New York City’s snipers survive Timbers barrage.

By Niall McCusker

A 2-1 Timbers loss for the third game in a row. This time Portland were down at halftime but despite equalizing early in the second half and dominating the shooting and possession statistics, they conceded another goal against the run of play and lacked the cutting edge in attack to get back into the game.

The visitors scored hits with sniper shots in a successful guerrilla campaign while the home team’s carpet bombing was exciting but not very clinical.

Absent defensive stalwart Diego Chara, the Timbers moved back to their two defensive midfielder look, with Ben Zemanski getting a start alongside the veteran Jack Jewsbury. In defense Jermaine Taylor replaced Chris Klute at left back, perhaps with a view to better set-piece defense against Andrea Pirlo’s consummate delivery.

Players and fans were left waiting for kick-off as broadcasting orders delayed the game for 40 minutes to allow NASCAR’s to turn left a few more times. A reminder that the Major in MLS remains somewhat aspirational.

After recent games when the Timbers played a counter-attacking style, the first half was a throwback to earlier seasons as Portland enjoyed a 15-4 advantage in shots, with 62% of possession and yet trailed on the scoreboard.

The home side started brightly, Lucas Melano’s 5th minute cross was spilled to Diego Valeri’s feet and he would have finished past a flailing defender had he shown a little more composure.

Liam Ridgewell set out a high defensive line early, but it was in vain as the visitors struck first –  right back RJ Allen appeared to control the ball with both hands prior to releasing David Villa with a great pass. At 34, the Spaniard was still able to outpace Nat Borchers and Zarek Valentin with a nice run behind that advanced line – he finished with the ease and simplicity one would expect from an experienced clinician.

Portland responded well and Darlington Nagbe feinted nicely in the box to make space for a 17th minute shot that was well saved – though really he should have given the keeper no chance. He left it too close to former Timber Josh Saunders and at a nice height for him.

Valentin released Melano with a great ball down the right soon after that, but the Argentine could not get his shot off.

Jewsbury and Zemanski built a nice platform  for the Timbers, but the offense was just a little hesitant, letting the New York defenders get in vital blocks and tackles. Valeri’s passing form continued to be in a funk as he turned over 3-4  balls in the first half hour.

A third of the way through the season Portland have yet to score from a header, but Borchers sought to end that. His effort from a 23rd minute corner was blocked and he then nodded Nagbe’s cross just over the bar from the second phase. Adi had to come deep to get the ball and sprung Valeri on the half hour, but the esrtwhile maestro was offside.

Valeri found his range as the half wore on, playing in Adi nicely, the Nigerian slipped the ball to Melano, who forced a decent save from a tight angle. Next hard defensive work from Nagbe and Valeri caused an errant back pass that Saunders just about kept from Adi.

Gleeson had his first save of the game from McNamara after 38 minutes in a rare City foray, but seconds later Valeri tested Saunders again with a low drive from just inside the box. The rare sight of a Timbers header on target soon followed as Adi tried to finish Jewsbury’s cross.

The pressure on New York’s goal did not abate, Zemanski was up next at the shooting carousel with a dipping, long range effort going just wide of the left post.

Portland dominated the first half, but lost out to a true moment of attacking quality, albeit assisted by a liberal interpretation of the handball rule.

After two games in which they led at the half but played poorly in the second to lose the game, the Timbers would need to do the opposite. They started work immediately, Melano dragging a shot wide before nice work from Valeri and Adi set Nagbe up in front of goal. He continued to make Saunders look good, his low effort was tipped around the post but it really should have been in the back of the net.

Adi, Jewsbury and Zemanski kept up the barrage on New York’s goal and when Saunders’ resistance finally cracked ten minutes after the break, it was predictably the big Nigerian who found the net. When released into the left channel he went directly at goal himself and finished to Saunder’s right.

Villa had got one ahead of him in the race for MLS top scorer and Adi was not going to let that stand for long, joining him on eight goals.

McInerney replaced Adi a few minutes later, it was the second time in recent games that Portland disrespected the old superstition of not making a substitution at a corner (especially not taking out a 6’4″ player!) but again the soccer gods did not punish the blasphemy. Adi may have been tired after starting in Dallas midweek and it looked like he might have had felt tight hamstring but the change did not work out very well.

The Timbers goal spurred City into action, Villa almost caught Gleeson wrong-footed but the big Kiwi managed to get out a quick left hand for a good save.

Finishing aside Nagbe had a nice game in the middle, releasing Melano in space, unsurprisingly he failed to capitalize on the chance. The crowd bayed for a foul, but it was good tackle, which Melano had allowed by taking a poor angle on his run.

If Pirlo had been working in Mr Magee’s ‘five and dime’ he would surely have been fired for excessive leisureliness early in the game. But he managed to put an assist on the board, feeding McNamara a simple pass at the edge of the box. It did not look like a particularly dangerous situation, but McNamara’s curled shot was sublime and found the corner of the net.

Pirlo as a deep lying midfielder is a luxury that some of the better offensive teams in MLS will punish, but the Timbers are not one of those right now. He had willing runners on either side allowing him to exchange simple passes.

Porter took Borchers out for Barmby with 15 minutes to go, switching to his standard 3-at-the-back-when-trailing-late mode. Soon after that Grabavoy replaced Zemanski, but there was no break through for the hosts. In fact the visitors looked more likely to score in the last 5 minutes with some dangerous counters.

This game will be spun as unlucky, and to some extent it was, but sharper finishing would have won it. Over a third of the way through the season no starting offensive player has scored from play except Adi* and that’s why the Timbers are looking up at the rest of the West.

Edit: I forgot Valeri’s goal from play in Dallas, but still pretty poor from the non-Adi contingent.