I have to say the second goal (the one by Moreno) was one of the very best team goals I've seen in 24 years of watching this team. The sequence of one-touch passes from Mora, to Rodríguez, to Evander (header), to Moreno's side-volley finish left six RSL defenders useless to defend, and that type of firepower from those four players is very scary to the rest of MLS as they are finding their form.
This attack is outrageously fun and insanely good, it’s almost unfair for opposing defenses. Once one of our DPs gets the ball it almost feels expected that we’re going to score. And Moreno has now joined that trio and is playing just as good as them, if not better. Unlocking him has brought a whole new dynamic to this team, and I credit Phil with getting that out of him.
Lotta concerns from a lotta people (including myself) about Williamson and Evander playing on the field together before this game, but the truth is we hadn’t seen it enough to get a good judgement, and if this game is anything to go by, it is just fine. Williamson was great, I do believe this is his best position (he gets a bit lost at the 10 sometimes and isn’t as effective as a primary creator), he did very well both with and without the ball, I was quite happy with his defense. I know he’s probably the player in our midfield that makes the most sense to trade to get a DP midfielder that the FO is reportedly eyeing, but man I hope we don’t trade him. I would love to see a midfield of Ayala, Williamson, and Evander, please I just want to see it from the start at least once.
Zuparic will rightfully get all the attention for the defense, but Araujo is right there with him, they make a really good pairing and they have to be the starters, even when Kamal gets back. Bravo over-committed several times and got burned but he was so good on the ball. You really can just keep going down the list of the entire team, all of whom are playing at the top of their game right now. Full credit to Phil for getting these guys playing so well, this roster is and has been very talented for years, and getting the best performances from the players is one of the most important jobs of a coach. They are playing as a team, chemistry is off the charts, and it’s so much fun to watch. RSL played very poorly away so let’s not get too excited. Let’s see how we do on the road vs the Galaxy, that will be an even bigger test
Luna was a non factor and was subbed early, Arango dropped back a ton just to get on the ball and Gomez was good but didn't get into the box to do damage and Crooks was a foul machine. That's good defense and, we were playing out of the back well and countering well.
It's hard to imagine another player coming in and trying to integrate into the squad this year, unless it's a move for the future, and frankly, the future is now. We've got a good squad and I think the coaching staff has worked very hard to improve the players and build cohesion. If Williamson can play like he did consistently, then the sky is the limit.
"If Williamson can play like he did consistently, then the sky is the limit."
As long as they don't sell him - there's a lot of rumors going around that he's on his way out this summer. I hope he has a place here, I think he can be a big part of this team if he isn't sold.
No doubt, the best game of the season for the Timbers. While the offense deserves a lot of the accolades, the defense really stepped up and was crucial to the win. The healthy return of Bravo and the release of Zuparic from the bench means our two best defensive players are out on the pitch a lot more and (to me) are the reason the team is playing a lot better.
But what more can be said about the offense? Evander, Mora and Jona are simply playing at such a high level. Add in Santi and Antony sharing the other wing position and its a dangerous attacking group. Teams can't tilt the defense to stop a player, because the other two are just as adept at creating opportunities. It is fun soccer to watch!
This is the first time in MLS history that a team has had three 11 goal scorers before August. It's so fun to watch. And all of a sudden it's not a case of watching through your fingers as they lose the ball because the defense is gonna screw something up, too, which is super nice to see.
Excellent, concise and accurate write-up, Alex; Thanks!
I wonder when "Timbers awful defense" will stop being the entire footy media's second lead about this team.
Tonite's MLS round-up show gushed about what a tough team we've developed into and still dismissed the D as "awful"... Our defensive GA (goals against) sits at 1.0 for our last 10 matches, which has to be well into the top half of MLS.
Phil has been talking about mentality and ruthlessness, and for stretches in games or for certain halves, they have shown it. This game, though, there was an intensity at a level I haven't seen from the start and it didn't let up for the whole game. They pressed and won balls and generally threw RSL off balance. RSL seemed very disconnected and made poor passes and were under duress, and I have to give credit to the Timbers for making them play that way.
I also like how Phil did not substitute, because there was no reason. The team was playing so well.
Williamson was really good and the offense certainly flowed with him in there, and he was good in defense as well. I really liked how we took control of the game possession wise more so in the second half, and he was a big reason why. It was interesting to see that Chara came off first, and Ayala came in, and our defense did not lack, but at that point, I think we had taken the starch out of their fight.
Shout outs to the defense - Mosquera was terrific and so was everyone else.
Watching that game and thinking about it today, I get the sense that we can get even better and play even better, whereas RSL has less of a ceiling.
So much else to talk about - this team is really cooking!
I agree with all this, except the subbing part. I like that he rode with the starters because they were playing so well, like who do you take off? But after the 75th minute and especially after the 80th, I felt we desperately needed subs. RSL was starting to pile on some actual pressure — not just possession, but actual pressure and creating some chances. They had fresh legs and we didn’t. Rodriguez and Moreno had stopped defending. It was 2-0 at that point, had RSL grabbed a goal it’s game on, and they easily could’ve gotten another. The three subs that happened at the 89th minute should’ve happened ten minutes earlier in my opinion, but hey it worked out. That was just the one part of the game that I wasn’t totally comfortable while watching
You’re absolutely right on the last point, it feels like we can get even better if we improve the defense, whereas RSL don’t have as much of a ceiling, especially in big games. I’m trusting Mora, Rodriguez, Evander, and Mora in a one off game WAY more than Luna, Crooks, and Gomez (I’d trust Arango, that guy is insane)
I can see where subs would have helped earlier. Still, riding it out like that is Phil instilling toughness in those players to go the full 90, and I didn't think they had lost control of the game. They were still generating chances.
Not sure what you mean by didn't sub. Sub 76' Chara out for Ayala; sub 84' Moreno out for Anthony. then three at 89' Williamson out for Parades; Mora out for Fogaca, and Bravo out for Miller.
Goal in 90' by Evander.
I am not sure if you mean no sub at the standard 60' mark or something else.
Yes, I wasn't very concise. I basically meant that he rode with the starters for most of the game, except for the Chara sub, which was interesting in and of itself. You'd think it would have been Williamson, but he was lights out and deserved to stay in.
I have no idea why, but RSL set up in such a way that they allowed the Timbers absolutely acres of space in the midfield all night. And an attack as potent as the Timbers is 100% going to take advantage of that space, and they absolutely did that, all night. I do think it's hilarious that the Timbers don't feel like they need the middle of games anymore; score early, score late, that's all they need. Let's just skip the middle 80 minutes and save everyone some time on these hot nights!
All I've said, all season, even when things were dire, is "Prove me wrong, Phil.". I don't know if he's implementing a system that the players just took time to learn, or if it's more that he's just letting the players play to their strengths and not getting in their way and that's what took time, but he's proving me wrong. This team is legit, I think?
It's not just yesterday, they've been playing a whole lot better in the last two months of course, but last night - which was supposed to be a big test for them against a team that had only lost once on the road and who is the only team that has outscored the Timbers in the West - just looked effortless.
The question I have is, do Crepeau and Miller automatically get their jobs back next week? I like them both, but chemistry is a thing, and what's working is working, and should it be messed with? I can see a case for Crepeau, but Miller...I dunno, this defense is firing on more (maybe not all, but more) cylinders now, and I'd be hesitant to change it, particularly since Miller barely played in the Copa.
Neville likes Kamal a lot, I can absolutely see him putting him back in. But I hope he doesn’t, Araujo and Zuparic should be our starting pairing imo. That being said, I think Kamal is a high level defender and who knows, maybe he can come in and make things even better. It’s a good problem to have
I think Crepeau comes back in to the XI, and I think he should. Phil has said multiple times that he’s the number 1, and while Pantemis has been very good, there’s a reason Crepeau is with Canada and Pants isn’t. On top of that, Max is a big game player. If we’re in a high pressure game with stakes, I want Crepeau in there every day of the week. He’s been there and shown he can excel in that environment. As exemplified by Steve Clark, even great keepers can cost their team in a final. But as with Kamal, it’s a great problem to have
Yeah, I would not be at all unhappy with Crepeau back in goal, don't get me wrong. It's a harsh business for sure but Pantemis knows what the deal is, and the fact that we have essentially two #1s is a really fantastic situation.
I'd keep riding Pantemis. We've had clear, clear success with him. I think Crepeau is a good keeper, but Pantemis is better. Just look at the numbers and our results.
I really do love a question for which, for once, there's no clear wrong answer. It's been a while since the Timbers have had that luxury! I tend to think that chemistry outweighs most things, particularly when a team is winning, even though I like Crepeau a lot.
I guess I'm team "why mess with what's going well", but we'll see whether conventional wisdom-type thinking wins out here.
I think chemistry is important, but it's more that Pantemis is better and thus, there is better chemistry, not the other way around. Both keepers have had about the same run of games, and clearly, Pantemis has outplayed Crepeau.
I'm not sure "clearly" is as ironclad as all that, though, and "our results" aren't 100% down to Pantemis. Looking at their FBRef pages, the numbers for Pantemis' last five games are for sure a bit better than Crepeau's last five before the Copa, but it is also true that the Timbers' defense as a whole has improved greatly in Crepeau's absence, and that has to be factored in as well. For instance, at a high level:
Crepeau's last 5 games pre-Copa: Faced 19 shots, saved 10
Pantemis' last 5: Faced 16, saved 11
If Pantemis faces three more shots, is it a guarantee that he saves them all, or does his ratio of S/SV start to look closer to Crepeau's? This is what I mean when I say I think one is not "clearly" better than the other.
Put Crepeau behind this improved Timbers defense, and I believe he'll be outplaying Pantemis in the same way Pantemis is currently outplaying Crepeau (read: not exponentially, but noticeably).
I'm not trying to assert that one of the two is good and one is bad; they're both good! I'd be fine with either in goal right now. I'm just saying that the Timbers essentially have two #1s right now, and that's a nice problem to have as we get to the business end of the season.
This team’s high press has finally become effective recently with the extra effort being given and it REALLY bothered RSL, to the point of continually turning the ball over deep in their half and creating Timber opportunities. I’ve never really seen our high press work well since the Porter days, so hat tip to Phil for getting going so effectively.
There’s a real unity with this team that seems to drive them to fight hard for each other. As others have mentioned, we’ve had some quality talent the past year, but it never really clicked until recently. And it all comes back to the coach’s insistence that the team cohesion has to build organically and that it is 80% of why a team succeeds. Good stuff.
Most tackles in soccer would be considered battery off the field. It was just a shoulder to the chest and not with *that* much force, definitely only a yellow. You don’t want to completely change the game for that. If it were an elbow or a fist that would be different
I lost a ton of respect for Chicho last night. He's a great player but he's a big whiny baby. The one thing I did like was that after the whole melee happened, there were several points where he went into a challenge or an incident clearly expecting to get a call from the ref, and the ref was not giving him the benefit of the doubt any more, which was making Chicho more and more frustrated. It was refreshing to see a ref not buy into theatrics for once.
He’s always been like that, I remember with LAFC he was whiny and a massive flopper. That being said, I have quite a lot of respect for him. He got completely shafted by LAFC, went to Mexico, and then went to a lower profile club like RSL and is really helping to bring them into a new era. From all reports he’s a really great guy, a mentor to all the young players, and a great captain. He sucks and his flopping and whining is annoying as hell to play against, but Blanco did the same stuff. The kind of guy you hate to play against but love to have on your team. If he were on LAFC or Seattle I’d absolutely hate him, but the fact that he’s at RSL… idk I respect it. Kind of like Hector Herrera at Houston
That wasn't a tackle or any action on the ball though. Evander gave him some lip and he turned around and attacked him. I guess there is a line drawn for such actions...
Eh, you’re not wrong, but those are the bumps you let go with just a yellow. Players bump each other like that a lot on the field, unless it’s particularly violent it’s the ref’s job to manage the game properly. A red would’ve been extremely harsh
The bump is not a red (although his coming back at Evander on the ground after definitely aggravates things)... Hell, Mora's swing at Gomez is probably closer to red... https://x.com/TheRSLBros/status/1812960901676552674
I've been stuck watching Apple TV for home games since losing my season tickets a few years ago, so it was great to hear some home cooking and Jake Zivin for once, though Rob Stone is still my favorite. I don't understand why neither the Timbers nor the Thorns have a home broadcast team. Instead we get rotated through what usually is just a collection of other teams' homer announcers pretending to be unbiased. Is there a suggestion box for Apple TV and NWSL+? I know we have the home radio broadcast but they honestly are not much better. I almost want to start a Fan Cast so I can listen to drunk TA members complain about the officials more than what we have now.
That is AppleTV's design. They have pools of English and Spanish comentators that were supposed to rotate but they clearly have A teams and B teams (and arguably C teams) depending on the matchup. Zivin is the marquee a lister, essentially has become the voice of Miami since Messi arrived. He did our game because this was one of the best matchups of the day.
NWSL the same with no more local broadcasts and multiple networks now sharing the national broadcast rights.
Both are following the NFL route with no local TV, all national broadcasts. MLB, NBA and NHL play way too many games for national broadcasts to pick up every game so I would imagine they will have local teams for some time to come. It is hard to get used to for a long time sports fan, that is for sure.
Home radio is the only consistent home cooking option. I would be all into a TA does MST3K broadcast.
Yeah maybe this needs be a startup. A fan cast for locals who watch the game and talk about it real-time... very MST3K. It's not that difficult technically, it's just an audio stream or even a video stream of fans watching the game and commentating on it. I used to do that back in the old days with the radio play-by-play with the Schonz for Blazer games. Why not evolve it for live streams today.
Would any MX fans say Rodriguez has finishing issues? He's a quality player and a huge reason for our success. But the difference between his G column and Chicho's (even arriving late) is a bunch of makeable misses. Not all gimmes by any means, but a couple of doozies in there.
Maybe it's just bad luck finding a cluster. But it is notable.
I was trying to figure out how do some of the analysis on this. I do find it interesting that on the MLS soccer web page if you look at the events, it logs the xG for each shot. I wonder If I do some residual analysis on those for some of the top scorers if that might show something interesting, or it might show that there is never enough data on goals to show anything :)...
Yah, I was thinking the same thing. What are his XG compared to his G? He kinda reminds me of Havertz in a way. Not a great finisher but gets some goals and makes the team much better regardless.
Not that xG matters, but Rodriguez is outperforming his xG.
If you are looking at shots and putting shots on target, Rodriguez is at 43 percent. Evander is at 41 percent and Mora is at 50 percent. Suarez is at 73 percent - wow, and Jovelic is at 60 percent. Messi is at 48 percent. Arrango is 41 percent. Cucho is at 34 percent and Acosta is at 36 percent.
Rodriguez is scoring at 40 percent of his shots on target. Mora is at 55 percent. Evander is at 47 percent, Arrango at 42 percent, Benteke 48 percent, Bouanga 32 percent to name a few.
Rodriguez is performing really well relative to other players in the league. He is really great at getting in positions to score and his teammates are finding him and he finds his teammates. He's a completely different player than Havertz, who is a midfielder, so I don't really see the comparison. By the way, Havertz had 13 goals for the year in 37 appearances, and shots to shots on target was 40 percent and of the shots on target he converted 46 percent. I expect Rodriguez to find the net a lot more as the season goes on.
Eyeball test says he has missed some stunners (skied, scuffed, wide - rarely shoots right at the keeper though). He still contributes a lot, hopefully the 5 in the last 7 games (9 in the last 12) is him rounding into regular contributing form after a bit of a slow start. I can deal with a bad miss here and there (everybody does it) as long as he is regularly on the stat sheet with a make or assist.
I don’t think xG matters a ton, although it is saying he is scoring more than he should based on the type of shots. What matters is getting shots off and finishing and Rodriguez is doing that at a percentage better than or equal to all the other top scorers in the league. I do agree there have been some big misses, though amd it seems like he should have at least a few more goals.
Timbers played beautiful soccer last night. The game was exciting from start to finish. I kept waiting for RSL to break through but they didn't, thanks to pretty darned good defense by our guys and a few strokes of luck. Pantemis is living right these days! What I like most about this team as of late is their intensity and hustle. They work hard all of the time and their speed and efficiency on the counters is something to admire. I'm glad team Canada is still playing so we'll get to see Pantemis in goal for a little while longer. Only one loss in the last 10 games is pretty darned amazing.
Great comment. Yah, they are playing hard even when it is hot and even when they have a lead. Something they have not done in the past. I love that they kept attacking and didn't bunker.
I have to say the second goal (the one by Moreno) was one of the very best team goals I've seen in 24 years of watching this team. The sequence of one-touch passes from Mora, to Rodríguez, to Evander (header), to Moreno's side-volley finish left six RSL defenders useless to defend, and that type of firepower from those four players is very scary to the rest of MLS as they are finding their form.
This attack is outrageously fun and insanely good, it’s almost unfair for opposing defenses. Once one of our DPs gets the ball it almost feels expected that we’re going to score. And Moreno has now joined that trio and is playing just as good as them, if not better. Unlocking him has brought a whole new dynamic to this team, and I credit Phil with getting that out of him.
Lotta concerns from a lotta people (including myself) about Williamson and Evander playing on the field together before this game, but the truth is we hadn’t seen it enough to get a good judgement, and if this game is anything to go by, it is just fine. Williamson was great, I do believe this is his best position (he gets a bit lost at the 10 sometimes and isn’t as effective as a primary creator), he did very well both with and without the ball, I was quite happy with his defense. I know he’s probably the player in our midfield that makes the most sense to trade to get a DP midfielder that the FO is reportedly eyeing, but man I hope we don’t trade him. I would love to see a midfield of Ayala, Williamson, and Evander, please I just want to see it from the start at least once.
Zuparic will rightfully get all the attention for the defense, but Araujo is right there with him, they make a really good pairing and they have to be the starters, even when Kamal gets back. Bravo over-committed several times and got burned but he was so good on the ball. You really can just keep going down the list of the entire team, all of whom are playing at the top of their game right now. Full credit to Phil for getting these guys playing so well, this roster is and has been very talented for years, and getting the best performances from the players is one of the most important jobs of a coach. They are playing as a team, chemistry is off the charts, and it’s so much fun to watch. RSL played very poorly away so let’s not get too excited. Let’s see how we do on the road vs the Galaxy, that will be an even bigger test
"RSL played very poorly away so let’s not get too excited"
I mean, this is only their second away loss of the season, so it's OK to be a little excited!
100%!! MLS pundits still gonna claim our defense is bad, but we just shut out the second highest scoring team in the league, that’s huge!
Luna was a non factor and was subbed early, Arango dropped back a ton just to get on the ball and Gomez was good but didn't get into the box to do damage and Crooks was a foul machine. That's good defense and, we were playing out of the back well and countering well.
the way the timbers played had everything to do with the way rsl played!
It's hard to imagine another player coming in and trying to integrate into the squad this year, unless it's a move for the future, and frankly, the future is now. We've got a good squad and I think the coaching staff has worked very hard to improve the players and build cohesion. If Williamson can play like he did consistently, then the sky is the limit.
"If Williamson can play like he did consistently, then the sky is the limit."
As long as they don't sell him - there's a lot of rumors going around that he's on his way out this summer. I hope he has a place here, I think he can be a big part of this team if he isn't sold.
I agree. These past two games from him have changed my mind about him.
And he'd be a fool to leave Hubly :)
On the flip side, the Thorns can definitely do with moving on from Hubly
No doubt, the best game of the season for the Timbers. While the offense deserves a lot of the accolades, the defense really stepped up and was crucial to the win. The healthy return of Bravo and the release of Zuparic from the bench means our two best defensive players are out on the pitch a lot more and (to me) are the reason the team is playing a lot better.
But what more can be said about the offense? Evander, Mora and Jona are simply playing at such a high level. Add in Santi and Antony sharing the other wing position and its a dangerous attacking group. Teams can't tilt the defense to stop a player, because the other two are just as adept at creating opportunities. It is fun soccer to watch!
This is the first time in MLS history that a team has had three 11 goal scorers before August. It's so fun to watch. And all of a sudden it's not a case of watching through your fingers as they lose the ball because the defense is gonna screw something up, too, which is super nice to see.
Excellent, concise and accurate write-up, Alex; Thanks!
I wonder when "Timbers awful defense" will stop being the entire footy media's second lead about this team.
Tonite's MLS round-up show gushed about what a tough team we've developed into and still dismissed the D as "awful"... Our defensive GA (goals against) sits at 1.0 for our last 10 matches, which has to be well into the top half of MLS.
Phil has been talking about mentality and ruthlessness, and for stretches in games or for certain halves, they have shown it. This game, though, there was an intensity at a level I haven't seen from the start and it didn't let up for the whole game. They pressed and won balls and generally threw RSL off balance. RSL seemed very disconnected and made poor passes and were under duress, and I have to give credit to the Timbers for making them play that way.
I also like how Phil did not substitute, because there was no reason. The team was playing so well.
Williamson was really good and the offense certainly flowed with him in there, and he was good in defense as well. I really liked how we took control of the game possession wise more so in the second half, and he was a big reason why. It was interesting to see that Chara came off first, and Ayala came in, and our defense did not lack, but at that point, I think we had taken the starch out of their fight.
Shout outs to the defense - Mosquera was terrific and so was everyone else.
Watching that game and thinking about it today, I get the sense that we can get even better and play even better, whereas RSL has less of a ceiling.
So much else to talk about - this team is really cooking!
I agree with all this, except the subbing part. I like that he rode with the starters because they were playing so well, like who do you take off? But after the 75th minute and especially after the 80th, I felt we desperately needed subs. RSL was starting to pile on some actual pressure — not just possession, but actual pressure and creating some chances. They had fresh legs and we didn’t. Rodriguez and Moreno had stopped defending. It was 2-0 at that point, had RSL grabbed a goal it’s game on, and they easily could’ve gotten another. The three subs that happened at the 89th minute should’ve happened ten minutes earlier in my opinion, but hey it worked out. That was just the one part of the game that I wasn’t totally comfortable while watching
You’re absolutely right on the last point, it feels like we can get even better if we improve the defense, whereas RSL don’t have as much of a ceiling, especially in big games. I’m trusting Mora, Rodriguez, Evander, and Mora in a one off game WAY more than Luna, Crooks, and Gomez (I’d trust Arango, that guy is insane)
I can see where subs would have helped earlier. Still, riding it out like that is Phil instilling toughness in those players to go the full 90, and I didn't think they had lost control of the game. They were still generating chances.
Not sure what you mean by didn't sub. Sub 76' Chara out for Ayala; sub 84' Moreno out for Anthony. then three at 89' Williamson out for Parades; Mora out for Fogaca, and Bravo out for Miller.
Goal in 90' by Evander.
I am not sure if you mean no sub at the standard 60' mark or something else.
Yes, I wasn't very concise. I basically meant that he rode with the starters for most of the game, except for the Chara sub, which was interesting in and of itself. You'd think it would have been Williamson, but he was lights out and deserved to stay in.
I have no idea why, but RSL set up in such a way that they allowed the Timbers absolutely acres of space in the midfield all night. And an attack as potent as the Timbers is 100% going to take advantage of that space, and they absolutely did that, all night. I do think it's hilarious that the Timbers don't feel like they need the middle of games anymore; score early, score late, that's all they need. Let's just skip the middle 80 minutes and save everyone some time on these hot nights!
All I've said, all season, even when things were dire, is "Prove me wrong, Phil.". I don't know if he's implementing a system that the players just took time to learn, or if it's more that he's just letting the players play to their strengths and not getting in their way and that's what took time, but he's proving me wrong. This team is legit, I think?
It's not just yesterday, they've been playing a whole lot better in the last two months of course, but last night - which was supposed to be a big test for them against a team that had only lost once on the road and who is the only team that has outscored the Timbers in the West - just looked effortless.
The question I have is, do Crepeau and Miller automatically get their jobs back next week? I like them both, but chemistry is a thing, and what's working is working, and should it be messed with? I can see a case for Crepeau, but Miller...I dunno, this defense is firing on more (maybe not all, but more) cylinders now, and I'd be hesitant to change it, particularly since Miller barely played in the Copa.
there's no way you take jimmy pants out of goal! four clean sheets and he's commanding his box and organizing the defense.
Neville likes Kamal a lot, I can absolutely see him putting him back in. But I hope he doesn’t, Araujo and Zuparic should be our starting pairing imo. That being said, I think Kamal is a high level defender and who knows, maybe he can come in and make things even better. It’s a good problem to have
I think Crepeau comes back in to the XI, and I think he should. Phil has said multiple times that he’s the number 1, and while Pantemis has been very good, there’s a reason Crepeau is with Canada and Pants isn’t. On top of that, Max is a big game player. If we’re in a high pressure game with stakes, I want Crepeau in there every day of the week. He’s been there and shown he can excel in that environment. As exemplified by Steve Clark, even great keepers can cost their team in a final. But as with Kamal, it’s a great problem to have
I agree. Araujo has break the lines and route 1 passing skills that we are otherwise lacking from our D.
Yeah, I would not be at all unhappy with Crepeau back in goal, don't get me wrong. It's a harsh business for sure but Pantemis knows what the deal is, and the fact that we have essentially two #1s is a really fantastic situation.
I’m Team Pants
I'm mostly team "I'm glad I'm not the coach and don't have to make the choice", because they're both playing really well right now hahaha
I'd keep riding Pantemis. We've had clear, clear success with him. I think Crepeau is a good keeper, but Pantemis is better. Just look at the numbers and our results.
I really do love a question for which, for once, there's no clear wrong answer. It's been a while since the Timbers have had that luxury! I tend to think that chemistry outweighs most things, particularly when a team is winning, even though I like Crepeau a lot.
I guess I'm team "why mess with what's going well", but we'll see whether conventional wisdom-type thinking wins out here.
I think chemistry is important, but it's more that Pantemis is better and thus, there is better chemistry, not the other way around. Both keepers have had about the same run of games, and clearly, Pantemis has outplayed Crepeau.
I'm not sure "clearly" is as ironclad as all that, though, and "our results" aren't 100% down to Pantemis. Looking at their FBRef pages, the numbers for Pantemis' last five games are for sure a bit better than Crepeau's last five before the Copa, but it is also true that the Timbers' defense as a whole has improved greatly in Crepeau's absence, and that has to be factored in as well. For instance, at a high level:
Crepeau's last 5 games pre-Copa: Faced 19 shots, saved 10
Pantemis' last 5: Faced 16, saved 11
If Pantemis faces three more shots, is it a guarantee that he saves them all, or does his ratio of S/SV start to look closer to Crepeau's? This is what I mean when I say I think one is not "clearly" better than the other.
Put Crepeau behind this improved Timbers defense, and I believe he'll be outplaying Pantemis in the same way Pantemis is currently outplaying Crepeau (read: not exponentially, but noticeably).
I'm not trying to assert that one of the two is good and one is bad; they're both good! I'd be fine with either in goal right now. I'm just saying that the Timbers essentially have two #1s right now, and that's a nice problem to have as we get to the business end of the season.
This team’s high press has finally become effective recently with the extra effort being given and it REALLY bothered RSL, to the point of continually turning the ball over deep in their half and creating Timber opportunities. I’ve never really seen our high press work well since the Porter days, so hat tip to Phil for getting going so effectively.
There’s a real unity with this team that seems to drive them to fight hard for each other. As others have mentioned, we’ve had some quality talent the past year, but it never really clicked until recently. And it all comes back to the coach’s insistence that the team cohesion has to build organically and that it is 80% of why a team succeeds. Good stuff.
Chico clearly physically attacked Evander - something that would be considered battery off the pitch - why wasn't that a red card?
Most tackles in soccer would be considered battery off the field. It was just a shoulder to the chest and not with *that* much force, definitely only a yellow. You don’t want to completely change the game for that. If it were an elbow or a fist that would be different
I lost a ton of respect for Chicho last night. He's a great player but he's a big whiny baby. The one thing I did like was that after the whole melee happened, there were several points where he went into a challenge or an incident clearly expecting to get a call from the ref, and the ref was not giving him the benefit of the doubt any more, which was making Chicho more and more frustrated. It was refreshing to see a ref not buy into theatrics for once.
He’s always been like that, I remember with LAFC he was whiny and a massive flopper. That being said, I have quite a lot of respect for him. He got completely shafted by LAFC, went to Mexico, and then went to a lower profile club like RSL and is really helping to bring them into a new era. From all reports he’s a really great guy, a mentor to all the young players, and a great captain. He sucks and his flopping and whining is annoying as hell to play against, but Blanco did the same stuff. The kind of guy you hate to play against but love to have on your team. If he were on LAFC or Seattle I’d absolutely hate him, but the fact that he’s at RSL… idk I respect it. Kind of like Hector Herrera at Houston
That wasn't a tackle or any action on the ball though. Evander gave him some lip and he turned around and attacked him. I guess there is a line drawn for such actions...
Eh, you’re not wrong, but those are the bumps you let go with just a yellow. Players bump each other like that a lot on the field, unless it’s particularly violent it’s the ref’s job to manage the game properly. A red would’ve been extremely harsh
Sounds like I gotta rewatch it :/
The bump is not a red (although his coming back at Evander on the ground after definitely aggravates things)... Hell, Mora's swing at Gomez is probably closer to red... https://x.com/TheRSLBros/status/1812960901676552674
I've been stuck watching Apple TV for home games since losing my season tickets a few years ago, so it was great to hear some home cooking and Jake Zivin for once, though Rob Stone is still my favorite. I don't understand why neither the Timbers nor the Thorns have a home broadcast team. Instead we get rotated through what usually is just a collection of other teams' homer announcers pretending to be unbiased. Is there a suggestion box for Apple TV and NWSL+? I know we have the home radio broadcast but they honestly are not much better. I almost want to start a Fan Cast so I can listen to drunk TA members complain about the officials more than what we have now.
That is AppleTV's design. They have pools of English and Spanish comentators that were supposed to rotate but they clearly have A teams and B teams (and arguably C teams) depending on the matchup. Zivin is the marquee a lister, essentially has become the voice of Miami since Messi arrived. He did our game because this was one of the best matchups of the day.
NWSL the same with no more local broadcasts and multiple networks now sharing the national broadcast rights.
Both are following the NFL route with no local TV, all national broadcasts. MLB, NBA and NHL play way too many games for national broadcasts to pick up every game so I would imagine they will have local teams for some time to come. It is hard to get used to for a long time sports fan, that is for sure.
Home radio is the only consistent home cooking option. I would be all into a TA does MST3K broadcast.
Yeah maybe this needs be a startup. A fan cast for locals who watch the game and talk about it real-time... very MST3K. It's not that difficult technically, it's just an audio stream or even a video stream of fans watching the game and commentating on it. I used to do that back in the old days with the radio play-by-play with the Schonz for Blazer games. Why not evolve it for live streams today.
Would any MX fans say Rodriguez has finishing issues? He's a quality player and a huge reason for our success. But the difference between his G column and Chicho's (even arriving late) is a bunch of makeable misses. Not all gimmes by any means, but a couple of doozies in there.
Maybe it's just bad luck finding a cluster. But it is notable.
I was trying to figure out how do some of the analysis on this. I do find it interesting that on the MLS soccer web page if you look at the events, it logs the xG for each shot. I wonder If I do some residual analysis on those for some of the top scorers if that might show something interesting, or it might show that there is never enough data on goals to show anything :)...
Yah, I was thinking the same thing. What are his XG compared to his G? He kinda reminds me of Havertz in a way. Not a great finisher but gets some goals and makes the team much better regardless.
Not that xG matters, but Rodriguez is outperforming his xG.
If you are looking at shots and putting shots on target, Rodriguez is at 43 percent. Evander is at 41 percent and Mora is at 50 percent. Suarez is at 73 percent - wow, and Jovelic is at 60 percent. Messi is at 48 percent. Arrango is 41 percent. Cucho is at 34 percent and Acosta is at 36 percent.
Rodriguez is scoring at 40 percent of his shots on target. Mora is at 55 percent. Evander is at 47 percent, Arrango at 42 percent, Benteke 48 percent, Bouanga 32 percent to name a few.
Rodriguez is performing really well relative to other players in the league. He is really great at getting in positions to score and his teammates are finding him and he finds his teammates. He's a completely different player than Havertz, who is a midfielder, so I don't really see the comparison. By the way, Havertz had 13 goals for the year in 37 appearances, and shots to shots on target was 40 percent and of the shots on target he converted 46 percent. I expect Rodriguez to find the net a lot more as the season goes on.
Interesting. Thanks for this. Maybe a matter of a bunch of misses being bunched together messing with the optics of it. With a couple sitters on top.
Eyeball test says he has missed some stunners (skied, scuffed, wide - rarely shoots right at the keeper though). He still contributes a lot, hopefully the 5 in the last 7 games (9 in the last 12) is him rounding into regular contributing form after a bit of a slow start. I can deal with a bad miss here and there (everybody does it) as long as he is regularly on the stat sheet with a make or assist.
I guess I don't understand how XG works. I mean it doesn't pass the eyeball test. Jonathon should have a lot more goals.
XG is not a statistic, it's someone's opinion masquerading as a statistic
I don’t think xG matters a ton, although it is saying he is scoring more than he should based on the type of shots. What matters is getting shots off and finishing and Rodriguez is doing that at a percentage better than or equal to all the other top scorers in the league. I do agree there have been some big misses, though amd it seems like he should have at least a few more goals.
Timbers played beautiful soccer last night. The game was exciting from start to finish. I kept waiting for RSL to break through but they didn't, thanks to pretty darned good defense by our guys and a few strokes of luck. Pantemis is living right these days! What I like most about this team as of late is their intensity and hustle. They work hard all of the time and their speed and efficiency on the counters is something to admire. I'm glad team Canada is still playing so we'll get to see Pantemis in goal for a little while longer. Only one loss in the last 10 games is pretty darned amazing.
Great comment. Yah, they are playing hard even when it is hot and even when they have a lead. Something they have not done in the past. I love that they kept attacking and didn't bunker.