That’s a really fun matchup. Not losing would be better.
Very interesting season so far at the break. Bad. Good. Always incredibly entertaining.
Williamson shouldn’t be in charge of defending right outside the box. He just seems like a man with no country right now. Some kind of consolidation of CBs might be good. Wouldn’t mind a guy to push Bravo. Upgrade Nathan and replace Asprilla. Honestly, I think we aren't far off. This DP CM could really dial things up for us. Especially if the back line can get back to the upward trend.
I was entertained for sure. The boys kept grinding and almost snagged a point at the end of the day.
PTFC need a quality attacking sub/rotation player. With J Rod, Mora, and Moreno locked as starters and getting a ton of minutes, the lack of attacking depth is really worrying.
I’ve never been sold on Williamson, and he didn’t do anything last night to change my mind. He has obvious talent, but he just doesn’t seem stuck in. Zero grit. He’s just kind of dissociated to my eyes.
End of the day, Timbers were bested by a very good team. Getting a point at LAG away would have been great, but also a long shot. Good barometer of where we are right now.
RE: Lack of attacking depth. LA doesn't have attacking depth. They just rely on their front three. We got two goals and after the subs came on we almost got the equalizer. I'm not too worried about that.
I wasn't sold on Williamson either, then the last two games I thought, well, maybe he has turned a corner. Last night he turned the corner into a cul de sac.
I agree that they were beat - not by much - and a little better quality on converting their turnovers into goals and we'd have gotten a result. Phil, instead of going cagey and cautious, went for it. In doing so, it does show where we are right now. We need a little more discipline in holding the line (and better reffing) and we need to never let up around the box and close guys down.
Also Phil needs to be reminded, again, that with this particular group of players, a high defensive line is absolute suicide. He got away from doing that in the last several games, but it crept back in last night, and LAG sliced right through it with glee all game long.
They were offside like six times, and the first one that they scored on (which was offsides in my opinion) they didn't have a straight, disciplined line, otherwise it would have been an easy call. When you're down you've got to apply pressure and the only way you can do that is a higher line - and we did get burned by it on the third goal - that was a killer.
it is a shame because williamson had been working hard. mentally seems like he shows promise with a good work ethic gets recognition and then kicks it back into cruise control. like he doesn't get that he doeant get to take days off max effort.
Yes, ref was bad. But it's not why we lost. We lost because we lacked a little bit of quality in key moments, like not finishing good chances and keeping their danger man onside (another angle shows him onside... sorry, but if it's our team who scores like that we're not complaining). Carson was also better at little things, like closing down and cutting passing lanes. They're a well coached team with good players. We're not far off and I look forward to playing them on our home ground.
Our needs are clear. We have a Cup winning attack and Wooden Spoon winning defense. It's frustrating. Maybe the new kid will help our CB situation, but I'm not expecting a lot this season. With Santi in great form, I see why a DP winger isn't a priority and why a deep playmaking DP CM who gets stuck in is. Ayala looks like Chara's heir apparent, but having someone in the double pivot who can cover, win the ball, and make contributions to the attack will make our team difficult to contend with. But I think the CB situation won't be adequately addressed until the off season.
We also need more attacking depth now that Asprilla is gone, and it looks like that is being dealt with.
Timbers are good, but not yet great. I feel pretty good about this team making the playoffs. But if we're to contend for trophies this year or next there is still a lot to do.
Credit to LA. They found a way to clear to Pec or Paintsil when pressed deep and or Puig got them through danger a number of times. Not that we didn't win a lot of balls, because we did, but we just weren't clinical enough. Evander had an off night all around and so did Williamson, and that third goal was a killer, and the second was kind of shambolic: Williamson just laying off. The first goal - it would be nice to see some replays but that got skipped over like bad news that you don't talk about at the dinner table. The result isn't the end of the world; we just have to figure out how to do it on the road.
To me, this game was a pretty cut and dry example of a good team vs a great team. We’re a good team with an elite offense, an offense that had an off night but still scored two goals away from home against one of the best teams in the league. But the difference was very clear, the Galaxy are so much better with the ball. They move the ball quicker, they cut down passing lanes quicker, and they move off the ball so much. Their rotations shredded our midfield. We simply don’t do any of that, we don’t move off the ball very quickly and we don’t move the ball quickly either. There was a clear difference in quality, we were chasing shadows. We played well and put up a good fight, but there’s still work for this team to do. We got out coached and out worked (that stat that popped up listing the players who covered the most ground and it was ALL Galaxy players was extremely damning. That is unacceptable). Nothing else more to take for me personally, we didn’t learn anything we didn’t already know. We lost to a better team
"There was a not insignificant shout for offside on Paintsil on the through ball, but VAR decided not to intervene for… reasons"
Not to be super pedantic, he said, getting super pedantic, but every goal gets VAR'd as a matter of rule. So the decision was actually that the call on the field by the center ref was correct.
That's teh thing: ALL goals are reviewed by the VAR. That this wasn't called to the attention of the center ref for further review (and then never shown in replay from a point where the pass showed) is frankly sus AF. The color guy on the broadcast started to express doubt and was instantly shut down my the play-by-play guy, too.
It clearly looked like off side to me. When things like this happen I always question whether I actually understand what constitutes off side. I like how they do it in hockey-so much clearer with little or no room for refs to screw it up.
That's because hockey uses a fixed point on the ice and a fixed point on the body with which to adjudicate the rule, so there's very little room for subjectivity. I have long advocated that the offsides rule in soccer be changed, and with VAR I think a change can be made so that the rule is pretty simple to enforce.
Still draw the line the way VAR does today. Draw it so it's as wide as the touchline/end line. That gives you your fixed point on the pitch. But to be offsides, the rule should be changed so that if the attacking player's entire foot is across that drawn line, the play is ruled offsides. If not, he's not. None of this "is the toenail across the line" nonsense - it's the whole foot or nothing. It's basically the hockey rule, but for soccer. With technology, it's not hard to do even with soccer's fluid start point for potential offsides.
That makes the rule consistent with every other if-scenario soccer rule (if the entire ball isn't over the entire line, it's not a goal/corner kick/throw-in), and it removes the utterly ridiculous "any part of the body that can score a goal can make a play be offsides" part of the rule, which removes the subjectivity.
Exactly my point. Why not draw a line like they do in hockey a certain distance from the goal. If the ball gets across the line before an offensive player does it's not off side. Where the defensive players are located would become irrelevant. I'm sure soccer purists would lose their minds over something like that but I'd like it.
If you wanted to do it that way, that line already exists - the 18 yard box or the top of the circle would be perfect for that. My example is more if we wanted to keep the fluidity of the "anywhere on the pitch" offside call as it is now.
We should have left Carson with a road point. The first goal was very clearly offside. It was clear when it happened, it was clear on the replay, and it's clear in every picture of the play. Yes, we needed to finish our opportunities better and figure out how corners work, but the difference in that match was the officiating. These PRO officiating crews need to start answering for their incompetence because it detracts from the games and the league as a whole.
That’s a really fun matchup. Not losing would be better.
Very interesting season so far at the break. Bad. Good. Always incredibly entertaining.
Williamson shouldn’t be in charge of defending right outside the box. He just seems like a man with no country right now. Some kind of consolidation of CBs might be good. Wouldn’t mind a guy to push Bravo. Upgrade Nathan and replace Asprilla. Honestly, I think we aren't far off. This DP CM could really dial things up for us. Especially if the back line can get back to the upward trend.
I was entertained for sure. The boys kept grinding and almost snagged a point at the end of the day.
PTFC need a quality attacking sub/rotation player. With J Rod, Mora, and Moreno locked as starters and getting a ton of minutes, the lack of attacking depth is really worrying.
I’ve never been sold on Williamson, and he didn’t do anything last night to change my mind. He has obvious talent, but he just doesn’t seem stuck in. Zero grit. He’s just kind of dissociated to my eyes.
End of the day, Timbers were bested by a very good team. Getting a point at LAG away would have been great, but also a long shot. Good barometer of where we are right now.
RE: Lack of attacking depth. LA doesn't have attacking depth. They just rely on their front three. We got two goals and after the subs came on we almost got the equalizer. I'm not too worried about that.
I wasn't sold on Williamson either, then the last two games I thought, well, maybe he has turned a corner. Last night he turned the corner into a cul de sac.
I agree that they were beat - not by much - and a little better quality on converting their turnovers into goals and we'd have gotten a result. Phil, instead of going cagey and cautious, went for it. In doing so, it does show where we are right now. We need a little more discipline in holding the line (and better reffing) and we need to never let up around the box and close guys down.
Also Phil needs to be reminded, again, that with this particular group of players, a high defensive line is absolute suicide. He got away from doing that in the last several games, but it crept back in last night, and LAG sliced right through it with glee all game long.
They were offside like six times, and the first one that they scored on (which was offsides in my opinion) they didn't have a straight, disciplined line, otherwise it would have been an easy call. When you're down you've got to apply pressure and the only way you can do that is a higher line - and we did get burned by it on the third goal - that was a killer.
You’re not worried about attacking depth until one of those three gets injured or simply needs some rest…
It’s a precarious position, replying on three attacking players to cover almost all the minutes.
It sounds like we are getting an attacker for depth. So, all is well.
it is a shame because williamson had been working hard. mentally seems like he shows promise with a good work ethic gets recognition and then kicks it back into cruise control. like he doesn't get that he doeant get to take days off max effort.
Yes, ref was bad. But it's not why we lost. We lost because we lacked a little bit of quality in key moments, like not finishing good chances and keeping their danger man onside (another angle shows him onside... sorry, but if it's our team who scores like that we're not complaining). Carson was also better at little things, like closing down and cutting passing lanes. They're a well coached team with good players. We're not far off and I look forward to playing them on our home ground.
Our needs are clear. We have a Cup winning attack and Wooden Spoon winning defense. It's frustrating. Maybe the new kid will help our CB situation, but I'm not expecting a lot this season. With Santi in great form, I see why a DP winger isn't a priority and why a deep playmaking DP CM who gets stuck in is. Ayala looks like Chara's heir apparent, but having someone in the double pivot who can cover, win the ball, and make contributions to the attack will make our team difficult to contend with. But I think the CB situation won't be adequately addressed until the off season.
We also need more attacking depth now that Asprilla is gone, and it looks like that is being dealt with.
Timbers are good, but not yet great. I feel pretty good about this team making the playoffs. But if we're to contend for trophies this year or next there is still a lot to do.
Credit to LA. They found a way to clear to Pec or Paintsil when pressed deep and or Puig got them through danger a number of times. Not that we didn't win a lot of balls, because we did, but we just weren't clinical enough. Evander had an off night all around and so did Williamson, and that third goal was a killer, and the second was kind of shambolic: Williamson just laying off. The first goal - it would be nice to see some replays but that got skipped over like bad news that you don't talk about at the dinner table. The result isn't the end of the world; we just have to figure out how to do it on the road.
To me, this game was a pretty cut and dry example of a good team vs a great team. We’re a good team with an elite offense, an offense that had an off night but still scored two goals away from home against one of the best teams in the league. But the difference was very clear, the Galaxy are so much better with the ball. They move the ball quicker, they cut down passing lanes quicker, and they move off the ball so much. Their rotations shredded our midfield. We simply don’t do any of that, we don’t move off the ball very quickly and we don’t move the ball quickly either. There was a clear difference in quality, we were chasing shadows. We played well and put up a good fight, but there’s still work for this team to do. We got out coached and out worked (that stat that popped up listing the players who covered the most ground and it was ALL Galaxy players was extremely damning. That is unacceptable). Nothing else more to take for me personally, we didn’t learn anything we didn’t already know. We lost to a better team
"There was a not insignificant shout for offside on Paintsil on the through ball, but VAR decided not to intervene for… reasons"
Not to be super pedantic, he said, getting super pedantic, but every goal gets VAR'd as a matter of rule. So the decision was actually that the call on the field by the center ref was correct.
Which it quite clearly wasn't:
https://x.com/GoncaloOliv23/status/1814892243225923866/photo/1
What a "shock" that there was no replay of the goal that included the pass on the broadcast...
Appears the ref was looking the other way. How was that not reviewed by VAR?
That's teh thing: ALL goals are reviewed by the VAR. That this wasn't called to the attention of the center ref for further review (and then never shown in replay from a point where the pass showed) is frankly sus AF. The color guy on the broadcast started to express doubt and was instantly shut down my the play-by-play guy, too.
It clearly looked like off side to me. When things like this happen I always question whether I actually understand what constitutes off side. I like how they do it in hockey-so much clearer with little or no room for refs to screw it up.
That's because hockey uses a fixed point on the ice and a fixed point on the body with which to adjudicate the rule, so there's very little room for subjectivity. I have long advocated that the offsides rule in soccer be changed, and with VAR I think a change can be made so that the rule is pretty simple to enforce.
Still draw the line the way VAR does today. Draw it so it's as wide as the touchline/end line. That gives you your fixed point on the pitch. But to be offsides, the rule should be changed so that if the attacking player's entire foot is across that drawn line, the play is ruled offsides. If not, he's not. None of this "is the toenail across the line" nonsense - it's the whole foot or nothing. It's basically the hockey rule, but for soccer. With technology, it's not hard to do even with soccer's fluid start point for potential offsides.
That makes the rule consistent with every other if-scenario soccer rule (if the entire ball isn't over the entire line, it's not a goal/corner kick/throw-in), and it removes the utterly ridiculous "any part of the body that can score a goal can make a play be offsides" part of the rule, which removes the subjectivity.
Exactly my point. Why not draw a line like they do in hockey a certain distance from the goal. If the ball gets across the line before an offensive player does it's not off side. Where the defensive players are located would become irrelevant. I'm sure soccer purists would lose their minds over something like that but I'd like it.
If you wanted to do it that way, that line already exists - the 18 yard box or the top of the circle would be perfect for that. My example is more if we wanted to keep the fluidity of the "anywhere on the pitch" offside call as it is now.
Either option would be better than the way it is now.
We should have left Carson with a road point. The first goal was very clearly offside. It was clear when it happened, it was clear on the replay, and it's clear in every picture of the play. Yes, we needed to finish our opportunities better and figure out how corners work, but the difference in that match was the officiating. These PRO officiating crews need to start answering for their incompetence because it detracts from the games and the league as a whole.
Reasons……