Timbers Tally
They went on the road, and they took a step backward. Following a big victory against Austin FC, the Timbers went to Nashville. They played a match they never really seemed to be in. Slow starts to the season did not stop Portland in their three trips to the MLS Cup, but it is starting to feel bigger than signing one more center-back that will bring everything together. Without stability at the back, there is no platform to attack, and matches are ugly. This week, the Green and Gold come home to face the LA Galaxy, who have had a slow start to this season.
Timbers Last Match Recap
From the opening kick, Nashville did what they do best: defended with numbers and played directly to their attackers. Within the first 16 minutes, Nashville had drawn two penalties; thankfully, James Pantemis is an absolute beast and turned both away to keep things level. From that moment, Nashville knew they owned the Timbers backline. They stepped up their pressure and dared Portland to play through their pressure. Turnover after turnover gave Nashville all of the momentum in the first 45. The Disaster struck when Nashville scored a goal right at the end of the first half of added time. Pantemis had me so good, but a wide-angle shot from Andy Najar went past his foot on one he probably should have saved. The Timbers did not deserve to go into a half-level, but to be so close to getting away with it really hurt.
To start the second half, Neville adjusted the lineup to a back 4, bringing on Chara, Kamal Miller, and Moreno. and for the first 15 minutes, things were looking up. Portland started to get a few chances, and the defense played much better. On the road, down a goal against a team known for hunkering defensively makes it challenging to get back into a match. Everything was playing into Nashville’s hands, and in the 68th minute, they doubled their lead with a well-placed header off of a very well-served cross. After that, it never seemed like Portland was going to get any sort of a result. A goal would have been an enormous lift, but that never happened, and the Timbers were shut out for the first time this season.
Nashville played their game and stayed true to their identity. Still, they are trending in the right direction after a rough first two matches. For the Timbers, they did not solve any of the issues they faced in their first two matches. Time to put this one to rest and focus on the next one.
LA Galaxy Breakdown
In MLS play this season, the Galaxy have lost to San Diego on opening weekend, lost to Vancouver, and dropped a match to St. Louis City by a combined 6 goals against to one scored. They did win mid-week against Costa Rican side Club Sport Herediano 4-1 to give them a win and possibly some momentum. The 2024 MLS Cup Champions will eventually turn things around and they believe it will be at Providence Park. They will miss Mauricio Cuevas, Joseph Paintsil, Riqui Puig, and Lucas Sanabria with injuries. Expect the Galaxy to get off on the front foot and try to create early chaos to disrupt Portland. If they can nab a goal, they will slow the match down as much as possible to ensure there is no flow.
Timbers Preview & My Projected Lineup
Portland needs to figure out who they are. Will it be a hunker-in, defend like hell, and try and catch the opponent on the counter? Could they go for a high line and press the opposition all over the pitch until they crumble? This is the 4rh Matchday, and the only thing known is that they need to do something different. If they stick with the back 3, they must be confident, organized, and composed when on the ball. If they go with a back 4, there is no guarantee that it will be better than previous matches, but it will show growth and flexibility. These lineup predictions will be based on a 4-3-3 formation. Something has to change, and even though a 4-4-2 might give Portland the best approach with our current personnel, Mora and Kelsy up top, it would be too big of a departure for previous tactics to implement today.
GK – Pantemis. If you are going to turn away two penalties in the first half, you deserve your third consecutive start. While he could have done better on the first goal against Nashville, he has had a solid start to the season, and making a change in net against the Galaxy would be a head-scratcher.
Backline – Kamal Miller and Smith are at center back, with Bravo on the left and Eric Miller on the right. With Mosquera and Araujo out for Sunday, there are no great options at the back. Zac McGraw has not been great this season, so Kamal Miller will slot in over him. A lack of options at right-back is the reason for Eric Miller. Smith has had a decent start to the season, and the situation between him and Surman seems more settled at the moment. Why has Bravo not been featured yet? This season is mind-blowing; he needs a runout and should start at left-back.
Midfield: Chara, Ayala, and Da Costa. Diego is no longer a 90-minute match warrior, but things are more settled when he has entered matches this season. Having him play the 6 will give Ayala a chance to support the attack and make his line-breaking passes to the attackers. Da Costa playing a full match, centrally, with a primary focus on the attack, will show us what we have in our Evander replacement. Do we actually have our next playmaker?
Forwards – Antony, Moreno, and Mora across the front line. Jonathan Rodriguez has been dearly missed, but the return of Santiago Moreno last week could be the boost needed to fight against the Galaxy. Antony has been good when the Timbers have been able to find him in transition, and Mora is a workhorse. This front three gives the Green and Gold an athletic, hard-working group to take the match to the Galaxy’s backline.
Through the Thirds
Defensive Third – Portland’s defense has been run over this season. It takes time for partnerships to form, and with many new faces back there, some growing pains were destined to be an issue. The biggest problem created by poor play in the back is its impact on the attack. Unable to beat Nashville’s pressure, the Timbers turned the ball over constantly without crossing midfield. Until this section of the field gets sorted, it will drag down the other groups, and there will be a lot of pressure on their defensive third.
Middle Third – This area of the field has been non-existent for Portland all season. The best attacks are coming by bypassing the middle third and going directly into the attack. There has not been much buildup through the middle third of the pitch, limiting their ability to sustain attacks and take pressure off the defensive third. The three central midfielders must be more organized and creative to get the 2025 season back on track.
Attacking Third – Someone, anyone, please save the Portland attack. Kevin Kelsy had a couple moments last week but overall came off as ineffective. Felipe Mora will work his tail off but lacks the flair of a “shoulder the load” goal scorer. Even with the defensive third not creating a platform to regularly attack, Portland should still be creating more chances. They are 27th in the league in corners won, 30th in touches in the opposition box, 30th in big chances, 26th in shots on target per match, and 29th in expected goals. Those numbers will not lead to a winning campaign, no matter how good your defense is.
One big prediction: It will be a wet and rainy match, opening up slippery chances and big mistakes. The Timbers will win 3-2 in a chaotic affair.
Quickfire Headlines & Other Mentions
Jake Gleesen—KOIN reported on former Timbers keeper Jake Gleesen’s lawsuit regarding his career-ending surgery. Find the story here.
T2 – T2 opened their season at home on Saturday night, dropping a close match to Real Monarchs SLC 3-2. T2 went ahead 1-0 in the 19th minute when Alexis Moreno found the back of the net. The Real Monarchs returned fire, taking a 2-1 lead into halftime with a 32nd-minute goal by Hezarkhani and 35th by Anderson. Hezarkhani would extend the lead to 3-1 in the 78th minute, and Moreno would also bag his second in the 84th to bring T2 within a goal of the visitors. T2 gets a chance to win their first win in the season on March 26th when they host The Town FC at 7:30 PM.
Thorns—The NWSL season is underway, and the Thorns went on the road to face the Kansas City Current on Saturday afternoon. The Thorns gave up three first-half goals but pulled one back early in the second half when Olivia Moultrie found the back of the net in the 49th minute. That would be all the Thorns would get, though, as the match would end 3-1. The Thorns’ home opener will be March 21st when Angel City FC makes its way to Portland.
107ist – Now that the Timbers are hitting the road for some Away Days, you can find information about supporting the Timbers in enemy territory. The Away Day information is located here
If you are not already a member of the 107ist, you can still join. There are many benefits, but the best part about being part of this organization is that you are joining a group that genuinely cares. Your membership goes to supporting the Timbers and, more importantly, so many community projects. You can get all the reasons why right here
Reach Out—We would love to highlight any volunteer work that the Army or regional support groups do. Don’t hesitate to contact your events so we can help promote them and bring positive attention to people doing positive things.
Thank You
This project is still coming together, but we would love to hear from you; we will have social media and other ways to contact and interact with our blog and podcast shortly. For now, if you have any questions we can answer, content you would like to see, or insight into anything Timbers, please reach us at piercecreation@gmail.com
Follow on Threads for Live Match thoughts. Threads
Onward, Rose City!
Timbers Tally 
Leave a comment