Mick Hoban: The Original Timber weighs in

 

If the Timbers win MLS Cup 2015 this afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, it will be because they’ve assembled a team of players who are peaking at just the right time. And much of it is due to the extraordinary abilities of a Colombian, an Argentinian, a Liberian who recently became an American citizen and a Nigerian knocking on his national team door.

So says Mick Hoban, who played for the first edition of the Timbers that made it to a national professional final in 1975, before moving on to a fabulous career as a soccer executive with Nike, Umbro and Adidas. Hoban’s career has led him to work with some of the world’s greatest soccer personalities: Pelé, Andy Roxburgh, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Graham Taylor, Bobby Robson, Michelle Akers and USA coach Jürgen Klinsmann.

As a former Timbers player, he’s a keen observer of the Timbers since the new MLS franchise was awarded to Portland. Speaking prior to the final, he noted that both Portland and Columbus have taken different routes to the MLS Cup final.

Different approaches

“The Timbers have gone far afield to get their players: England, Colombia, Argentina, West Africa and Canada for the most part,” Hoban says. “What Berhalter (Columbus coach Greg) has done is pared the team down and gotten much better use out of his current personnel. Certain players have shined under Greg this year in particular. He has done better with what he has — more than most coaches.”  

The Timbers are playing for a national title for the first time since the original NASL franchise was formed 40 years ago. Hoban, who was a defender on that first club, says it’s because they were able to overcome the standard issues that face every pro club, every season: injuries, suspensions, loss of form and international call-ups.  

“They had injury problems with Diego Valeri and Will Johnson, two key players. It took Valeri until just recently to get back to full form. The absence of Johnson has caused Coach (Caleb) Porter to try using a single holding midfielder and it has worked out very well.”

Chara has been (and still is) the key

That lynchpin in the Timbers’ midseason turnaround was Diego Chara, a 21-year-old defensive midfielder, whose performance will almost certainly be a key if the Timbers are to emerge victorious.

“He covers an enormous amount of ground, breaks down attacks, stops the counter, is very aggressive in terms of marking, wins a lot of balls and makes great use of the ball,” says Hoban. “I call him a little yard dog — always snapping at your heels and breathing down your neck. He’s in your face and just doesn’t go away.”

And there’s more.

“Once he’s won the ball, he’s willing and capable of starting the counter, and he doesn’t have to do it with an intricate pass or dribble. He’s perfectly happy to make the easy pass to Valeri or Darlington Nagbe. Since he’s focused on being the primary holding player, he’s absolutely fulfilled that role, par excellence.”

A former left-sided central midfield himself, Hoban appreciates the luxury of the goalkeeper and defenders have a great player like that in front of them.

“Smart attacking players these days drop into pockets, but Chara anticipates so well he’s able to block those spaces before it becomes a problem for (Nat) Borchers or (Liam) Ridgewell.”

Freeing up Valeri and Nagbe

The successful employment of Chara as a single holder has opened up many other opportunities for the Timbers in attack.

“It frees up Valeri and Darlington Nagbe to some degree and gives them more flexible roles,” says Hoban. “It allows them to move predominately through the center of the field, where they can start a counter, maintain position or move the ball forward without worrying primarily about defending.\

Nagbe, who became a citizen this fall and within weeks was called into Klinsmann’s national team, has played mostly on the flanks through most of his five-year career. His playing a more central role alongside Valeri has paid big dividends as the Timbers made their late-season march in the Western Division.   

“He can play wide because he’s an exceptional player. So can Valeri,” says Hoban. “But if you say to me where can they best be used, it’s in the middle of the field where they can possess the ball and be in the best position to make that final pass. They are the two best players in the team at doing that that.”

Nagbe ups his game

Nagbe, incredibly strong on the ball with a lightning quick first step, drives defenses crazy because he has so many weapons.

“Most players don’t want the ball with their back to the goal, outside their own penalty area,” Hoban says. “Dunga, the great No. 6 for Brazil, was great at that. Likewise, Nagbe receives the ball, is able to retain possession or turn up field and, at the very least, make it necessary for the opposing team to foul him. He breaks the ‘press’, finds an opening and accelerates into space, leaving defenders scrambling. He is also capable of delivering the decisive final pass.”

Hoban says more teams in MLS are pressing higher up the field.

“Like Barcelona or Dortmund, when Jürgen Klopp was there, teams emphasize winning the ball higher up the field so they can counter closer to goal.  Darlington is the anti-presser,” says Hoban. “He knows the pressure is coming but with his vision, exceptional first touch and acceleration he cuts through defensive lines like a knife through butter. That’s an incredible skill. There are precious few players who can do that — and he’s one of them.”

The fourth part of the equation is the Timbers’ 25-year-old Nigerian forward Fanendo Adi, who at 6 feet 4 is an imposing figure in the middle. He, too, has evolved and found his comfort level with the way the Timbers are playing. 

“The current system suits Adi right down to the ground,” says Hoban. “In American sports terms, he’s a post-up player who uses that big frame and great technique to shield and retain the ball. If he can hold things up, then everyone else knows they can push up and the midfield players, along with overlapping fullbacks, Powell and Villafaña.

Promises delivered

Hoban says Portland fans are in the midst of witnessing the delivery of what Coach Caleb Porter has said the Timbers have been capable of all along.   

“When you hear Caleb talk after games at the beginning of the year, you hear him say how, yes, they played well and that the performance might not be reflective of the results. Caleb and his players always knew they had something, but the ups and downs of a regular season affect his ability to deliver on promises.  

“The lesson for the fans is there are usually good reasons a team might not be performing up to its full potential. It’s the same now as it was for us back in 1975. You keep believing in what you do and at some point it comes together. The perception of the team changes and the results start coming. And when they do, it surprises most people.”

Portland’s ability to get attackers forward on both flanks is another asset, says Hoban.

“Back in ’75 there were precious few overlapping fullbacks. We saw great ones playing for Brazil, especially Cafú, who was so good for so many years. Timbers have Villafaña and Powell who can both get forward. And you have Wallace on the left and Asprilla on the right who are both creating chances, while at the same time being more disciplined with their defensive responsibilities.”

Columbus presents challenges

Columbus presents a number of problems for the Timbers, both of which, Hoban says, center on 25-goal scorer Kei Kamara and his 31-year-old Argentinian running mate, Federico Higuaín.

Since Kamara is a great goal scorer who is tremendous in the air,” Hoban says. “The Timbers will have to concentrate on denying other players the opportunity to get the ball to him. More often than not, that means denying the ball to the guy who runs the show, Higuaín.  

Hoban calls Higuaín (whose brother Gonzalo plays for Napoli in Italy and has 54 appearances for Argentina) “the most creative player in the league. He’s good at finding space, is unpredictable and can deliver well-measured passes. The challenge for the Timbers will be how do we stop him from receiving the ball and effectively stop other players from getting the ball inside to Kamara.”

So who will win?

Hoban isn’t predicting, but his heart is with his old club. This afternoon’s game reminds him of some advice he got from coaches about playing in a final.   

“Vic Crowe, our coach in Portland in ’75 always said: ‘No regrets. No what-ifs. You don’t ever want to finish a game and say if only I had done this or that.’”

And then there was a conversation he had before the 1994 World Cup with Brazil manager Carlos Alberto Parreira, who told him: “We’ve done everything possible to prepare for this match. The reason I am comfortable is because we have left no stone unturned.”

As they prepare for today’s game, it’s likely that both Caleb Porter and Greg Berhalter feel the same way, and as Hoban puts it, “Now it’s up to the players to go out and play the game of their lives.”

Mick Hoban, originally from Tipton, England, signed a professional contract with Aston Villa and played three years in the English club’s reserves and occasionally for the first team in international friendlies before coming to the United States and playing for Atlanta, Denver and Portland in the North American Soccer League. He was the first player signed by the new Timbers team in 1975. His post playing career took him to all corners of the globe working as a soccer marketing executive at world cups, the UEFA championships, the Copa America and other top level events. At his former company, Soccer Solutions LLC, he was a partner with Jürgen Klinsmann and sporting goods executive, Warren Mersereau, when the former German star was technical advisor to the LA Galaxy. Hoban and Mersereau also assisted Klinsmann when he was manager of Germany for the 2006 world Cup, and provided further assistance when Klinsmann managed Bayern Munich and, eventually, the U.S. National Team. Soccer Solutions, LLC consulted with leading brands and soccer organizations such as Adidas, MasterCard, the National Soccer Coaches Association, Hyundai and Tottenham Hotspur. Mick and his wife Linda live in Portland.