BEAVERTON, Ore. – The last time the Portland Timbers paid a visit to BMO Field to face Toronto FC – a little less than eight months ago – what transpired could be described as a microcosm of their disappointing, up-and-down 2014 season.
There was the good: going up 2-0 in the first half in a dominant display of attacking soccer. But there was also the bad, some of it through no fault of their own: They lost captain Will Johnson to a broken leg and then the game after allowing three second-half goals in a shocking collapse.
It cost them a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs – by just one point.
The Timbers once again face a game at BMO against TFC (Sat., 5 pm ET; MLS LIVE in US, TSN in Canada) under similar circumstance, however much earlier in the season, having experienced plenty of ups and downs already in 2015. They sit in ninth place in the Western Conference and are still suffering the consequences of that match against TFC last September, with Johnson yet to make his return to first-team action.
“These guys have a good mindset, they’re not going to panic, I’m not going to panic, but we also have to have urgency,” head coach Caleb Porter said earlier this week from the team training facility before his side departed for Toronto, where they trained Friday ahead of Saturday’s match. “We can’t miss too many opportunities to get points. But if you look in this league, it’s pretty normal for teams to have good weeks, bad weeks and be up and down.”
Last week was decidedly down.
Portland squandered a chance to build on their 2-1 victory May 9 over the Montreal Impact in a 3-1 drubbing at the hands of the Houston Dynamo. A goal from Fanendo Adi was their only shot on target for the game, marking a return to their early season attacking deficiencies highlighted by a two-game goal-less streak ended in the Montreal match that was the longest under Porter’s tenure in Portland.
“I don’t think we created enough chances, no. … But I also think a big part of that was giving up an early goal, which played into their hands and now they can sit back,” Porter said of the Houston match that saw the Dynamo score nine minutes in. “And they were very organized, and now we’ve got to carry the game and to carry the game in 90-degree weather and try to break down numbers.”
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The absence in production from wingers Rodney Wallace and, especially, Darlington Nagbe has been glaring. Neither have scored this year, and Nagbe has just one league goal in 46 matches dating back to the 2013 season when he recorded a career-high nine goals.
He was subbed out in the 76th minute in Houston, the first time he’s been removed from a match since October of last season, after not getting a shot off.
“I think he agrees as well,” Porter said when asked if he expected more out of Nagbe. “Just keep working on it, keep pushing it and that’s all you can do. Our front four guys, Rodney included, they need to score goals. Adi’s got four and [Diego] Valeri’s got one – he’s just been back and he’s got a goal and an assist, so he’s producing – we do need to get our wingers producing.”
Dan Itel covers the Timbers for MLSsoccer.com.
