After a positive road
trip in its last two matches, the Portland Timbers are showing off a very renewed
and revitalized defensive core. A defensive fab five including goalie Jake Gleeson-
that so far in their past road trip showed off a very stingy approach to the other squad’s
strikers.
Since the arrival of
Super Jake Gleeson to defend the posts of the PTFC, many amazing things we have
seen from this chap, that despite being a substitute, he is showing a very
defensive approach as a top one in league play.
With a road trip that
included matches against league leaders Colorado Rapids and a hardened New York
Red Bulls, for Caleb Porters initial eleven has been playing wondrous football
and returning to its old game. Still with some fixes here and there in the
eleven to do, but this club is looking like its old self.
So far, his squad is
battling with to others for the last spot above the red line that gives them
the right to play in the postseason, still with several matches ahead in the campaign;
it is here when the PTFC can make its move.
A combination of
Ridgewell, Borchers in the center along with Zarek Valentin in the left, was
making a good job defending, and making things happen offensively, not the way
Villafana use to do it but he’s coming along slowly. Very well, the
substitution of Jermaine Taylor and in a couple of times seeing Taylor Peay who
can be the future starter, doing a marvelous job.
As well the club when
Ridgewell was out to injury Jermaine Taylor did his best and put his experience
to play and did an OK job. Alongside of Chris Klute since his arrival to Rose
City he has not been able to prove his mettle due to injuries.
Still the Portland
squad lately showing off a renewed football many great things will happen as
the campaign progresses, as the Boys in Green are finding their unique style of
play and looking forward to continue with their unbeaten streak.
So far, with seven
games without knowing the meaning of defeat and a two-match home stand with a
match schedule in midweek against the Montreal Impact and Didier Drogba and
Ignacio Piatti, the Timbers defense will be put on a test again. Nothing that
the Portland defenders cannot resolve as well the momentum they immersed with,
they can emerge successful once again.
If the Wednesday match
will not be a bit hard on the Timbers when on Sunday they are to host their first
meeting with their cross the I-5 rivals up north the Seattle Sounders in
another edition of the Cascadia Derby. As the Emerald City chaps with a modest campaign,
maybe the Timbers as locals can make it happen and win another edition of this match up as well add points in their effort of being above the red line.
The match in Red bull
Arena was a plentiful one for both keepers and especially the visiting one as
Jake Gleeson did his heroics in injury time with a nice save to deny the locals
the win as well three points.
As the tale of the
tape shows off the locals more approaches in the visiting Timbers posts with 13
attempts as well the Red Bulls kept possession of the ball with a 62.5% over the
visiting Portland Boys with 37.5 at the end. Once again, Gleeson astuteness and
caution led him to capture another stellar match with four saves, showing off
again his desire of becoming the indisputable starter.
For now the PTFC is
showing some resolve to maintain the other squad strikers and offensive game at
bay and denied them all sorts of liberties to cause havoc in the posts defended
by Jake Gleeson as well its defensive core becoming an impenetrable wall.
As Manager Caleb
Porter strategies in his 4-2-3-1 formation is working wonders with his four men
defensive and its two defensive midfielders in Diego Chara and Ben Zemanski
playing a leading role and showing lots of initiative.
Call them overzealous
or stingy but the Portland timbers are playing one defensive football that can
be considered as amazing, now the part were the PTFC is in need of some much needed
goals to round up its display of awesomeness.
Post
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