The MLS is certainly not a league which possesses its fair share of derbies, but prominent footie websites heralded the Seattle Sounders-Portland Timbers match-up earlier this season as an old, European-style rivalry unlike any other in the country. Sure, we're certainly no Premier league/SPL/Seria A/anything else, but it's quite the praise to generate as much buzz as the teams' managed to this year. It was only a given that when the two sides were set to clash again, this time in Portland, media and fan hype would again soar to all-time MLS highs.
The again-sold out Jeld-Wen was packed with not only the Timbers Army and fellow supporters, but a surprising number of Sounders fans who not only packed it into the Away section but also permeated the rest of the crowd, chanting and drumming their own chants. The thunderous TA, not to be outdone, answered back with force and their chanting could be heard echoing around the stadium long into the game.
The score stayed level during the entire first half, both teams favoring defensive-style play that lead to few chances and even less excitement. Spencer's decision to play 4-5-1 and clog up the midfield seemed to, at the very least, help our back 4 in keeping the sometimes-brilliant Freddy Montero goalless. The Sounders, who have garnered results in their past few fixtures, are second in the league and holding them without a goal in the first felt like an achievement. On the Timbers' attacking side, Kenny Cooper sat on the bench as Perlaza and Alhassan shouldered the attacking responsibility. It would not be until the second half that any real action kicked off, however.
Alhassan's strike just after the half-time break (now listed as an own-goal by John Parke) opened the scoring in front of the Timbers Army, who went wild. Indeed, nabbing the first goal against the Sounders is quite the achievement and things were looking bright for the Rose City's second half against its chief rival. Yet it was Seattle's turn when, 10 minutes later, Freddy Montero curled in a Free Kick outside of the box and past Troy Perkins to equalize. It was Timbers' striker Perlaza who would answer off of an assist from Chara, a shot from the right hand side of the box that deflected off the thigh of Sounders defender and altered trajectory enough to get by vet keeper Kasey Keller. Things were again brought even as Montero picked up his second goal, this time much closer to goal. Finally, as things seemed bleak for the Timbers, matters were made worse when Eric Brunner brought down Lamar Neagle in the box, receiving a red card and gifting the Sounders a penalty which Osvaldo Alonso barely snuck past Perkins. End result 3-2 Sounders win. (long recap is long)
If I'm not mistaken, this is the second game in a row that Kenny Cooper has not been given the starting position alongside Perlaza up front. The big man who arrived in Portland with great anticipation has been held scoreless in almost every fixture, and John Spencer's to bench him is the correct one. Though Cooper presents a big body and a great target in the air (he dwarfs much of the rest of the squad), his on the ground skill and speed leave quite a lot to be desired. His counterpart, Jorge Perlaza, presents a counterpoint to Cooper's style of play; fast-paced hustle, no ball too far to get Perlaza sprinting. Cooper, on the other hand, shows lack of hustle that either demonstrates some kind of faltering motivation (doubtful, the Timbers supporters are among the most frenzied and loud in all the league) or perhaps some kind of injury kept under wraps by the player. The former is inexcusable, the latter unfortunate. As Kenny Cooper came on late into the second half, he had little influence on the game for some time. Though making a couple of well-placed passes, the man up front again demonstrated little effort and subsequently failed to threaten the Sounders back 4.
The guy shouldn't start. Yes, he's a high profile purchase, and yes his size is great for corners and free kicks, but so is Futty Danso who also provides defensive benefits for his size. Nagbe's replacement, Sal Zizzo, demonstrated great pace and influenced a lot of the Timbers movement up front while Perlaza's replacement by Cooper removed quick effort with... nothing.
Nothing is also how I'd describe what the Timbers defense seems to be doing as of late. Montero's free kick, though a beauty, went directly over a defensive wall wherein only one of the Portland players saw fit to jump up. Had the others jumped, it might have sent the ball ricocheting away from goal rather than in it. Similarly, though Perkins made an absolutely incredible save robbing Montero of his hat trick, the striker was often left unmarked and the Timbers back 4 slacked hard on their duties. The second half soon became the Sounders to win, and win it they did thanks to superior play and a lackluster defensive effort that has plagued the Portland side as of late.
The late Red Card given to Eric Brunner presented an interesting late-game decision by the referee. Though the Timbers supporter inside me wants to cry "Bullshit" and verbally abuse the ref for deciding a game with a single call. However, I think though Brunner did win the ball, he was far too high and was certainly a dangerous challenge that was a clear penalty. Though I have no qualms with the call, Brunner's decision to make it and his 1v1 positioning (where were the other 3 defenders) was sloppy, harkening back to the late handball that gave the Red Bulls their final goal earlier this season. On the Sounders side, Alonso received a rather light punishment for his malicious midfield tackle in reaction to what he thought was a foul on the other side of the pitch. Making no effort to retrieve the ball, he brought down a Timbers midfielder via a swipe to the legs and should have been sent off. Dangerous, reactionary play has no place on the pitch.
Though the playoffs may be out of reach, there's still plenty of time for the Timbers to salvage their season. The winless streak can be ended, but it'll take quite a lot of effort considering some 10 of the next games will be on the road. Though it's damned hard to keep hope alive at this point, there's little else a Timbers fan can do.
