Los Angeles FC 1-1 Portland Timbers: Running Through Hell to Glory

Ma tenders!

There was a lot to love about the Portland Timbers’ late, late (late, late, late, late) equalizer against Los Angeles FC tonight e.g., the way it felt like Portland looking at the right side of the mirror, for once, after they’ve looked at it from the wrong side too often this season, or the fluid beauty of the full faith and execution with which all the players involved found the right passes and made the right runs, not to mention seeing Diego Valeri drop the cross on a goddamn dime to Jorge Villafana’s back-post run. This was after 90 minutes into an exhausting duel and running on legs I’d given up on, frankly, too many seasons ago.

Personally, I most appreciated the aesthetic of the way it played out on my TV. I got only as far as “wai” into “wait, where’s that cross going?” before I spotted Villafana’s run. Watching the ball fly through the air as Villafana sprinted to meet it, seeing LAFC’s goalkeeper and defender pinch together to stop it - swear to God, it brushed the defender’s hair (who was it? no one important, just another victim) - and to see that it always could only land exactly where it did: ah, thing of beauty…

…what’s that? What about the 90 sweaty minutes passed before it? Yes, yes, LAFC pinged the woodwork like it was the object of the game - twice if byDiego Rossi, once if by Carlos Vela, and through disturbingly clear openings - but I’ve got caveats for days from Portland’s side of the “what ifs,” and Timbers fans got their fairy tale ending in a 1-1 draw that booked them a date with FC Dallas. In the grand scheme of everything, I’d call that result a steal worth not asking too many questions about.

First, either forget the box score (too even) or know that LAFC ran good-golly-gosh-darn riot for nearly all of the first half; hell, the Timbers could barely get out of their defensive third for the first 25-30 minutes. Portland settled down their affairs as the game continued, but I doubt even one dollar’s worth of the live betting shifted in their direction until the 80th minute. That said, the smart money would have started moving in the Timbers’ direction around the 85th, even if in search of a big payoff. They finally posted someshots and, I’m guessing, did most of the work to doing those last-minute revisions to the box score.

All that’s only impressive when one considers who hard they struggled to manage traffic in either direction in the midfield tonight. Eryk Williamson either got overwhelmed or had an off-night, while Cristhian Paredes only seemed to be around to follow the action on the field (but do give him a little credit for his late recovery/near foul around Portland’s six that stuffed what would have been a very clear shot). Like him, Marvin Loria struggled badly enough that only noticed him on the field once every 15 minutes. All that put together left Portland’s defense scrambling all over the defensive third, and the Timbers’ waiting attackers stranded on the wrong side of LAFC’s midfield press. My kingdom, my kingdom for a Diego Chara…(and, while we’re asking a Sebastian Blanco and a Jaroslaw Niezgoda…all the things that might have been in 2020).

Whether it was LAFC’s legs giving out or Gio Savarese calling the right subs from the bench - first Dairon Asprilla for Loria, then Andy Polo for Paredes (of which, I have questions re the order Mr. Savarese) - but, once the shift in momentum took hold, it never went in the other direction for the rest of the night.

Before ticking through a couple details on the Timbers, I want to note one thing about LAFC. I’m glad Portland played them this week than in the first round of the playoffs…somewhere between November 21st and 24th. Not only will Carlos Vela have another week to get sharper, players like Mark-Anthony Kaye will be at least ready to come off the bench to keep the press going for more of the game. Your dice, Seattle (then again, the nickname “Lucky Bounce FC” popped into my head tonight as I saw them score one garbage goal after another against the San Jose Earthquakes through tonight’s endless “Decision Day” breaks; going the other way, you have to be pretty deep in denial if you won’t acknowledge the Sounders’ penchant for late-season heroics).

All in all, some Portland players killed it tonight, others got killed…and, glancing between what’s above and my notes, I’ve covered most of them - e.g., the midfield got run over, Valeri is eternal, I would have started Polo over Paredes, but why complain given the cards Gio had to play and the way the game ended?

Here are a couple more:

- How the hell did I get this far in without mentioning the (shit!) six times Steve Clark kept the Timbers from slipping one rung deeper into despair? I can provide just two examples (and note the time on the latter), which doesn't do his night (with a li'l help from the woodwork) justice.

- I’ve upgrading Yimmi Chara to revelation. The man does so many good things out there and he’s getting sharper by the week.

- Who’s your first choice at right back? While I doubt Marco Farfan’s all the way in the running at that position, I see decent upsides in both Chris Duvall and Pablo Bonilla, as well as some barely-tangible deficits. Being a sucker for veteran savvy in clutch games, I’d probably roll with Duvall for the first round, while doubting I’d squeal about any of the three starting against Dallas.

- I heard mutinous rumors during the broadcast, something about Felipe Mora possibly being unavailable for, gods forbid, the first-round of the playoffs? If he’s not there and “King” Jeremy Ebobisse hasn’t cleared his head (c’mon…c’mon) and with Niezgoda absent, Portland running into a (fucking) playoff game headless becomes a distinct, shuddering possibility.

I guess there’s nothing to do but shout, help me, Dairon, help, help my Dairon.

That’s it for this one, see you for the next one.