As the final stretch of
league play nearing, the PTFC is still lacking a way of posting their first win
on the road in this 2016, a complete opposite of last campaign. So far, the Portland
squad has a not so meritorious record on the road with a 0-6-6, something that
is making Manager Caleb Porter a bit nervous.
With every match on
the line considered vital for the Rose City squad postseason aspirations.
The need of this squad
finding a winning consistency not only at home but also as an away squad, it is
imperative if the Timbers are to return to the promised land of the playoffs and
defend their hard fought title.
After coming with a positive
five game run over DCU in their past meetings, the PTFC enjoying a raucous win
at home last week over a hardened SKC squad. Coming to RFK and play, a struggling
Black and Red- meant an easy win.
As I always stated
that there is no such thing than an easy foe and this was the case, as the PTFC
played against two foes in the field in DCU and Mother Nature. On the eve of this
match as the extreme heat of the nation’s capital, showing temperatures of 93
plus degrees and causing a delay of the match for an hour.
Still that was not a
reason or excuse for the PTFC, to offer a poor performance and show off a lethargic
and passive game that never compromise the home squad posts defended by DCU keeper
Bill Hamid.
As the visiting Rose
City chaps putting in play once again their last week formation of 4-4-2 giving
Faneando Adi more room to start generating some plays with Jack Mac on his side,
this duo was completely shut down. With ten shoots attempted overall, just
three were on target and two coming from Jack Mac and one from Diego Valeri,
the Portland squad did not showed any ambition.
For Portland Keeper
Gleeson as always putting on a show defending his posts, he cannot do it alone
when his defense caught off guard and beaten by their foes, with simple errors,
happening always whenever the majority of their matches are played on the road.
The defense is an
area of much attention taken care recently by the Timbers front office with the
arrivals of Vytautas Andreuskevicious, Steven Taylor, Gbenga Arokoyo alongside
existing Amobi Okugo- these situations should not be happening. As options
exist for Manager Caleb Porter to implement, some needed changes!
Very well, the
Timbers 11 should not depend heavily on its starting players sidelined with an injury
or red card suspensions, as the case when Diego Valeri, Liam Ridgewell or Diego
Chara being out, the squad should continue ahead putting on a serious display
of top-notch football.
As Major League Soccer,
campaign is nearing its final stages, in its remainder the Timbers must capitalized
in all of their upcoming matches as well deliver key wins, that at the end wont
haunt them and possibly leaves them out of the grand fete.
The past is gone and
now focus on the next match, as their second in this road trip is against their
one and only Cascadia foes and playing at Seattle’s Century Link Stadium, fireworks
for sure will come out of this meeting. With the Emerald City squad suddenly embarked
in a two game winning streak, here the PTFC must play and regroup as a team and
play this match, as it was a final.
As always, the Cascadia
Derbies whenever these two squads meet is always one heated competition to see
who gets the upper hand, with Liam Ridgewell, Steve Taylor, Vytas and Amobi Okugo
in the backfield maybe they can stop cold the offensive mayhem of Seattle’s new
wonder kid Nicolas Lodeiro.
So far, Portland is
above the red line with 32 points and holding a mere one-point lead over San
Jose that has 31 points and Seattle with 27 points and this one rising rapidly.
If an overhaul needed
in the PTFC, is in its defensive backfield.
Time is running out
for the PTFC and even thought last weekend the loss in DC, still they can make
it up with a win over Seattle and net their first major win in the road along
of salvaging their campaign by not only just winning important matches at home
but more important on the road as well.
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