The Paradox

The Timbers dug a hole, and then they climbed out of it. Sound familiar?

The Portland Timbers and St. Louis City SC played a game of soccer and it ended 4-4. It was the dumbest game I have ever seen.

Recap

Portland began the game on the front foot, but the visitors scored the first goal in the 11th minute after a corner kick delivered by Marcel Hartel was headed home by Simon Becher. The Timbers (figuratively) got punched in the mouth and tried their best to remain in control of the game. The team began pushing forward, and the best chance fell to Juan Mosquera in the 29th minute, when his shot was smothered by Roman Burki from point-blank range. However, when so many players are committed forward, a counterattack can be devastating. That’s what happened in the 34th minute, when a 3v2 break led to a crunching tackle from Miguel Araujo and a missed shot from Becher. Referee Ramy Touchan pointed to the penalty spot, and Eduard Lowen struck a perfect penalty past Maxime Crepeau into the top left corner. 2-0. However, the Timbers never know when they’re beaten. In the 39th minute, Santiago Moreno won the ball back near the center circle and passed it to Evander. The Brazilian found Felipe Mora on the right, and Mora delivered a perfect ground cross to Jonathan Rodriguez at the far post who slid it past Burki. 2-1. Portland continued to push forward for the remainder of the first half, but the visitors would add a third before the whistle. In the second minute of stoppage time, Hartel delivered another excellent ball to the top of the box and Cedric Teuchert hit a full volley that deflected off a teammate and beat Crepeau. Two weeks ago, these two teams met in St. Louis and the hosts won 3-1. Now the hosts were visitors, and they took the same scoreline into the halftime locker room.

The Timbers had a plan in the second half: erase the two-goal deficit. Burki was determined to not let that happen. He made another excellent point-blank save on Evander in the opening minute of the half. Burki made another great save on a Mora shot in the 54th minute. Three minutes later, Claudio Bravo delivered an excellent cross to Evander at the far post. The Brazilian won his aerial battle and nodded the ball to Mora, who nodded it to the other far post and pulled one back. 3-2. However, one minute after Mora’s goal, the visitors were pushing up the field again. Nokkvi Thorisson scored a well-struck curler to the far post after a feed from Teuchert, and the two-goal lead was restored for St. Louis. 4-2 in the blink of an eye. But in the 64th minute, the Timbers struck again. Evander tried to beat Burki from outside the box, and the Swiss goalkeeper fumbled the shot right into Mora’s path. The Chilean redirected the loose ball to the far post, and suddenly it was a one-goal game again. 4-3. It could have been 4-4 in the 73rd minute when Rodriguez went down in the box, but Touchan waived off a potential penalty kick and awarded the Uruguayan a yellow card for simulation. More on that later. Another dubious yellow card was awarded to substitute Eryk Williamson for dissent after he complained that the linesman took way too long to raise his flag on an obvious offside. More on that later. It also could have been 4-4 in the 83rd minute. Evander delivered a corner kick into the box and Araujo’s flick-on header found Antony at the back post. He wheeled away in celebration, but the offside flag was up. Upon further review (none of which were shown in the stadium), it was the correct call. 12 minutes of stoppage time were awarded after the substitutions, several medical checks, and general time-wasting from the visitors. The crux of the match came in the 3rd minute of second half stoppage time. Mora and Chris Durkin were battling over a 50/50 ball, and the St. Louis midfielder lost his footing. He fell right in front of Mora, and the Chilean accidentally stepped on his head. Touchan wasted no time showing Mora a straight red card. No VAR review, no second look, just a straight red. Portland would finish the match with 10 men. However, substitute Hosei Kijima fouled Evander in the left channel in the 9th minute of stoppage which put the ensuing free kick in Evander-range. He beat Burki at the near post with another stunning dead-ball effort and tied the game. 4-4. It could have been 5-4 when a couple late corner kicks and a couple of late shots got blocked. Mason Toye was also through on goal when he got tackled from behind with no whistle. More on that later. 4-4 is the final score, and the Portland Timbers kept St. Louis City from getting their first road win.

Officiating

There are two massive takeaways from tonight’s game, and I’m going to start with the officiating. This was the first St. Louis City game officiated by Ramy Touchan, and he was woefully unprepared to deal with the Ravioli Way. St. Louis is a high-pressing team, and their game model involves constant physicality and a willingness to persistently foul to keep their opponents from settling into a rhythm. When the halftime whistle blew, St. Louis had out-fouled Portland 10-4, with multiple challenges going uncalled. The game ended with St. Louis out-fouling the Timbers 22-12. Portland was more harshly disciplined than the visitors, receiving 4 yellow cards and 1 red card compared to the Ravioli’s 3 yellow cards. For multiple reasons, this game necessitated questions from the designated pool reporter. Pool reporters are members of the media who are allowed to ask referees three questions about various decisions that they made during the game. One of those questions had to do with the stark contrast between discipline and called fouls. 

“St. Louis was called for 21 fouls and only shown three yellow cards, while Portland was only called for 11 fouls and shown four yellow cards and one red card. Can you explain the discrepancy?”

The written response of the referee (questions can be asked orally or they can be written down; we chose to ask the questions in written form today) was this:

“Misconduct is issued for various infractions. The ratio of fouls is not the sole determinant of misconduct.”

This answer absolutely infuriates me. Yes, it is technically correct. Some fouls hold more weight than others. But there is a category of yellow card that I have already gone into serious depth about: persistent infringement. Per IFAB:

Some of these offenses are pretty consistent between officiating crews. But persistent infringement is never consistent at any level; especially MLS. Two St. Louis players committed four fouls without seeing a yellow card: Simon Becher and Eduard Lowen. Given the style that St. Louis employ, and as someone who is knowledgeable about that style, I would instantly start handing out yellows when a player reaches his 3rd foul of the game. If there is no punishment for repeated fouling, why is this game even being played? Portland received four yellow cards tonight. The first was Araujo’s which resulted in the penalty. Yes, it was a harsh challenge, and he didn’t get ball, but he was going for it and it wasn’t violent enough to be worthy of a red card. I agree with the awarding of the yellow card to Araujo. The other three are far more dubious. Evander put in a hard challenge on Henry Kessler in St. Louis’ box, and got booked for it. It was his first foul of the game. I think that’s a little ludicrous. Eryk Williamson had the most laughable yellow card of the day. A ball was played over the top to an obviously-offside Becher and the flag did not go up. Instead, the play was allowed to progress and reach completion (a missed chance) before the linesman raised the flag. That same linesman had shown a rather quick trigger during similar situations earlier in the game, and Williamson took offense to the delayed offside call. He is perfectly within reason to have an issue with any delayed offside call. Choosing to keep the flag down in an obvious offside situation is dangerous for any player on the field. Touchan decided to show him a card anyway. But the last yellow card is the most consequential one. It was so important that one of the pool questions was dedicated to it.

“Rodriguez was shown a yellow card in the 73rd minute, was his conduct worthy of a booking for simulation?”

Touchan’s response was terse. 

“In the 73rd minute, #10 St. Louis made no contact with #14 Portland. Any contact was initiated by #14 Portland.”

The broadcast only showed one replay, and Lowen definitely made contact with Rodriguez. Does the Uruguayan oversell it? Yes. But the referee’s assertion that Lowen made ZERO contact with Rodriguez is incorrect! The German midfielder comes in from the right and does get a foot in! Rodriguez, by definition, cannot initiate contact here. There is contact, so there shouldn’t be a card for this play, despite Rodriguez’s embellishment of how bad the contact is. Lowen does initiate the contact! This specific yellow card is very important because Rodriguez was on a yellow card warning for tonight. If he received a yellow card, he would be suspended for the next game. That suspension will now be served against the Seattle Sounders next Saturday. What a joke.

The biggest call of the night ended up being the red card shown to Felipe Mora in second-half stoppage time. It ended up being the final question posed to the officiating crew.

“Felipe Mora was shown a red card in the 90+3 minute, what was the reason for his sending off?”

Like his response to the question about Rodriguez’s yellow, Touchan decided to get straight to the point.

“#9 Portland was sent off for violent conduct.”

I take serious issue with this call. Mora and St. Louis midfielder Chris Durkin were both racing to a loose ball. Durkin won the race and headed the ball away but lost his footing in the process. This caused him to fall right in front of Mora, who was still watching the ball and accidentally stepped on Durkin’s head. This begs the question: what is the definition of violent conduct in this situation?

Technically, the first criteria for violent conduct is met by Mora’s challenge. But it isn’t even a challenge, it’s incidental contact. He is still trying to look for the ball and he isn’t purposely trying to harm his opponent by initiating contact to the head. It just kind of happens. If that play is actually a red card in the year 2024, the game is gone. As Phil Neville said post-game: “That’s just football.” I’m really interested to see what the Disciplinary Committee’s ruling for this red card is because the Timbers are definitely going to appeal. However, as it stands, both Mora and Rodriguez are suspended for next week’s rivalry game. I am at a loss for words.

There was one penalty awarded to St. Louis and it was the right call. I’ve already gone over it. However, like the missed penalty at the end of the Vancouver game, the Timbers will be haunted by another missed penalty that could have given them the win. After Evander’s spectacular free kick tied the game, they kept pushing for the winner despite being down a man. One late corner kick in the 13th minute of stoppage time came into the box but got cleared. However, the Timbers won the ball back and found Araujo on the edge of the box. The Peruvian flicked the ball behind him to an on-rushing Mason Toye. Kyle Hiebert was marking Toye, and pulled him to the ground with two hands before Toye could get a touch on the ball. He made no attempt to play the ball. That’s a definite penalty. It wasn’t called by the officiating crew. To be fair, Touchan was nowhere near the play and I don’t expect him to make that call from his position. But that is exactly why VAR exists and why it needs to be used in a situation like that. VAR official Younes Marrkachi decided not to send Touchan to the monitor. Unacceptable. 

This is a lot to write about the referees, and originally I didn’t want to use the referees as an excuse. But I want to be clear: this is not an excuse for the team’s performance tonight. There is still no excuse for the brutal conduct of the visitors. In his post-game press conference, head coach Phil Neville said that Jonathan Rodriguez has a 6-inch gash on his shin. That injury was not a natural occurrence. Neville specifically called out the lack of a VAR intervention on Mora’s red card. He wants MLS to be the best league it can be, and he understands that referees are often limited by the resources they have at their disposal. However, some of those resources that they do have aren’t being used to the fullest extent. Neville referenced a two-hour meeting that every club goes to during preseason at Coachella where referees explain how they’re going to officiate games in the upcoming season. After tonight, Neville has some thoughts on that meeting: “We’re not going to that one next year.”

The Takeaway

Now, that’s a lot of words about the refereeing. It might be too many words now that I think about it. But the officials did play a large role in tonight’s game. However, it is no excuse for the Portland Timbers’ performance. In many ways, this is the defining game of the 2024 season so far. Portland was down 2-0, then 3-1, and finally 4-2. Despite going down multiple goals THREE TIMES, they were able to come back and earn a result. Such a wild game has got me thinking about the big picture, and no game is more “big picture” than tonight’s. A paradox has been posed to everyone who is a fan of the Portland Timbers. This team is very good at digging holes. But they are also very good at climbing out of those holes. Even their form has matched the way they play a single game of soccer. They go down in the first half (much like the run from March to early May that saw them sink to last place in the Western Conference) but then they refuse to be beaten and get back in the game (the unbeaten streak and strong performances before Leagues Cup). It is now baked into the DNA of this team: they will never give up and refuse to be beaten. But there’s a very important question to be answered: should we (as fans and supporters) be thrilled with their fighting spirit and refusal to surrender or should we be irate because they keep digging themselves into holes?

Early in the season, it was a lot easier to be happy with this team and their never-say-die attitude. It was a refreshing change from the latter years of Giovanni Savarese’s tenure. 2022 and 2023 were punctuated by embarrassing losses by multiple goals. Across all competitions in 2024, the Timbers have only lost 3 games by multiple goals. All of them have been 2-goal losses. There aren’t any embarrassments any more. I find that admirable and a testament to the mentality that Phil Neville has tried so hard to cultivate. 

However, it is almost September, and this pattern has persisted for far too long. In three of their last five games, the Timbers have trailed by multiple goals. They lost two of them. And the goals that they concede are painfully preventable. Let’s look at tonight’s offering. The first goal (Becher’s header from a corner kick) was absolutely silly. He is a big boy and there was no one marking him at the near post! Lowen’s penalty occurred because Portland was woefully outnumbered on a counterattack and Araujo made a reckless foul on Becher. The third goal was flukier than the other ones, but a defender still has to put in a strong block on Teuchert’s volley. No one did, and Crepeau was left to the mercy of that deflection. The fourth goal is probably the worst. Right after conceding, the Timbers allowed St. Louis to progress the ball to the top of their box, complete two passes to move it from left to right, and not close down Nokkvi Thorisson before he was able to get his shot off. Yes, it’s a quality finish, but it fits the pattern. Portland has been conceding medium-range goals all season because their defenders are unable to challenge a shooter in time. That has to be fixed. Because so many of these goals are conceded using the same repeatable patterns from the entirety of the season, the luster of the comebacks has begun to fade. Playing games like this is no longer acceptable. These defensive mistakes are no longer “accidents,” they are a feature of the system. It’s a hard truth, but it must be said. When the Timbers are conceding four goals AT HOME, alarm bells must be rung. The last time the Timbers allowed four goals at home their rivals ran off the pitch and back to the sad fishing village they came from with gigantic smiles on their faces. Unlike that game, all of the goals in this game were mostly preventable. There were no worldies or outstanding team goals. They are still struggling with the basics. In August, that is unacceptable.

Portland controlled the game in open play, but every turnover could have resulted in a goal for the visitors. That’s not good!

The Timbers failed to control the big moments, and St. Louis was able to capitalize. They outshot the hosts 31-13 and won the possession battle 60-40. Technically, the Timbers had another dominant second half; very similar to the Minnesota game. In the second half, Portland outshot St. Louis 16-3 and won the xG battle 1.74-0.13. This makes St. Louis’ 4th goal (scored one minute after the Timbers scored their second) absolutely infuriating. They barely had a kick but were still able to capitalize. Do I think St. Louis is an attacking juggernaut? No! Especially not from open play! But they scored three goals from dead ball scenarios and one goal right after kickoff. The Timbers have been unable to control the biggest moments, and that does not bode well for a deep playoff run.

Player Ratings

For all of my recaps going forward, I’m going to give each player a number rating out of 10 for their performance. I’ve been a bit stubborn with my old way of recapping games and I feel like a bit of simplicity is always welcome.

Maxime Crepeau: 5.5

It is physically impossible to get a higher score than this when you concede four goals, but Crepeau doesn’t take the largest amount of blame for any of the shots that got by him tonight. The calls for James Pantemis will never cease, and Crepeau didn’t inspire anyone with his performance. He’s doing the best that he can with all of the structural problems in the defense.

Juan Mosquera: 6.5

Was Juan incredible today? No, he wasn’t, but he also wasn’t bad. I’m more concerned with his temperament after he allowed some St. Louis players to bait him into some scuffles. However, it’s perfectly natural to get angry at people who have been constantly fouling your teammates and receiving almost zero repercussions for it.

Miguel Araujo: 5.5

This may seem a bit harsh, but that penalty took a solid 7 to a 5.5. A completely unnecessary challenge that didn’t accomplish anything. I was very happy with his aerial work today, particularly in the attacking area of the pitch. It was a step back for him after some excellent games. 

Dario Zuparic: 7.5

Excellent game from Zuparic. 2 tackles, 2 clearances, 2 interceptions, 5/7 long balls, 5/7 aerial duels, 5/5 ground duels, and zero fouls committed. He entered tonight with a yellow card warning and held the backline together.

Claudio Bravo: 7

I do think that Bravo was at fault for the 4th goal, but it was a good finish and he almost got there in time to block the shot. I was impressed with his work rate and contribution to the attack. Pretty good game from the left back.

Diego Chara: 6.5

Portland was able to control the midfield, but Chara was not as his best once again. Whenever possession was lost, the Timbers were instantly on the back foot. Chara’s waning speed left the Timbers very open on the counter. I thought he did a good job of helping the Timbers keep possession, but it was the right move to sub him off for Eryk Williamson. 

David Ayala: 8

Forget the attacking exploits. It is worth tuning in to watch the Timbers every week because of Ayala’s brilliance. Tonight he completed 12/13 long balls, created 3 chances, and refused to let St. Louis (a team consisting of very big boys) bully him around. He won both of his attempted tackles and made 7 recoveries. These types of outings are becoming the norm for him, and he’s only going to get better.

Santiago Moreno: 7.5

I was insanely frustrated with Moreno in the first half. He tried to do too much and wasn’t able to be a positive influence on the game with the ball at his feet. However, even though his attacking work was poor, his defensive work continued to be outstanding. He was a lot better on the ball in the second half and probably deserved a goal involvement.

Jonathan Rodriguez: 8

Entering tonight’s game, no one needed a goal more than the Uruguayan. And he got one after Mora was able to find him at the back post! Note to the rest of the team: keep trying to find him at the back post. He will be there. I think his yellow card was very harsh, and the Timbers will miss him next week against Seattle.

Evander: 9

Like Ayala, these types of performances are the new norm for Evander. He did everything in the attack and showed his DP-quality with another stunning free kick. He is now the fastest Timbers player to reach 20g/20a; doing it in his 48th game for the club. For context, Diego Valeri needed 62 games to reach that mark. He is a special, special player and he isn’t in it for the personal glory. “I don’t think about statistics. I just think about the team.” 

Felipe Mora: 9.5

Tonight’s Man of the Match goes to Mora. The assist to Rodriguez was absolute perfection. His movement in the box made him a constant thorn in the side of the visitors. I’m not going to hold the red card against him. Another game with no hat-trick, although Mora did come close. He had a chance in first-half stoppage that he created with some excellent defensive work, and only some more excellent defensive work kept him from making it 3-2 before the break. He also had a good chance in the second half that was smothered by Roman Burki. By the way, Burki was easily St. Louis’ best player. I think using a DP spot for a goalkeeper is rather frivolous, but I can see why the Raviolis have done it with Burki. He has actually lived up to the hype.

Final Whistle

Make no mistake about it: this was an ugly game. The Timbers dug themselves a hole and almost couldn’t climb out of it. But they did get back to the surface and were able to save face. How does the table look?

This was probably the most winnable game for the next month. The Portland Timbers did not win it. Other teams around them have been strengthening their roster and priming themselves for a stretch run. The Timbers are still figuring out how to defend a corner kick. But there are 8 games left and the Timbers know how small the margin for error is. The Seattle Sounders come to town next week and the Timbers will (likely) not have Felipe Mora or Jonathan Rodriguez available. You hear that? We’ve got them right where we want them. The climb continues.