Indeed, is the ideal adage to describe the Portland Timbers game they displayed last Sunday at home. With a more determined and confident initial eleven sent to the field by manager Giovanni Savarese. Alongside a 4-4-1-1 formation that in the end worked wonders. The Timbers delivered mayhem to one of the last undefeated and top rated squads in 2018 in New York City FC. Still this came with a catch, this squad that displayed a lot of discipline and maintained communication among themselves throughout the course of the match. This considered a major plus and a recipe for success.
That makes a world of difference and the hard work and patience shown by Giovanni Savarese in every match and correcting his team faults in training. Are becoming the ideal recipe for a possible success of this team in the remainder of what seems to be a much-contested campaign.
Let’s give kudos to every player that played on Sunday. It was amazing watching how this squad started and how they finished. In particular the finishing touches were superb. Some of that could be seen last week against Minnesota United FC but they still seemed like they were putting things together. Sunday was a different story. The Rose City squad silenced many of its detractors and critics with a clean sheet and a three-goal rout over one of MLS top rated squad.
Portland displayed a dominant game-plan from the start until its end which paved the way for this one of a kind win. Who said this team could not finish as they did despite the visitors total 74% of its possession and not allowed them to get comfortable in their game. The American version of the Sky Blues with David Villa heading its attack little El Guaje could do little to stop a returning Jeff Attinella. The Spaniard was completely shut off by the Timbers backfield, which saw the return of Liam Ridgewell to the starting lineup. Alongside Alvas Powell and Zarek Valentin, these two in the sides are doing an excellent job in defensive coverage. Not to mention the extraordinary job both defensively and offensively performed by Larry’s Mabiala, scoring in the 66th minute to provide the Timbers a little cushion.
In this match all the right moves paid off in the end. Savarese he should be proud of his boys and the substitutes. Rounding up a perfect afternoon of pure football perfection from an inspired, determined and ambitious Timbers should give hope to the supporters for the rest of 2018.If they can sustain this model the rest of the league better look out. In the end brilliant is the ideal word to describe the Rose City squad’s one-of-a-kind performance this past Sunday. There is more work to do but patience is the essence of developing a great football squad.
MLS
Portland
