magnus Eriksson hardly helped. The stand-ins they fielded not only held up all right, they took the game to the Timbers in stretches, so even their depth isn’t helpless. If nothing else, they’re in the playoff picture. Moreover, when I look at the teams below them - e.g., the Houston Dynamo (lost to Inter Miami CF this weekend) and the Los Angeles Galaxy (is that a five-game losing streak?), for one, but also with the Whitecaps wrestling Real Salt Lake for scraps - I’m not sure I’d pick any of them over the ‘Quakes best team, and there it is.
Oop, that went on. Time to close on some stray talking points. In no particular order…
- I have literally never voted in a player of the week poll (my objection to rigged democracies runs deep), but I will cast my vote for Diego Chara this week. The assists were fine, sure, but the man covered ground like two goddamn 20-year-olds tonight: timely interventions all over, covering the middle whilst cheating to the right to help against Espinoza and Lima (which occasioned still more timely interventions), and starting more counter-attacks than I can count; people use the phrase “beating heart of [your name here, in lights]” more often than they should, but Chara played a blinder, wrapped in an MVP, buried in a velvet glove tonight. At age 34. Crazy.
- I spent three minutes on the proper verb for Zuparic’s outing tonight before I landed on “anchored.” I couldn’t quite get “lead” to fit in my mouth. Part of that was Chara, but the other part followed from the role Gio Savarese handed him and Bill Tuiloma tonight. For one, I loved the way he let Bill join the attack and still wished he got a goal, or even an assist, to show for some sharp work. Given how long Bill’s been around, I can’t say for sure whether Gio trusts one player over the other. I can say that it all worked out tonight. For the most part.
- One little slip aside - this was (I think) Lima’s cross-shot-near-goal from the right and, for the record, I never expect perfection from any player - Steve Clark did everything asked of him tonight. Keeping out Wondo’s early shot held Portland’s game-plan together until it could get trotting, and that wasn’t his only moment, but my favorite came later when he almost chased a ball off his line, before smartly readjusting and snuffing out Tommy Thompson’s header. Bottom line, you could tell Clark was sharp when he made the save on Oswaldo Alanis’ set-piece shot, even if it wouldn’t have counted.
-(b) Was there a better moment tonight when Clark hugged Jorge for stuffing that far-post shot late in the second? Total team effort, everyone clocking one another’s back. This was a fun one.
- I thought Williamson looked better tonight than he has in a month, and it was good. I have nothing to add, because that’s just him playing to his level. Also, I have nothing but admiration for the way he tries to dribble through anything. Even when it looks hopeless (but not totally hopeless), carry on my wayward son (and you’re welcome, all the way down to the broken metaphor).
To close on the only grey cloud I spotted tonight.
- For every individual moment he didn’t get right, I thought Marvin Loria played his best game of 2020 tonight. And that’s exactly why I’d start him against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday (with COVID 19’s permission). I tweeted something about Renzo Zambrano stepping in for Williamson in that same game, and that probably drew a couple knowing scoffs, but I also want Zambrano to start that one. Let’s rest some players for that one (e.g., named Chara), because I’m not sure the Timbers have a shot at the Supporters’ Shield right now. As such, I’d rather blood my depth and rest some starters at this point (e.g., named Diego Valeri) for a run at MLS Cup (COVID 19 allowing).
The one player I really want to see start on Wednesday is Cristhian Paredes. Because they’ve both struggled so far in 2020, he, along with Loria, need what I’d call doghouse reps - that is, games where the result resides entirely on their shoulders. They need to sharpen up for what’s ahead. And, if they don’t…
Unless my memory’s dodgy, Zambrano gets a pass on this. Till the next one...
And, yes, San Jose forced a cold-sweat moment of doubt, one that sounded loud echoes of a dreaded relapse into one or two of the deadly sins - this was Tanner Beason’s put-back (speaking of, this kid looked good) - but Referee Guido Gonzalez, Jr. (badass handle, btw) called it back for handball or offside. Honestly, the Timbers leaned a little too heavily into the “most dangerous lead in soccer” trope tonight, but when Chara (yes, again; do they give medals for MVP?) floated another assist to Felipe Mora running naked at the back-post that put away the game and the jitters. The game ended 3-0, Portland over the San Jose Earthquakes…
…but let’s not speak of the Timbers’ second goal. And if the Timbers Army could turn this song into a chant, I’d be both happy and very, very impressed. Factually, you could squeeze that goal through the lens of San Jose ‘keeper, James Marcinkowski’s frayed second half. Who was it that he presented the open-goal opportunity to? That’s the kind of night it was: Portland could throw away gold tonight and it didn’t cost ‘em. Reminded me of the win over the Los Angeles Galaxy…and the obscured the memory of those dreary back-to-back wins over the Seattle Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
That said, to continue from the title, GUYS, has anyone either noticed or commented upon the fact that every player Portland brought in for 2020 has worked, like, all the way out (so far)?? For instance:
- Felipe Mora not only has six goals and one assist on the season, he’s a damned solid post-up player and he can pass and move inside the box. Like Jeremy Ebobisse, only they never stick Ebo out on the wing.
- Jaroslaw Niezgoda not only has five goals, but he’s also idling in the super-sub role as he does it (again, Ebo’s is part of this conversation). He shows clear upside every time he steps on - he’s a nifty combination player as well, he’s got butter for feet, and that he’s that rare combination of quick and fast (so fun in the open field) that bedevils defenders - and how deep is Portland at forward right now? More to the point: how long before the rest of the league - who’d worked off intel re Sebastian Blanco (get well soon!) - sorts out game-planning around all the different looks Portland’s throwing at them right now. Wait…still going…
- After putting out one fire after another against Los Angeles, Dario Zuparic not only anchored the defensive line tonight, he head-butted away one dangerous cross after another. When you’re playing a “get it deep and cross it” team like the ‘Quakes, what soccer skill counts for more?
-(a) - I have some thoughts around this down below. Hold on, one more…
- I suspect I’ll get a little more push-back on calling Yimmi Chara solid, but I think he has grown into his role as a solid-to-very-good two-way winger on the Timbers’ left. Given how often Jorge Villafana gets forward, I can only assume he has to coordinate on when to straight up attack, but he’s a good, energetic player - and with three goals and three assists besides. Yeah, yeah, maybe he’s burning money as a DP, but it’s not my money, so who gives a shit? In the here and now, he’s playing a bigger role on the team each week and I’ve got several more warm feelings than complaints.
If you throw Eryk in the mix, you could even argue that every personnel decision the Timbers made after (when did Zuparic sign?) has paid off. First off, how often does that happen? Second, the pay-back has been tangible - e.g., one of three trophies for 2020 (seriously, what if there is never another Bubble Cup? it'll be like an upside down stamp), a five-game winning streak that looks better each week, and tied at the top of the Western Conference…if with more goal differential than I thought to make up for against those pricks up north. (I kid; it just sounded right in the moment.)
Of course, who can say? Maybe it all falls apart down the stretch, Portland backs into the playoffs…I won’t go into the darker scenarios, but you get my point: this has been a fun season. I’d take a team that damns the results and goes out and plays over a team that forces out one 95+ minute eyesore after another, week after week. I’ve seen that team - whose name shall go unmentioned out of both fondness and longing - and rather pick up in a dog-walk for 95 minutes every week than sit through that again. (Why do I miss them? And yet I do.)
And…there goes the inspiration. I hope I covered the game adequately (also, hard boring data). If not, it went something like: both teams came out swinging over the first 25-30 minutes(?), after which things got more cagey; Portland’s two goals early in the second half knocked the wind out of San Jose until…about ten minutes after that (see this (stunning) miss, and this stout save) and the general state of that - or, rather point at which the fretting stopped - continued until the early 80th minute, or so. Mora’s header iced the game, but I still wouldn’t fall all the way asleep on San Jose for 2020.
I guess that’s the weird thing: even with Chris Wondolowski (getting close to) aging out (also, helluva header, geezer), they’ve got decent players in the side - e.g., Jackson Yueill, Christian Espinoza (who invited double teams) and Nick Lima - the latter two of which give them a strong right side. They have some general weaknesses, most of them surrounding depth - e.g., Marcinkowski’s no Daniel Vega (and I’ve seen Vega drop some uglies), and Danny Hoesen’s down injured, but they also had Florian Jungwirth (small, but smart) suspended, Vako and Guram Kashia (eh) gone on international duty; losing a lucky penny like Magnus Eriksson hardly helped. The stand-ins they fielded not only held up all right, they took the game to the Timbers in stretches, so even their depth isn’t helpless. If nothing else, they’re in the playoff picture. Moreover, when I look at the teams below them - e.g., the Houston Dynamo (lost to Inter Miami CF this weekend) and the Los Angeles Galaxy (is that a five-game losing streak?), for one, but also with the Whitecaps wrestling Real Salt Lake for scraps - I’m not sure I’d pick any of them over the ‘Quakes best team, and there it is.
Oop, that went on. Time to close on some stray talking points. In no particular order…
- I have literally never voted in a player of the week poll (my objection to rigged democracies runs deep), but I will cast my vote for Diego Chara this week. The assists were fine, sure, but the man covered ground like two goddamn 20-year-olds tonight: timely interventions all over, covering the middle whilst cheating to the right to help against Espinoza and Lima (which occasioned still more timely interventions), and starting more counter-attacks than I can count; people use the phrase “beating heart of [your name here, in lights]” more often than they should, but Chara played a blinder, wrapped in an MVP, buried in a velvet glove tonight. At age 34. Crazy.
- I spent three minutes on the proper verb for Zuparic’s outing tonight before I landed on “anchored.” I couldn’t quite get “lead” to fit in my mouth. Part of that was Chara, but the other part followed from the role Gio Savarese handed him and Bill Tuiloma tonight. For one, I loved the way he let Bill join the attack and still wished he got a goal, or even an assist, to show for some sharp work. Given how long Bill’s been around, I can’t say for sure whether Gio trusts one player over the other. I can say that it all worked out tonight. For the most part.
- One little slip aside - this was (I think) Lima’s cross-shot-near-goal from the right and, for the record, I never expect perfection from any player - Steve Clark did everything asked of him tonight. Keeping out Wondo’s early shot held Portland’s game-plan together until it could get trotting, and that wasn’t his only moment, but my favorite came later when he almost chased a ball off his line, before smartly readjusting and snuffing out Tommy Thompson’s header. Bottom line, you could tell Clark was sharp when he made the save on Oswaldo Alanis’ set-piece shot, even if it wouldn’t have counted.
-(b) Was there a better moment tonight when Clark hugged Jorge for stuffing that far-post shot late in the second? Total team effort, everyone clocking one another’s back. This was a fun one.
- I thought Williamson looked better tonight than he has in a month, and it was good. I have nothing to add, because that’s just him playing to his level. Also, I have nothing but admiration for the way he tries to dribble through anything. Even when it looks hopeless (but not totally hopeless), carry on my wayward son (and you’re welcome, all the way down to the broken metaphor).
To close on the only grey cloud I spotted tonight.
- For every individual moment he didn’t get right, I thought Marvin Loria played his best game of 2020 tonight. And that’s exactly why I’d start him against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday (with COVID 19’s permission). I tweeted something about Renzo Zambrano stepping in for Williamson in that same game, and that probably drew a couple knowing scoffs, but I also want Zambrano to start that one. Let’s rest some players for that one (e.g., named Chara), because I’m not sure the Timbers have a shot at the Supporters’ Shield right now. As such, I’d rather blood my depth and rest some starters at this point (e.g., named Diego Valeri) for a run at MLS Cup (COVID 19 allowing).
The one player I really want to see start on Wednesday is Cristhian Paredes. Because they’ve both struggled so far in 2020, he, along with Loria, need what I’d call doghouse reps - that is, games where the result resides entirely on their shoulders. They need to sharpen up for what’s ahead. And, if they don’t…
Unless my memory’s dodgy, Zambrano gets a pass on this. Till the next one...
I didn't get a chance to watch that game but
ReplyDelete1) the commentator calling Niezgoda "the doctor because he's clinical in front of goal" gosh I love/hate it
2) that line splitting pass into the corner from Tommy Connecht to Chara... Slide. Rule. Pass. Woooooo!
3) 61 to 37 in duels won... uhhh what! That is an insane amount of duels. Has there ever been a 100 duel game in MLS??? We came so close. Average is 51 per game btw, talk about frenetic.
Amen on No. 1. I had to keep shouting down that awfulness when I was writing that passage on him.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's a lot of duels. I bet Chara won 20 of 'em.