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| Is he angry because he doesn't know where to go? |
Someone else fired the Portland Timbers’ first shot on goal - I don’t remember who it was, but also, does it matter? - but Bill Tuiloma got their best one. The fact he fired it well past the 80th minute, may have even been after the 85th, says plenty, but I’m less concerned about the specific identity of the man who fired it than I am by the fact that Timbers can’t seem to generate offense without the ball coming forward at just the right angle and to an attacking player in just the right space. You?
The last 10 minutes of the Timbers' 0-2 home loss to the Philadelphia Union gave a glimpse into an alternate universe where Portland threw caution to the wind for the full 90 minutes and made Philly sweat through every one of them. Or, more likely, the Union drew the obvious conclusion from the Timbers first 20 attempts to break them down after they'd compacted the defense and figured they could ride it out. Maybe it was something the Timbers started to do, maybe it was something Philly stopped doing, and a maddening snitch’s adherence to the rules by referee Allen Chapman aside, both Union goals felt like alarms that went off ten (or five) minutes too late to get to work. It took Portland too long to get going - which, here, means all the way going - while it seemed like the Union could revive their method at will. There was no point during this game…which I joined late due to a wrinkle in a stupidly specific rule in NASCAR, one that bears a grating fucking resemblance to Allen Champman standing gape-mouthed with an index finger cocked to the earbud in his ear like he was trying to see where he hit the right note in a Double-Mint Gum jingle…ahem, when I thought Portland had a credible shot at actually winning it.
I mean, bravo on the goal that Chapman called back against both the letter and spirit of “clear and obvious error” (failing to be a prick on behalf of pricks; Chapman’s an evil wizard), but sure as I see the Timbers damn-near even on shots and one-fourth of average in shots on goal (two; they got two), the attack just plain sucks right now. Shut your ears to the siren song of the Sporting Kansas City sacrifice, ‘twas the dream of the song, etc., yeah, yeah, yeah; for the love of all the over-rehearsed weirdness I’ve watched over the past…I’m going with ten games, which includes the wins over SKC and Vancouver, Portland has completely lost track of how to get to goal. They do better in transition, obviously - that’s why I lead with Tuiloma and his chance - but I’m getting close to calling the formula for stifling the Timbers something perilously close to fool-proof.
Being a mere 20% less obvious might help. How many Timbers attacks enter the critical phase (aka, anything inside the opposition’s defensive third) with a ball into the corner? Even if I admit that me answering “all the time, like every fucking one of them” is a product of watching for something and seeing it to the exclusion of all else, that’s all I see to the point where I think Gio might have branded that useless stab at everything but the dartboard. As much as it stood out tonight (luridly), a standard Timbers attack against a compacted defense tends to look like so: the ball goes into one corner (usually with nothing happening near the goal), and then comes back out to a supporting fullback; the ball goes centrally from there, a couple flirtatious in-and-outs to the top of the 18 and back follow before the ball goes centrally again, from whence it goes to the outside channel with the most open space; after that the receiving player flails the ball at some point either toward or above the middle, and to three guys making the text book runs, one near-post, one centrally, one far post. And so on forever, until nothing at all happens. On most plays when the cross wasn’t on, I saw Timbers players come out of the middle to support the wide player. It happened without any rhyme or reason that I saw. Just people throwing money at charities and hoping it all goes away (not being righteous; I resemble that metaphor).
The last 10 minutes of the Timbers' 0-2 home loss to the Philadelphia Union gave a glimpse into an alternate universe where Portland threw caution to the wind for the full 90 minutes and made Philly sweat through every one of them. Or, more likely, the Union drew the obvious conclusion from the Timbers first 20 attempts to break them down after they'd compacted the defense and figured they could ride it out. Maybe it was something the Timbers started to do, maybe it was something Philly stopped doing, and a maddening snitch’s adherence to the rules by referee Allen Chapman aside, both Union goals felt like alarms that went off ten (or five) minutes too late to get to work. It took Portland too long to get going - which, here, means all the way going - while it seemed like the Union could revive their method at will. There was no point during this game…which I joined late due to a wrinkle in a stupidly specific rule in NASCAR, one that bears a grating fucking resemblance to Allen Champman standing gape-mouthed with an index finger cocked to the earbud in his ear like he was trying to see where he hit the right note in a Double-Mint Gum jingle…ahem, when I thought Portland had a credible shot at actually winning it.
I mean, bravo on the goal that Chapman called back against both the letter and spirit of “clear and obvious error” (failing to be a prick on behalf of pricks; Chapman’s an evil wizard), but sure as I see the Timbers damn-near even on shots and one-fourth of average in shots on goal (two; they got two), the attack just plain sucks right now. Shut your ears to the siren song of the Sporting Kansas City sacrifice, ‘twas the dream of the song, etc., yeah, yeah, yeah; for the love of all the over-rehearsed weirdness I’ve watched over the past…I’m going with ten games, which includes the wins over SKC and Vancouver, Portland has completely lost track of how to get to goal. They do better in transition, obviously - that’s why I lead with Tuiloma and his chance - but I’m getting close to calling the formula for stifling the Timbers something perilously close to fool-proof.
Being a mere 20% less obvious might help. How many Timbers attacks enter the critical phase (aka, anything inside the opposition’s defensive third) with a ball into the corner? Even if I admit that me answering “all the time, like every fucking one of them” is a product of watching for something and seeing it to the exclusion of all else, that’s all I see to the point where I think Gio might have branded that useless stab at everything but the dartboard. As much as it stood out tonight (luridly), a standard Timbers attack against a compacted defense tends to look like so: the ball goes into one corner (usually with nothing happening near the goal), and then comes back out to a supporting fullback; the ball goes centrally from there, a couple flirtatious in-and-outs to the top of the 18 and back follow before the ball goes centrally again, from whence it goes to the outside channel with the most open space; after that the receiving player flails the ball at some point either toward or above the middle, and to three guys making the text book runs, one near-post, one centrally, one far post. And so on forever, until nothing at all happens. On most plays when the cross wasn’t on, I saw Timbers players come out of the middle to support the wide player. It happened without any rhyme or reason that I saw. Just people throwing money at charities and hoping it all goes away (not being righteous; I resemble that metaphor).
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| This kind of energy requires good leads... |
I’ve reached the point where I can’t say anything about how the Portland Timbers attack except badly and not nearly enough. Structurally, it’s like a set-up in improv that even the best in the business would grasp for a “yes, and” unto defeat. To beat a drum I’ve been hitting it happened, once take out the seven-goal oddity against SKC, Portland have scored 13 goals in as many games. Given the comfortably north of average goals they’ve allowed, it’s no surprise the Timbers are 3-5-6. Worse, they’ve taken just nine points from 21 at home and, worse still, their home form (2-2-3) is better than their road form (1-3-3). All the above has me inching to that point of no return where I wonder if I can name a team I feel confident about the Timbers beating. Soliciting ideas, and with a certain desperation. Related, I’m not sure I’d put Inter Miami CF (Portland’s next opponent, fwiw) on that list.
To their credit, Philly plays a very effective defensive game - i.e., the way they defend by releasing the player closest to the ball in a consistent pattern - but they also collapse into a disciplined shell when the attacking team gets past that. And that is why they remain the only team in single digits for goals allowed (9) in Major League Soccer. For anyone seeing tonight’s fizzling attack as something unique to the Timbers…nope. Unless I miss my count, Portland are the sixth team the Union have shut out. Comfort of company aside…goddammit. As such, all the Union had to do was score - which they did, and really early. Portland pulled themselves back into it, if slowly - for the record, I first saw them breach Philly’s defensive third at the 25th minute - but at least they’d finally figured out how to play around the Union’s press…but then they reset that same nowhere attack.
And then Philly scored their second goal - credit Kai Wagner for a cross that flummoxed both Timbers defenders - and then Portland had to pull themselves back into it again. It took something like 20 minutes both times, aka, obviously not good enough…but then I have to listen to the broadcast booth spit out the worst cliché of for a failing attack in the modern game, “they need to play with more urgency.” No. The players need to know what they’re doing and why - and, there, I’m talking less about specifics than cues, i.e., when he does this, you go that - and ones with more sophistication than, make runs near, central and far. Doing nothing faster doesn’t improve on doing nothing.
I’ve got a couple talking points below, but I don’t think there’s anything left to say but that it’s up to the Gio Savarese and the Timbers to give me something else to talk about besides the sputtering attack. If Portland’s defense gives up north of 1.5 goals/game (it’s something like 1.62, but anyway), it goes without saying the offense has to get ahead of that. Or they’re doomed. Probably. The Timbers do have a history of going on runs. At any rate, talking points:
1) Is This a 4-6 Formation?
I saw Nathan Fogaca out there just like everyone else, but I wonder how many people read him at a slightly-advanced midfielder dipping his toe into the land of forwards. Again, I don’t think Portland has figured out how to play a forward into space instead of to feet, as they do with Felipe Mora, or even Jaroslaw Niezgoda, when they get it right (i.e., I think Niezgoda is better running toward goal).
1a) As Follows From…
So long as your attack requires forward momentum to function, doesn’t make sense to work to make sure you can make that happen to the best of your ability, even if it pisses off the fan-base. Concerned as I am that I repeated myself above, I present that as a performative interpretation of watching the Timbers attack…and, gods above, is that horse dead from all the flogging yet?
2) Project Yimmi?
I feel like I’m a lonely defender of the younger Chara, and that’s fine. What I wonder, however, is whether Timbers Inc. has arranged for his older brother to mentor him as a successor. I’ve seen people shit on Yimmi and his passing and holding under pressure - duly notified, honest - but I think he has the makings of a decent defensive midfielder. That small frame shields the ball well, and he does better with quick, circulating passes than he does with key ones, so…why not?
3) Pulling for Eryk
The optimist in me hopes Eryk Williamson limped off on his own advice at or around the 15th minute from an abundance of caution (sounds like; see middle of this), but…the time on the rehab table ain’t exactly shrinking. I don’t mean that as a knock on anyone - Eryk least of all - but I’d had higher hopes for his future. He very likely has higher ones, so here’s to hoping he gets his shot at meeting them.
I feel like I’ve repeated myself enough for one weekend. Thank you for your indulgence and until the next one…
To their credit, Philly plays a very effective defensive game - i.e., the way they defend by releasing the player closest to the ball in a consistent pattern - but they also collapse into a disciplined shell when the attacking team gets past that. And that is why they remain the only team in single digits for goals allowed (9) in Major League Soccer. For anyone seeing tonight’s fizzling attack as something unique to the Timbers…nope. Unless I miss my count, Portland are the sixth team the Union have shut out. Comfort of company aside…goddammit. As such, all the Union had to do was score - which they did, and really early. Portland pulled themselves back into it, if slowly - for the record, I first saw them breach Philly’s defensive third at the 25th minute - but at least they’d finally figured out how to play around the Union’s press…but then they reset that same nowhere attack.
And then Philly scored their second goal - credit Kai Wagner for a cross that flummoxed both Timbers defenders - and then Portland had to pull themselves back into it again. It took something like 20 minutes both times, aka, obviously not good enough…but then I have to listen to the broadcast booth spit out the worst cliché of for a failing attack in the modern game, “they need to play with more urgency.” No. The players need to know what they’re doing and why - and, there, I’m talking less about specifics than cues, i.e., when he does this, you go that - and ones with more sophistication than, make runs near, central and far. Doing nothing faster doesn’t improve on doing nothing.
I’ve got a couple talking points below, but I don’t think there’s anything left to say but that it’s up to the Gio Savarese and the Timbers to give me something else to talk about besides the sputtering attack. If Portland’s defense gives up north of 1.5 goals/game (it’s something like 1.62, but anyway), it goes without saying the offense has to get ahead of that. Or they’re doomed. Probably. The Timbers do have a history of going on runs. At any rate, talking points:
1) Is This a 4-6 Formation?
I saw Nathan Fogaca out there just like everyone else, but I wonder how many people read him at a slightly-advanced midfielder dipping his toe into the land of forwards. Again, I don’t think Portland has figured out how to play a forward into space instead of to feet, as they do with Felipe Mora, or even Jaroslaw Niezgoda, when they get it right (i.e., I think Niezgoda is better running toward goal).
1a) As Follows From…
So long as your attack requires forward momentum to function, doesn’t make sense to work to make sure you can make that happen to the best of your ability, even if it pisses off the fan-base. Concerned as I am that I repeated myself above, I present that as a performative interpretation of watching the Timbers attack…and, gods above, is that horse dead from all the flogging yet?
2) Project Yimmi?
I feel like I’m a lonely defender of the younger Chara, and that’s fine. What I wonder, however, is whether Timbers Inc. has arranged for his older brother to mentor him as a successor. I’ve seen people shit on Yimmi and his passing and holding under pressure - duly notified, honest - but I think he has the makings of a decent defensive midfielder. That small frame shields the ball well, and he does better with quick, circulating passes than he does with key ones, so…why not?
3) Pulling for Eryk
The optimist in me hopes Eryk Williamson limped off on his own advice at or around the 15th minute from an abundance of caution (sounds like; see middle of this), but…the time on the rehab table ain’t exactly shrinking. I don’t mean that as a knock on anyone - Eryk least of all - but I’d had higher hopes for his future. He very likely has higher ones, so here’s to hoping he gets his shot at meeting them.
I feel like I’ve repeated myself enough for one weekend. Thank you for your indulgence and until the next one…
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