Alright I don’t care, I’m gonna be uber-positive. I’m extremely happy with this result. And my hottest take? This, in my opinion, was our most impressive defensive performance of the year. Yes, our defense was nowhere to be seen on their first goal, but that was a case of Evander not tracking his runner and slow reactions from Miller and Williamson to do anything about it. But I thought that was going to happen a LOT more than it did. Columbus is so good with the ball it isn’t even fair, and in the past we’ve gotten pulled apart so earlier. And yeah, they got behind our outside backs way more than I’d like, but the reality is we didn’t give up that many good chances, and they only scored one goal that wasn’t a wonder strike. On the road against the best offensive team in the league and only conceding one non-wonder goal is a pretty positive outcome.
This game played out exactly how I expected, it was always going to be a shooting gallery, and I thought our first half defense was brilliant. We were very compact and our defensive rotations were really good, which I was thrilled with because they usually suck. We were never going to see much of the ball, so we were defensively stout. Now past the 60th minute or so we got tired and didn’t look nearly as compact, but again, I’m just happy about the result. Kamal and Araujo are turning into a really solid defensive pair, I’m starting to really like Araujo. He made some good defensive plays but also had 3-4 really lovely long balls that opened up the game. As we’ve discussed, that’s key for this system that Neville wants to play. Mosquera also really impressed me, this was his best performance from a defensive and tactical discipline perspective in a long time.
Listen, when I say “most impressive,” I don’t necessarily mean “good.” There’s still lots and lots of improvements to be made. But what I’m seeing is an improvement every single game. The team is playing more together. The mentality seems to be improving. Phil is starting to get better performances out of players. Personally I’ve always seen Evander as a 10, even if he played a lot as an 8 and even played better there at points, and he’s really thriving now in that free role. He looks bought in, his defensive work rate is higher despite being in a “higher” position (except their goal lol), and it just seems like he’s gonna make something happen whenever he gets the ball. His role in our second goal was awesome, I LOVE the dummy that took out two Crew players (that was hilarious) and his patience to not hit the shot and pass it to Moreno was spectacular. Him and Mora are really cooking. Four straight games with a goal for Mora, and 6 goal contributions in 4 games for Evander, I mean good lord they are on a roll, and I don’t see it stopping.
Remember under Gio, in most of our away games we looked hopeless. We looked tired and disinterested. We looked like we had no plan and didn’t play as a team. Under Neville that has completely changed, our mentality is much better, and we’re playing together with a game plan and the game feels even. It’s a weird thing to say but previous it so often felt like we were playing with a man down during away games, at least to me.
These improvements take time, Phil is clearly still finding his best XI, and the team isn’t making it easy for him. Moreno had an awesome game, his best of the season, so now it’ll be a battle between him and Antony for the starter on the wing, and I’m happy with either. Phil has worked out the back line, it has been changed around so much but we’ve landed on Araujo and Miller. That process is currently happening in the midfield, and I expect to keep seeing rotations until one player steps up and grabs that position for themselves. Williamson was fine, again I don’t see any defensive frailties with him and Evander on the field at the same time, I don’t think it’s as much of a problem. Chara was awesome, which you just love to see after some shaky performances. Speaking of shaky, Pantemis worried me a lot. He didn’t look great, though did make some really nice saves. Crepeau definitely the starter though.
Bravo is my MOTM, mostly for that goal line save, taking that shot on the chest. My god that hurt me just looking at it. No fear whatsoever, he is a rockstar. Also I loved those two plays where he chested and headed the ball back to Pantemis, it was gutsy and really good. Call me crazy but I’m happy with how the team is progressing, if it keeps going there could be a really bright future
I'm also encouraged by the progress. I'm not as worried about Moreno vs Antony, Paredes vs Williamson or Ayala, or Chara vs Ayala these days. I figure they can rotate and combine differently based on the circumstances. I'm thrilled with Mora. I didn't think he'd be good enough to start up top. I still think we need Rodriguez wide but it's good that we can start him up top and have Antony, Asprilla, or Moreno on the wings if necessary. I still want to feel better about our forward depth behind Mora and Rodriguez. Ideally, Fogaça and/or Ikoba would breakout but, realistically, I think we need either a promising young player or (and this is a new thought for me, I think) our own Kei Kamara or Will Bruin type forward to help close out games. I've been thinking a YDP or U22 forward but they might be wasting their potential competing for minutes, so maybe a reliable and threatening veteran who is relatively cheap would be the way to go. Pantemis had some great stops but his distribution didn't seem to be as good as it was and he was a bit shaky in general. I can see how Crew's attack could make someone a little anxious though. I'm really encouraged by two solid Mosquera performances in a row, this one maybe better than the last. Great to see Araujo doing well and probably even improving. So happy about Bravo being back. Chara seemed his usual self, though maybe Chucho got the best of him once. I need to see a good replay. We didn't shit the bed on set pieces. We didn't give up a goal in the final minute of either half. The chemistry seems to be getting better. Evander is rising to the occasion. Onward.
I'm not gonna be "uber-positive", but I am going to be somewhat positive. I did see a lot to like going forward in this game. The attack is gaining the level of understanding that only reps can get you, and is unlocking a lot of things that could be special if they can keep that going, and if they can just fix the f*&$%&*(*^&^%ing defense (tied for second-most goals allowed in all of MLS at this point!), they might be on to something good.
Yesterday's game could definitely be described as "fun for the neutrals" - in a vacuum, it was a great point on the road against the current title holders. Given the Timbers' current run, it isn't good enough, because they need to start putting up crooked numbers, but it is a creditable point for sure.
"Yes, Portland took and lost the lead twice, but you could argue that that is more of a credit to Columbus as a team rather than Portland’s defensive frailties."
Hard disagree on the first Columbus goal. That goal was literally all about Portland's defensive frailty. The pass into the box was into acres of space that shouldn't have been there, and there was nobody anywhere near Cucho to even try to close him down. Two very major mistakes leading to a goal that a halfway competent defense would have shut down at the entry pass.
The second Columbus goal? Yeah, that was unstoppable, nothing to be done about that at all. But the first goal was Portland Timbers 2024 defending through and through, and until that gets better, this team won't.
Yes, the first goal is a lot of guys guarding space but no man, and it was terribly easy. Compare that to the defense being played against the Timbers. On the second goal, aside from the drop off on Rodriguez, the Crew were pretty tightly marking. It took an incredible dummy and a layoff, a nice pass and a very nice finish to beat it. Moreno had a guy on his hip, so it was impressive. Even the first goal took pinpoint timing and passing because the d was pretty tight. It is such a letdown to see loose defense, and not necessarily from the backline.
It felt like a shooting gallery most of the game and the target was the Timbers' net. Gritty defense for our guys combined with total luck on a couple of shots saved the day. Rodriquez continues not to be the million dollar guy. Mora-picking up where he left off before his injury. Just great. When was the last time a Timbers player scored a goal in four games in a row? I miss our starting keeper though JP was fine for the most part except for a few crappy kicks. Still don't love the keeper kick and a prayer play down the field. I thought we got over that this year but I guess not. Still seems like we are a scoring threat short.
I appreciate the optimism in these several posts. I am fatigued by the “I didn't like the coach hire” premise, and thus, I will spend the rest of the season whining to support my viewpoint (confirmation bias). Maybe people can let that go — and enjoy the ride?! Or not.
It’s been a hell of a ride. And this deep into the season I think we can start to form some impressions of the coach.
We’re like an MLB pitcher with electric stuff and no control.
To me the play is just wild in a way I haven’t seen. Several shifts in every game it feels like we’re going to lose by 6 or win by 4.
It’s been fun to watch. I don’t have a high level of expectations largely because I… sorry… didn’t like the coach hire. But I could watch this for at least another 10 games without getting antsy.
If the 2024 Timbers can follow the Randy Johnson career arc in a single season, I'll take that...hahaha. I also have very low expectations for this team over the whole season, but it is an entertaining team to watch at times. Just gotta buckle up when they don't have the ball, because most times when they don't, it's not the most pleasant viewing. But when the offense is working, it's pretty fun.
I'm fatigued by it too. Maybe he could be a better coach and we could all stop doing it.
I did see some improvement in this game, and to be honest most of my complaints are on the defensive end - and thus with the defensive coach - these days. The offense is coming together pretty well and is actually fun to watch a lot of the time - the first Timbers goal was absolutely amazing to watch.
They can't all be that intricate and well-worked, obviously, but that goal showed me that *something* is working; they just desperately need to fix the defensive side of things. If they can do that, this team could be pretty good.
MLS is a wonderfully forgiving league; if the defense fixes itself in the next few games, this table is there for the climbing.
So by and large, I would say out 'defensive fragility' at this point is less about our back line (even with Crepeau out) and more about brain farts on loose balls, caused by offensive players not picking up late second runs, rebounds, closing down the ball on long shots, etc. And I'm a little worried that's not really fixable, as it has to come from training and discipline from an early age. Contrast that to Bravo, who keeps us in the game by just remembering to guard the post every damn time. How many times in his career as a Timber has he been in position and made that block? So many times. Love the guy. And it's clearly 100% about training and discipline. He just knows to slide into that spot without thinking about it.
You’re not wrong, but also Bravo gives up several goals by diving in early or giving up penalties. I love him but he’s mistake prone as well, and his mistakes can be very costly
If you haven’t been watching the Matchday Recaps the Timbers put out after every match, you’re doing yourself a disservice. They’re well produced and you get a decent bit of behind the scenes video with snippets of Phil’s speeches at pregame, halftime, and/or postgame. It’s really good stuff.
The bit we get in the locker room is Phil telling the team that they’re going to suffer, and to “embrace the suffer.” He’s trying to instill the fight, and I like it. I like that he seems to be adjusting the tactics for each game depending on the opponent. There’s no reason to try and out-possess Columbus, and pressing them can be a death sentence because they’re just so damn good playing out of it, and then they break. In general I think he set the team up well, and I hope we keep seeing these adjustments.
And of note, Monterrey went to Columbus and lost. Getting a result there was really solid
The access this year has been really great to get a feel for what's happening behind the scenes. I really enjoy it, and I enjoy Phil's energy and persona. He's as candid as they come. It all helps connect to the team more than recent years.
I think we're seeing better moves from the manager due to better players available than at the start of the season and just knowing the team better and what he can and can't do with personnel that is available.
It's too bad we lost a few points that we shoulda had as we were figuring things out. I'll be conservative and say three points total. We shoulda beat DC and the way we are playing now, a tie against Philly shoulda been in the cards. That would put us at a respectable 13 points right now, sitting pretty well, especially with the schedule we have had.
I'm pretty nervous about Saturday's game because we really need a positive result to keep pace and show that this is a team to reckoned with. If we were a garbage team, I wouldn't care that much, to be honest, and probably just look forward to a late season push. I actually think we're pretty good with a lot of room for improvement.
I heard the press conference and it sounded like Evander has a knock. Ouch. Antony is questionable, too. So, we may be going into the lions den without two key pieces.
In spite of the draw, I thought this was another promising performance. The Timbers played really well and in a place that is problematic for most teams. When the players are playing with focus and intensity, they are a dangerous offensive team. Unfortunately this will not be a great defensive team until they get better players. But for the most part the defense did well.
If the Timbers can play at this level for the rest of the season I think they are going to be fine. Its a matter for the coaches to keep them playing at a high level, and then the FO is going to have to find better CBs and another backup FB. I think the mix of CBs just aren't well suited for each other. K Miller and McGraw are too slow to play together. For some reason Zuparic is out of the mix, and Araujo ends up out of position too often.
Offensively this is a good group. If Mora can sustain his play he can be a difference maker for this team. I'm hoping Jonathan can settle in and take back the striker position to allow the team to manage Mora 's minutes. Antony, Moreno and Asprilla should be solid wingers and Evander is playing a lot better this year. Not quite MVP level, but is showing the potential he has.
2 straight ties, but promising play. Time to get some wins to move up the table!
Three straight ties - but yes, time for some wins. I think they are proving tough to beat, whether it is down by a lot, down a man, or on the road against a championship level team. The next step in developing that mentality is getting that win.
Kamal Miller's slide to block Cucho's shot in that wild sequence, and of course, Bravo clearing off the second shot off the line.
Pantemis tipping out the corner kick (I don't know if Crepeau gets that) and some other fine blocks.
The backline perfectly aligned on the offsides call that disallowed a goal. Someone's been working with the backline!
Moreno's finish - very nice (with the left!, no less)
Pantemis creating a force field around the goal - balls going off posts but not going in
General Thoughts:
It's nice to see that when guys are given opportunities they step up. Williamson did certainly on the first goal. Moreno played a really good game both offensively and defensively.
Getting a draw at Columbus at face value isn't awful, but adding in context gives the full story. Columbus are tired from Concacaf and are playing well in it. The Timbers meanwhile, while better than most of Gio's years, are still winless in 6.
winless in six but getting a result in the last three.
RE: Columbus. We took their full brunt. They last played April 9 in Concacaf. They were completely rested having rotated last week vs RSL. Give the boys some props.
Yeah, that's where I'm at. As I said elsewhere, in a vacuum, a draw at the reigning league champions is a good result, but in context it's not quite good enough. The Timbers did play well for stretches, but they also defended terribly, as usual, for many other stretches and didn't look fully up for it a lot of the time. Progress is being made, for sure, but we're a quarter of the way through the season at this point (!), so hopefully that progress can accelerate.
I think it's worth noting that they countered Columbus' equalizer with a goal not long after, kinda like punching them in the nose, and they did it in style. I think Phil went in result mode and rather than trying to take control of the game, just tried to get a result. And I can't argue with that. It took a wonder shot (and some luck), but we had them on the ropes a few times, too. Both Evander's shots were well taken but got cleared.
For sure, there were promising things to come out of this game. I just want them to continue to build on those things, and not have them be just isolated good things that continue to exist in isolation, which is what we've seen over the last month. I remain optimistic that that is the direction the team is heading, but at some point, even as I'm definitely a process person, the results also have to matter.
Yeah, as positive as I want to be, if we don’t start picking up points after the Charlotte game, there’s gonna be a problem. This team is too good for 12th place in my opinion
Much like Portland showed with CLB, Minnesota showed that Charlotte is beatable at home, so there is hope. No better time for the Timbers to put in their first 90 min performance of the season.
True, I did actually watch the first 55 minutes or so of that game and they didn’t look that great at home, though Minnesota are a good team. Bill Tuiloma sadly isn’t doing too hot. They also lost to New England, giving them their only win of the season. Those points are definitely there for the taking, however it’ll also be on the tail end on a long two months of traveling
The "situation" is that he has the same agent as Ivacic, and said agent was said to be stirring up the same shit again. There was apparently a social media post, that has since been deleted, talking about Zup being unhappy and requesting a transfer and not "being with the team" at training.
All of this came from a non-journalist, and was subsequently shot down/disavowed by the same non-journalist. There's nothing there. Ignore.
In yet another example of 'shows what I know', it sounds like Ivacic's signing with New England. Guess he didn't burn every single bridge within MLS after all. Good luck, Caleb.
The Timbers have already made good progress under Uncle Phil. Evander looks reborn even though he wasn't actually dead. What I'm most impressed by is his work with the young players like Moreno. Too often in the past the looked like chickens with their heads cut off. Now they understand their roles and carry them out.
Okay I'm willing to maybe dial back the criticism of Neville a bit but I can't go with you on the "Uncle Phil" thing please let's not make that a thing
Alright I don’t care, I’m gonna be uber-positive. I’m extremely happy with this result. And my hottest take? This, in my opinion, was our most impressive defensive performance of the year. Yes, our defense was nowhere to be seen on their first goal, but that was a case of Evander not tracking his runner and slow reactions from Miller and Williamson to do anything about it. But I thought that was going to happen a LOT more than it did. Columbus is so good with the ball it isn’t even fair, and in the past we’ve gotten pulled apart so earlier. And yeah, they got behind our outside backs way more than I’d like, but the reality is we didn’t give up that many good chances, and they only scored one goal that wasn’t a wonder strike. On the road against the best offensive team in the league and only conceding one non-wonder goal is a pretty positive outcome.
This game played out exactly how I expected, it was always going to be a shooting gallery, and I thought our first half defense was brilliant. We were very compact and our defensive rotations were really good, which I was thrilled with because they usually suck. We were never going to see much of the ball, so we were defensively stout. Now past the 60th minute or so we got tired and didn’t look nearly as compact, but again, I’m just happy about the result. Kamal and Araujo are turning into a really solid defensive pair, I’m starting to really like Araujo. He made some good defensive plays but also had 3-4 really lovely long balls that opened up the game. As we’ve discussed, that’s key for this system that Neville wants to play. Mosquera also really impressed me, this was his best performance from a defensive and tactical discipline perspective in a long time.
Listen, when I say “most impressive,” I don’t necessarily mean “good.” There’s still lots and lots of improvements to be made. But what I’m seeing is an improvement every single game. The team is playing more together. The mentality seems to be improving. Phil is starting to get better performances out of players. Personally I’ve always seen Evander as a 10, even if he played a lot as an 8 and even played better there at points, and he’s really thriving now in that free role. He looks bought in, his defensive work rate is higher despite being in a “higher” position (except their goal lol), and it just seems like he’s gonna make something happen whenever he gets the ball. His role in our second goal was awesome, I LOVE the dummy that took out two Crew players (that was hilarious) and his patience to not hit the shot and pass it to Moreno was spectacular. Him and Mora are really cooking. Four straight games with a goal for Mora, and 6 goal contributions in 4 games for Evander, I mean good lord they are on a roll, and I don’t see it stopping.
Remember under Gio, in most of our away games we looked hopeless. We looked tired and disinterested. We looked like we had no plan and didn’t play as a team. Under Neville that has completely changed, our mentality is much better, and we’re playing together with a game plan and the game feels even. It’s a weird thing to say but previous it so often felt like we were playing with a man down during away games, at least to me.
These improvements take time, Phil is clearly still finding his best XI, and the team isn’t making it easy for him. Moreno had an awesome game, his best of the season, so now it’ll be a battle between him and Antony for the starter on the wing, and I’m happy with either. Phil has worked out the back line, it has been changed around so much but we’ve landed on Araujo and Miller. That process is currently happening in the midfield, and I expect to keep seeing rotations until one player steps up and grabs that position for themselves. Williamson was fine, again I don’t see any defensive frailties with him and Evander on the field at the same time, I don’t think it’s as much of a problem. Chara was awesome, which you just love to see after some shaky performances. Speaking of shaky, Pantemis worried me a lot. He didn’t look great, though did make some really nice saves. Crepeau definitely the starter though.
Bravo is my MOTM, mostly for that goal line save, taking that shot on the chest. My god that hurt me just looking at it. No fear whatsoever, he is a rockstar. Also I loved those two plays where he chested and headed the ball back to Pantemis, it was gutsy and really good. Call me crazy but I’m happy with how the team is progressing, if it keeps going there could be a really bright future
I'm also encouraged by the progress. I'm not as worried about Moreno vs Antony, Paredes vs Williamson or Ayala, or Chara vs Ayala these days. I figure they can rotate and combine differently based on the circumstances. I'm thrilled with Mora. I didn't think he'd be good enough to start up top. I still think we need Rodriguez wide but it's good that we can start him up top and have Antony, Asprilla, or Moreno on the wings if necessary. I still want to feel better about our forward depth behind Mora and Rodriguez. Ideally, Fogaça and/or Ikoba would breakout but, realistically, I think we need either a promising young player or (and this is a new thought for me, I think) our own Kei Kamara or Will Bruin type forward to help close out games. I've been thinking a YDP or U22 forward but they might be wasting their potential competing for minutes, so maybe a reliable and threatening veteran who is relatively cheap would be the way to go. Pantemis had some great stops but his distribution didn't seem to be as good as it was and he was a bit shaky in general. I can see how Crew's attack could make someone a little anxious though. I'm really encouraged by two solid Mosquera performances in a row, this one maybe better than the last. Great to see Araujo doing well and probably even improving. So happy about Bravo being back. Chara seemed his usual self, though maybe Chucho got the best of him once. I need to see a good replay. We didn't shit the bed on set pieces. We didn't give up a goal in the final minute of either half. The chemistry seems to be getting better. Evander is rising to the occasion. Onward.
I'm not gonna be "uber-positive", but I am going to be somewhat positive. I did see a lot to like going forward in this game. The attack is gaining the level of understanding that only reps can get you, and is unlocking a lot of things that could be special if they can keep that going, and if they can just fix the f*&$%&*(*^&^%ing defense (tied for second-most goals allowed in all of MLS at this point!), they might be on to something good.
Yesterday's game could definitely be described as "fun for the neutrals" - in a vacuum, it was a great point on the road against the current title holders. Given the Timbers' current run, it isn't good enough, because they need to start putting up crooked numbers, but it is a creditable point for sure.
"Yes, Portland took and lost the lead twice, but you could argue that that is more of a credit to Columbus as a team rather than Portland’s defensive frailties."
Hard disagree on the first Columbus goal. That goal was literally all about Portland's defensive frailty. The pass into the box was into acres of space that shouldn't have been there, and there was nobody anywhere near Cucho to even try to close him down. Two very major mistakes leading to a goal that a halfway competent defense would have shut down at the entry pass.
The second Columbus goal? Yeah, that was unstoppable, nothing to be done about that at all. But the first goal was Portland Timbers 2024 defending through and through, and until that gets better, this team won't.
Yes, the first goal is a lot of guys guarding space but no man, and it was terribly easy. Compare that to the defense being played against the Timbers. On the second goal, aside from the drop off on Rodriguez, the Crew were pretty tightly marking. It took an incredible dummy and a layoff, a nice pass and a very nice finish to beat it. Moreno had a guy on his hip, so it was impressive. Even the first goal took pinpoint timing and passing because the d was pretty tight. It is such a letdown to see loose defense, and not necessarily from the backline.
It felt like a shooting gallery most of the game and the target was the Timbers' net. Gritty defense for our guys combined with total luck on a couple of shots saved the day. Rodriquez continues not to be the million dollar guy. Mora-picking up where he left off before his injury. Just great. When was the last time a Timbers player scored a goal in four games in a row? I miss our starting keeper though JP was fine for the most part except for a few crappy kicks. Still don't love the keeper kick and a prayer play down the field. I thought we got over that this year but I guess not. Still seems like we are a scoring threat short.
I appreciate the optimism in these several posts. I am fatigued by the “I didn't like the coach hire” premise, and thus, I will spend the rest of the season whining to support my viewpoint (confirmation bias). Maybe people can let that go — and enjoy the ride?! Or not.
It’s been a hell of a ride. And this deep into the season I think we can start to form some impressions of the coach.
We’re like an MLB pitcher with electric stuff and no control.
To me the play is just wild in a way I haven’t seen. Several shifts in every game it feels like we’re going to lose by 6 or win by 4.
It’s been fun to watch. I don’t have a high level of expectations largely because I… sorry… didn’t like the coach hire. But I could watch this for at least another 10 games without getting antsy.
If the 2024 Timbers can follow the Randy Johnson career arc in a single season, I'll take that...hahaha. I also have very low expectations for this team over the whole season, but it is an entertaining team to watch at times. Just gotta buckle up when they don't have the ball, because most times when they don't, it's not the most pleasant viewing. But when the offense is working, it's pretty fun.
I'm fatigued by it too. Maybe he could be a better coach and we could all stop doing it.
I did see some improvement in this game, and to be honest most of my complaints are on the defensive end - and thus with the defensive coach - these days. The offense is coming together pretty well and is actually fun to watch a lot of the time - the first Timbers goal was absolutely amazing to watch.
They can't all be that intricate and well-worked, obviously, but that goal showed me that *something* is working; they just desperately need to fix the defensive side of things. If they can do that, this team could be pretty good.
MLS is a wonderfully forgiving league; if the defense fixes itself in the next few games, this table is there for the climbing.
So by and large, I would say out 'defensive fragility' at this point is less about our back line (even with Crepeau out) and more about brain farts on loose balls, caused by offensive players not picking up late second runs, rebounds, closing down the ball on long shots, etc. And I'm a little worried that's not really fixable, as it has to come from training and discipline from an early age. Contrast that to Bravo, who keeps us in the game by just remembering to guard the post every damn time. How many times in his career as a Timber has he been in position and made that block? So many times. Love the guy. And it's clearly 100% about training and discipline. He just knows to slide into that spot without thinking about it.
You’re not wrong, but also Bravo gives up several goals by diving in early or giving up penalties. I love him but he’s mistake prone as well, and his mistakes can be very costly
If you haven’t been watching the Matchday Recaps the Timbers put out after every match, you’re doing yourself a disservice. They’re well produced and you get a decent bit of behind the scenes video with snippets of Phil’s speeches at pregame, halftime, and/or postgame. It’s really good stuff.
https://youtu.be/D1_PemA0b40?si=aR4mIUJEQl1kH7H3
The bit we get in the locker room is Phil telling the team that they’re going to suffer, and to “embrace the suffer.” He’s trying to instill the fight, and I like it. I like that he seems to be adjusting the tactics for each game depending on the opponent. There’s no reason to try and out-possess Columbus, and pressing them can be a death sentence because they’re just so damn good playing out of it, and then they break. In general I think he set the team up well, and I hope we keep seeing these adjustments.
And of note, Monterrey went to Columbus and lost. Getting a result there was really solid
The access this year has been really great to get a feel for what's happening behind the scenes. I really enjoy it, and I enjoy Phil's energy and persona. He's as candid as they come. It all helps connect to the team more than recent years.
I think we're seeing better moves from the manager due to better players available than at the start of the season and just knowing the team better and what he can and can't do with personnel that is available.
It's too bad we lost a few points that we shoulda had as we were figuring things out. I'll be conservative and say three points total. We shoulda beat DC and the way we are playing now, a tie against Philly shoulda been in the cards. That would put us at a respectable 13 points right now, sitting pretty well, especially with the schedule we have had.
I'm pretty nervous about Saturday's game because we really need a positive result to keep pace and show that this is a team to reckoned with. If we were a garbage team, I wouldn't care that much, to be honest, and probably just look forward to a late season push. I actually think we're pretty good with a lot of room for improvement.
I heard the press conference and it sounded like Evander has a knock. Ouch. Antony is questionable, too. So, we may be going into the lions den without two key pieces.
In spite of the draw, I thought this was another promising performance. The Timbers played really well and in a place that is problematic for most teams. When the players are playing with focus and intensity, they are a dangerous offensive team. Unfortunately this will not be a great defensive team until they get better players. But for the most part the defense did well.
If the Timbers can play at this level for the rest of the season I think they are going to be fine. Its a matter for the coaches to keep them playing at a high level, and then the FO is going to have to find better CBs and another backup FB. I think the mix of CBs just aren't well suited for each other. K Miller and McGraw are too slow to play together. For some reason Zuparic is out of the mix, and Araujo ends up out of position too often.
Offensively this is a good group. If Mora can sustain his play he can be a difference maker for this team. I'm hoping Jonathan can settle in and take back the striker position to allow the team to manage Mora 's minutes. Antony, Moreno and Asprilla should be solid wingers and Evander is playing a lot better this year. Not quite MVP level, but is showing the potential he has.
2 straight ties, but promising play. Time to get some wins to move up the table!
Three straight ties - but yes, time for some wins. I think they are proving tough to beat, whether it is down by a lot, down a man, or on the road against a championship level team. The next step in developing that mentality is getting that win.
Great moments:
Kamal Miller's slide to block Cucho's shot in that wild sequence, and of course, Bravo clearing off the second shot off the line.
Pantemis tipping out the corner kick (I don't know if Crepeau gets that) and some other fine blocks.
The backline perfectly aligned on the offsides call that disallowed a goal. Someone's been working with the backline!
Moreno's finish - very nice (with the left!, no less)
Pantemis creating a force field around the goal - balls going off posts but not going in
General Thoughts:
It's nice to see that when guys are given opportunities they step up. Williamson did certainly on the first goal. Moreno played a really good game both offensively and defensively.
This next week is going to be huge!
Getting a draw at Columbus at face value isn't awful, but adding in context gives the full story. Columbus are tired from Concacaf and are playing well in it. The Timbers meanwhile, while better than most of Gio's years, are still winless in 6.
winless in six but getting a result in the last three.
RE: Columbus. We took their full brunt. They last played April 9 in Concacaf. They were completely rested having rotated last week vs RSL. Give the boys some props.
Yeah, that's where I'm at. As I said elsewhere, in a vacuum, a draw at the reigning league champions is a good result, but in context it's not quite good enough. The Timbers did play well for stretches, but they also defended terribly, as usual, for many other stretches and didn't look fully up for it a lot of the time. Progress is being made, for sure, but we're a quarter of the way through the season at this point (!), so hopefully that progress can accelerate.
I think it's worth noting that they countered Columbus' equalizer with a goal not long after, kinda like punching them in the nose, and they did it in style. I think Phil went in result mode and rather than trying to take control of the game, just tried to get a result. And I can't argue with that. It took a wonder shot (and some luck), but we had them on the ropes a few times, too. Both Evander's shots were well taken but got cleared.
For sure, there were promising things to come out of this game. I just want them to continue to build on those things, and not have them be just isolated good things that continue to exist in isolation, which is what we've seen over the last month. I remain optimistic that that is the direction the team is heading, but at some point, even as I'm definitely a process person, the results also have to matter.
Yeah, as positive as I want to be, if we don’t start picking up points after the Charlotte game, there’s gonna be a problem. This team is too good for 12th place in my opinion
Much like Portland showed with CLB, Minnesota showed that Charlotte is beatable at home, so there is hope. No better time for the Timbers to put in their first 90 min performance of the season.
True, I did actually watch the first 55 minutes or so of that game and they didn’t look that great at home, though Minnesota are a good team. Bill Tuiloma sadly isn’t doing too hot. They also lost to New England, giving them their only win of the season. Those points are definitely there for the taking, however it’ll also be on the tail end on a long two months of traveling
What is the Zup situation?
The "situation" is that he has the same agent as Ivacic, and said agent was said to be stirring up the same shit again. There was apparently a social media post, that has since been deleted, talking about Zup being unhappy and requesting a transfer and not "being with the team" at training.
All of this came from a non-journalist, and was subsequently shot down/disavowed by the same non-journalist. There's nothing there. Ignore.
In yet another example of 'shows what I know', it sounds like Ivacic's signing with New England. Guess he didn't burn every single bridge within MLS after all. Good luck, Caleb.
https://theathletic.com/5436540/2024/04/22/mls-transfer-deadline-galaxy-puig/
The Timbers have already made good progress under Uncle Phil. Evander looks reborn even though he wasn't actually dead. What I'm most impressed by is his work with the young players like Moreno. Too often in the past the looked like chickens with their heads cut off. Now they understand their roles and carry them out.
Okay I'm willing to maybe dial back the criticism of Neville a bit but I can't go with you on the "Uncle Phil" thing please let's not make that a thing
He hasn't earned "uncle" status quite yet. Jury's out IMHO