He looked so composed. He's really coming along. I like the way he was starting the offense so that Evander doesn't have to track back and get the ball.
Please make 1 extra large T shirt with this photo on the front and send it to Melia in SKC... Life is all about the memories and I would hate for Tim to forget this....
Was it fun? Yes (because the win and the gonzo second half). Does it mean anything other than that? No.
The Timbers made SKC - a very bad team - look dangerous. They cannot press, so they ceded long spells of possession. There’s little team buildup; it’s all hero-ball or Route One.
So I’ll take the fun. But this is still a troubled team. IIRC Spenny got canned while doing better than Neville and with a weaker roster. Just saying’…
Well, they are the highest scoring team in MLS other than Messi-team so we can't complain too much about their build up play. I think the game was meaningful in helping the team to build confidence and to improve morale. The psychological impact is huge. Remember the game is 90% mental and the other half is physical.
Hope this does help jumpstart the Boys. It didn't seem like a huge win - they beat a team whose record says they should have beaten - but I supposed everything helps at this point...
Instant reaction: We beat a team worse than us. We still can't press. Move off the ball. Defend as a unit. Finish our chances. Play anything resembling enjoyable soccer.
The best thing from tonight was ayalas performance.
I took the week off from the Timbers because one of my all time favorite bands was in town tonight. Figured I could use the mental health break from the team for the week. I guess now I have a reason to watch the game tomorrow! Glad to see they got the win, even if it doesn't sound like it was the most aesthetically pleasing thing in the world.
It’s one game so I’m not going to say everyone is on the Ayala train with me, but I’m just thrilled that he killed it and people saw his quality on full display. I love the kid and think he has so much talent, both with and without the ball. He made several key tackles but man his left foot is magic. Played so many fantastic passes and crosses. Easy MOTM, for me he’s now a locked in starter next to Chara since Paredes hasn’t been all that impressive and Williamson seems to be in the doghouse (though I think he’s been good when he’s been on the field aside for that Charlotte game). I think the next step for him is to pace himself. He moves off the ball so much and covers a lot of ground (the stat popped up this game and showed he covered the most ground), but it gasses him out. He needs to be smarter with how he spends his energy a bit more. The solution? Just gotta play him more. I’m so happy that after so long he’s finally earned a spot on the field. But that being said, when he does get gassed, we just bring on Paredes and Paredes does really well off the bench, he provides a spark of energy. I really hope we play him more so he can develop, I believe he’s one of our most talented players and has been for some time
I don't think there's any doubt he's the guy now. He had to play himself into match fitness, and I think he crossed that border last game. I agree, Paredes is good off the bench to lock it down, or spot start, maybe even for Chara as a 6 from time to time. I hope he controls the tempo and plays smart defensively and I'll be happy.
How did Araujo look? I've had high hopes for the kid, but in the past he's looked a bit lost and hasn't seemed to synch with the rest of the back line.
Araujo has seemed to play okay lately. I don't know how good he will be, but beyond one bif error against LAFC he seems to be doing his job without many noticeable errors. It helps that he has more speed than the other CBs, so either Araujo or Zuparic has to be on the pitch with either K Miller or McGraw. That being said he has also been a part of the record setting (in a bad way) defense the Timbers have been putting out there. I struggle to analyze CB positioning and defense, especially since it isn't always easy to see them on the field on counter-attacks.
Did we get lucky with that VAR call? And did we get to the decision to go to VAR solely because of all the pressure put on the ref, by the fans and the players?
Even going to VAR felt like a victory within a victory... If the game had played on and not been stopped to pressure the ref we could very well have not won.
Players have no influence over whether the ref goes to VAR. They can remonstrate all they want and it may appear that the ref went to review because of that, but that was just coincidental optics; the only reason they go to review on the sidelines is because the VAR official asks/tells them to.
I don’t think they did. I think he was just taking the time until he heard from the var. everything worked as intended and other then a few phantom calls drew had a pretty good game.
Ayala was huge in this match. Literally everywhere.
He looked so composed. He's really coming along. I like the way he was starting the offense so that Evander doesn't have to track back and get the ball.
And he was exceptional handling the ball.
I got a good shot of Mora's goal:
https://www.pdxcite.net/soccercityusa/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/skc052524-1024.jpg
Please make 1 extra large T shirt with this photo on the front and send it to Melia in SKC... Life is all about the memories and I would hate for Tim to forget this....
Great picture!
Was it fun? Yes (because the win and the gonzo second half). Does it mean anything other than that? No.
The Timbers made SKC - a very bad team - look dangerous. They cannot press, so they ceded long spells of possession. There’s little team buildup; it’s all hero-ball or Route One.
So I’ll take the fun. But this is still a troubled team. IIRC Spenny got canned while doing better than Neville and with a weaker roster. Just saying’…
Well, they are the highest scoring team in MLS other than Messi-team so we can't complain too much about their build up play. I think the game was meaningful in helping the team to build confidence and to improve morale. The psychological impact is huge. Remember the game is 90% mental and the other half is physical.
Hope this does help jumpstart the Boys. It didn't seem like a huge win - they beat a team whose record says they should have beaten - but I supposed everything helps at this point...
Instant reaction: We beat a team worse than us. We still can't press. Move off the ball. Defend as a unit. Finish our chances. Play anything resembling enjoyable soccer.
The best thing from tonight was ayalas performance.
I took the week off from the Timbers because one of my all time favorite bands was in town tonight. Figured I could use the mental health break from the team for the week. I guess now I have a reason to watch the game tomorrow! Glad to see they got the win, even if it doesn't sound like it was the most aesthetically pleasing thing in the world.
How was the concert?! Hope you had a wonderful time.
The second half was definitely worth a watch for sure!
It was fantastic. Despite missing the win, I made the right choice hahaha. Hopefully something positive can come from this for Wednesday!
It’s one game so I’m not going to say everyone is on the Ayala train with me, but I’m just thrilled that he killed it and people saw his quality on full display. I love the kid and think he has so much talent, both with and without the ball. He made several key tackles but man his left foot is magic. Played so many fantastic passes and crosses. Easy MOTM, for me he’s now a locked in starter next to Chara since Paredes hasn’t been all that impressive and Williamson seems to be in the doghouse (though I think he’s been good when he’s been on the field aside for that Charlotte game). I think the next step for him is to pace himself. He moves off the ball so much and covers a lot of ground (the stat popped up this game and showed he covered the most ground), but it gasses him out. He needs to be smarter with how he spends his energy a bit more. The solution? Just gotta play him more. I’m so happy that after so long he’s finally earned a spot on the field. But that being said, when he does get gassed, we just bring on Paredes and Paredes does really well off the bench, he provides a spark of energy. I really hope we play him more so he can develop, I believe he’s one of our most talented players and has been for some time
I don't think there's any doubt he's the guy now. He had to play himself into match fitness, and I think he crossed that border last game. I agree, Paredes is good off the bench to lock it down, or spot start, maybe even for Chara as a 6 from time to time. I hope he controls the tempo and plays smart defensively and I'll be happy.
The last part is RE Ayala.
How did Araujo look? I've had high hopes for the kid, but in the past he's looked a bit lost and hasn't seemed to synch with the rest of the back line.
Araujo has seemed to play okay lately. I don't know how good he will be, but beyond one bif error against LAFC he seems to be doing his job without many noticeable errors. It helps that he has more speed than the other CBs, so either Araujo or Zuparic has to be on the pitch with either K Miller or McGraw. That being said he has also been a part of the record setting (in a bad way) defense the Timbers have been putting out there. I struggle to analyze CB positioning and defense, especially since it isn't always easy to see them on the field on counter-attacks.
Thanks, I really appreciate the response!
Did we get lucky with that VAR call? And did we get to the decision to go to VAR solely because of all the pressure put on the ref, by the fans and the players?
Even going to VAR felt like a victory within a victory... If the game had played on and not been stopped to pressure the ref we could very well have not won.
no was obvious error on linesperson
I wondered too…why did the players have to remonstrate with the ref to get him to go to the monitor?
Players have no influence over whether the ref goes to VAR. They can remonstrate all they want and it may appear that the ref went to review because of that, but that was just coincidental optics; the only reason they go to review on the sidelines is because the VAR official asks/tells them to.
I don’t think they did. I think he was just taking the time until he heard from the var. everything worked as intended and other then a few phantom calls drew had a pretty good game.
Does anyone know why Moreno was not in the 18 last night? And, what has kept Bravo out of action for last few matches?
Moreno had "tightness" in a leg muscle and was questionable before the match.
Santi was listed as Out with a leg injury. Haven’t been able to find anything more…
The Timbers and Thorns have been become very stingy with releasing information about player injuries.
Sorry, I don't have any control over that. I'm just a blog poster like you.
I know. Your comment gave me a chance to complain about what I perceive as both teams being too tight-lipped about injuries.
Sorry, I was making a bad joke regarding my username. Please excuse me.
I thought your joke was top notch. I got a good chuckle out of it. Keep it up.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mlssoccer-com-injury-report
MLS injury report.