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| We all have this moment. |
The bug that crawled up my butt (and took over my brain) has
the crazy urge to glance at the weekend ahead in Major League Soccer -
particularly, what ins & out I can manage with the Portland Timber’s visit
to The Big Wind (Chicago). While I’ll start by previewing the Portland’s game,
this post has just as much to do with taking some time to perform a little due
diligence on the rest of the league - especially now that MLS has yanked our
methadone (i.e., real condensed games, not that median-five-minute bullshit).
So, I’ll read all those editions of The Kick Off I can’t find time to read
all week (because I am a rat addicted to the “rage pellets” of political commentary), and we’ll see what comes out of that.
But first…
Chicago Fire v. Portland Timbers
First, I didn’t know the Timbers have history on their side
for this game - as in the Fire has never so much as singed the Portland Timbers,
never mind burned them. Probably doesn’t hurt that Chicago has struggled for
almost as long as Portland has been in MLS. They’re also struggling this season:
they’ve lost at home, on the road in a shoot-out, and to a barely-revamped Minnesota United FC (yikes!). Who else is also struggling? That’s right! The Timbers are
struggling! Not as hard as Liam Ridgewell (who might be consoling himself in a
room full of trampolines as any man would), but Portland also has yet to win,
they’ve suffered a bigger hurt, but, on the plus side, the Timbers drew a game. And how
you feel about that probably grows a little from how you feel about FC Dallas (Stumptown
Footy’s Chris Rifer called Dallas “their most difficult of the
season-opening five-game road trip,” but I don’t think Dallas has recovered
from their shattering 2017), and a handful of other relevant factors. In no
particular order:
1) Formationz in Flux
If my wrap-up of last week’s game had a unifying point - or
two - it was that Portland’s coach, Giovanni Savarese lined up defensive - and
also that I don’t think he has much choice on that, at least not for now. Because
I start from there, it was interesting to read this passage from C. I. DeMann’s
wrap-up of the same game:
“Three games into Gio Savarese’s reign, I’m finding it incredibly difficult to predict starters. And you know what? Maybe this is a good thing. Or, at least, not a bad thing.”
According to MLS’s preview, David Guzman returns from international
duty this weekend and, with Lawrence “I Can Reach It!” Olum out, the Timbers need
him. While all kinds of tinkering is possible, I’m putting money on the same formation
with maybe some tweaks in personnel - say, Samuel Armenteros starting over
Fanendo Adi. And that’s where it gets weird…or at least where opinions diverge.
