A Love Letter To Portland

A night that honored the start of something new also reminded us of those who wouldn't be there. Once again, our heroes transcended the field of play and wrote their own tribute to the past and future

*Cover photo credit to Thomas Lal/Cascadia FC*

Since Phil Neville was hired as the Timbers head coach in November, all he has wanted was to step onto the field at Providence Park in front of the fans. All he could do for months was talk. No games, just the slow slog of the offseason building up to his big first impression. And, reader, what an impression it was.

Tonight wasn’t just about Neville’s debut. The Timbers Army lost a true icon unexpectedly last month. When I first started going to Timbers games, I wouldn’t sit in the Army because my parents didn’t like to stand. As I got older and was able to attend games on my own, the Army became my home. However, I didn’t find my true place in the North End until the 2021 Western Conference Final. After picking up a wristband in the 800s, I was scrambling for seats in the lower bowl with one of my friends. Two seats were open behind the big drums, and I met Benson Drapiza for the first time. After the final whistle blew, and Providence Park was about to host its biggest ever match, Benson turned around and told me, “I expect to see you back here in this exact spot next week.” One week later, there I was. I had found my true home in the Army, in the epicenter of the noise. When the calendar year turned to 2022, I attended every single home game while standing in that exact seat. Last season I began my media journey, but my heart always belongs to seat 7 in the 3rd row from the top in section 106. Death is one of the most sudden and shocking things that define our existence as humans. But through tragedy, life can spring out. I’m sure Benson was in Providence Park tonight, his spirit echoing through his drum, as the place that brought him so much joy was bursting with life. 

Nerves and anxiety rippled through the stadium when Evander left warm-ups early and went down the tunnel with a trainer. Soon, the news was announced: he was out with a calf injury. Cristhian Paredes was given the start in his place. A stupid pre-match firework and light show added unnecessary glitz to the opening proceedings. This is Portland. We don’t need gimmicks. We don’t even need pre-match music. We have a chorus of several thousand voices from the North End. But alas, the fakeness was prevailing. What we needed was something real. Something that could unite all of us. And in the 9th minute, Eryk Williamson delivered.

This screenshot is a piece of art. You can see Juan Mosquera by the ad boards after delivering the cutback ball that Williamson is about to latch onto. But in the midst of it is Dairon Asprilla, the resident demigod of Portland. He has already put his hands into the air because he knows exactly what’s coming. Asprilla made a selfless near-post run to open the space that Williamson is charging into. He already knew. 

There is nothing fake about this moment, captured beautifully by Cascadia FC photographer Thomas Lal. Eryk Williamson has been through hell and back after tearing his ACL twice in opposite legs. Tonight was his return, and he responded with the opening goal of a new era. In this picture, he’s embracing Zac McGraw. During his rehab, Williamson would often come out to the training pitch and observe practice. McGraw would often join him on the sideline after completing his drills. When Williamson’s shot found the back of the net, he knew which green jersey he needed to find. 

The Timbers didn’t stop there. Colorado had been threatening, but they were just missing the final touch. So the Timbers, who were already showing some early signs of dominance, turned a deep throw-in into another big chance. Waiting on the end of a Cristhian Paredes cross was Antony, who headed home a goal against Colorado for the second consecutive season. 

*Photo credit to Thomas Lal/Cascadia FC*

He decided to celebrate by rocking an imaginary baby in his arms. That imaginary baby is actually his real baby, born about a week and a half ago. His preparation for this upcoming season was so intense that his only departure from Portland during the entire offseason was the quick leave he took to see his son’s birth. Right after that, he was back on a plane to join the team in Coachella. Phil Neville said he was the best player during preseason, so of course he wasn’t done after putting the Timbers up 2-0.

Several people within the Timbers organization have told me that Antony is the fastest player that they’ve ever had on the team, eclipsing the previous standard-bearer Juan Mosquera. Sometimes that speed can work against him. He overcommitted on a Williamson pass and allowed a defender to catch up. But I’m convinced he was doing it on purpose. He didn’t only have to score; he had to utterly demoralize the opposition. He allowed the split-second necessary for the defender to catch up, only to quickly turn his hips and fire in a beautiful curler for a 3-0 lead. The celebration got delayed by an offside flag (I will have plenty of words for the officiating later), but the correct call was made and once again a Portland Timber was one goal away from a hat-trick. 

Finally, and most demoralizing of all, Antony was on the hunt to assist. On a night as special as this one, you can’t blame him for wanting to spread the joy. But the target it found was someone who was the opposite of joyous. Sam Vines was making his return for the Rapids tonight, and he was caught up in the celebrations in all the wrong ways after turning Antony’s cross into his own net right before the halftime whistle. The first half ended with three shots on target for the Timbers and four goals. Perfection.

The second half did not reach the lofty heights of the first half. Coming out of halftime, the Timbers were a bit shaky and conceded on a set piece that barely crossed the line despite Zac McGraw’s best efforts. However, they grew into the half a bit more and eventually were able to progressively kill the game off, despite some fierce opposition from the Rapids. All in all, the Rapids came to Providence Park 4-1 reason. 

Before I get into the individual stars of the match, tonight’s main takeaway has nothing to do with any individual brilliance. The impactful moments (the goals, each James Pantemis save, key tackle or wonderful through ball) were all born out of a collective spirit that saw the Timbers take full control of the first half. This team functioned like a well-oiled machine. Colorado did have their first half chances, but the attack was clicking in ways I haven’t seen in years. These players were working for themselves and each other and it was beautiful to behold. Soccer is a team game, but in MLS the common saying is you can only go as far as your DPs take you. Tonight, the Timbers fielded a squad without a single DP and dazzled. With that in mind, let’s get into our heroes from tonight’s performance.

Tonight’s first hero is Dairon Asprilla. Phil Neville put Asprilla on the backup team during preseason and he dominated. Assistant coaches Liam Ridgewell and Shannon Murray told the head coach, “Dairon will start the first game of the year.” The Timbers were without striker Felipe Mora tonight, and were down to bare bones at the position. Enter Dairon. His impact tonight went far beyond anything he did with the ball. You already saw the near-post run that allowed Eryk Williamson the space to slot home the Timbers’ first. He might have been playing an unfamiliar position, but he’s a true student of the game. He knew exactly what he needed to do whenever he was called into action. His shift stretched the entire game, when he was exhausted beyond belief, holding off two defenders in the corner to earn yet another corner kick for his team. He is as ever-present as Diego Chara in many regards. A true Portland Timbers icon who can never be counted out. 

Our second hero is Antony. Besides his two goals, he was a monster when he didn’t have the ball. One of the perks of being the fastest man on the pitch is the ability to cover a ton of ground really quickly. In that first half, he was constantly tracking back to pressure opposing ball-carriers. He used precise positioning to intercept passes and spring counters. All of the work he put in this offseason is just beginning to bear fruit. And, as always, he remains an incredibly humble and polite person. Despite barely speaking English, he still responded with a quiet “thank you” after every question that a media member asked him during the post-game press conference. A humble king off the field, and an absolute demon on it. When it was time to exit the pitch, one goal away from immortality, he just understood. He had done his job, and it was up to his teammates to finish it. 

I already touched on the pure catharsis delivered by Eryk Williamson, and he shone playing further up the pitch. Not only did he grab the opener, he provided Antony with the ball necessary to create the magic of the Timbers’ third. He was all smiles in the post-game press conference, knowing exactly what needed to be done. When his name was announced in the pre-game starting lineup, a roar rang around Providence Park. He’s ready to go into war with this squad, saying that the team is ready to “battle together.” No matter what position or role he is asked to do, he is fully ready to commit to it. One of our great warriors is back and ready for whatever fight lies ahead.

Santiago Moreno deserved something tonight, but he ended the game with zero goal involvements. However, he still managed to amaze. Playing on the right wing, his chemistry with Juan Mosquera continues to grow and grow. Tonight, his superpower was his ability to find a way out of pressure and his tireless work rate. He completed both of the dribbles he attempted while making eight recoveries. With his family in town, he’s going to show up every day to play for them. 

When Cristhian Paredes was named Supporter’s Player of the Year last season, it felt like a lifetime achievement award. Since joining the Timbers in 2018, he has continued to improve year after year. He wasn’t expected to start tonight, but Evander’s injury pushed him into the starting lineup. And he responded like we knew he would: another excellent shift and a beautiful assist to Antony. One of the most underrated Timbers in their history got his overdue recognition last year, and is set to continue building his legacy in Green-and-Gold this season. 

When the Timbers were entering the goalkeeper market this offseason, I made the mistake of skimming the free agent list. Once I realized that James Pantemis was a free agent, I hoped that the Timbers would be knocking on his door. He’s a starting-quality goalkeeper and I would’ve been thrilled if he was the undisputed number one. With Maxime Crepeau walking in the door a couple weeks after his signing, I felt like I could breathe a sigh of relief. We were going to see a new Canadian goalkeeper in net tonight, and many assumed that Crepeau would be the one between the sticks. However, tonight was the ascension of King Pants. All offseason I have been screaming into the void about the Timbers’ xG conceded-goals allowed differential. We saw a goalkeeping masterclass from Pantemis tonight, and he’s the backup. If Crepeau wasn’t Crepeau, I’d be openly calling for Pantemis to start next weekend. Most of his saves came after delayed offside flags, but for the ones that were legal he was quick, aggressive, and commanding. All hail King Pants, keeping his kingdom safe in an excellent debut.

Kamal Miller also made his Timbers debut tonight, and I liked what I saw. Some of the Timbers’ defensive fragilities did get exposed, but that’s still something to work on. Zac McGraw continued to be imperious in the air. Eric Miller played an excellent game at left back. Diego Chara did Diego Chara things for another full match. Juan Mosquera put in another excellent shift at right back. Nathan Fogaca came off the bench and kept running hard; exactly what he needed to do. David Ayala made his return from an ACL tear and looked good. And finally, you can’t keep the best player in the league on the bench for the full 90. Dario Zuparic came on as the Timbers shifted to a back three. Everyone did great tonight, and there’s still one man who needs his flowers.

*Photo credit to Thomas Lal/Cascadia FC*

He showed up in a puffy jacket and track pants, wearing a scarf underneath his coat. Phil Neville knew what tonight meant for the fans and delivered. People who were upset at his hire are beginning to change their tune. For Neville, tonight was a different sort of homecoming. The atmosphere reminded him of the European nights he used to suit up for. He keeps saying that Portland feels like home, and you may call me a sucker but I believe him. On the whole, he gave tonight’s performance a 7/10. A 4-1 victory isn’t enough for him. There’s always something to work on. And those words don’t ring hollow to me. Despite the final scoreline, the Timbers weren’t perfect. But when Antony’s header found the back of the net, Neville leaped into the air and celebrated in his new home. He wore track pants and a puffy jacket because he’s in Portland and it’s the end of February. He knew he had to take Antony off the pitch before completing his hat-trick because that’s what Timbers coaches do. He came out of the tunnel early and waved to the North End, collecting mountains of applause with each step. He’s embracing us, despite what the upper management would probably want him to do. All of tonight’s fakeness was orchestrated by them in some way. But despite their efforts, the authenticity shone through. The Portland Timbers are 1-0-0, and next week they will face what they are desperately searching for: an elite striker who can carry an attack. It won’t be easy, but the Timbers aren’t satisfied with tonight’s victory. They know they can do better. Neville opened his tenure with a love letter to the fans, showing them something they haven’t seen in years. But his work is nowhere close to finishing. It’s only just begun.

If I included something about the refs earlier, it would’ve thrown off the entire pace of this article. So here are my thoughts on the replacement officials. Generally, I thought the center ref did a decent job overseeing the ticky-tack fouls that make up a soccer game. No ref will ever get every call right, and tonight’s ref certainly didn’t. But he didn’t do anything egregious, so I’ll give him a pass. What bothered me beyond belief was the linesmen. Delayed offside flags can sometimes be OK, but on the whole I think they’re more dangerous than helpful. Let’s take one Dairon Asprilla moment as an example. He’s miles offside, but the flag doesn’t go up until he’s put himself in a dangerous position going for the ball against Zack Steffen in open space. Raise the flag earlier so he doesn’t have to go full throttle and risk injury for a play that will already be blown dead. I don’t have a problem with Antony’s goal because MLS has VAR and it was always going to be overturned. But waiting to raise a flag for an obvious offside isn’t just a waste of time, it’s outright dangerous. MLS has to come to a resolution with PRO. I watched quite a few games this weekend and the delayed offside flags were prevalent in every one. Sooner or later, a player is going to get seriously hurt during one of those situations. Quit acting like greedy pigs and pay the refs what they’re worth, for the safety of the players and the quality of the play on the field.