Even the Timbers fans had to be shocked by what they witnessed on Sunday at the StubHub Center.
By Ivan Yeo
From the outhouse to the penthouse in just a matter of moments.
Coming into Sunday’s match against the Los Angeles Galaxy, the Portland Timbers were on the outside looking in as far as the playoff picture went. Portland was tied with the San Jose Earthquakes for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, with both teams having 47 points and 13 wins. San Jose however held the next tiebreaker advantage over Portland, which was goals scored, and it was a massive differential, as San Jose had 40 goals to Portland’s 32 heading into the weekend.
San Jose had put themselves in said position by beating Sporting Kansas City two nights earlier, and facing the star-studded Galaxy on the road, especially after having played a midweek road game against Real Salt Lake, which they won 1-0. All those factors combined might have tilted the odds to the Galaxy’s favor in Sunday’s tilt and sure enough, LA spotted Portland a goal in the first half and took the lead into the locker room.
However, Portland’s response in the second half might prove to be a game-changer for them heading into the final week of the season. The Timbers came back with three unanswered goals, then added two more after the Galaxy had mounted a frantic last charge and Portland turned what could’ve been a ho-hum defeat against the powerful Galaxy into a remarkable 5-2 win at the StubHub Center.
“We expected to win,” Portland’s Diego Chara said. “The score was the way it was simply because we were effective up top. We hoped to get the three points and thankfully we secured them.”
The win is the first time ever that Portland had edged LA at the StubHub Center. The Timbers have actually won at the StubHub Center, but all those wins had come at the expense of the now-defunct Chivas USA. Sunday was the first time that Portland had beaten the Galaxy in Carson. More importantly for Portland, not only are its playoff hopes still alive, but they are now beating like a drum, as they are now tied with the Vancouver Whitecaps for third place in the conference.
“A lot of people doubted us, no one in that locker room ever doubted, they never doubted themselves, they never doubted each other and you saw that in the performance,” Timbers head coach Caleb Porter said. “We are down a goal and we are on the road against the best team in the league and for these guys to claw back in it and put up five goals and make a statement like that I think is massive.”
Down 1-0 heading into the second half, Portland had started to show signs of life at the start of the second stanza. A chance off a corner kick hit off the crossbar and a shot by Liam Ridgewell inside the penalty area just sailed over the crossbar. Portland however preserved and found the equalizer in the 65th minute, as Diego Valeri worked a one-two with Darlington Nagbe that freed Valeri with a run towards goal. Valeri played a ball to Melano in the box, who then played a quick pass to Fanendo Adi, who took a touch, turned and fired a ball that beat keeper Donovan Ricketts to upper left corner to level the match.
Adi wasn’t done yet for the Timbers. Just moments after the equalizer, Portland was again buzzing in from of LA’s goal in the 67th minute. Valeri again played Melano into the penalty box, and again Melano played a cross towards Adi, LA right back Dan Gargan held Adi from behind and brought him to the ground, which was more than enough for Adam Kelly to signal for the penalty spot. A minute later, Adi buried the penalty to give Portland the lead.
“We stayed composed towards the end of the game and we started getting our rhythym back and of course in the second half and we crushed them,” Adi said. “It was a good showing from our side, we came back thinking we could get a goal and definitely got a second one. Once we got the first goal, things opened up and it was now a 50/50 game.”
Portland finished off a run that moments ago seemed unlikely in the 74th minute, as Rodney Wallace floated a ball towards the six-yard box and Chara charged in from the middle lane, leaped and headed a ball past Ricketts into the back to give Portland a shocking two-goal lead. That might have been more than enough against any team, but playing the LA Galaxy, with its firepower featured in their side, you always have to stay on your toes, and sure enough, Robbie Keane scored his second goal of the match in the 84th minute to pull one back for LA.
Portland’s simple response after that? how about more goals. Just seconds after Keane’s goal, Jorge Villafana booted a long ball forward, Maximilliano Urruti headed it forward and Darlington Nagbe, despite his 5-9 frame, fought off the 6-5 Omar Gonzalez, then evaded Ricketts, who had come off his line, leaving Nagbe with an open net, which he buried to restore the Timber’s two-goal lead. Urruti finished off a remarkable afternoon for Portland with a goal in the 90th minute to seal the three points for the Timbers.
“I think in the first half we had a few mistakes but in the second half we corrected them and we took advantage of the chances that we created and we are happy that we won the game and that it put us in a good place for a chance to earn a playoff spot,” Villafana said.
A win like this can certainly be a defining moment for the Timbers, who have been up and down for most of the season and had its playoff hopes well in danger heading into this match and having to defy the odds and beat a more superior team in a place that you have never beaten them in before. Yet Portland defied those odds, and now head into the final week of the season with a ton of momentum.
“We have to take care of business in this last game but this sure feels good,” Porter said. “If I know my team and I know the way they feel and look right now we will take care of business next week but we will enjoy this right now.”
Portland ends its season at home against last-place Colorado, and with the Rapids having to play a mid-week match against Kansas City on Wednesday, three points and a playoff spot would seem to be a formality for the Timbers. Yet as the Timbers found out on Sunday, things can change in a heartbeat, and you know the Timbers, having experienced one side of the spectrum, will do everything to make sure the momentum stays on their side with so much at stake next weekend.
