Tag Archives: Defense
Good ideas… all night… lead to 6-nil romp over Alpha United
The vision of Portland players last night was superb – I lost track on all the ‘good ideas’ I saw but at least six of them resulted in six goals. For those new to the phrase ‘good idea’ – it’s not about assists – it’s about players having or showing vision that generates an opportunity […]
Portland Timbers – Reality sets in…
I’ll start with where I left off on my pre-match report to begin my post match analysis… “Sometimes what doesn’t happen on the pitch is more valuable than what does happen… What didn’t happen is the Timbers didn’t play defense, didn’t close spaces, didn’t close gaps, and didn’t drop back behind the ball when not […]
True test for Timbers…
It’s not reasonable to push statistics aside for this game – to know that the LA Galaxy are one of the toughest teams in MLS you really do need to look at some statistics… To be clear – they not only have one of the most potent team attacks in MLS they also have one […]
Defending continues to remain a troubling issue as the Timbers US Open Cup run comes to an end…
A devastating result last night that really highlights all that has been pear-shaped for Portland this year… untimely defensive errors be them fouls in the Defending Final Third or simply poor man-marking. And although this wasn’t an MLS game there is much that can be gleaned from the consistency of team play in MLS this […]
Preparing for FC Dallas…
In my previous article “Catching up on the Timbers“… I peeled back some statistical details on Portland’s attack and defense – I’ll not repeat that here but would recommend you have a read or at least refresh your memory if you don’t recall some of the details… The bottom line in that article was this […]
Catching up on the Timbers after Week 14
No question this past weekend was a huge success for the Timbers as they look to claw their way back up the standings. What hurt, to begin, was the quick goal Luke Mulholland got when finding himself unmarked after a deflection in the 18 yard box; unlucky for the Timbers but fortunately that was the […]
Cascadia Clash – Timbers vs Whitecaps – Excitement builds… gonna be a huge game!
The Portland Timbers closed out May like a lion this year – much more beneficial to their standings in the Western Conference then where they were to begin the month. The pressure got higher and the Timbers responded – and indeed their response came from a full squad of players, over two games, showing that depth […]
Timbers Visit Red Bull Arena Saturday
I could offer quite a bit about this game but will defer to just a couple of diagrams and a few observations to go with. First the two diagrams… if you want to know the logic behind these doughnut diagrams read here: and then read this article on Expected Wins. If not then scroll down […]
Last minute madness on Mother’s Day…
At a loss… not quite but pretty bloody close. In considering the complete game many may walk away from this game feeling very disappointed; not me – and here’s why… As noted before, the LA Galaxy remain one of the most dangerous, productive and well organized teams in MLS – year in and year out. […]
Match Preview – Portland Timbers vs New England Revolution
Perhaps you are still buzzing after that stellar victory in Kansas City last Saturday, if so best to (fah-geta-bout-it) and prepare for another tough game. Nothing ever comes easy in this game and an opponent who travels across country is not going to just show up – fanny about – and watch Portland score goals. […]