by Matt Hoffman (@mhoff)
Venues in Central America, fairly or not, have long been characterized as very hostile environments either through Gatorade commercials or just the painful history MLS seems to have in Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League play. That looked no different on Tuesday night with wire fences, empty seats, and a pitch that looked unforgiving. Yet by the time the cameras panned away from Estadio Cuscatlan Tuesday night in San Salvador, El Salvador, the Portland Timbers had done something they haven’t done in all of 2016: they won a game on the road.
It wasn’t the prettiest of games. The scrum on the field at the conclusion of the match elicited concerns for the players safety. Cooler heads would eventually prevail and the Timbers could make the return journey of 3,750 miles knowing that they still have a fighter’s chance of exiting the group stage of their Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League .
Even 3,750 miles from home, the Timbers had ample away support much of which game from a group of adorable and delirious school children who received an official training session in San Salvador, El Salvador by the Timbers, in partnership with Contextos. From a press release from the club, the Timbers also “helped to donate books, soccer balls, t-shirts and many more items, helping to build a new library in the Soyapango region.”
With one point, Dragon has been eliminated from the tournament. Saprissa leads the group with seven points to Portland’s six. The deciding match will be Wednesday, October 19th in Portland.
Until then, the Timbers have to hope that Tuesday’s performance can be the the spark that revitalizes the Portland’s away form.
It’s not uncommon for a team to be winless on the road. Since 2013, at least one team has had a winless road record.
| Year | Club | Road Record | Made Playoffs? | MLS Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | D.C. United | 0-14-3 | No | 19th |
| 2014 | Montreal | 0-12-5 | No | 19th |
| 2015 | Chicago | 0-12-5 | No | 20th |
| 2016 | Portland | 0-9-6* | No* | 11th* |
*The Timbers still have two more chances to get those road wins.
By virtue of having more home wins than any other club, the Timbers still has a “conceivable” to “very good” chance of making the postseason. This is dependent on building on the success of the road win in El Salvador and trying to find nine points in their remaining three matches, two of which are on the road.
First up, the Colorado Rapids. The last time these teams met, they drew 0-0 in Tim Howard’s return to MLS. That match would also be the last time Jermaine Jones, now injured, would take the field for Colorado (more on that below).
The Timbers have injury concerns of their own. After putting in some strong performances on the wing, Caleb Porter told Jamie Goldberg of Oregonlive that Darren Mattocks will be out for 2-3 weeks with a hamstring issue.
Mattocks’s replacement, Lucas Melano, might not make it as well. Melano is on the injury report with a groin injury, however Goldberg reports Melano was in Los Angeles to see a specialist.
Defense is also shaky for the Timbers. Zarek Valentin is back and just in time as Vytas has a rib injury. Jermaine Taylor left last week’s match against Houston on a stretcher but did not make the IR.
Darren Mattocks will be out for Saturday’s match.
While Portland is the only team yet to win a road game, Colorado remains the only side without a home loss. To get a peak behind the Rocky Mountain curtain, I had a visit with Prost Amerika’s esteemed Colorado Rapids beat writer, Chris Brown:
Matt Hoffman: Ordinarily leaving Vancouver with a point is a good thing but it feels like the Rapids should have left with three. What’s the mood like around the team following the result?
Chris Brown: Disappointed. And who could blame the players, coaches or fans for feeling that way? The draw against Vancouver was shocking and worrying for a number of reasons:
- The Rapids were playing against 10 men after Whitecaps defender Kendall Watson was sent off in the 56th minute and though the Rapids scored twice after gaining the man advantage, they let Vancouver equalize twice.
- For a defensive unit that takes pride in being the best in MLS, allowing three goals in a game, two of them to a short handed Vancouver side, is embarrassing.
Colorado hasn’t been playing well over the last few months but it looked like three points on the road was assured. Instead, the team had to return to Colorado and try to figure out how they imploded against a team that most likely won’t make the playoffs.
Long time USMNT teammates, Jermaine Jones (left) and Tim Howard only played in MLS match together in 2016: the July 4th match against Portland.
MH: What’s the status of Jermaine Jones? Is there a chance he’ll come back this season? Is it possible his career is over?
CB: Jermaine’s official status is day to day, but don’t expect to see the U.S. Men’s midfielder anytime soon. Jones still hasn’t begun training with the team yet after suffering several setbacks to the LCL sprain he suffered against Portland all the way back on July 4th.
Right now Jones is riding a stationary bike and rehabbing, but any lateral movement still causes him pain and discomfort, as does running any faster than a jog. The hope is that Jones will be able to return for the playoffs and give the Rapids the same boost he gave them that saw Colorado go 5-0-2 during Jermaine’s first seven games with the team.
MH: This is Pablo’s third and, clearly, most successful season coaching. What’s the difference been?
CB: There are a number of reasons why this time around has been much better for Pablo but the biggest factor that stands out is John Spencer; Bringing Spencer in to be Pablo Mastroeni’s assistant coach may have been Colorado’s most important off-season acquisition.
In 2015’s campaign the Rapids were defensively sound but offensively anemic, Spencer was able to find a way to bridge the gap between defense and attack and result has been generally good.
The other factor to a resurgent season has been the new names brought in this season. Tim Howard, Jermaine Jones, Shkelzen Gashi, Marco Pappa and Michael Azira have all been key players this season and you have to applaud Pablo and his staff for finding the right pieces to turn this team around. This is the final year of Pablo’s three year contract and the club have yet to offer a new contract or even begin talks with Mastroeni. It will be interesting to see what happens at the end of the season but a lot seems to depend on how deep the Rapids make it into the playoffs.
MH: Tim Howard was a huge get for the Rapids. How has the addition of someone with his resume affected the team’s culture and identity?
CB: It’s hard to believe that Tim Howard has been in Colorado for three months already. It’s clear that Howard’s professionalism and drive are contagious, especially among the younger players in this Rapids team. No player takes better care of their body than Tim and players have talked about following Tim’s example in training and in the weight room.
Tim has also become the general of the defense. It’s always enjoyable to watch Howard interact with his back four during games, whether he’s screaming at a player for not closing down an attacker or he’s high-fiving a defender for a clearing a dangerous ball. The partnership of Howard and back-four is still growing and evolving, but for Sam Cronin and Michael Azira, Colorado’s defensive midfield base, it allows them to grow more into the attacking side of the game knowing that the back line is being directed by an expert.
MH: Who’s a Colorado player who is playing well right now who might be flying below the radar
CB: If there’s one player on this Rapids team who has flown under the radar all season it’s Marc Burch. Burch usually plays left back for the Rapids and has been solid all season. He defends his wing well knowing when to compress into the box and knowing when to come out and be firm. He’s also integral in the Rapids attack when he pushes forward and is one of the best crossers of the ball for this Colorado team. He’s been unheralded all season long but has been a major factor in Colorado’s success this season.
Under Porter, Portland has proven track record at pulling out necessary results late in the year. Even in 2014 when they failed to reach the playoffs, the Timbers won their only match in Dallas to force the Whitecaps to defeat Colorado. Seattle currently sit tied with Portland on points but has not only the tiebreaker, but two games in hand. Colorado will be a litmus test for Portland’s post-season mettle.
A good thanks to Chris who will be live tweeting the Saturday’s match over at @ProstSoccer.
