by Matt Hoffman
“(Sunday’s draw) puts us in a good spot. Obviously, not as good as if we would have won 1-0, but they didn’t get the away goal. If we score one goal, they have to score two. If we score two goals, they have to score three. It will make for a very interesting second leg.” -Caleb Porter
“Everyone wants [a goal]. I’m sure they want a home goal as well. The mindset now changes to next week’s game at BC Place and they are important away goals, we know that, but we had two great chances in the first half and we didn’t take them. Nothing you can do. You have to get back to work.” -Carl Robinson
Writing a preview for the second leg of a playoff series pitting the Timbers against Vancouver is a tricky matter (Sunday, 7 PM, Fox Sports 1). As familiarity breeds contempt and these sides have seen plenty of one another this year: Even before their three match set in the playoffs, they played against each in the Simple preseason tournament all before last week’s sortie in Portland.
So it comes to this: someone advances, the other goes home and neither side will be holding back. Byt
Vancouver couldn’t get that valuable away goal last week despite using all three substitutions for offensive attacking options. Porter kept Villafana and Powell deep not only to prevent goal-scoring opportunities but also to keep their legs fresh from having played a hellstorm of a match against Sporting Kansas City only three days prior.
Both defenders will be given the option to run on Sunday. Not only are they rest, but all accounts point to defensive monster Diego Chara returning to the fold after an apparent foot strain suffered at the end of the season finale against Colorado.
Also expected back in the lineup for Portland is Adam Kwarasey. Will Johnson continues to be in the Timbers lineup as a substitute but Porter has not used the team captain.
Vancouver’s great start was predicated on it’s attack and keep it’s players healthy. Octavio Rivero soared to the top of the Golden Boot but stagnated as the season went along and his teammates ability to get him the ball regressed. Rivero ultimately finished with ten goals but has only scored twice since July.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Jordan-Harrell Photography
The championship run of the Golden State Warriors has been derided of late as being lucky. The Warriors beat a lot of teams who were missing key components due to injury. Whether that’s a fair testament or not, the fact remains that Vancouver has been running a severe deficit of luck.
The Timbers are the healthier of the two sides. While DP and team captain Pedro Morales and Mauro Rosales each played on Sunday, they are clearly hampered and neither one of them put them in position to get that vaunted away goal. Meanwhile Kekuta Manneh conceded post-match on Sunday he is still battling a sore knee.
Nicolás Mezquida has been rumored to be healthy and ready to go ever since the ‘Caps final match against Houston but his hamstring continues to vex him. On defense, Pa Modou Kah has been kept sidelined dealing with a knee-sprain.
The impetus for the Timbers is being able to sustain the first fifteen minutes of the Whitecaps attack. With the odds against the, Vancouver will not be lacking for motivation and will be looking to pounce early. It’s up to the Timbers to be able to withstand that pressure and use it to their advantage with a counter-strike.
Lucas Melano may be sitting on a yellow card but the young Argentine has speed to burn as does Maxi Urruti. Following the match versus Sporting, Diego Valeri in his postmatch remarks spoke of the striker mentality and how it only takes a moment for a striker to make his mark on the game.
With the stakes being what they are on Sunday, expect the Timbers strike corps to seize what moments they can.
