Thursday, August 16, 2018

With back-to-back losses, the Portland Timbers in need of a win


DC United 4, Portland Timbers 1
Audi Field, Washington DC

A complete disaster in Audi Field for the Portland Timbers after last night loss against a cellar stricken DC United that lately is becoming a tough foe to beat at home. With back-to-back losses in the campaign, it looks like opening day Deja vu for the Rose City squad.

In a match the visiting Portland side coming with the labels of favorite  and  play a struggling DCU at home, the odds of a win were within reach, still do not underestimate your competition.

With a momentum, stricken Black and Red after their spectacular win last weekend, starring their new Talisman Wayne Rooney, last night turn out to be another encore of Wayne’s World in Audi Field as the former Manu great rallied his troops for the win.

Defense wins games and the Portland Defense suddenly is showing a total meltdown with two matches showing off a series of mistakes that are costing them valuable points in several plays that became scores that easily could been prevented.

For manager Giovanni Savarese, after last weekend loss against the Whitecaps at home, the pressure taken from his squad backs was a sigh of relief for his Timbers as well playing against a struggling squad, the odds of netting a win were in reach.

The Portland Timbers coming to play ball and looking for a win away, in the early minutes after many tries to beat the posts defended by a returning Bill Hamid, finally we saw their efforts paid off with a nice combination inside the area.

 With Sebastian Blanco shaking his mark and passing to Andy Polo inside the area, he did not hesitated to pass to an open Samuel Armenteros who just push the ball for his eight goal of the campaign in the 35’ minute.

After the score, the spirits of the visiting Timbers 11 were in high gear and still making another failed try at DCU posts and seeing their dominance in the half-visible looking forward to put on a rally and deliver a rout against the locals.

In the case of DCU, do not call these chaps quitters as in the late minutes of the first half these started a counter and with a nice pass from Yamil Assad to a wide open Wayne Rooney him taking advantage of another bad move by Timbers keeper Jeff Attinella.

The former England international did not hesitated to push the ball and tied the score in the 43’ minute sending the whole of Audi Field in a frenzy after their last weekend hero once again delivered and putting the game even going into halftime.

Returning to action, the second half was to witness, the pep talk manager Olsen gave his side with an early second half goal and wit another hero in Luciano Acosta assist to Oniel Fisher in the 47’ scoring the go ahead and first goal as a Black and Red. Still the way the Andean took the four defenders and none took the ball away from Acosta and allowing going inside the area passing to a well-placed Fisher.

As we were on another Portland defensive meltdown and on the road were it hurts the most, in the 68’ they encounter another brilliant display from Wayne Rooney amazing technique and scoring on a free kick out of reach of goalkeeper Jeff Attinella for the 3-1 in the 68’.

As the DCU, newest weapon is their run from one end of the field to the opposing after Rooney last weekend defensive play that turned to goal, last night we saw an echo with former Timber striker Darren Mattocks taking Powell, Valentin, and Attinella.  

As DCU, last score came in the 91-minute and sealing the win for his DCU side to deliver another win at home and put in evidence of Portland defense in much need of uplift, especially when they are to play a tough foe next weekend in SKC.

 

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