Once they're fully fit, only Boli or Ikoba should start up top. Nathan late game sub, emergencies, rotation. Niezgoda becomes our chief cheerleader until we can get rid of him.
I'm with you on this. He hasn't played much, but I like what I see in Ikoba. Boli seems like he could be a solid striker. If we can get those two going it could help the team out. I like Nathan, but still think that Niezgoda is a better player. Nathan is definitely showing a lot better this year, and his work rate is head and shoulders above Niezgoda so far.
I may be crazy but niezgoda seems like the go to super sub for me. He can score in hard angles as long as he can get a shot off. I didn't see any of the game so idk how he played
We lost anything we had going forward when he came on. It really made no sense to bring him on because we were under heavy pressure from Dallas and had a hard time getting out of our half. That is not a game for Niezgoda, thats a game for Nathan, who at least provided some threat in behind and some defense. Made no sense to bring him on over Ikoba, who came on like ten minutes later
Thumbs up to Ivacic. Not only did he have a couple nice/amazing saves that kept us in the game, but his distribution is better than Bingham’s. Less high looping floaters, flatter trajectory on both goal kicks and punts makes them more dangerous.
Bravo to Bravo, McGraw and Suparic, all three had good games.
Williamson discovered there is another half to the field behind the center line. He did well back there.
Toward the end of the match, prior to the Boli sub, I was thinking to myself “This is a loss that feels like a tie.” The team held on throughout the match until they finally gave one away, but they weren’t ripped open like they had been previously. They bent but didn’t look like breaking. That’s a step up in the play we’ve seen, especially given our bleak injury list and 100% lack of contribution from DPs and even TAM players. So when Boli put that goal away—not the easiest shot either!—this suddenly felt like a win. And moreover, it felt like hope for the club. He came on and, within minutes, netted to steal a point on the road during a tough run of form while morale was low. The shot was technical. A first touch with little visibility. I was skeptical about the signing but I’m now cautiously optimistic. Even joyful? If he can click with Evander and our wingers, we might start to look dangerous on attack. That danger going forward would relieve some pressure on the entire team in terms of defense and we may just salvage the season! At least becoming fun to watch. Glad I caught the match.
Definitely started to look dangerous this game. Lots of positives all round. Big key was Moreno - very fluid in the middle (all over really) and had some dimes. Bravo was tremendous with some excellent balls over the top. And props to Fogaca for getting through a few times and delivering a nice ball to Mosquera.The real key, though, was Mosquera. It just shows how speed kills. It would have been nice to see him finish or get an assist off his runs. I'd start him at RW all day long. Miller was fine at RB until second half and maybe he started to wane. I thought he got fouled when he tried to clear the ball on a header attempt that led to Dallas' goal, but maybe not. Defense was very good mostly. No worries there.
I was impressed with Mosquera at right wing. Everything was going up his right side in the first half, and I actually think Moreno was able to get into the game because Mosquera opened space for him. On top of that Mosquera had some great first touches, good attacking passes, and did everything you could ask defensively from a winger. Solid performance.
Mosquera is fantastic. I’d say easily among the top right backs in the league and only has space to grow! It’s fun seeing him work with Moreno to create space.
Welcome Franck Boli! Your films do you proud sir. Hats off on an excellent assist to Darion Asprilla and a stellar performance in goal by Ivacic! Santi Moreno so close at the corner of the net, Still well done, Dallas was held in check for most of the match and that's a testament to the defense. Mosquera was a threat. Gio played all five forwards in the match and Boli subbed on in the midfield and it worked. Hopefully Franck will make others around him even better. Big job next week in Vancouver as they come off a 5-0 win. Train hard and stay healthy please!
Great work JJ! That was really great to watch. Thank you. Just shows how awesome SAnti is, especially in the first half. That touch 3:11. That sums it up for me.
The first half felt like a dream where we actually started to possess the ball a bit and were patient. Both Moreno and Bravo took a step forward last week, and they took yet another step forward this week. McGraw was also fantastic, I’m thinking of making touch compilations for McGraw and Moreno this week. Ivacic was definitely man of the match, great to have him back and to see Gio work his magic on another frustrated player
Great to have a striker who isn’t afraid to shoot and can actually hit it on frame. Nathan isn’t afraid either (he can be too eager) but his shots are field goals. Boli might very well be a really great addition to the attack, but it’s too early to say. His goal reminded me of Moreno’s last second goal at Columbus last year, a similar sort of sliced volley from the top of the box to the bottom corner. With him, Ikoba, then Nathan, there should be no reason for Jaro to see the field much unless our style of play drastically changes, because he just doesn’t fit in
Fantastic result, really. Best we’ve played in Dallas. I don’t wanna jinx it, but... we’ve been doing better in Texas recently... never thought I’d see the day. This result with returning players will bring up the vibes among the players I’m sure, however we’re still gonna need some more convincing as fans if we’re going to believe this team will make some noise this year
I thought this game was v interesting bc it seemed like essentially the same tactical plan we tried to use against Atlanta--only it worked a lot of the time. Especially in the first half the team forced a few turnovers in the attacking half through good interceptions and a little early pressure, but we didn't overcommit in the process. EW had a few early giveaways but also found danger on other plays and kept shape defensively to make up for it. Defensive rotations and cover were better. And the team didn't seem to totally fade after the 60th minute even though I agree Niezgoda didn't help the momentum. It's amazing the difference a few more healthy bodies make, both to execute for 90 minutes and also in training to prepare.
One difference is that vs Atlanta we had Mabiala and Niezgoda starting in more of a 532 whereas vs Dallas it was more 433 with Gutierrez and Mosquera as wingers. I don't think the formations matter as much as the personnel. I think we got the best (available) players on the pitch and they all had good games. We didn't have nearly as many cheap turnovers and were able to make more of our attempted passes and dribbles and people were running into open positions (not necessarily spectacularly, but much better than recently). Things were clicking and it made all the difference (and Ivacic is a warlock)
Yes to above. First half the Timbers were really controlling things. When they didn't have the ball, it seemed like they weren't overexerting themselves to get to the ball two steps late like they have in previous games, and kept their shape, and therefore, when they won it, they had options to play out of it. There were some good moments of pressure and the backline winning balls, too. So, better effort from the midfield and better shape than Atlanta game. Second half Dallas did start out half strong and I thought Gio did well to start subbing.
The original plan in Atlanta, which I agree was pretty similar to yesterday's against Dallas, was working until Paredes went down. Then, the team couldn't figure out how to adjust it.
Okay everyone. Bear with me here. The team obviously has problems with injuries. This has been a frustrating problem for years. I’m not sure that we have been the worst team in the league when it comes to this, but I’m sure we are close. Does this fall on our training staff? Maybe. It could also be the fact that we invest in older players. However, I think that our turf at Providence Park is the problem. I’m sure our guys practice on the same style of turf which seems to be creating so many problems over the years. I think that it’s time for the team to invest in natural grass. It’s expensive and tough to maintain in this climate, but it’s time. If they can do it in England, we can do it here. Another plus is some players would actually think a little harder about signing with us. Just a thought, but it’s been bothering me for a few years.
There have been a million studies of grass v turf and injury rates, and there are about a million different conclusions that get drawn. Both cause injuries, and depending on which study you read, one causes more than the other - but which one varies from study to study. I don't think there's a single answer to "why do the Timbers get injured a lot", but even if I did, I don't think the turf is that single answer.
I mean, look at Ryan Bingham's injury for instance. A pulled hamstring. Can we 100% say that wouldn't happen on a grass field? Nope. Athletes pull hamstrings all the time on both grass and turf. That could be a lack of proper preparation, it could be a lack of hydration which led to a cramp which led to a pull, it could have been any number of things.
My bigger injury question from last night is, why are there multiple Timbers with bandaged hands/thumbs? There's almost always one player with a wrapped hand, but last night I think there were four or five. What is going on in training that messes up people's hands?
Honestly, I think the training staff and training program needs to be looked at before the field surface.
The Timbers facility has a turf field and a grass field. I always assumed the Timbers used the grass field. The turf field was used by my son's club team for practice several times. But this was 5+ years ago, so who knows now.
Paulson came to Bend several years ago to meet with local Timbers supporters and I was there. He said he planned to install grass. Of course, that was before the big renovation at the park and COVID. I hope he keeps his promise SOON!
Timbers have grass training field. Thorns train on Providence Park turf. Timbers are hobbled by never ending injuries. Thorns get occasional injuries. Studies about soccer-specific injuries on modern turf show basically no difference in injury rates.
1 - The good: Moreno found his form. Williamson is still sloppy defensively but put in a solid shift. Nathan and Gutierrez work hard. Boli had about as good of a debut as you could hope for. The back 4 were solid (although I was not impressed at all with Miller). Mosquera showed that he can be placed just about anywhere on the pitch and he'll make a difference. Ivacic is a true shot stopper.
2 - The bad: Our set piece defending is still disorganized (and the announcers called out Chara for part of it, I'm not sure they were correct though) - can anyone tell me (because I don't want to go look) if Chara was NOT the front post defender last game. He has been, but after a near miss on a set piece, he got fouled away from the post and I forgot to look at how we were set up.
2a - I thought Miller looked bad. I thought he looked very slow and got caught upfield more than a couple times. Mosquera was there to pick up the slack. Ivacic's distribution is haphazard at best. It's better than it was, but it's still noticeably below average. Gutierrez and Nathan do seem to lack the true skill needed to be MLS regulars (at this current time) but both worked super hard and I think that's going to be a wakeup call to a couple other players that want minutes.
3 - I had fun watching the game? There was a bit of dread as Dallas was setting up to score because you could see it coming, but the Timbers mostly looked threatening on offense and capable on defense.
4 - Moreno and Mosquera are freaking fast and fun to watch. Gutierrez and Nathan work hard and are somewhat fun to watch. Williamson has elite vision and is fun to watch when he's not agonizing to watch. Chara is fun to watch. Bravo is fun to watch (I still think some of you undervalue him). McGraw is becoming fun to watch. Ivacic is fun to watch until he gets the ball and then he's not as fun.
4a - I think the simple addition of Evander and takeout of Miller will make this team somewhat capable. Add in Boli instead of Nathan (Boli has to be better, right?) we'll be more than capable, fast, and dangerous.
5 - April is going to be a brutal month. I hope we survive it and some of you don't lose your flipping minds that this really is (finally) a rebuilding season and we are a midpack team at best this year.
I think if we don't get 4 more points or so in April, we'd definitely end the year midtable. We have mostly in conference games in April and 1.5 ppg the rest of the way from May on out only get us to about 44 pts, which is solidly midtable. Timbers have gone on 2 ppg runs late but not for 27 matches and that's what we'd need to be at the top. Wouldn't necessarily call it a rebuild year at the end of April.
Oh yeah... for sure... I just meant that we'd be a midtable team. That doesn't mean we couldn't go full Timbers and be a midtable team that goes on to win the Cup.
I'm still #GioOut, but that was a much better performance than we've seen pretty much all season, at least until it wasn't.
They looked a lot more organized, for the most part, which was nice to see, and there were only a few WTF moments, as opposed to the entire game being nothing but WTF moments. Their set piece defending is still abhorrent, and watching the supremely organized Dallas back line made me super jealous, but overall this was a much more encouraging performance than I've seen in previous weeks.
My thing with being “Gio out” is who comes in as the head coach and does a better job than he has with the Timbers? He’s been to two MLS Cup finals, and only missed the playoffs once during his time here, which is extremely impressive given the salary/roster/player issues he’s had to deal with. Has it always been perfect? No, but at their best the Timbers play a really exciting style that tends to produce results.
The logic of "better the devil you know" leads to stasis and rot, because it precludes the idea of taking a chance or a risk of any degree at all. "Who could do better" is an impossible question to answer, but it's a question that's worth exploring, because Gio increasingly can't do it better than he did. So why stick with him?
Gio isn't making the Timbers better at this point; he's had several years to get "his guys", and his guys - both starters and reserves - are the ones who didn't get it done last year, and are struggling to get it done this year. Yesterday was an improvement, but "we don't know if someone else would do better" is really not a good reason to not replace a coach.
It's not just about the playoffs. That's a very low bar. Half the conference makes the playoffs. And making a run to a final does not make you the best either.
Best I can explain. Every league in the world uses the shield as the league champion. Because they were the best team via league points. Meaning consistency. That's why you constantly see the same teams winning year over year. Like man city. Bayern. Psg. Barca and real Madrid. Because they actually are the best team. But the best teams can be upset in tournament play. That's why tournaments are stand alone entities and league points make the league championships. Mls is stupid for making the playoffs the champions.
Now the one thing mls does right is having a salary cap. That is what gives everybody a fair chance and even playing field, and why you won't see the same team winning it like in Europe. It's makes it about who builds their roster the right way and who has the best manager.
If we went by the rest of the worlds standards. The Timbers best league finish is 3rd under porter. Two 5th place finishes and two 8th place finishes.
..".Every league in the world uses the shield as the league champion. Because they were the best team via league points"...
Every other of those leagues plays a home n home schedule, and none of those leagues have 30 teams with a 34 game schedule, which means that MLS crowning a 'points only' champion is a laughably ridiculous enterprise.
You are saying that the playoffs are a better way of crowning a "champion" than the points they accumulated over the year? Even if everyone doesn't get a home and away. Which we don't do in the playoffs anymore. So your argument that they play home and away doesn't even apply to mls.
Let's put it this way. In 2021 new England won 22 games and had 73 points.
Nycfc in the same conference had 14 wins and 51 points.
So you are saying that nycfc was the best team? 6 less wins and 22 less points and they won the mls cup. So they were the best team that year? Lmao that argument is laughable.
If I asked you what team is better a team that won 22 games with 73 points or a team with 14 wins and 51 points, you would say the team with 22 wins and more points. Don't even act like you wouldn't. Everyone would come to the same conclusion.
Like I said before, the salary cap keeps us all equal in mls. If there is 34 games than mls should have every team play each other once. The 4 remaining games will be in conference and an extra rivalry game. Done.
To be pedantic, it's not actually a salary cap. MLS is a salary constrained league, but owners/teams can spend more than the cap via the DP tag. And given that, it is in no way equal - just look at DP spending and total payroll to get an idea of how unequal.
MLS, like all American sports leagues, has decided that a playoff series will determine its champion. That is not the same as saying that the winner of MLS Cup is the best team in the league in any given year (2022 being one recent exception). Playoffs determine who the best team in a small sample size tournament is, nothing more.
I really thought this was Nathan's best game. Same with Moreno. Happy for both.
As for mosquera as a winger. I'm not a fan. Not that he did bad. I thought he did good but I still wouldn't put him there over others. He is a wingback. Kinda like Sergino Dest. He is very balanced between attack and defense, but not excellent at either. Dest is good going forward because of his technical skills, But his defending is suspect. Like Alexander-Arnold, but I think it's the opposite for mosquera. Good going forward but even better at defense. That makes him a desirable player. .
Tbh the reason we had a better game was because of all the second balls we were winning. Moreno was a big part of that. It seemed like him, chara and eryk were getting every second ball. It completely changes perspective of the game when you are winning those balls. Everything else could be the same. Not efficient in finishing. Sloppy passes. But flipping that switch between winning and losing second balls is the difference in how we see success or failure.
Agree with winning the second balls comment. The past few games the ball did not seem to bounce the way of the Timbers, but last night it did, and of course, you make your own luck. That had to do with better shape and Moreono, it seemed. He was everywhere.
How can you not be a fan of Mosquera as a winger? He's more exciting than any other winger on the roster. Maybe he's a right back or wingback in Europe, but for this league, he might as well be Vinicius. He can beat anyone down the line, he opens it up for anyone underneath. His crosses are great. He's a good player, so yes, he can play some defense, but let someone else do that and let him burn it up the sidelines. Necessity is the mother of invention - and with all of the injuries, I think we just saw Mosquera reinvented as a winger. Of course, Gio will do Gio things and start Asprilla or Yimmi when he gets back, and I will be bummed.
I think Mosquera can do everything he did this game as a fullback too considering how high he likes to get. No reason to play Bonilla or Miller just to have Mosquera play winger, I’d much rather have Loria, Yimmi, or Asprilla on the field
You did have Miller on the field and look what happened. Chances were created.
If you're doing a 4-3-3, then no need to have fullback going up too much. If 4-2-3-1, then maybe you do have fullback pushing forward - in the past Gio sends them high when operating out of the back and middle third. One flub and defense is under pressure. Thjis is somewhat mitigated by crisp distribution from Ivavcic. Not sure what Gio will do when Evander gets back, but like I said, Mosquera is a danger to opposing teams and will put you on the front foot operating as a winger. Yimmi doesn't really scare anyone, I'm sure, and neither does Asprilla for the most part. Speed! Mosquera has it.
Miller was fine, he’s serviceable. Mosquera is great but I think he’s better starting from a deeper position and bombing on into space, rather than starting wide and always being faced with a defender. I’d rather him be on the overlap, to be that second player that the defense isn’t prepared for. He doesn’t have much 1v1 ability from a standstill situation, I believe he’s better when he has open space. And he’ll have more open space, I think, as an attacking fullback
I disagree. He'd have a lot more space as a winger because guys would respect his speed. He doesn't need the slingshot effect as an overlapper. We saw examples of him being one on one with a defender on a big switch in this game. That is what you want. If you wait for the overlap then, ok, maybe that works, but mostly the defense gets in position. I like the lightning in a bottle approach as a first option. He played wing in the LAFC game too, and you can see what he brings. He was blowing by Palacio. I just see upside to him as a winger, no downsides. He'll be good as a FB, but if he is the best option as a winger, then he ought to play winger. That is more of a priority.
One additional issue with Mosquera as an outside back is we still have to figure out how to cover for him if the ball turns over. He might play either position well, but if he's going touch line to touch line, we better have mids (beside just Chara) able to defend and allow Mosquera time to recover. We haven't been great at that. I like Mosquera in either spot but was surprised how well he worked as an out and out winger.
It was a much better game than the dumpster fires of previous weeks. Our decisions around the box still keep us from scoring multiple goals (like it always has) but the team seemed like they had a swagger about them in this game. Everyone seemed up for the game. Where as nobody seemed up for the last 5.
It's good to see. This team needs to be held accountable for every game week in and week out. Mediocrity and just taking it easy until July is not acceptable. The sooner fans step up and let their frustrations be known the sooner change will happen. Being soft on expectations only makes the team and franchise complacent. Winners and the elite aren't forged that way. In anything in life. Self expectation and pressure from others are what push people to be the best versions of themselves. I feel like for years we have been too soft on the team and mp on what is acceptable.
I will say this though. It was a better game than what we have seen these past weeks. Maybe gio was feeling the pressure and he is putting it on the players. This is the first year where I remember people starting to say gio out. So maybe that had something to do with it. But one thing is for sure. My optimism is slowly moving in the right direction. Let's see what happens in April. If by the end of April we still aren't winning games I will be #gioout and a lot more vocal about it.
I don't want to hear excuses I want to see results.
We have five matches in April, four of which are away and the remaining one which is against a hot Sounders team, who normally has our number at Providence Park. We tied against Dallas (good), but two of our other away matches are against Cincinnati (#1 in the East) and St. Louis (#1 in the West). The remaining match is against Vancouver, who won 5-0 against Montreal (who are an admittedly horrible, wooden-spoon holding team that played a man down the whole match) and have the fifth most goal for in the entire league.
If you are *expecting* several wins in April, you're in for a rough ride.
If gio can't find a way to get a win against two teams out of 5. He needs to be fires. Like the end of my comment said. I don't want excuses I want to see results.
While I understand your position and fire, I can't see a great April result wise. If you expect two wins I expect you to be disappointed. One win with a tie or two would be a great April result as we are still injured and a very tough schedule realistically. "Gio out" based on not winning two in April is frankly not likely to happen.
That's why I stopped watching the Blazers. That organization has zero ambition. They ride the coattails of hope off one good player (B. Roy, now lillard) but never do what is necessary to compete within the league. I feel sorry for Lillard. He will always be a oregon legend but I would prefer he go get a championship somewhere. He deserves it.
After sitting through multiple bad games, I had little hope for this one. I was only able to watch the first half live but it looked like a better organized and more engaged team than the first few weeks.
Boli gives me a little hope. Match # 6, second striker to score for us (Ikoba got the first one) and officially 4 minutes (plus stoppage) played. I have said that I don't think Nathan is the answer, but at least he works hard and takes shots. Niezgoda just does not fit this team and is a shadow of his former self. 275 minutes and has the same number of shots on frame (1) as Boli, D. Chara, Paredes and McGraw. Even if your striker isn't producing, he at least has to be shooting.
We have a difficult schedule coming up (@Van, hot Flounders team, 2 road games, but I hope that at least the more engaged play can offer some hope even if not winning until we get into May.
A draw was a good result for us. So would be a draw next week at Vancouver.
Ummmmm teams can only spend whatever they want on dps. 3 out of 23 players. Teams have the same amount to spend for the other 20. Please explain how that is fantasy.
The 2022 salary budget set by the CBA was $4,900,000 (this year's is $5.2M). The 20th-ranked spending team in 2022 spent twice that, and the #1 spending team quadrupled it.
Every team has an equal amount of salary budget charge. You're forgetting that, in addition to DP money, TAM can be used to buy down player salaries to below DP status to fit players into the "regular" salary budget. Despite the fact teams can only have three DP's, they could have any number of players making their salary budget charge plus a bunch of TAM, the TAM part of which "doesn't count" against the salary budget.
MLS likes to talk about its "salary cap", but that's not what it is, and there is, as in all sports leagues, a wide disparity in spending among the teams in the league.
Once they're fully fit, only Boli or Ikoba should start up top. Nathan late game sub, emergencies, rotation. Niezgoda becomes our chief cheerleader until we can get rid of him.
I'm with you on this. He hasn't played much, but I like what I see in Ikoba. Boli seems like he could be a solid striker. If we can get those two going it could help the team out. I like Nathan, but still think that Niezgoda is a better player. Nathan is definitely showing a lot better this year, and his work rate is head and shoulders above Niezgoda so far.
I may be crazy but niezgoda seems like the go to super sub for me. He can score in hard angles as long as he can get a shot off. I didn't see any of the game so idk how he played
I don't want him to be anywhere close to the pitch. What an awful waste of TAM $ he has been!
We lost anything we had going forward when he came on. It really made no sense to bring him on because we were under heavy pressure from Dallas and had a hard time getting out of our half. That is not a game for Niezgoda, thats a game for Nathan, who at least provided some threat in behind and some defense. Made no sense to bring him on over Ikoba, who came on like ten minutes later
agreed in that sit, ikoba with pace strength and ability to keep backline honest should have been the choice
I think that he had maybe one or two touches. He was never a true threat.
Thumbs up to Ivacic. Not only did he have a couple nice/amazing saves that kept us in the game, but his distribution is better than Bingham’s. Less high looping floaters, flatter trajectory on both goal kicks and punts makes them more dangerous.
Bravo to Bravo, McGraw and Suparic, all three had good games.
Williamson discovered there is another half to the field behind the center line. He did well back there.
Yes, MOTM to Ivacic and kudos to my favorite Timber Bravo!
“Bravo”?
Man of the match in my eyes. Sitting his for a game lit a fire
Toward the end of the match, prior to the Boli sub, I was thinking to myself “This is a loss that feels like a tie.” The team held on throughout the match until they finally gave one away, but they weren’t ripped open like they had been previously. They bent but didn’t look like breaking. That’s a step up in the play we’ve seen, especially given our bleak injury list and 100% lack of contribution from DPs and even TAM players. So when Boli put that goal away—not the easiest shot either!—this suddenly felt like a win. And moreover, it felt like hope for the club. He came on and, within minutes, netted to steal a point on the road during a tough run of form while morale was low. The shot was technical. A first touch with little visibility. I was skeptical about the signing but I’m now cautiously optimistic. Even joyful? If he can click with Evander and our wingers, we might start to look dangerous on attack. That danger going forward would relieve some pressure on the entire team in terms of defense and we may just salvage the season! At least becoming fun to watch. Glad I caught the match.
Definitely started to look dangerous this game. Lots of positives all round. Big key was Moreno - very fluid in the middle (all over really) and had some dimes. Bravo was tremendous with some excellent balls over the top. And props to Fogaca for getting through a few times and delivering a nice ball to Mosquera.The real key, though, was Mosquera. It just shows how speed kills. It would have been nice to see him finish or get an assist off his runs. I'd start him at RW all day long. Miller was fine at RB until second half and maybe he started to wane. I thought he got fouled when he tried to clear the ball on a header attempt that led to Dallas' goal, but maybe not. Defense was very good mostly. No worries there.
I was impressed with Mosquera at right wing. Everything was going up his right side in the first half, and I actually think Moreno was able to get into the game because Mosquera opened space for him. On top of that Mosquera had some great first touches, good attacking passes, and did everything you could ask defensively from a winger. Solid performance.
Mosquera is fantastic. I’d say easily among the top right backs in the league and only has space to grow! It’s fun seeing him work with Moreno to create space.
Agreed, except for "100% lack of contribution from DPs". Evander had a goal, and I believe Yimmi assisted the Mosquera goal.
Correct. They’re all out injured, though. Apart from those two contributions, we just have entries on the injury list.
Welcome to the new site everyone.
Good to see a Timbers striker put his laces through it AND get it in frame
THIS. I really, REALLY want Boli to be our "shooter without a conscience".
Just hit the damn ball hard and put it on/near the frame - make the defense scramble and good stuff will happen.
Welcome Franck Boli! Your films do you proud sir. Hats off on an excellent assist to Darion Asprilla and a stellar performance in goal by Ivacic! Santi Moreno so close at the corner of the net, Still well done, Dallas was held in check for most of the match and that's a testament to the defense. Mosquera was a threat. Gio played all five forwards in the match and Boli subbed on in the midfield and it worked. Hopefully Franck will make others around him even better. Big job next week in Vancouver as they come off a 5-0 win. Train hard and stay healthy please!
Not totally sure how the link will work here but I made a touch compilation for Santiago Moreno for this match
https://youtu.be/NL-ScEly9M4
Great work JJ! That was really great to watch. Thank you. Just shows how awesome SAnti is, especially in the first half. That touch 3:11. That sums it up for me.
Thank you! Glad to see him getting his form back. That was a great combination between Santi, Nathan, and Eryk. Damn near worked out too
The first half felt like a dream where we actually started to possess the ball a bit and were patient. Both Moreno and Bravo took a step forward last week, and they took yet another step forward this week. McGraw was also fantastic, I’m thinking of making touch compilations for McGraw and Moreno this week. Ivacic was definitely man of the match, great to have him back and to see Gio work his magic on another frustrated player
Great to have a striker who isn’t afraid to shoot and can actually hit it on frame. Nathan isn’t afraid either (he can be too eager) but his shots are field goals. Boli might very well be a really great addition to the attack, but it’s too early to say. His goal reminded me of Moreno’s last second goal at Columbus last year, a similar sort of sliced volley from the top of the box to the bottom corner. With him, Ikoba, then Nathan, there should be no reason for Jaro to see the field much unless our style of play drastically changes, because he just doesn’t fit in
Fantastic result, really. Best we’ve played in Dallas. I don’t wanna jinx it, but... we’ve been doing better in Texas recently... never thought I’d see the day. This result with returning players will bring up the vibes among the players I’m sure, however we’re still gonna need some more convincing as fans if we’re going to believe this team will make some noise this year
I thought this game was v interesting bc it seemed like essentially the same tactical plan we tried to use against Atlanta--only it worked a lot of the time. Especially in the first half the team forced a few turnovers in the attacking half through good interceptions and a little early pressure, but we didn't overcommit in the process. EW had a few early giveaways but also found danger on other plays and kept shape defensively to make up for it. Defensive rotations and cover were better. And the team didn't seem to totally fade after the 60th minute even though I agree Niezgoda didn't help the momentum. It's amazing the difference a few more healthy bodies make, both to execute for 90 minutes and also in training to prepare.
One difference is that vs Atlanta we had Mabiala and Niezgoda starting in more of a 532 whereas vs Dallas it was more 433 with Gutierrez and Mosquera as wingers. I don't think the formations matter as much as the personnel. I think we got the best (available) players on the pitch and they all had good games. We didn't have nearly as many cheap turnovers and were able to make more of our attempted passes and dribbles and people were running into open positions (not necessarily spectacularly, but much better than recently). Things were clicking and it made all the difference (and Ivacic is a warlock)
Yes to above. First half the Timbers were really controlling things. When they didn't have the ball, it seemed like they weren't overexerting themselves to get to the ball two steps late like they have in previous games, and kept their shape, and therefore, when they won it, they had options to play out of it. There were some good moments of pressure and the backline winning balls, too. So, better effort from the midfield and better shape than Atlanta game. Second half Dallas did start out half strong and I thought Gio did well to start subbing.
The original plan in Atlanta, which I agree was pretty similar to yesterday's against Dallas, was working until Paredes went down. Then, the team couldn't figure out how to adjust it.
Paredes went down a game before that vs St Louis
You're right, of course...
It’s hard to keep track of all of the injuries
That goal really was special. Great long ball from Chara. Excellent touch to space from Dairon, and then a hell of a blast from Boli.
Reminds me of Adi coming in and putting one in late on his debut.
Tough stretch coming. Hopefully form can build from here and health can meet it in productive results.
Okay everyone. Bear with me here. The team obviously has problems with injuries. This has been a frustrating problem for years. I’m not sure that we have been the worst team in the league when it comes to this, but I’m sure we are close. Does this fall on our training staff? Maybe. It could also be the fact that we invest in older players. However, I think that our turf at Providence Park is the problem. I’m sure our guys practice on the same style of turf which seems to be creating so many problems over the years. I think that it’s time for the team to invest in natural grass. It’s expensive and tough to maintain in this climate, but it’s time. If they can do it in England, we can do it here. Another plus is some players would actually think a little harder about signing with us. Just a thought, but it’s been bothering me for a few years.
There have been a million studies of grass v turf and injury rates, and there are about a million different conclusions that get drawn. Both cause injuries, and depending on which study you read, one causes more than the other - but which one varies from study to study. I don't think there's a single answer to "why do the Timbers get injured a lot", but even if I did, I don't think the turf is that single answer.
I mean, look at Ryan Bingham's injury for instance. A pulled hamstring. Can we 100% say that wouldn't happen on a grass field? Nope. Athletes pull hamstrings all the time on both grass and turf. That could be a lack of proper preparation, it could be a lack of hydration which led to a cramp which led to a pull, it could have been any number of things.
My bigger injury question from last night is, why are there multiple Timbers with bandaged hands/thumbs? There's almost always one player with a wrapped hand, but last night I think there were four or five. What is going on in training that messes up people's hands?
Honestly, I think the training staff and training program needs to be looked at before the field surface.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t the Timbers practice on grass?
The Timbers facility has a turf field and a grass field. I always assumed the Timbers used the grass field. The turf field was used by my son's club team for practice several times. But this was 5+ years ago, so who knows now.
Paulson came to Bend several years ago to meet with local Timbers supporters and I was there. He said he planned to install grass. Of course, that was before the big renovation at the park and COVID. I hope he keeps his promise SOON!
Grass would be great! It would also open up the potential for international games coming to Portland. PP would be rocking if that happened.
Timbers have grass training field. Thorns train on Providence Park turf. Timbers are hobbled by never ending injuries. Thorns get occasional injuries. Studies about soccer-specific injuries on modern turf show basically no difference in injury rates.
Most of our injuries happened in the preseason in CA, so it’s clearly a conspiracy by LAFC and the Gals.
My thoughts:
1 - The good: Moreno found his form. Williamson is still sloppy defensively but put in a solid shift. Nathan and Gutierrez work hard. Boli had about as good of a debut as you could hope for. The back 4 were solid (although I was not impressed at all with Miller). Mosquera showed that he can be placed just about anywhere on the pitch and he'll make a difference. Ivacic is a true shot stopper.
2 - The bad: Our set piece defending is still disorganized (and the announcers called out Chara for part of it, I'm not sure they were correct though) - can anyone tell me (because I don't want to go look) if Chara was NOT the front post defender last game. He has been, but after a near miss on a set piece, he got fouled away from the post and I forgot to look at how we were set up.
2a - I thought Miller looked bad. I thought he looked very slow and got caught upfield more than a couple times. Mosquera was there to pick up the slack. Ivacic's distribution is haphazard at best. It's better than it was, but it's still noticeably below average. Gutierrez and Nathan do seem to lack the true skill needed to be MLS regulars (at this current time) but both worked super hard and I think that's going to be a wakeup call to a couple other players that want minutes.
3 - I had fun watching the game? There was a bit of dread as Dallas was setting up to score because you could see it coming, but the Timbers mostly looked threatening on offense and capable on defense.
4 - Moreno and Mosquera are freaking fast and fun to watch. Gutierrez and Nathan work hard and are somewhat fun to watch. Williamson has elite vision and is fun to watch when he's not agonizing to watch. Chara is fun to watch. Bravo is fun to watch (I still think some of you undervalue him). McGraw is becoming fun to watch. Ivacic is fun to watch until he gets the ball and then he's not as fun.
4a - I think the simple addition of Evander and takeout of Miller will make this team somewhat capable. Add in Boli instead of Nathan (Boli has to be better, right?) we'll be more than capable, fast, and dangerous.
5 - April is going to be a brutal month. I hope we survive it and some of you don't lose your flipping minds that this really is (finally) a rebuilding season and we are a midpack team at best this year.
I think if we don't get 4 more points or so in April, we'd definitely end the year midtable. We have mostly in conference games in April and 1.5 ppg the rest of the way from May on out only get us to about 44 pts, which is solidly midtable. Timbers have gone on 2 ppg runs late but not for 27 matches and that's what we'd need to be at the top. Wouldn't necessarily call it a rebuild year at the end of April.
Well, mid table gets ya in the playoffs lol.
Oh yeah... for sure... I just meant that we'd be a midtable team. That doesn't mean we couldn't go full Timbers and be a midtable team that goes on to win the Cup.
I'm still #GioOut, but that was a much better performance than we've seen pretty much all season, at least until it wasn't.
They looked a lot more organized, for the most part, which was nice to see, and there were only a few WTF moments, as opposed to the entire game being nothing but WTF moments. Their set piece defending is still abhorrent, and watching the supremely organized Dallas back line made me super jealous, but overall this was a much more encouraging performance than I've seen in previous weeks.
My thing with being “Gio out” is who comes in as the head coach and does a better job than he has with the Timbers? He’s been to two MLS Cup finals, and only missed the playoffs once during his time here, which is extremely impressive given the salary/roster/player issues he’s had to deal with. Has it always been perfect? No, but at their best the Timbers play a really exciting style that tends to produce results.
The logic of "better the devil you know" leads to stasis and rot, because it precludes the idea of taking a chance or a risk of any degree at all. "Who could do better" is an impossible question to answer, but it's a question that's worth exploring, because Gio increasingly can't do it better than he did. So why stick with him?
Gio isn't making the Timbers better at this point; he's had several years to get "his guys", and his guys - both starters and reserves - are the ones who didn't get it done last year, and are struggling to get it done this year. Yesterday was an improvement, but "we don't know if someone else would do better" is really not a good reason to not replace a coach.
It's not just about the playoffs. That's a very low bar. Half the conference makes the playoffs. And making a run to a final does not make you the best either.
Best I can explain. Every league in the world uses the shield as the league champion. Because they were the best team via league points. Meaning consistency. That's why you constantly see the same teams winning year over year. Like man city. Bayern. Psg. Barca and real Madrid. Because they actually are the best team. But the best teams can be upset in tournament play. That's why tournaments are stand alone entities and league points make the league championships. Mls is stupid for making the playoffs the champions.
Now the one thing mls does right is having a salary cap. That is what gives everybody a fair chance and even playing field, and why you won't see the same team winning it like in Europe. It's makes it about who builds their roster the right way and who has the best manager.
If we went by the rest of the worlds standards. The Timbers best league finish is 3rd under porter. Two 5th place finishes and two 8th place finishes.
..".Every league in the world uses the shield as the league champion. Because they were the best team via league points"...
Every other of those leagues plays a home n home schedule, and none of those leagues have 30 teams with a 34 game schedule, which means that MLS crowning a 'points only' champion is a laughably ridiculous enterprise.
You are saying that the playoffs are a better way of crowning a "champion" than the points they accumulated over the year? Even if everyone doesn't get a home and away. Which we don't do in the playoffs anymore. So your argument that they play home and away doesn't even apply to mls.
Let's put it this way. In 2021 new England won 22 games and had 73 points.
Nycfc in the same conference had 14 wins and 51 points.
So you are saying that nycfc was the best team? 6 less wins and 22 less points and they won the mls cup. So they were the best team that year? Lmao that argument is laughable.
If I asked you what team is better a team that won 22 games with 73 points or a team with 14 wins and 51 points, you would say the team with 22 wins and more points. Don't even act like you wouldn't. Everyone would come to the same conclusion.
Like I said before, the salary cap keeps us all equal in mls. If there is 34 games than mls should have every team play each other once. The 4 remaining games will be in conference and an extra rivalry game. Done.
"the salary cap keeps us all equal in mls"
To be pedantic, it's not actually a salary cap. MLS is a salary constrained league, but owners/teams can spend more than the cap via the DP tag. And given that, it is in no way equal - just look at DP spending and total payroll to get an idea of how unequal.
MLS, like all American sports leagues, has decided that a playoff series will determine its champion. That is not the same as saying that the winner of MLS Cup is the best team in the league in any given year (2022 being one recent exception). Playoffs determine who the best team in a small sample size tournament is, nothing more.
I really thought this was Nathan's best game. Same with Moreno. Happy for both.
As for mosquera as a winger. I'm not a fan. Not that he did bad. I thought he did good but I still wouldn't put him there over others. He is a wingback. Kinda like Sergino Dest. He is very balanced between attack and defense, but not excellent at either. Dest is good going forward because of his technical skills, But his defending is suspect. Like Alexander-Arnold, but I think it's the opposite for mosquera. Good going forward but even better at defense. That makes him a desirable player. .
Tbh the reason we had a better game was because of all the second balls we were winning. Moreno was a big part of that. It seemed like him, chara and eryk were getting every second ball. It completely changes perspective of the game when you are winning those balls. Everything else could be the same. Not efficient in finishing. Sloppy passes. But flipping that switch between winning and losing second balls is the difference in how we see success or failure.
Agree with winning the second balls comment. The past few games the ball did not seem to bounce the way of the Timbers, but last night it did, and of course, you make your own luck. That had to do with better shape and Moreono, it seemed. He was everywhere.
How can you not be a fan of Mosquera as a winger? He's more exciting than any other winger on the roster. Maybe he's a right back or wingback in Europe, but for this league, he might as well be Vinicius. He can beat anyone down the line, he opens it up for anyone underneath. His crosses are great. He's a good player, so yes, he can play some defense, but let someone else do that and let him burn it up the sidelines. Necessity is the mother of invention - and with all of the injuries, I think we just saw Mosquera reinvented as a winger. Of course, Gio will do Gio things and start Asprilla or Yimmi when he gets back, and I will be bummed.
I think Mosquera can do everything he did this game as a fullback too considering how high he likes to get. No reason to play Bonilla or Miller just to have Mosquera play winger, I’d much rather have Loria, Yimmi, or Asprilla on the field
You did have Miller on the field and look what happened. Chances were created.
If you're doing a 4-3-3, then no need to have fullback going up too much. If 4-2-3-1, then maybe you do have fullback pushing forward - in the past Gio sends them high when operating out of the back and middle third. One flub and defense is under pressure. Thjis is somewhat mitigated by crisp distribution from Ivavcic. Not sure what Gio will do when Evander gets back, but like I said, Mosquera is a danger to opposing teams and will put you on the front foot operating as a winger. Yimmi doesn't really scare anyone, I'm sure, and neither does Asprilla for the most part. Speed! Mosquera has it.
Miller was fine, he’s serviceable. Mosquera is great but I think he’s better starting from a deeper position and bombing on into space, rather than starting wide and always being faced with a defender. I’d rather him be on the overlap, to be that second player that the defense isn’t prepared for. He doesn’t have much 1v1 ability from a standstill situation, I believe he’s better when he has open space. And he’ll have more open space, I think, as an attacking fullback
I disagree. He'd have a lot more space as a winger because guys would respect his speed. He doesn't need the slingshot effect as an overlapper. We saw examples of him being one on one with a defender on a big switch in this game. That is what you want. If you wait for the overlap then, ok, maybe that works, but mostly the defense gets in position. I like the lightning in a bottle approach as a first option. He played wing in the LAFC game too, and you can see what he brings. He was blowing by Palacio. I just see upside to him as a winger, no downsides. He'll be good as a FB, but if he is the best option as a winger, then he ought to play winger. That is more of a priority.
One additional issue with Mosquera as an outside back is we still have to figure out how to cover for him if the ball turns over. He might play either position well, but if he's going touch line to touch line, we better have mids (beside just Chara) able to defend and allow Mosquera time to recover. We haven't been great at that. I like Mosquera in either spot but was surprised how well he worked as an out and out winger.
It was a much better game than the dumpster fires of previous weeks. Our decisions around the box still keep us from scoring multiple goals (like it always has) but the team seemed like they had a swagger about them in this game. Everyone seemed up for the game. Where as nobody seemed up for the last 5.
It's good to see. This team needs to be held accountable for every game week in and week out. Mediocrity and just taking it easy until July is not acceptable. The sooner fans step up and let their frustrations be known the sooner change will happen. Being soft on expectations only makes the team and franchise complacent. Winners and the elite aren't forged that way. In anything in life. Self expectation and pressure from others are what push people to be the best versions of themselves. I feel like for years we have been too soft on the team and mp on what is acceptable.
I will say this though. It was a better game than what we have seen these past weeks. Maybe gio was feeling the pressure and he is putting it on the players. This is the first year where I remember people starting to say gio out. So maybe that had something to do with it. But one thing is for sure. My optimism is slowly moving in the right direction. Let's see what happens in April. If by the end of April we still aren't winning games I will be #gioout and a lot more vocal about it.
I don't want to hear excuses I want to see results.
We have five matches in April, four of which are away and the remaining one which is against a hot Sounders team, who normally has our number at Providence Park. We tied against Dallas (good), but two of our other away matches are against Cincinnati (#1 in the East) and St. Louis (#1 in the West). The remaining match is against Vancouver, who won 5-0 against Montreal (who are an admittedly horrible, wooden-spoon holding team that played a man down the whole match) and have the fifth most goal for in the entire league.
If you are *expecting* several wins in April, you're in for a rough ride.
If gio can't find a way to get a win against two teams out of 5. He needs to be fires. Like the end of my comment said. I don't want excuses I want to see results.
While I understand your position and fire, I can't see a great April result wise. If you expect two wins I expect you to be disappointed. One win with a tie or two would be a great April result as we are still injured and a very tough schedule realistically. "Gio out" based on not winning two in April is frankly not likely to happen.
I like your comments and, as a frustrated Blazer fan, most of your comments would also apply to that sorry team.
That's why I stopped watching the Blazers. That organization has zero ambition. They ride the coattails of hope off one good player (B. Roy, now lillard) but never do what is necessary to compete within the league. I feel sorry for Lillard. He will always be a oregon legend but I would prefer he go get a championship somewhere. He deserves it.
After sitting through multiple bad games, I had little hope for this one. I was only able to watch the first half live but it looked like a better organized and more engaged team than the first few weeks.
Boli gives me a little hope. Match # 6, second striker to score for us (Ikoba got the first one) and officially 4 minutes (plus stoppage) played. I have said that I don't think Nathan is the answer, but at least he works hard and takes shots. Niezgoda just does not fit this team and is a shadow of his former self. 275 minutes and has the same number of shots on frame (1) as Boli, D. Chara, Paredes and McGraw. Even if your striker isn't producing, he at least has to be shooting.
We have a difficult schedule coming up (@Van, hot Flounders team, 2 road games, but I hope that at least the more engaged play can offer some hope even if not winning until we get into May.
A draw was a good result for us. So would be a draw next week at Vancouver.
That's the soft part of the April schedule. After that it's #1 in the West and #1 in the East both away.
Nope, I'm not saying that the playoffs are 'better' - or 'worse', for that matter. Never said that at all. You opened this whole can of worms, not me.
AFAI can see, crowning the 'best' team in a league constructed the way MLS is kind of a Laughable, foolish fantasy.
..." Like I said before, the salary cap keeps us all equal in mls..."
Speaking of fantasy, check what actual MLS team spending is.
Ummmmm teams can only spend whatever they want on dps. 3 out of 23 players. Teams have the same amount to spend for the other 20. Please explain how that is fantasy.
The 2022 salary budget set by the CBA was $4,900,000 (this year's is $5.2M). The 20th-ranked spending team in 2022 spent twice that, and the #1 spending team quadrupled it.
https://boardroom.tv/highest-mls-team-salaries-of-2022/
Every team has an equal amount of salary budget charge. You're forgetting that, in addition to DP money, TAM can be used to buy down player salaries to below DP status to fit players into the "regular" salary budget. Despite the fact teams can only have three DP's, they could have any number of players making their salary budget charge plus a bunch of TAM, the TAM part of which "doesn't count" against the salary budget.
MLS likes to talk about its "salary cap", but that's not what it is, and there is, as in all sports leagues, a wide disparity in spending among the teams in the league.