The Portland Timbers rally held short at Stub Hub

With a 2-1 loss against an improved and renewed LA Galaxy, the Portland Timbers first year manager Giovanni Savarese, got a taste of what MLS is all about and what to expect of this 2018 campaign.  

After seeing another slow start for his Timbers initial eleven in the first half as encore of last campaign performance, Savarese did not had a in his mind a negative result.

As Gio Savarese with its familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, with Adi as the lone attacker accompanied by Diego Valeri, Sebastian Blanco and newcomer Andy Polo. Another novelty in the lineup was the incorporation in the defensive midfield of Cristhian Paredes in place of Diego Chara.

The fab four in the backfield were Marco Farfan covering for Vytas sporting a hamstring injury along with Captain Liam Ridgewell, Larry Mabbialas and Alvas Powell to protect the arches of retuning goalkeeper to the starting lineup Jake Gleeson.

In blueprint, this lineup looked marvelous in the Timbers manager mind but in the field, disaster came in the 32 minute as Ola Kamara started his era in Tinsel Town with his first goal and putting his new squad ahead in the score.

Two minutes later the LA Galaxy disaster hit the Portland Timbers again, with Roman Alessandrini after his initial shoot at goal bouncing back to him, pushing the rebound inside the posts for what became the go-ahead, and what game winning goal.

In the second half the Portland squad started seeing a reaction and displaying far better game opposite what they show off in the first half lacking stamina, but in the 66 after several tries it’s when Sebastian Blanco pull the unthinkable.

Scoring the goal that put his Timbers within one goal and in their presence in the game, still there were several attempts as the Galaxy keeper David Bingham stopped David Guzman shoot on a free kick.

For this match both squads expose many positive things, in the case of the galaxy this win and the way they played this match is clear that they are on the verge of returning to their old winning ways under second year manager Sigi Schmidt.

In the case of the Portland Timbers new era seen with a lot of charisma and hopes injected by its newcomer manager Giovanni Savarese, that is football cruelty and after this loss he and his bunch need to bounce back.

Still after the debacle seen in the City of Angels, Savarese for sure will enforce many moves in his initial eleven in order to make things work ahead of his squad next match at Red Bulls Arena, at Harrison, New Jersey. 

At the end, the Portland squad can rebound from this loss, one by stepping up its game after their hectic schedule, this squad can overcome the odds and show up their mettle and expose this new era new dynamic.

 

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Photos Credit and Property of Craig Mitchelldyer 2018

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