Know your foe: Five Questions w/ Hudson River Blue

We connected with our friends at Hudson River Blue to help preview Portland's match with NYCFC.

The Portland Timbers face NYCFC on Saturday night at Providence Park (7:30 p.m. PT, streaming on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV) in a rematch of the 2021 MLS Cup final.

To catch up with how the Pigeon have been doing this season, we connected with Hudson River Blue to chat about the blue side of New York. Here’s five questions to help preview tomorrow night’s game:

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Photo Credit: NYCFC

Stumptown Footy: NYCFC hasn’t won a league game since April, and it seems like the fanbase is getting a little frustrated. What are the vibes around the team right now?

Hudson River Blue: It's an emotional kaleidoscope here in New York City. Many fans never accepted that this is a rebuilding year — they still don't, to be honest —and are angry at the team's performances and results. Fair enough, but I'm not sure what the fanbase expects in a game like Wednesday's, where your central defenders are a third-string center-back and a midfielder who usually starts on the bench, and your striker is a 5' 9" midfielder playing as a false 9 who has scored exactly one goal in his professional career. 

The fact that NYCFC almost won in Atlanta, and in the end walked away with a point, is a good result when you look at the roster. But it's gutting if you expect this team to play to the standards of past squads.

STF: This team is quite different than the one Portland faced in MLS Cup 2021. How would you describe the style of play at the moment?

HRB: Disconnected. This is still a possession-based team that aims to keep the ball, control the game, and create chances. But the system isn't flowing. Most of NYCFC's possession is circulating the ball between goalkeeper Luis Barraza and the two central defenders, and between the central defenders and the wingbacks. The team has trouble advancing the ball with any real danger.

NYCFC misses the creativity of Maxi Moralez, whose footballing intelligence could carve open the opposition. And it misses having dangerous attackers up front: Other teams pin back NYCFC when they're in possession because they know that New York City doesn't have the personnel to punish a high press. 

STF: A lot has been made about NYCFC’s lack of proven true number 9. Is it as big of a concern for the team as it’s being portrayed? How is the team putting the ball in the back of the net?

HRB: Yes, it's a tremendous concern. NYCFC doesn't need a traditional No 9 – neither Taty Castellanos nor David Villa were traditional No 9s – but it needs to add a dangerous attacker or two. 

This was the year for Talles Magno to step up, and that simply isn't working out. He's skilled, and he has his moments, but he's at his best when he's playing off of somebody, not leading the fight. Gabi Pereira is NYCFC's most potent goal-scorer right now. He netted two goals against Atlanta on Wednesday, no small feat at the Benz, and when you look at the replays you see that he's surrounded by three, four defenders. He's unplayable when he's on his game, but he can be streaky. And he can't shoulder the entire NYCFC attack. 

Gabriel Segal has been a pleasant surprise. The 22-year-old was signed from 2. Bundesliga, where he never scored, but he has two goals in MLS so far this year — both scored at the last minute to earn draws. He was meant to be a depth piece, maybe develop his game at MLS NEXT Pro, and the fact that he's now one of the team's biggest goal-scoring hopes shows how thin this squad is right now. 

STF: Who are the big names & difference makers Timbers should watch out for on Saturday?

HRB: Big names? There are none. This is a team without big names.

Difference-makers? Gabi, and maybe Gabe if he sees playing time. Santiago Rodríguez was signed to a Designated Player contract this year but has yet to put in a Designated Player performance. Maybe it's his time to shine? Richy Ledezma is new signing and arguably a better No 10 than Santi, but he was played as a False 9 on Wednesday because of the striker situation. He feels closer to logging a breakthrough performance – it's more a question of when than if.

STF: Score prediction and why?

Portland will score because NYCFC are leaky, two recent clean sheets notwithstanding. NYCFC might score because for all of their troubles they find a way to get one in. Will it be 1-1? 2-1? I dream of 1-2 but that's because I'm eternally optimistic.

For all my smack-talking this is an NYCFC with considerable skill. But I'm not sure they have the composure to take the lead in Providence Park, never mind hold on for a win.