Diego G Diaz
Providence Park

The Portland Timbers scored their first three points of the 2020 season with a lackluster 1-0 win over Nashville SC at Providence Park.

The game was preceded by the injury of Portland’s defender, Jorge Moreira, which added even more questions about what could be expected from the Timbers. Chris Duvall, the most recent acquisition by the club, stepped up to the challenge despite spending little time with the team.

As we have seen in previous matches, the Portland Timbers opened very aggressively. In the twelfth minute, Diego Valeri with a skillful strike from the right side of the goal slotted the only goal of the game.

A similar pattern emerged from there, with the Timbers losing ground to the visiting team, but this time Nashville did not take advantage of its chances. Nashville SC dominated the bout for a big part of the second half, but the game turned imprecise and monotonous.

In the end, it was a needed win for the Portland Timbers, one that will do little to answer some of the tactical questions that drag from the previous season.

Up next, Portland will travel to the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts to face the New England Revolution. It remains to be seen if playing as the visiting side may take some of the pressure off Savarese’s squad, and whether we might see some of the quality counter-attacking that made this team so dangerous on the road in past seasons.

Nashville on its part will travel to BMO Field to Face Toronto FC and will look to earn their first points on the road.

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