Timbers, Union going streaking in Chester

The Union will be a tough outing for a Portland team who loses an entire day of training on the trip.

CHESTER,PA–The Portland Timbers have lost their late game mojo. The Timbers have hurt themselves with late mistakes over the last two games. “It’s [been]two games now,” Timbers head coach Caleb Porter stated in weekly news conference, noting one game is an anomaly, but two is a trend.

More goals are scored in the final fifteen minutes of a match than any other period of time this season with Portland is just a tick above the average. A third game in a row, however, could be the slip which could percolate into a full-blown crisis ending what has been Portland’s best-ever start as an MLS franchise.

photo by Diego G Diaz

Across the field from the Timbers on Sunday, the Philadelphia Union are in the worst form of their existence. Dips less than this have led to dismissals of Peter Nowak and John Hackworth in the past.

“Should Jim Curtin be fired?” That’s the question posed by Kevin Kinkead this week. Kinkead posits that Curtin would be removed if this were a European (ergo: richer) league but evenhandedly notes that the Union have only played one match at home and that was in sub-zero temperatures.

It’s easy to look at a team’s record and surmise that they just aren’t very good. The Union are far better than their paltry two points in four games suggests. They looked to be the better team against D.C. United last week. One goal was a good bounce on a botched clearance, the other on a penalty.

Photo by Diego G Diaz

In other words, they’ve been unlucky. The Union are far from an easy three points and while Portland has only lost once to Philadelphia ask anyone who invested in ____ if past performance is indicative of future results. (Note: If over 50, use AOL in the blank. If 30 to 49, use the Batman movie franchise. Younger than 30, Justin Bieber.).

With the exception of Alejandro Bedoya (who missed a match due to an international call up) and Fabian Herbers who came on as a late substitute, the Union have gone with the same starting 11 each match.

As the 80^th minute rolls around, cast a watchful eye on the Timbers. Porter has noted that both late goals not only occurred around the same time, but were predicated by a dip in Portland’s possession.

Porter has identified this and has a plan for seeing the team out by “being mentally tougher” and, tactically speaking, keeping better possession of the ball.

Portland has been the best team out of the games scoring a league-high five goals in the first fifteen minutes of their matches. That’s all well and good, but the Timbers hot starts are being nullified by their inability to close games out.

A good result Saturday’s could put questions about Portland’s mental toughness to bed. A poor result? That might signal that Portland’s beautiful start has come to a premature end.