Finally, A Good Performance

Normally a 2-2 draw at home shouldn't be celebrated. But the improvements are starting to show.

*Cover photo credit to Thomas Lal.*

You guys, I think it’s time that we officially recognize that every LAFC game is a rivalry game. These players certainly seem to think so.

Kamal Miller described this match as “a playoff game.” Both teams showed playoff intensity from the opening whistle. Portland had the first chance when a Jonathan Rodriguez cross found Antony in the box. Antony’s first time finish was off target, but the stage was set. 11 minutes into the match, the Timbers took the lead. Evander sent a killer ball into the box, and Felipe Mora made the run to the ball. It was unclear whether or not he got the final touch past Hugo Lloris, but the goal was credited to him anyways. 10 minutes later, Timothy Tillman put a through ball into Mateusz Bogusz who put the ball past Maxime Crepeau with a very tidy finish to the far post. After LAFC’s equalizer, the Timbers were in danger of conceding again. The following 10-12 minutes saw the Timbers make the same mistake they have been making but not get punished. A point-blank Denis Bouanga chance flying over the bar was the best opportunity LAFC had in the entire game. In the 34th minute, Juan Mosquera sent in a peach of a cross to Evander. The Designated Player did Designated Player things; controlling the ball with his chest before roofing a volley past Lloris for the go-ahead. The Timbers entered halftime with a 2-1 lead.

Once again, the tale of two halves struck in the second half. In the 48th minute, Eduard Atuesta sent a long ball over the top for Bouanga. Crepeau came off his line, and laid a hard challenge on Bouanga. The referee blew his whistle, and showed a red card to Crepeau. More on that later. James Pantemis entered the game, and his first action was to stop the resulting free kick. Bogusz put the free-kick over the wall and LAFC equalized. For the rest of the second half, the visitors pressured the hosts and tried their hardest to get the winner. But they missed several big chances. Portland’s best chance of the second half came from an Evander free-kick that hit the post. A late goal from Timothy Tillman was disallowed due to a foul in the box. The Timbers bent, but they didn’t break. A moral victory but only one point to show for it.

This entire match hinged on Crepeau’s red card. So it’s time for a deep breakdown of it. In order to truly judge the severity of this foul (and it was a foul, there’s no denying it) the entire play must be analyzed.

This is the moment that the initial ball was played. Before the foul occurs, an offside judgment must be made. Keep in mind, this entire play doesn’t go to VAR. I’ll get to that later, but in order for the red card to stand Bouanga has to be judged onside here. The call on the field is onside, and it doesn’t get changed. This is such a difficult call. Is Claudio Bravo playing him onside? I don’t think so. Yes, they’re basically in line here, but Bouanga has a step on Bravo. But he’s judged as onside, so now the foul by Crepeau must be scrutinized. 

There is no doubt in my mind that Crepeau makes contact here. Initially, the referee points to the penalty spot. But the contact occurs outside of the box, so it becomes a free-kick instead. It isn’t violent conduct; it’s just a hard challenge. So how can it be a red card?

Rubiel Vazquez, the center referee, determines this to be a red card because of DOGSO. DOGSO stands for Denial of an Obvious Goal Scoring Opportunity. I think that’s also debatable. Bravo is closing in and he’s in line to make a challenge on Bouanga. But DOGSO is the correct call because of the challenge Crepeau made. If that is in the penalty box, it is a yellow card. Only a couple of inches changed this game. Phil Neville disagreed with the red card, and he cited Bravo’s proximity to the foul as a disqualifier for a red. But it’s not Crepeau’s challenge that is still giving me questions.

Is Bouanga offside? In my mind, it is clear and obvious that he is. It’s an absolute travesty that this play didn’t go to VAR. No replay was shown in the stadium. This is exactly why VAR exists. “We have VAR in this league, but it seems like it doesn’t get used well enough,” Neville said in his post-game presser. “This isn’t a criticism. We want this league to be the best in the world.” The head coach hits the nail on the head here. The VAR official chooses which plays get reviewed. This play had all of the hallmarks of a VAR review, but Joe Dickerson didn’t take a closer look at it. Unacceptable.

While I believe the blame for the red card lies with VAR, Vazquez had himself a busy afternoon in Portland. 8 yellow cards were handed out, with the visitors accumulating 6. But the most persistent fouler on the pitch didn’t see a single card at all. Jesus Murillo is a very physical centerback. But he committed 4 fouls and could have had several more called on him. How many times can a player go over the back of another one without discipline? The first yellow card of the game went to Felipe Mora, who kicked the ball away after the whistle. Evander also saw yellow for the same offense. Ditto for Mateusz Bogusz. As Neville explained in the post-match presser, you have limitations on your game if you are playing on a yellow. Bogusz committed another foul after receiving his yellow, but didn’t see the second card come out. Vazquez had no control over this game. LAFC committed 22 fouls in this game and received 6 yellows. But the worst offender didn’t face any discipline at all. Unacceptable.

*Today, we were all David Ayala. Photo credit to Thomas Lal.*

Now that I’ve gotten the referee stuff out of the way, it’s time to talk about the actual game. The second half is pretty much useless for tactical purposes. The Timbers dropped into a 4-4-1 shape to defend and secured a point against a talented opponent by locking in mentally and counting on LAFC to miss a couple big chances. While the mentality shown was impressive, it can’t really be judged against the rest of the season due to the numerical disadvantage. However, the Timbers were locked in defensively for most of this game, not just after Crepeau was sent off. But today’s main takeaways are about the attack. Despite LAFC’s constant efforts to slow down the Timbers’ rhythm by persistently fouling, Portland was able to successfully spring attacks through long balls and some nice combinations. Antony and Evander combined really well on the right side. Juan Mosquera was able to get in on the attack as well. The Timbers were able to play through LAFC’s press up until Bogusz’s equalizer in the 21st minute. Portland is trying to find a happy medium between a patient possession team and a quick counter-attacking team. Once they can find that balance, they will quickly become one of the most lethal attacks in the league. Against Philadelphia, they threw the same thing at the wall over and over again and it didn’t stick. Here’s a map of what that looked like, in case you forgot. 

Today was different, even with the red card taken into account.

That is what balance looks like, and it illustrates what Claudio Bravo brings to the attack. LAFC’s midfield three is a very good pressing unit, and the Timbers were able to bypass it by utilizing bothwings. But it wasn’t just the fullbacks and wingers who were facilitating this much-improved ball progression.

This is what happens when your number 10 is able to roam freely and find the game. He was equally dangerous from the right and the left today. LAFC had no answer for Evander until the red card. The Brazilian’s attacking abilities were nerfed by the numerical disadvantage, but the Timbers were all set to enter their second gear in the second half. Unfortunately, events played out in a disappointing manner, but that first half was incredibly encouraging. All year inconsistency has plagued this team, but today’s starting lineup was effective in attack and defense. It may have taken almost two months, but I believe Phil Neville has found his most effective XI. It’s a shame that the red card robbed the team of a milestone victory, but the Timbers needed a half like that to sharpen up on their mental tenacity. While the team may be disappointed to only come away with a point, they did put in a quality performance today. And it’s a performance that can only leave the locker room hungrier and wanting more.

Three players get gold stars, and the first one is Evander.

*Photo credit to Thomas Lal.*

My goodness. It seems like everything the Brazilian touches turns into goals. So far in 2024, he has 4 goals and 2 assists in 6 games, including 5 goal contributions in the past 3 games. Today, his brilliance shone in both of his goal contributions. He has become a destroyer of worlds under Phil Neville. The head coach said that Evander is the best player in the Western Conference. Based on his red-hot form, I have to agree. Even after the red card, he was putting in a ton of defensive work despite being hacked to bits. I thought that LAFC was going to man-mark him into oblivion, but he was able to drift around and find the game. A lot of that was due to the Timbers’ ability to play out from the back.

Before I get to his defensive contributions, it’s time to talk about Claudio Bravo’s importance to the Timbers’ attack. His ball-carrying opens up space for the other attackers, and he’s a very good long passer. Sometimes he doesn’t make the right decisions in the short passing game, but the positives of Bravo always outweigh the negatives. He locked down the left side today, and raised his game to a new level after the red card. On Thursday, Neville was unsure whether or not he would start. Bravo ended up playing the full game. The Timbers missed him desperately.

Diego Chara returned to the starting lineup and put in a hell of a shift today. He earned a gold star purely due to the shift that the Timbers made after the red card. Juan Mosquera came off the pitch, and Chara moved over to right back. The steady vet held his own against Omar Campos and Cristian Olivera. He gets the gold star for an excellent shift and his unmatched ability to put the team’s needs above his own. That’s my captain.

Juan Mosquera just missed out on a gold star because of one mistake that could have been catastrophic. In the first half, he fell asleep at the back post and Bouanga fired a point-blank shot over the bar. Outside of that moment, he was excellent. Bouanga is the toughest assignment for any MLS right back, and Mosquera had him in his pocket for the majority of the first half. Because the Timbers did a great job (for the most part) of avoiding midfield turnovers, Mosquera was able to be effective farther up the pitch. His assist to Evander was the best pass he has played all season. He exited with a tight calf, but it was a great performance from one of the most scrutinized players on the team. 

I’m only going to judge Jonathan Rodriguez’s performance before the red card. He was getting fouled to bits, swarmed by defenders every time he touched the ball, but still put in a hell of a shift. It’s a shame that he hasn’t celebrated a win yet with the Timbers. He has certainly put in enough work to earn 3 points. I thought he was dangerous when he could find space on the wing, but there isn’t much else you can do when Jesus Murillo wants you to keep giving him piggyback rides. 

Felipe Mora made his first start of the season and scored in his 3rd consecutive game. Going forward, he has to be starting if he’s fit. He was the unfortunate sub after the red card, and was getting fouled to bits like Rodriguez. Neville’s decision to take him off hinged on the yellow card that he received early in the game. Despite his injury to start 2024, he has carried over his sparkling form from the end of 2023. 

Antony is dealing with a sprained knee ligament, but still gave LAFC defenders fits. With Rodriguez moving to the wing and Mora starting, there’s a lot of competition for the right wing spot. Antony has done nothing to lose that spot. His defensive work was also excellent today, playing a big role in keeping Bouanga contained. Another excellent shift from him.

David Ayala is still working his way back to full fitness, and the entire league needs to watch out whenever he gets there. Today, he was gassed by the 41st minute, and was subbed off at halftime. The Timbers have four starting-quality central midfielders and each of them can play a different role depending on the game state or game plan. But Ayala’s skillset makes him a must-start. Cristhian Paredes is an excellent player to bring on to protect a lead. Eryk Williamson is who you want on the pitch if you’re chasing a goal. But Ayala’s combination of defensive tenacity and excellent passing is a perfect fit for the Timbers right now. “We really believe in him,” Neville said post-game. Me too, coach. Me too. 

James Pantemis had another solid showing off the bench. But sometimes his distribution worried me. It’s not a massive concern, but it is something to note. It’s pretty hard to enter as a substitute goalkeeper, and he did a pretty good job. I don’t expect Crepeau’s red card to be overturned, so he’s in line to make his third start of the season in Columbus next week.

Dairon Asprilla is the only outfield sub that needs to be discussed. He played on both wings, and was constantly harassed. He won both of his aerial duels and was the perfect player to bring on to tighten up the defense. He has fallen out of the wing rotation, but I hope his representation and the Timbers front office can agree on a new contract. He’s going to put in a full shift for however long he’s on the pitch.

Maxime Crepeau received a red card and will miss the next match in Columbus. However, he will be back for the following week’s game. In two weeks, the Timbers are traveling to LA to face LAFC again. No one wanted a win today more than Crepeau, and he sacrificed himself in order to preserve one. Now he has two weeks before he will see the field again, and it will be in a stadium where he is still beloved. He wasn’t afraid to confront his former teammates, and he’s happy to be in Portland. This man needs a clean sheet.

Kamal Miller and Miguel Araujo started their second game together, and I thought they did an admirable job. Miller has had 3 different partners alongside him so far, and he spoke about his partnership with Araujo in the post-game press conference. “It’s growing and getting better and better.” Miller and Araujo are the two best center backs on the ball that the Timbers have, so both of them are crucial to how the Timbers play. Both of them are incredible long passers, but are prone to mistakes in the short passing game. But I’m going to talk about one mistake that they were both responsible for today. On LAFC’s first goal, Araujo steps out of line and creates the space that Bogusz uses to get into the box. Last season, Araujo showed a tendency to step out of line that was very visible in the 5-0 loss in Houston. He’s an aggressive player, and it’s one of the things I like about him. Kamal will learn to cover the space that he vacates. But I think the Timbers have found their first-choice center back pairing for the time being. Dario Zuparic missed today’s game due to “personal reasons” and Zac McGraw is still working his way back from a concussion. For now, it’s going to be hard to break up the Miller-Araujo tandem.

Phil Neville was incredibly proud of the team’s mentality during today’s game. It might seem weird to say, but I think it’s Portland’s second full 90-minute performance of the year. The first was in Houston, where their missed opportunities and one mistake was too much to overcome. Today, Portland had a good first half, but remained strong in the second. 1 point in 2 “full performances” isn’t good enough. Despite their moral victory, the Timbers are still winless in 5 straight games. And with three straight road games to tough environments looming, combined with the horrific luck they have inflicted upon themselves, a win is going to be tough to come by in the next month. But the Timbers know that they can do it. It’s just a matter of actually accomplishing it. 

Time for a table check.

Can you believe that the Timbers have played 8 matches already? The winless streak rolls on. Austin and St. Louis play tonight, and the Timbers will fall out of the playoff positions regardless of the result. But there’s only a four point gap between 2nd and 10th. The season is still young, but we’ve reached the midpoint of the gauntlet.

It seems like I’ve been talking about the upcoming 3-game road-trip for weeks now, but it’s finally here. A trip to the reigning champs next weekend, and then a rematch against LAFC the week after. Charlotte is a tough environment to play in, and a couple of old friends will be there. The Big One is a month away, and that’s an awfully long time to be away from home. Could the Timbers reverse their skid against either of the 2023 MLS Cup participants? Based on today’s game, 3 points in LA isn’t out of the question. But next week’s game is a true exam. Today, the Timbers passed despite the red card. Two straight draws doesn’t look good on paper, but can the team gain some positive momentum from it? At this point, we’ll take anything.

P.S. It’s Sunday morning and I can’t get the Unipiper National Anthem out of my mind. Give him a tuba and invite him back for the Seattle game.