Adi proved to be a handful for LA on Sunday night. Photo courtesy of Denise McCooey.
by Matt Hoffman (@mhoff)
Player Ratings are usually, but not always, indicative of the results on the field. Case in point, I’m not going to demerit Nat Borchers for his own goal. That was the result of an unlucky result of a hustle play.
Despite their misfortune, for only the forth time ever, the Portland Timbers are leaving LA with a point. Gyassi Zardes looked invigorated and gave the defense all it could take, but ultimately the Galaxy looks lost without Robbie Keane. His replacement, Giovanni Dos Santos once again failed to rise to the occasion. As good a coach as Bruce Arena is, even he cannot overcome Dos Santos’s lackluster club form.
Adam Kwarasey: 7
For all intents and purposes he secured a clean sheet on the road. Some of his four saves were pedestrian but the thing that impressed me most was how he calmly patted Borchers on the back after the own goal instead of losing his head as some of his compatriot MLS keepers tend to. #leadership.
Alvas Powell: 8
Man of the Match. Powell was all over the field registering the Timbers first shot (it was blocked) but playing impressive man coverage of Zardes in the final third. Powell’s tackles were on target and he prevented Lletget from making any impact in the match in the second half.
Borchers in a sea of white as things got testy. Photo courtesy of Denise McCooey.
Nat Borchers: 6
I’m still not marking him down for the own goal but he was lucky not to have earned a card with a collision with Zardes which, I admit, may have looked much worse on tv than in real life. Borchers looked to have not touched Zardes in the event in which he did earn a yellow for, however, as it happened outside of the box, the Galaxy did not earn a penalty.
Jermaine Taylor: 7
JT (people do call him JT, right?) was solid once again filling in for Liam Ridgewell. He lacks Ridgewell’s height, but Alan Gordon never got the opportunity to make Portland pay. For all their shots on goal, the Galaxy have to be disappointed that none of their own were on the scoresheet, and Taylor was a big reason why.
Chris Klute: 6
The agita surrounding the left back position may now well all be for naught. Klute looked comfortable in debut with the Timbers first team. He did not get up so far as Villafana did last year but, given the opponent, this may have been by design.
Diego Chara: 6
A recurring fear I have is that I might one day take Diego Chara for granted. Chara single-handidly nullfied Giovanni Dos Santos to the point that the Mexican international looked sullen when it was his turn to depart the pitch. As always, Chara is bulldog in defense however the yellow card was a disappointment. I understand why he took the delay of game yellow, I just wish it could have been someone other than Chara who is well acquainted with yellow card accumulation.
Jack Jewsbury: 5
The triangle flipped back with Jewsbury not only playing a second holding mid, but also wearing the armband. Jewsbury was the conduit through which much of the Timbers possession went through and he played back when Borchers or Taylor bombed ahead. A solid performance.
Darlington Nagbe: 5
A casualty of playing out of the wing to incorporate the Timbers return to a more-traditional 4-2-3-1, Nagbe was able to maintain possession but not provide much going forward. As a result, he had no shots. The biggest concern with Nagbe is his health after having to be helped into the locker room by his teammates.
Diego Valeri: 5
Valeri was the spark in a limp and mildly lifeless Timbers offense. Much like last year, the Timbers completed a game in which they got off less than five shots (four). Though Opta does credit the Timbers maestro with three chances created, it would have been to the Timbers credit to generate more offense against a reeling LA side.
Photo courtesy of Denise McCooey.
Lucas Melano: 4
Melano continues to be one of the swiftest Timbers on the field but on the mental plane, he fell short on Sunday. For every impressive athletic feat Melano completes, there seems to be an equal “Argh!” moment. Such as when he gets dispossed, chases down the Galaxy player and recklessly lunges at him in a late challenge. Or the end around that was quickly snuffed out. Or the time he just let ‘er rip from way outside ending a promising attack.
Melano is young and his athletic gifts are many, but he’s still a young player and it shows. Porter has previously praised Melano for his commitment to being a two-way player so there’s hope that he will “get it.”
Fanendo Adi: 8
Adi had plenty of sizzle to go with his steak. His second half goal gave the the Timbers their second lead in the StubHub Center in as many games but that set up by demonstrating great pace and ball control. He got a little greedy and halted a promising attack with a shoulder, but Adi continued to be the beacon with two shots, both of which were on goal.
“That was the last time I bought shellfish from the bargain bin.”
Ned Grabavoy: 5
Darren Mattocks : Incomplete
LA Galaxy
Portland
