San Jose Earthquakes 0, Portland Timbers 1
Avaya Stadium, San Jose, California
This past Saturday the Portland Timbers had one tough challenge to tackle in this 2018 edition. As the Rose City squad looking to stop their slump in the Bay area and playing against one of their toughest foes in the San Jose Quakes at Avaya Stadium.
One of the most difficult venues for the PTFC to play as they only have earned a single win and coming from a bye and back to back wins and an all-around momentum and having on their favor the Quakes nose dive these had coming to this match.
This was a very even matchup between these two squads, as the locals coming to this campaign sporting a new manager in Mikael Stahre and with a new renewed initial eleven plagued with experienced European players.
As the Swede sent an offensive minded formation in a diamond 4-4-2 with Chris Wondolowski and Danny Hoesen in the frontal attack, this gave the visitor’s manager the idea of using his defensive prone 4-3-2-1 formation.
As Timbers manager Gio Savarese only moves in his initial eleven was in the defensive midfield with Andy Polo starting instead of Andres Flores and once again repeating defensively his foursome in Alvas Powell, Larry’s Mabiala, Liam Ridgewell and Zarek Valentin.
Accompanying in the defensive scheme was Diego Chara, Andy Polo and rookie sensation Cristhian Paredes.
With a much-disputed match were the locals via Wondo and Hoesen started making their moves, this match tactically won by Gio’s experience and adding more doubts to manager Stahre adaptation to US soccer. As the skills and nose to danger by the Timbers, goalkeepers Jeff Attinella were the difference makers in this match.
Another highlight of this game was the discipline, teamwork the Portland Timbers is putting in every match as well their attack, and contributions each player delivers when they are in the field, exposing their manager work and project highly.
With all the right moves and one thing the Portland squad is showing in this campaign is the start of a new defensive backfield playing more seriously and more dedication in closing up their games and not surrendering anymore. With two back-to-back shutouts, this tells you of how renewed and poised this group of delivering positive results.
With some moves in the second half by manager Savarese and close calls by Danny Hoesen and spectacular saves by Attinella, the Portland group seeing the incorporation of Samuel Armenteros for Fanendo Adi and a minute later Andres Flores for Cristhian Paredes.
I can state that these moves paid off for the Rose City squad as the experience and the way their new forward Samuel Armenteros provocation near the San Jose area led to a foul and a free kick in the 88 minute taken by who else Diego Valeri.
With his usual touch and finesse his shoots are sent by the Andean, voila the goal that became the only one of the game and the Portland defense step up to persevere the win and net their first victory in the road this 2018. Also lifting a sort of curse in the Bay area of never winning there and Saturday, this came to an abrupt end.
Still a win is a win but for manager Savarese there are a lot of faults to correct especially his team receiving a whooping five yellow cards that could easily been prevented but the positive is the way this club is playing with dedication and hunger.
Now their next compromises at home against Seattle in their first Cascadia Derby and looking forward to repeat as champions in this competition with a win over their archrivals the Sounders looking forward to level their campaign with an upset at Providence Park.
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Photos Credit and Property of USA TODAY 2018
Photos Credit and Property of © 2018 Major League Soccer
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