Fern Mc Costigan

Friday, May 22, 2015

The Timbers Boss Flashing a Momentous Resolve

Hopefully for Portland’s Boss Caleb Porter seeing how the pieces are coming together in his initial eleven, will be a sign of that much needed and coveted recovery.

No one has seen a tough start since this squad inception in Major League Soccer, but this 2015 has seen many squads driven to perfection as well making this campaign as one very seriously speaking as: tough, competitive and difficult.

Unfortunately for the Portland Timbers this season has seen a lot of lows and very few highs, especially with many of its key players being in the DL list, among them some of their top performers who spark their game.

So far the return of Diego Valeri to the lineup is seen with a welcoming gesture and with lots of possible hopes ahead- in what will the championship and the overall competition will bring on along to face the Open and Cascadia Cups with more confidence.

For the Portland Timbers to net both of these shields as well give its Manager a satisfaction and reward for his time in Rose City, very well for this campaign, by making the ultimate of miracle’s and efforts as well to net a position for the always fought off league postseason.

Still those odd and tough results being a thing in the past, once again will become a serious contender as well start generating their well known dynamic, dangerous and effective game, something that these boys are best known for.

Especially in one area that this squad has been lacking is in its offensive side that hasn’t performed as expected, but for striker Faneando Adi and Maxi Urruti both couldn’t be so happy to see the return of their Andean teammate.

This squad offensive attack can be a serious threat to the top squads as well if manager Porter can put these chaps in the lineup more often in Dairon Aspirilla and George Fochive- who really can deliver a much speedy game with their new point man Ishmael Yartey.

As Diego Valeri is making a lot of positive advances in this squad more needed area of attack as well one top rated man in Will Johnson hopefully coming to the lineup this weekend against Toronto FC, this will be seen as a step in the right direction.

These Rose City Boys can start netting important wins as well move up in the Western Division table, if their passions alongside their drive to excellence can possess them in their upcoming compromises.

There’s no need to bring a multimillion dollar superstar to play at Providence Park that at the end can become a bust, as this squad current roster many talents can make things happen in a flash and a with decisive resolve.

Nothing is missing in this initial eleven but with a drive to consistency as well to generate a more furious and bring out more aggressiveness in their attack, their chances for success and excellence will be seen very soon.

Crest Credit and Property of Portland Timbers Football Club and Wikipedia 2015

Photos Credit and Property of © Portland Timbers and Troy Taormina USA Today 2015

Monday, May 11, 2015

No Shame or Lamentations for a Downward Burnley

Long gone was that day when the Clarets made all around headlines, after those long gone happy days, after being promoted to play with the big guns of Premiership.

It will be thing of the past and with their faith and destinies already on their way to the always infamous relegation league, still the challenge will be there for the Lancashire Boys.

Still for Manager Sean Dyche will be back to the drawing board as well try to keep the majority of this roster to make front in what seems a very complicated and contested challenge- in his quest of returning in a meteoric way to the big circuit.

That’s to be seen as many in the version of English first division or better known as the Championship League, is a new challenge for the Burnley Boss in the upcoming campaign.

A man that before their match were his chaps put on a show and won as a visiting entity at KC Stadium for the minimum difference of 1-0, in what will be a possible company to the abyss from a troubled Tigers squad’s.

The win didn’t help at all to the cause for this squad, which in their next challenge and the experience from Premiership will be something in their favor as well something to really use in their advantage.

One big winner will be for the author of the lone goal for the Clarets, who really have put on a show and capture the attention of several top clubs in the EPL, as Danny Ings being a sort of a Don Quixote.

At the end, maybe an opportunity will arise for him and seen in another initial eleven of some top clubs in Premiership and defending its colors and performing wonders under a new Boss, very well a restart of his career.

With Stoke City and Aston Villa being the last of compromises for the Burnley squad, with their faiths already known, for the Clarets these two compromises will be a chance to close this campaign with a higher note.

Being the match against the Potters at Turf Moor, is when their fans will have one more chance to witness their Clarets performed one more time as a Premiership squad and upset one hardened Stoke City squad.

And another match against Tim Sherwood’s Aston Villa, the villains will play to win to close their trouble campaign with a win, something that the visiting Burnley squad will try to do the same in what many will see a much contested match.

Sean Dyche has nothing to be embarrassed if not proud of the way he managed a club with so little budget to spend in netting big names to play in his initial eleven, that could performed wonders for this club in campaign.

Very well seeing how dedicated and uttermost fan base in Lancashire that never ceased in showing their loyalty to their squad’s struggles, their incessant support never died off event thought their squad had its struggles and controversies.

Crest Credit and Property of Burnley Football Club and Wikipedia 2014

Photos Credit and Property of © Copyright Premier League. com 2014

One More Win Your Boys Need to Champions League, Van Gaal!

The Europe mood is in the air for the Old Trafford Boys and with a lot of bragging rights after being on the brink of netting the last spot for Champions play.

A nice 2-1 victory at Selhurst over a not so easy Crystal Palace squad, known for their belligerence and their playing role of spoilers, is what is making the Red Devils enter into a celebratory mood.

Very well breaking a three game losing skid that made the Trafford chaps entered a plea of alarm if not uncertainty, but that’s the past and now is buried and those mistakes can easily be corrected by its current Boss.

One thing is that the Dutch skipper has delivered and made this squad a contender, sometimes during the championship, still his mission has been marred at times to their key play-makers injuries; still this Manager, in the eyes of many, he has delivered.

Now he has to focus into next campaign as well make front to squads of the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and especially this edition champions Chelsea, will be an overall challenge.

Something that Manager Louis Van Gaal will put his efforts and goals in front to make front to another edition of Premiership that in every campaign it looks like an impossible challenge to beat.

Very contested is the word to describe the English Premier League championships lately and coming into next campaign the United chaps will be challenged for their return to the maximum circuit of Champions League.

Alongside looking ahead into England’s internal competitions as the FA and Capitol One Cups trying to win one of these clashes and send a message to the confines of Premiership that the Red Devils are back.

As well reward their boss efforts with a shield or two to reward as well stage an all-around revival at Old Trafford once again, like in the good old days.

With a campaign almost over and expecting to see what will this club front office will surprise all of Premiership with its moves and new acquisition’s to be signed during the course of the summer months.

By staging a US tour, as Man United will play a series of exhibition matches in American soils, this will prepare them for the upcoming 2015-16 campaign, that promises to be another hotly contested one for the Trafford chaps.

At the end that win was an important step with one or two points, the Red Devils will get their promised return to the maximum of contest in Europe as well with a couple of matches and their farewell at home with a determined Arsenal squad.

If the momentum continues for the Red Devils they possibly can finish with seventy plus points one performance better than last campaign fiasco and meltdown under the Moyes era, that was then and now is now.

Just one more win the Dutchman needs to finish comfortably in the table and in fourth place as well How sweet it is the thrill of victory and the reward’s that come after, for now Louis Van Gaal will have to see what went wrong in various of those matches lost and the way to prevent it in order to be an overall contender not to be mess with, that will be the ultimate of feats for United!

Crest Credit and Property of Manchester United Football Club and Wikipedia 2014

The Show that Lifted a Portland Timbers Revival!

Indeed, this was one hell of a show, performed by the Rose City Boys back at the City of Mary, seeing how their Gars couldn’t stop a furious reaction from that visiting Green Tsunami!

One that arrived, saw and put on a show that silenced completely a stunned Saputo Stadium waiting to see their chaps shake off, their bad streak in league play and deflate the visiting Rose City Boys.

For the Portland Timbers visiting and playing against an inspired and motivated Montreal squad, that same one that made a whole league and a nation dream of almost staging a miracle and writing their own history in CCL.

Suddenly they saw how their efforts got all wash down and its all-around attack being nullified by that impressive Timbers defensive backfield, making Manager Frank Klopas a bit if not overwhelmed with frustration.

With an initial eleven and a great formation put in by Portland’s Boss Caleb Porter, this squad really did it with a display of extraordinary football in the field, that net them three golden points.

A nice 4-2-3-1 with a dynamic and extraordinaire playmaker in Faneando Adi playing again as the role of a lone attacker behind him Rodney Wallace, Darlington Nagbe and now back as a starter once again Diego Valeri.

Once again Jack Jewsbury and Diego Chara were the hidden weapons for Manager Caleb Porter who assured himself explosiveness in his offensive and defensive attack in the backfield as well buying himself some insurance for his goalposts with these two.

As Chara has been clearly a leader in the field and providing the spark that has kept the Timbers in a fighting stance as well staging a brilliant comeback and a top of the line game in Jewsbury.

This latter one that hasn’t disappointed Manager Porter call, after back in the starting lineup and showing his magic and game playing like a young stallion and contributing with his style so far.

Still the Timbers strikers’ need a bit of more ambition and hunger for netting goals and take advantage of whatever the opportunity comes their way, very well playing an intelligent game to push that ball into the opponent’s goal.

So far the Timbers have a new hidden weapon in newcomer Ishmael Yartey who is capable to break any of MLS defenses with his overall speed and something that Manager Caleb Porter needs to take note and put it in his offensive display.

Thanks to its defender Nat Borchers who broke a scoreless spell of 281 minutes by the Timbers, is the one that opened the hostilities until the 70’ when Diego Valeri once again performed his magic and scored the game winner.

As well those minor mistakes in the defensive backfield as that goal scored by Dominic Oduro and that near one by Jack Mc Inerney sends a message to the Timber’s boss of the work ahead to be done to perfect those minor details.

Many will say, a spell of relief this win translates for the PTFC, maybe but for the way this squad played all ninety minutes, many of its followers are seeing improvement’s in little by little steps.

As the puzzle somehow is getting back all of its pieces and although it’s not complete yet, by far this squad with its current roster has an overall approval and kudos for their overall efforts and not letting their guard down.

The Portland Timbers are a squad capable of putting on a show and display of top notch football in this 2015 and close with a bang and making the postseason alongside the league finals like that glorious NASL Timbers of 1975.

Crest Credit and Property of Portland Timbers Football Club and Wikipedia 2015