Montreal vs. Portland Preview
Diego Valeri during the 1-1 draw versus Atlanta United FC. (Photo by Diego G Diaz).
By Edward Pham
The Portland Timbers travel to Montreal this week to take on the Impact. Both teams have finished the first third of the season with sub-par forms, with only two wins in their last six games. Both teams are hoping to use this game to provide some momentum heading into towards the middle of the season. While Montreal is weary of the Portland’s potent attack, the Timbers are cautious of any strong squad dealing with poor form. They know the Impact will be hungry for a win.
Diego Valeri will be looking forward to seeing Nagbe back on the pitch after missing the last two games due to injury. (Photo by Diego Diaz)
Nagbe’s Return
The Timbers are looking forward to have Darlington Nagbe back this Saturday for selection, according to Timbers coach Caleb Porter. Nagbe was out the last two weeks against San Jose and at home versus Atlanta with a hamstring injury. The attacking midfielder’s injury came at a rough time, as he was picking up confidence, scoring a stunner against their Cascadia rivals the Vancouver Whitecaps.
The Timbers missed Nagbe’s ability to hold the ball. Porter mentioned Nagbe when it came to the Timbers’ possession, especially after conceding 70% of it versus Atlanta. “With Nagbe, the team wins 15% to 20% more possession,” Porter affirmed in the press conference. He currently is averaging 1.9 shots per 90 minutes this season, a career high. His ability to dribble at opposing defenses, and create chances in dangerous positions alongside Diego Valeri will welcomed back.
Defensive Woes for the Impact
Montreal has had a rough season with only ten points in ten games so far. Defensively, they’ve struggled to hold off opposing defense, as they have registered only one clean sheet. The team has pulled off some impressive comebacks, including responding to three first half goals by the Union with three of their own to result in a 3-3 draw in Philadelphia. They’ve also conceded leads against Seattle, Chicago, and Columbus in the waning minutes of the game to drop points.
Impact defender Chris Duvall commented after Saturday’s match at home against Columbus, where they conceded three goals to the visitors, “It’s still relatively early in the season and we show good moments, but to not protect our home field is inexcusable.” With young central defender Kyle Fisher likely filling in for the injured Hassoun Camara (concussion) Saturday and Laurent Ciman struggling this season, striker Fanendo Adi might try to take advantage of the situation. It will be up to the Impact to try to find their defensive structure quickly or they’ll find themselves fishing the ball from the back of the net often against the Timbers, who are hungry to find scoring form from early this season.
Ignatio Piatti, seen here taking on Nick Lima, will look to create problems for the Timbers’ backline. (Photo by Lyndsay Radnedge, Center Line Soccer)
Are the Defensive Woes for the Timbers Over?
Unlike Montreal, the Timbers are near the top of the standings. Defensive woes of their own in the three games has only given them two points out of a possible nine. They conceded six goals in that span, including three to conference rivals San Jose. Part of this being the ever changing defense for the Timbers.
However, the Timbers may have found a potential pairing in defenders Liam Ridgewell and Roy Miller. Together, they held off a powerful Atlanta United attack to just three shots on goal. Also, with defensive midfielders Diego Chara and David Guzman providing additional coverage for the backline, they were able to hold off Atlanta the way that they did. Knowing that Ignacio Piatti, Matteo Mancuso, and Dominic Oduro leading the attack, the Timbers will need to continue that stability in the back to hold off Montreal while on the road.
Key Match-Up: Piatti vs. Valeri
While they might directly combat each other in the midfield, it will be a question of who will have the bigger impact for their respective offenses. This table shows some of the contrasting styles between the two playmakers.
| Piatti | Valeri | |
| Shots | 3.3 | 2.8 |
| Goals | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| Key Passes | 1.8 | 2.8 |
| Dribbles | 5.8 | 1.6 |
| Passes | 28.9 | 41.5 |
Tale of the tape for the two attacking midfielders
Both teams will need to figure out how they plan on shutting down these prolific playmakers. Portland will need to avoid allowing Piatti space to dribble, while Montreal will need to close down Valeri’s passing options and force him to dribble in one-versus-one situations. Otherwise, either playmaker could break open the game for their respective teams.
Player to Watch: Anthony Jackson-Hamel
Why should you be keeping an eye on a bench player? Although he’s only made six appearances and played 127 minutes, it’s the Montreal homegrown player’s “impact” during that time that’s been pretty impressive. He’s taken six shots, scoring on four of them. Jackson-Hamel also recorded a brace against Philadelphia in only 28 minutes of play and scored the game-winner at the death against Atlanta United. Montreal will likely continue to ride on his good scoring form off the bench in case they need to find a goal. Portland will need to heed and respect his presence when he comes on the field. Otherwise, they could drop points if he gets in the scoresheet again.
Final Thoughts
In the five games these two teams have played against one another, only once has a team been shutout. That was when Montreal won 2-0 in 2012. In a game with so many potential attacking threats, it seems hard to imagine either team being shut out. How will the Timbers and the Impact try to stop the opposing attacks from creating those chances? If Ridgewell and Miller’s chemistry and form can continue from that Atlanta game, the Timbers have to feel bullish about their chances at stopping Montreal’s attack. However, if Ciman can get out of his early season rut, the Impact could hold off the Timbers’ attack.
Each team knows the importance of a win Saturday. A win for the Impact will help them pull them out from the bottom of the standings and build some confidence to get over their early season woes. A win for the Timbers will give them even more confidence on the road and keep up with the top teams in the conference. It will be a question of who wants that momentum more.
Stats from WhoScored.com as of 5/18/2017.
