The struggling Timbers stagger into St. Paul to face the Loons. Can they score? Can they keep from getting scored on? Probably not - but this thread will be here to help you through it. Come tap in!
Not shocked by the scoreline. Didn't watch again and I am happy I didn't.
Stop watching this team. Especially at home games. Gio needs to go. He is the biggest problem. I have said it since the start of the season. This team has no idea what it is doing on the field. In any aspect of the game. Almost every team plays better team soccer. Stop watching and you will feel better.
I know this is another disaster, and it has been grueling, and what I'm going to say is not going to be popular on this forum...
but we're still #10 and therefore have some small chance of making the playoffs.
If we manage to somehow stagger over that line, folks will point out that Gio got us there, his future with the Timbers guaranteed, and, along with making the final year before last, justified.
Makes me wonder how terrible the team would have to be to actually bring about his ouster.
Yes. At least Boli scored another goal and Mora showed that he has better skills on the ball than our other forwards, especially when closely guarded. Three defenders would converge on him. That will leave other players open, which should be helpful … if Mora can start playing 90 minutes.
No coach is going to win with the injuries and other missed games that the Timbers have had this year. When the season began, you thought we would have Williamson, Ayala, Asprilla, Mora, Blanco (although limited), Paredes (just now back from another injury but not starting), and Yimmy Chara. Then you add Evander, McGraw, and Mosquera out for non-injuries. Plus the team didn’t get Araujo until the summer transfer window, so Mabiala has had to play in multiple games. Bingham has done well when filling in for Ivacic. Overall, the team has not really had a top 11 able to play all year. Losing Williamson would be bad enough at his midfield position but we’ve also had injuries to his backups in Paredes and Ayala.
As in the other recent seasons, the Timbers had several players injured or recovering from injuries/surgery before the season began. This year’s season opener featured a starting lineup that included Bingham, Rasmussen, Loria, and Niezgoda. So no Mora, Bravo, Ivacic, or Moreno in the starting lineup. And of course no Blanco. The injuries have continued to pile up.
Would having Yimmi, Asprilla and Blanco in that XI made that much of a difference?
Some of the responsibility is on the FO and the roster composition. We’ve given Blanco a year too long, didn’t adequately address the shortage in center backs and Mabiala. We failed to move out Niezgoda. However, Gio must have agreed in some way to the roster.
Mp that you? All of the points you are making have been debunked. At exhausting length. One I don't want to rehash for the million time. It's gio and it's time to go.
It’s only a yellow if the player tries to kick the ball and it gets intentionally blocked. Standing in front of the ball has never, ever been a yellow card. Whether it should or shouldn’t be is a different matter. It happens several times each game and is never a yellow
In the guidance to referees 2008/9 that US soccer and FIFA used to publish, they advised a warning or yellow card would be issued to a player ‘failing to retreat’ on a free kick. The specific guidance was moving towards the spot where the free kick was placed. It was all the rage for a few seasons, then the guidance switched to players ‘asking for 10 yards’ etc.
IMO it’s gone too far the other way that players run to the free kick spot to deny a quick free kick.
So I'm watching Guatemala v Canada right now. 21" and no score. I know McGraw wants to keep playing for the Canucks as long as possible BUT I hope they get eliminated after the group stage so he can get back quick and save us from having to see Mabs jog around.
If we win tomorrow, and Vancouver loses on Saturday (go Sounders!) ...
and Minnesota, AND Kansas City lose on Saturday...
...we will be in 10th place, just below the playoff line.
THEN IF we win at home on the 15th against Columbus (#4 in the eastern division with a far better record than ours) we will have some chance of breaking above the playoff line,
though it will be a hell of a battle to stay there.
Any other scenario, we are stuck in 12th place, and it will take something special to move up the table, or more f*ckery to drop to the very bottom.
Miami is giving us a run for our money. Not for long once a certain Argentinian gets there. There's also Colorado. But yeah, we're contenders for the wooden spoon. Woo hoo!
Currently we are not. We have a healthy distance between us and Galaxy, Miami, and Colorado. But if they get a good run of form and we keep slipping, then we will be
You know aht would mae ke me - and you - happy? Firing Gio right after this match. And issuing the press release later tonight. Helll, I bet about 99.9% would feel much better if that happened. But ope. Other teams fire their coaches. We keep ours.
I watch via Roku and within the app at the top where you choose MLS, etc, all the way to the right is the little gear that signifies "settings". Scroll down - keep scrolling. Keep scrolling until you see "Show Sports Scores" and change that from "yes" to "no'.
I think the days of expecting D Chara to singlehandedly save our collective ass are over. Actually, it has been for a while. But jthat goal just made it crystal for those still willing to believe.
I wish I could watch. Is the AppleTV app the absolute shittiest app available? I turn it on an hour and a half late and it immediately tells me the score. I don’t wanna know the score I want to watch the game. Then it crashes. I reload it and now I can’t watch any of it. All I have on the screen is a frozen commercial
That's a serious UX problem, I would imagine the vast majority of users want to watch games at their leisure, and no one wants to know the results of a game, any game, before they see it.
Miller is such a nice presence back there as opposed to Mabiala. Why we’ve been playing Mabiala over Miller at CB is crazy to me, Miller is so much better
Good question. Maybe Gio sees Miller as a fullback. We're pretty thin at both left and right. If you play Miller at cb then that means Rasmussen on the bench? Just another example of bad roster construction with not enough defensive depth.
So he took Mabs off and putin Mosquera. Miller playing cb. Like, he could have done so at the start. As I said, rearranging the chairs on the Tittanic.
I' actually read that interpretation - on the Timbers subreddit today. Basically, we have a crap roster and Gio can't be held responsible. Yeah, yeah. Trotting out Mabs in the starting xi and then subbing him out for Mosquera is totally on him. That and not starting MOsquera in the first place.
This team is so, so, so bad. It's like watching 2012 all over again without the assurance that the team has just recently joined the league and is bound to get better.
I can't remember the last season where I wasn't sure at the start of every game that I'd see a set piece goal by the other team. That's just atrocious coaching. Even athletically, physically outmatched players shouldn't be giving up all these set piece goals. But game after game, year after year, Timbers players have no idea how to defend on set pieces. It makes me feel bad for Ivacic who is a tremendous goal stopper.
Watching from the stands here in Minnesota; I was really hoping for a competitive game, but at this point in the season ‘I should have known better, but I’m getting what I deserve... awowawowawo’
Dunno about you but I don't think "hope" is a plan. But our coach probably thinks differently. He "hopes" that shuffling players around in different positions endlessly will get a lineup that will probduce.
Not shocked by the scoreline. Didn't watch again and I am happy I didn't.
Stop watching this team. Especially at home games. Gio needs to go. He is the biggest problem. I have said it since the start of the season. This team has no idea what it is doing on the field. In any aspect of the game. Almost every team plays better team soccer. Stop watching and you will feel better.
I know this is another disaster, and it has been grueling, and what I'm going to say is not going to be popular on this forum...
but we're still #10 and therefore have some small chance of making the playoffs.
If we manage to somehow stagger over that line, folks will point out that Gio got us there, his future with the Timbers guaranteed, and, along with making the final year before last, justified.
Makes me wonder how terrible the team would have to be to actually bring about his ouster.
We aren't there yet, and might not get there.
They’re 12th.
Damn!
I really like Reynoso, both the player and the person. That’s the only positive thing I can say about this game.
I said it earlier but as a season ticket holder there is no way I can justify spending my hard earned money on this. Won’t do it.
Well that could have gone better.
Yes. At least Boli scored another goal and Mora showed that he has better skills on the ball than our other forwards, especially when closely guarded. Three defenders would converge on him. That will leave other players open, which should be helpful … if Mora can start playing 90 minutes.
Gio out
No coach is going to win with the injuries and other missed games that the Timbers have had this year. When the season began, you thought we would have Williamson, Ayala, Asprilla, Mora, Blanco (although limited), Paredes (just now back from another injury but not starting), and Yimmy Chara. Then you add Evander, McGraw, and Mosquera out for non-injuries. Plus the team didn’t get Araujo until the summer transfer window, so Mabiala has had to play in multiple games. Bingham has done well when filling in for Ivacic. Overall, the team has not really had a top 11 able to play all year. Losing Williamson would be bad enough at his midfield position but we’ve also had injuries to his backups in Paredes and Ayala.
Why were they bad at start of season before injuries piled up? And start of last season too?
As in the other recent seasons, the Timbers had several players injured or recovering from injuries/surgery before the season began. This year’s season opener featured a starting lineup that included Bingham, Rasmussen, Loria, and Niezgoda. So no Mora, Bravo, Ivacic, or Moreno in the starting lineup. And of course no Blanco. The injuries have continued to pile up.
You're wrong. Other managers could do better.
Would having Yimmi, Asprilla and Blanco in that XI made that much of a difference?
Some of the responsibility is on the FO and the roster composition. We’ve given Blanco a year too long, didn’t adequately address the shortage in center backs and Mabiala. We failed to move out Niezgoda. However, Gio must have agreed in some way to the roster.
Injuries are a part of the story. But they don’t paint the whole picture. FO/GM/Coach all need to answer critical questions.
I’ve seen enough of Gio. He has no ideas. Boli, Moreno, Evander, and whoever starts on the other wing should be scoring more than .75 goals a game.
He did some great stuff for us but it’s time to move on. That said, I’m fine waiting until the season ends.
Did you notice how much better Minnesota was with Reynosa back? It is a huge advantage to have your top players.
Mp that you? All of the points you are making have been debunked. At exhausting length. One I don't want to rehash for the million time. It's gio and it's time to go.
Hail Mary
Full of grace
You didn't finish your poem! I'll do it for you:
The Timbers head coach
You should replace.
I'll do you one better
Timbers are up a creek
Nobody wants their coach so they get no break
Female commentator saying standing in front of the ball is a yellow card is hilarious. That happens every game. Not it ain’t
She’s right though, it should be a yellow. Pro refs just aren’t focusing on it anymore.
It’s only a yellow if the player tries to kick the ball and it gets intentionally blocked. Standing in front of the ball has never, ever been a yellow card. Whether it should or shouldn’t be is a different matter. It happens several times each game and is never a yellow
In the guidance to referees 2008/9 that US soccer and FIFA used to publish, they advised a warning or yellow card would be issued to a player ‘failing to retreat’ on a free kick. The specific guidance was moving towards the spot where the free kick was placed. It was all the rage for a few seasons, then the guidance switched to players ‘asking for 10 yards’ etc.
IMO it’s gone too far the other way that players run to the free kick spot to deny a quick free kick.
Agree with both of you
Why Paredes? Our problem is we have too many legitimate players available?
So I'm watching Guatemala v Canada right now. 21" and no score. I know McGraw wants to keep playing for the Canucks as long as possible BUT I hope they get eliminated after the group stage so he can get back quick and save us from having to see Mabs jog around.
Just need to punt on this season. Too bad we can’t be relegated so we could hopefully be competitive in the next 5 years.
Araujo > Mabiala.
I did that a few weeks ago. I still get the scores.
Is Portland currently the worst team in MLS?
No. Colorado is the worst team in MLS, by points.
We play them tomorrow.
If we win tomorrow, and Vancouver loses on Saturday (go Sounders!) ...
and Minnesota, AND Kansas City lose on Saturday...
...we will be in 10th place, just below the playoff line.
THEN IF we win at home on the 15th against Columbus (#4 in the eastern division with a far better record than ours) we will have some chance of breaking above the playoff line,
though it will be a hell of a battle to stay there.
Any other scenario, we are stuck in 12th place, and it will take something special to move up the table, or more f*ckery to drop to the very bottom.
Miami is giving us a run for our money. Not for long once a certain Argentinian gets there. There's also Colorado. But yeah, we're contenders for the wooden spoon. Woo hoo!
Currently we are not. We have a healthy distance between us and Galaxy, Miami, and Colorado. But if they get a good run of form and we keep slipping, then we will be
On the season, sure. But the last 9-10 games we are definitely looking like contenders for worst.
Colorado will close the gap on Tuesday, don’t worry 😂😂😂
The annual 4th of July fireworks at Dick's? Yep.
I can't like this but I say ditto.
No
And I’m out. Time to sit in the sun and drink a beer with people I love.
Still plenty of time left
For misery
You know aht would mae ke me - and you - happy? Firing Gio right after this match. And issuing the press release later tonight. Helll, I bet about 99.9% would feel much better if that happened. But ope. Other teams fire their coaches. We keep ours.
I haven't seen any indication that Gio is in danger of being fired.
go home, you're drunk!
not that i disagree...
I didn't even have time to say Jazzy was too timid on that 3rd goal. Ugh.
Yep. He shoulda scooped up that heavy touch.
Thorns on soon to maybe get the bad taste out of your mouth.
Can you tell me where that setting is?
Or on your phone
Settings >
TV >
Scroll down and toggle off sports scores.
I watch via Roku and within the app at the top where you choose MLS, etc, all the way to the right is the little gear that signifies "settings". Scroll down - keep scrolling. Keep scrolling until you see "Show Sports Scores" and change that from "yes" to "no'.
oof..Millerr. He was doing ok until that mistake.
😂😂😂
Well, I was expecting a nightmare, and the boys didn't let me down. Where was Mosquera on that one?
I think the days of expecting D Chara to singlehandedly save our collective ass are over. Actually, it has been for a while. But jthat goal just made it crystal for those still willing to believe.
That’s unfortunate. Bad giveaway from Chara there
It doesn't hurt as much as it used to, so there is that
Age has caught up to D. Chara.
I wish I could watch. Is the AppleTV app the absolute shittiest app available? I turn it on an hour and a half late and it immediately tells me the score. I don’t wanna know the score I want to watch the game. Then it crashes. I reload it and now I can’t watch any of it. All I have on the screen is a frozen commercial
It is so incredibly stupid that they have that as the default setting. Here is how to change the settings to avoid spoilers
https://worldsoccertalk.com/how-to-turn-off-scores-in-mls-season-pass-to-avoid-spoilers-20230223-WST-420749.html
Thanks for the tip, but I already turned off that setting weeks ago. It still shows me the scores when I turn on MLS Season Pass.
bastards!
That's a serious UX problem, I would imagine the vast majority of users want to watch games at their leisure, and no one wants to know the results of a game, any game, before they see it.
LiveTV.sx
Free and good streams for just about anything you want to watch. Just install a good ad-blocker and of course anti-virus.
Not just that. My streams are always choppy.
That's definitely improved since the beginning of the season.
There’s a setting to take scores off
I hate that so much. If I haven't been able to watch from the start, I have to have somebody else select & start it so I don't know the score.
https://worldsoccertalk.com/how-to-turn-off-scores-in-mls-season-pass-to-avoid-spoilers-20230223-WST-420749.html
You have to turn this off in the app settings. It's a less than great app, but the ability to watch all the matches is good
Found it, thanks. That's one good thing to come out of this game...
Google kept giving me world cup spoilers , basketball spoilers, now apple does this too, do these people never watch sports?! Drives me batty
Where did you find it?
https://worldsoccertalk.com/how-to-turn-off-scores-in-mls-season-pass-to-avoid-spoilers-20230223-WST-420749.html
Miller is such a nice presence back there as opposed to Mabiala. Why we’ve been playing Mabiala over Miller at CB is crazy to me, Miller is so much better
Good question. Maybe Gio sees Miller as a fullback. We're pretty thin at both left and right. If you play Miller at cb then that means Rasmussen on the bench? Just another example of bad roster construction with not enough defensive depth.
For as much grief as Mabs gets, those first two are on Bravo, IMO.
I think Mabiala was forcing Zuparic is drop deeper to cover for Mabiala - either that was the plan or Zuparic having no confidence in Mabiala.
So Mabiala’s midfield turnover and Zuparic getting left with a 1 vs 1 really does mean it’s 90% on Mabs.
First goal, Bravo was back and ended up guarding no one, leaving his mark wide open with time to make the assist.
Second goal Bravo is wide open with time and can’t control a ball right to him, giving up the corner which gets scored on his post.
Third goal Bravo is not even in the picture, leaving Chara alone to try to track down his mark.
Fourth goal Bravo doesn’t bother to defend or follow his mark for another easy assist.
Not sure what you people are seeing here.
Not defending Bravo, his form and play has been poor. Manuals just makes it worse.
Yeah, replied to you but meant for everyone.
To everyone, just watch Bravo on the replays (probably won’t show the easy ball he flubbed leading to the corner, though).
Maybe Bravo partially responsible for the first goal. But Mabs deserves whatever blame he's getting.
Not even close.
God Bless Boli, if for no other reason to make this interesting. Nothing like having the home team dominate, only to concede to test their mettle
4 goals in 6 starts is a damn nice tally, especially on a bad team that struggles on offense. I really hope we keep him around next year
False hope springs eternal.
Got one back. Good for Boli. We'll see if Minny collapses.
At least Boli is MLS quality and has, apparently, ignored coaching. If he was coachable he wouldn't have scored in the last month.
I'm sure Boli - hell, more than a few of players - has had better coaches than Gio Savarese.
He **did** play for Bob Bradley, who is definitely a better coach than Gio. Not like I'm advocating for Bradley.
Boli can be a killer when we let him.
Third Timbers goal!!!
Did they rule the Olimpico an own goal?
Hey! We did something!
I thought Paredes had a knock? So we're playing injured players,now? What gives?
His knock only restricted him from starting. He was on the bench for a reason, he’s healthy but can only play ~30 minutes
Half thought Gio was gonna be Gio and take Boli off instead of Niezgoda
I’m sure he initially had Niezgoda coming on for Boli.
Good lord. Absolute garbage of a team.
Leaving for the Thorns game and I don't even feel guilty about it. Although that game could be an adventure too.
We’ve totally lost our shape and there’s an air of we’ve given up.
Bravo looked up field and had absolutely no one to pass to
So he took Mabs off and putin Mosquera. Miller playing cb. Like, he could have done so at the start. As I said, rearranging the chairs on the Tittanic.
Yeah Mosquera nursing an injury is the only reason you don't do that
And/or saving him for Tuesday. Either way, an interpretation generous to Gio.
I' actually read that interpretation - on the Timbers subreddit today. Basically, we have a crap roster and Gio can't be held responsible. Yeah, yeah. Trotting out Mabs in the starting xi and then subbing him out for Mosquera is totally on him. That and not starting MOsquera in the first place.
I’m good with having one of our best players on the pitch, but for Mabs? Lol.
Lots of defeated body language coming out of the locker room.
There was an air of the coach saying ‘you were all s$&t, you’d better get out there and save my job’
Keep your heads up boys! We still got this
Got the Loons right where we want 'em.
They say a 2-0 lead in the second half at home against a struggling team is the worst lead in soccer...
This team is so, so, so bad. It's like watching 2012 all over again without the assurance that the team has just recently joined the league and is bound to get better.
I can't remember the last season where I wasn't sure at the start of every game that I'd see a set piece goal by the other team. That's just atrocious coaching. Even athletically, physically outmatched players shouldn't be giving up all these set piece goals. But game after game, year after year, Timbers players have no idea how to defend on set pieces. It makes me feel bad for Ivacic who is a tremendous goal stopper.
Spenny did better than this and got canned. WTF does Gio have on Paulson? It’s getting ridiculous …
Paulson is looking at 2 years left on Gio’s contract. Is he willing to buy him out?
Watching from the stands here in Minnesota; I was really hoping for a competitive game, but at this point in the season ‘I should have known better, but I’m getting what I deserve... awowawowawo’
Props to Minnesota for celebrating an OG appropriately.
We haven’t scored more than 1 goal in 85 years so this one is over. Or extra over, as it was over when they lined up without Evander.
Does Gio have a plan to score goals? Or is this “team” built to run around and hope?
Apparently move miller to CB.
Dunno about you but I don't think "hope" is a plan. But our coach probably thinks differently. He "hopes" that shuffling players around in different positions endlessly will get a lineup that will probduce.
Hope is never a plan.
I think blindly blast the ball upfield was the tactical adjustment made this week
He’s too busy coming up with post-match excuses to be worried about developing an actual game plan.
Let’s try ‘the spirit in the team is high despite the result. We were the better team and we were playing our game’.