What a game these Portland Timbers displayed this past Sunday in Los Angeles. Especially among one of the most outstanding of improvements was its defensive game. Still the unfortunate side for them was those two doubtful calls that awarded two penalties that became favorable for the Angelinos.
After a series of three games were the Rose City squad conceded 10 goals. In this match, they totally neutralized the Galaxy offensive game with two of its top playmakers with Ibrahimovic being one of them.
Still this Portland Boys do not break that easily and with a first half completely dominating, that play when Claude Dielna making his second start called for a foul over Ibra. For the game official he did not contemplate to call the penalty against the visiting Timbers.
However, this squad when it displays its football in total harmony good things happens. I mean with a minute to go for the end of the first half the Portland 11 went to work. Playing with total harmony the Timbers staged a one of kind play when Diego Chara started the rally with a pass over David Guzman.
The Tico with such mastery he passes to Diego Valeri and the Andean retuning the ball to Guzman who placed the ball to a well-placed and opportune Jeremy Ebobisse to tie the scoreboard.
In this match, it put in evidence that manager Giovanni Savarese had all the right moves. The first one was to put in the field a different formation with a 5-3-2. He started the likes of Jorge Moreira, Bill Tuiloma, Zarek Valentin, Claude Dielna and Julio Cascante. These five delivered a wonderful match but the errors that lead to two penalties became the only negative.
In the end this match exposed the hunger this squad is showing off to net its first win of the season. Next week their next match in San Jose exposes the possibilities of Portland generating its first win of the season.
Still you cannot be too complacent as that most desired first win can become a nightmare and the Portland squad could get an adverse result. Going into Avaya Stadium the Portland squad playing against a winless Quake squad but anything can happen in Silicon Valley.
In spite of the result, the Portland squad proved that is ready to show off its might. To conclude I applaud the improvement and effort the Portland Timbers showed in Tinsel Town.
