No Mercy For The Children

4 goals, 3 points, and an unhappy Kid's Day for the hosts.

*Cover photo credit to Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers.*

For the first time since 2018, the Portland Timbers have won a game at Children’s Mercy Park. But that’s not all. For the first time since 2013, they won a regular-season game at Children’s Mercy Park! For the second time in 3 games, they scored at least 3 goals on the road! And they’ve won 2 out of their last 3 road games, while drawing the third! That’s a 3-match unbeaten streak away from Providence Park!

Recap

The fireworks got started 10 minutes into the game. A short corner kick was dribbled into the box by David Da Costa and fired across the face of goal. The other David (Ayala) decided to engage in a bit of box-crashing and slammed the ball home from just outside the six-yard box. 1-0 Portland. However, a dubious foul call on Diego Chara gave SKC a free kick from the “danger area” outside the 18 yard box on the right wing. Shapi Suleymanov sent a dangerous ball into the box that didn’t get touched by a single Timber and nestled into the back of the net. Far from optimal. 1-1, 16 minutes in. But the Timbers weren’t undone by this simple mistake. In the 26th minute, Ayala received a short pass from Antony and began to drive towards the box. He took a shot with his (weaker) right foot, and a helpful deflection from Kevin Kelsy put it past John Pulskamp for a 2-1 lead. However, some nonsense was bound to happen.

In the 30th minute, a cross from Suleymanov was punched away by James Pantemis. That punch didn’t effectively clear the ball, so Daniel Salloi recovered it and fired a shot from a tight angle that Pantemis bobbled but then collected. Meanwhile, Suleymanov was down behind the play. Upon replay, it became clear that a late challenge came in from Antony on the Russian winger. That tackle involved Antony making a “stomp” on Suleymanov’s foot with the studs of his boot. The VAR official recommended a review, and it was sent to the monitor. The call on the field was changed to penalty, and Dejan Joveljic Panenka’d Pantemis in the 33rd minute to level the score at 2.

SKC held onto momentum until halftime. There was one (actually two) notable incidents that took place before the whistle blew, but I’ll get to them later. Most importantly, the Timbers took the lead twice in the first half and surrendered it both times. How they responded in the opening minutes of the second half would set the tone for the rest of the game.

Does scoring a goal within the first five minutes of the second half set the tone? Yes it does! In the 49th minute, Antony picked the pocket of SKC CB Jensen Miller just inside the box. He quickly played the ball to Kelsy, whose calm finish gave the Timbers a lead for a third time. But they weren’t done. In the 54th minute, David Da Costa’s corner kick was headed on target by Ayala. Pulskamp was forced into making a good save, but the ball stayed in bounds. Kelsy was first on the scene, and he played the ball back across the face of goal. Miller lunged for the cross and beat Finn Surman to the ball. But his touch ended up in the back of his own net. 4-2. Two quick goals in five minutes. The rest of the game was spent on cruise control, for the most part. SKC’s body language began to falter, but the Timbers were unable to add onto their lead. The hosts did get another chance after Claudio Bravo shoved Stephen Afrifa over in the box in second-half stoppage time and SKC was awarded their second penalty of the game. However, Pantemis saved Joveljic’s shot from the spot and the scoreline held. Despite the wildness of the first half, the Timbers kept their composure in the second. SKC did not do the same.

More Referee Nonsense

I hate doing this. I hate when the officiating becomes the main story. Today was Pierre-Luc Lauziere’s second time refereeing a Timbers game this year. The first was the 3-1 victory against Houston. I didn’t write about his impact on that game in the recap, but it’s plastered all over my notes. A couple of dubious yellow cards and a lack of persistent infringement enforcement (looking at you, Awodesu) were very frustrating. But that poor outing is nothing compared to what unfolded in the Sunflower State this afternoon.

Let’s begin with the yellow cards, but with an emphasis on the bigger picture. Fotmob isn’t the gospel for every bit of data, but their foul counts are very accurate. According to Fotmob, the Timbers rank 22nd out of 30 MLS teams in fouls per game. On average, they are committing 11.5 fouls per match. But they have accrued the FIFTH-MOST yellow cards with TWENTY cautions being shown to Timbers players in 2025. That’s an average of one yellow card per every 4.6 fouls. LAFC, for example, is committing the same amount of fouls per match as Portland. They have received TEN yellow cards this season. That’s HALF the amount that the Timbers have. Now, every foul is of a different severity, but it’s absolutely WILD to me that the Portland Timbers are not getting the benefit of the doubt in regards to the whistle and the card.

Before the season began, I wrote about how I wanted the team to be more aggressive and impose themselves on games. I haven’t noticed any change in that aspect of play, but they’re still being punished to the fullest extent of the law. They’re being more aggressive in their shape, but not in the tackle. I don’t think that’s a bad thing! I just wanted a little more physicality. They shouldn’t be punished routinely by receiving cautions for relatively plain fouls. A yellow card needs to actually mean something. Sure, the Timbers can commit hard fouls, but I’ve never seen a team get cautioned for so many routine challenges that go awry. Once teams realize this, it gives them extra incentive to “sell” the fouls that they receive from Timbers players. Look at today’s game for more evidence. If one team believes that they will never get the benefit of the doubt, it becomes a self-repeating cycle that takes a lot of evidence to the contrary to overturn. In this case, the Timbers do not need any additional evidence. They already know that it won’t go in their favor. And they can do nothing to change that fact.

Meanwhile, three moments from this match warrant further scrutiny. The first is SKC’s first penalty kick, which was awarded after VAR noticed a foul from Antony in the buildup to a missed chance. Now, I’ve already seen some people try to compare this situation to the travesty that occurred against the Galaxy. The frosting might look the same, but the cake is completely different.

The Asterisk was produced by a referee willingly noticing the foul and playing an advantage. It was the referee’s decision to make up a completely nonsense reason to avoid giving a penalty to the Portland Timbers. However, today’s situation was different. Lauziere didn’t notice how severe the contact from Antony was. It took an alert VAR official to properly alert him to the severity of the foul and direct him to the monitor. For the record, this was the correct move. If that kind of foul occurred against the Timbers, a penalty should absolutely be awarded. It has to happen both ways. That kind of consistency is what I desire from referees. But would Lauziere and the VAR crew keep that same level of consistency throughout the entire match? Well, what do you think?

Although this is a pretty natural transition to the biggest sin of the officiating crew, some context needs to be added. When Antony committed the foul that led to a penalty, he was on a yellow card. I thought that he was incredibly lucky to avoid getting a second yellow on that challenge, but another card wasn’t shown. I’ve seen yellows and even reds (more on that later) be awarded for similar challenges. But Antony stayed on the pitch, and that decision led to this:

Antony stepped on Suleymanov’s foot. Penalty given. However, any studs to the leg is an immediate red card. Fernandez got away with murder here. All around the world (mostly in a controversial fashion) any contact from the studs of the boot to the leg of an opponent is an instant red card. It’s unsafe. It’s incredibly dangerous. It’s careless. IT SHOULD BE A RED CARD. IT HAS TO BE A RED CARD. Even color commentator Lloyd Sam is adamant about the severity of this foul. This play didn’t go to the monitor. But Antony’s late step did, despite the massive difference between both levels of contact. Goodbye, consistency.

However, that wasn’t the most infuriating action that occurred in the final minutes of the first half.

I’m tired of watching the SAME EXACT thing happen COUNTLESS times over the course of a season. The Timbers never get the benefit of the doubt in this situation. If they’re defending, there is no whistle. If they’re attacking, there is one. This could have been Portland’s best counterattack of the night, sprung by an excellent James Pantemis long ball. Instead, it gets thrown on the scrap heap. What a waste.

This game necessitated pool reporter questions, so I collaborated with Kansas City Star reporter Daniel Sperry to submit them. Both of us shared the same three questions, which is a pretty big indictment of PRO when both sides agree that both teams have been hard done by the officials. The bigger indictment, however, was told in the responses.

Prior to the season, it was announced that no follow-up questions would be allowed. So the expectations became complete and thoughtful answers from the officiating crew. I don’t have a problem with the answer to the first question regarding Fernandez’s tackle on Antony. Yes, it’s the wrong answer and completely ignores the rule that they’re supposed to enforce, but it’s worded properly and at least it ANSWERS the question that was asked. The second question is the best one because it meets the bare minimum requirements. Fair enough. However, that third response drives me INSANE.

Pool reporter questions can only be asked in a 15-minute period after the final whistle blows. In this case, let’s set the time of asking between 1:25 and 1:40 PM (Pacific time). Both Mr. Sperry and myself weren’t notified of a response until approximately 2:40 PM. That’s a difference of ONE HOUR (using the nicest possible estimate) to respond to THREE questions. When one of those answers is COPY-PASTED, it is utterly infuriating. Both questions relating to Antony’s penalty foul are asking about two separate things. Under no circumstances should the answers be the same. Under no circumstances should one answer be COPIED AND PASTED to the other question.

Pool reporters should not have to ask questions of the refereeing crew. If the system is working correctly and the referees are COMPETENT this should only be used in the most extreme of circumstances. For a league that claims that their referees are “the best in the world” you’d think that they could at least answer the simplest of questions or even READ them. Congratulations! You have made it through a significant portion of this article! You are an excellent reader! PRO, meanwhile, can’t even read three questions!

What nonsense. It’s also worth reminding everyone that there is absolutely no accountability for the officials. They can respond to these questions however they want and that’s the end of it. What a failure. A complete, abject failure for the “best in the world.”

Quick aside: After watching Antony’s penalty foul, I went back and viewed Felipe Mora’s “very bad” red-card foul against St. Louis. It’s the same f***ing foul. Even though both calls being enforced correctly (yellows to both Mora and Antony) would be detrimental to Portland, refereeing consistency is far more important than the result of a game. Mostly because those referees directly influence the outcome of games! This is way too much space and words devoted to referees, but I need to keep doing it because THEY DON’T LEARN AND SHOW NO DESIRE TO IMPROVE. What a joke.

Set Pieces

Good things and bad things happened on set pieces today. The Timbers scored twice from recycled corner kicks. As a result, they deserve further attention.

The arrows are back, and this one is pointing to the eventual goalscorer.

Now Ayala is crashing the box, and he’ll be in the perfect position to latch on the end of Da Costa’s cross. Simple, yet effective.

The second corner kick goal (Portland’s fourth) doesn’t require the same amount of breakdown. It was constructed in a similar way to the first goal but with one major difference: Kevin Kelsy hunting down a second ball rather than creating the chance with a short corner. In addition, it was counted as an own goal even though Finn Surman was in the right spot to put it home if it wasn’t for Miller’s intervention.

I’d classify their other two goals as “opportunistic.” But it takes a smart and aware team to capitalize on opportunistic situations. The Timbers did that. Fair play. Technically, they outscored SKC 2-1 on set pieces today. I could go into detail about that concession, but I don’t think it’s needed at this moment in time. I view it in the same way that I view the winner against Austin earlier this season. A difficult ball into the box that the defense couldn’t deal with. Except this was a higher quality ball, and none of the defenders (particularly Ian Smith and Kelsy, who were both in good positions) made a play on the ball. Unfortunate, but not a repeatable pattern of play from Portland’s set piece defense this season. Just an untimely switch-off.

The Underlying Numbers

I’d like to take a brief detour to discuss expected goals. During this game, SKC won the xG battle 2.17-1.18. However, those numbers are very misleading. The Timbers committed two penalty fouls, and the combined xG from those chances measured out at 1.6 xG. That means that the Timbers only allowed 0.57 NON-PENALTY expected goals. The defense is fine. The only problem is their continued insistence to give away penalty kicks. Gotta stop that. After today’s game, the Timbers have conceded 4 penalties (the most in MLS). However, it’s absolutely wild that only 1 of those has been scored against them.

Player Ratings

James Pantemis: 9

Well, if you’re James Pantemis, it isn’t that wild. Only a Panenka and a difficult free kick could beat the Canadian today. His stops included several 1v1 chances that he smothered. In addition, I’m giving him a ton of credit for that long ball to Santiago Moreno that should’ve resulted in a good counter-attacking chance. There was a potential penalty shout on the goalkeeper in the 19th minute, but no foul was given after the contact was deemed “appropriate.” Another outstanding performance from Portland’s unquestioned starting goalkeeper. During the last home game against Houston, people brought pairs of pants and hoisted them up on flagpoles. Is it possible to put ballpoint pens inside the pockets of those pants? James Pen-temis. The man collects nicknames. Just like how he collects penalty kicks.

Juan Mosquera: 6.5

This is going to sound weird, but I thought Mosquera was largely anonymous today. I guess he did a good job holding his position, but I recall a couple of times that Surman was telling him to get in a different spot. His on-ball contributions were fine, but they didn’t lead to any big chances. However, he made 7 recoveries, 4 clearances, and completed 2 dribbles. I think his performance looks better on the stat sheet, but I don’t think it was bad at all. Maybe “anonymous” is the wrong word. How does “industrious” work?

Finn Surman: 8

I think that Surman was seriously tested today, and he passed with a solid B. Manu Garcia’s cheeky passes proved troublesome for the Timbers’ backline, but Surman did an excellent job of reacting in time to balls being played in behind. That can’t be said of every moment, but it can be said of most. Although the defense didn’t keep a clean sheet, Surman was not at fault for any of KC’s goals.

Kamal Miller: 6.5

The stats are telling me that Miller’s distribution was fine but his defense was lacking. I think both were less than optimal, but not necessarily bad. The Canadian has a bad habit of failing to recognize pressure, which leads to poor turnovers in Portland’s defensive third. However, his passing was pretty metronomic outside of the aforementioned giveaways. I would have liked to see him attempt more long balls given that he completed 3 out of 5 today. He is still entrenched in the starting lineup.

Ian Smith: 5.8

Maybe I should be branching out a little more with these numbers. I predicted a start for the rookie in today’s game, but the matchup on the wing against Suleymanov proved to be a little too much for him. He was consistently late in the challenge and wasn’t impressive with the ball at his feet. This includes his failure to cut out Suleymanov’s free kick. Plus he picked up a yellow card. I don’t think that challenge was worthy of a yellow card based on the balance of play, but I can see why it would be given. It was the right decision to take him off at halftime. However, it was his first start at left back, so I’ll give him a bit of breathing room.

David Ayala: 9.5

“He’s the best midfielder in MLS.” That’s what Phil Neville said after Ayala’s star turn in today’s game. While I don’t share the head coach’s penchant for superlatives, I think it’s time to add one of my own: David Ayala is, without a doubt, the most underrated midfielder in MLS.

How many players can say that they’re strong in the tackle, good with the ball at their feet, harbor an extensive passing range, aren’t afraid to shoot from distance, positionally sound, possess an outstanding work rate, AND are an asset in the air? David Ayala checks all of those boxes. Today’s game was a display of greatness. Let’s see how it matches up historically.

For today’s Stathead comparison, our data points are as follows: 1 goal, 1 assist, 8 long balls completed, 7 recoveries, 1 successful dribble.

That’s some impressive company. He joins Sebastian Blanco as the only other Timber to record a statline of this magnitude. I don’t think I can praise him enough.

Diego Chara: 6.5

With Ayala doing a ton of the engine work, Chara was able to pick his spots to get stuck in. Of course, one of those opportunities resulted in a yellow card. Like Mosquera, I thought he was industrious today. But nothing really stood out aside from the yellow card.

Antony: 7.7

The two biggest non-scoring moments of the match revolved around the Brazilian, and I’ve already given my take on them. But it was his own initiative that allowed the Timbers to take the lead at the beginning of the second half. Once again, his defensive work-rate is the best amongst the front line. It begs the question of who will clear the way for Jonathan Rodriguez when he returns to the starting lineup. That’s not my problem to solve, but Antony is not making the choice easy for Neville.

I wanted to give him an 8, but the yellow card and the penalty made me think otherwise. However, because he redeemed his mistake with the penalty, I’m willing to bump up his score a bit from 7.5. I like seeing that kind of drive and mentality. I’m sure that Neville does too.

Santiago Moreno: 6

Meanwhile, Moreno had his second rough outing in a row. I liked his defensive work, but his decision-making in the attacking third is still an issue. However, I did like how he wasn’t afraid to try shots from distance. It would’ve been nice if any of them hit the target, but I can applaud the thought process. Despite Antony’s yellow card, Moreno was the first winger to be substituted. I think that says a lot.

David Da Costa: 8.3

Portuguese Dave did an excellent job with creation. He led the team with 4 chances created and showed some pretty good chemistry with Jonathan Rodriguez during their first competitive match as teammates. Da Costa completed 2 (out of 5) dribbles, including one that led to Ayala’s goal. You know what? Time to take a detour.

The Underlying Numbers: Part Two

During this game, the Timbers registered 4 completed passes into the box. That takes their season total to 35, which is the lowest mark in the league. I was slightly concerned about this number heading into this game, but it wasn’t the main focus of my worries. However, after a poor statistical showing in this category, I think it’s time to have a brief talk about it.

Portland also has the second-fewest touches in the box. It’s clear that they haven’t played their best XI yet, but these numbers are discouraging. For reference, last year’s Timbers finished with the 13th-most touches in the box. Those numbers were boosted by Jonathan Rodriguez, who had 182 (3rd-most in MLS). Now that Rodriguez has returned to the team, I expect both of these numbers to rise up. Da Costa will have an elite, goal-dangerous outlet on the left wing. Not that Antony isn’t, but Rodriguez is much more aggressive with the ball at his feet.

Da Costa, Resumed

While his creativity was on full display, Portuguese Dave had 4 major chances to score his first open-play goal for the club. 3 of those shots found the target, but the fourth was blazed over the crossbar. Sooner or later, one of those chances will go in. The numbers say so. But it has to be frustrating.

Kevin Kelsy: 8.7

If a player scores a goal, but he doesn’t intend to score a goal, does it count? Yes it does! When Ayala’s weak-footed effort deflected off of Kelsy’s knee, the Venezuelan immediately wheeled away in celebration. I asked him how it felt to unintentionally score a goal, and he responded with the most striker answer possible: “A goal is a goal.” Correct. His second goal did not fall into the same category. I’d call it a “professional” finish. Neville called it a “really good” finish. However, the broadcast cameras picked up Neville scolding the young Venezuelan for playing a “fancy pass” that led to a turnover. First of all, I am pro-flair. I like seeing confident players, and most flair comes from confidence. However, Neville is correct in this situation. It’s one thing for the flair to be productive, but in this case it was detrimental. Picking the right spots to showcase your skills is of the utmost importance.

Kelsy was obviously gassed when he exited the game in the 76th minute. He scored the 62nd brace in club history, and his first in Major League Soccer. The hat-trick wait continues. Of course it does.

Claudio Bravo: 7.1

The Argentine didn’t start today’s game, but he put in a very good shift off the bench. I thought his defensive work was good, and his attacking output was great. However, he did give away a bad penalty in second half stoppage time. I thought it was a bit soft, but he was late in the challenge. He made the most of his time on the field, for better and worse.

Cristhian Paredes: 7.5

When you enter the game up two goals, defense is the top priority. That’s exactly what The Closer provided. I thought it would be an opportunity for Joao Ortiz to get some more playing time, but I’m not upset about Paredes’ cameo. Solid and effective. The Closer special.

Jonathan Rodriguez: 7

Consider this a warm-up for the Uruguayan. He spent 25 minutes of this game building up more match fitness. He created one big chance and put his lone shot on target. I’ve already mentioned how his return to the team will be a huge boost to the team’s attack. Not just from goals, but to the danger inside the box. Great to see him back on the pitch.

Ariel Lassiter: 5

Within two minutes of entering this game, Lassiter committed back-to-back fouls. Both of them were needless, and the second one resulted in a yellow card. He was replacing Antony, who was already on a yellow card. You’d think that “try not to get a yellow” would be a pretty big deal in a game like today. Outside of that, he didn’t do much.

Felipe Mora: 6.5

Simply put, he did what was necessary. I didn’t notice anything extraordinary, but I liked what he did on and off the ball.

Table Time

Congratulations to the Portland Timbers for being the only other Western Conference team besides Minnesota on a 5-game unbeaten streak. If The Asterisk is taken into account, the Timbers would be in second place. Unbelievable. Not only are they 4th in the West, they have a 2-1-1 record away from home. And they’re only getting stronger. Make no mistake about it. This was a game that they should have won. They won it! You know what? I think a second table is needed.

Say hello to the Supporters’ Shield table. If The Asterisk was taken into account, they’d be in 3rd and only two points behind Vancouver. That game is not going to go away, whether you like it or not. This does beg the question: are the Timbers actually good?

Final Whistle

To me, it doesn’t matter whether or not the Portland Timbers are a “good” team. Winning games is the most important thing. You don’t have to be a good team to win games, but it does help. SKC is not a good team. The Timbers went to Children’s Mercy Park and took care of business. That’s something that they have NEVER done in their MLS history. They have never traveled to Kansas City with the expectations of winning and actually done the damn thing. After a first half full of adversity, they immediately took control within the first 10 minutes of half number two. Dare I say proper mentality?

Today was Kid’s Day at Children’s Mercy Park. It was a wonderfully sunny day in Kansas, and children were encouraged to come spend the day at the stadium. Here’s a list of all the special activities that were planned for today’s game.

On the surface, this is a nice gesture from the club. An early Sunday game is a perfect opportunity to hold a family-centric themed game. However, that all ended when the soccer started.

Children weren’t just present in the stands, they were on the pitch. Jensen Miller and Jacob Bartlett didn’t have the best day today. I hope that a couple of popsicles were saved for them. Kevin Kelsy, the second-youngest player on the pitch, celebrated Kid’s Day with a brace. Per my on-the-ground correspondent @JoshBathtub (also a cohost on Box State Footy’s Outside the Box podcast) today’s game was the highest attended match of the young season. This included all the kids, who had to witness the angry grumbles of their fellow fans throughout the second half. The children were shown no mercy at Children’s Mercy. You have to respect it. This sport can be brutal. Better to get them used to the disappointment early.

This is a really good start to April. But their upcoming schedule still features more road games than home games. Next weekend’s match against LAFC is another litmus test. So is a trip to the still-winless Galaxy. In between the San Jose game and the reverse fixture of today’s match, an Open Cup game will be played against an undetermined opponent. 8 out of 34 matches have been played; pretty much a quarter of the league schedule. The Timbers have done an excellent job in these early weeks to secure results and stack points. Time to go win more games. The climb continues.