BEAVERTON, Ore. – Considering the way the Portland Timbers’ preseason match with the Vancouver Whitecaps played out in late February – a combined 43 fouls, eight caution cards and two ejections – some might be surprised to learn that the clubs’ two head coaches shared a meal later that week.
Yes, the Timbers’ Caleb Porter and Whitecaps’ Carl Robinson sat down for dinner at the restaurant inside the swanky Nines Hotel in downtown Portland.
So there will presumably be no bad blood between the two young coaches as their teams face off Saturday at the ‘Caps BC Place (8 pm ET; MLS LIVE), Porter assured. What Porter does expect, however, is no departure from that rough-and-tumble match between two Cascadia rivals from just less than a month ago.
“As a coach, you have to look for trends in the opponent. It’s as simple as that,” Porter said after Friday’s training session at the team facility. “I’m not trying to stoke the fire or anything, it’s the reality of it. They are a very physical team, and they’ve been very effective playing that way. So again, it’s a trend that’s it.”
The preseason meeting came in the opener of the Simple Invitational tournament at Providence Park, and it also happened to be the game in which Portland lost Ben Zemanski, who was already filling in for injured captain Will Johnson, to a torn ACL. Porter reiterated Friday that he in now way blames the ‘Caps for that injury, which he reminded the media was “non-contact.”
Porter is more concerned with dealing with Vancouver’s newfound love of a counterattacking, defensive style.
“They’re really comfortable kind of sitting, being physical, staying organized, playing on the counter,” Porter said. “…You guys can play up me and Carl, but me and Carl respect each other. I like the way he’s put his team together; I like what he’s done there. So it’ll be a great match, and I’m sure I’ll be animated and it will be intense, but we’ll shake hands at the end of the game.”
And Porter will surely be glad to have his full slate of (healthy) players for just such a match.
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Right back Alvas Powell returned to the Rose City this week from international duty with Jamaica because, according to Porter, he wasn’t expected to play in the Reggae Boys upcoming slate of friendlies. But likely added to their comprehensive injury list is veteran Jack Jewsbury, who has stepped in for Zemanski through their first three games, as he goes through concussion protocol.
“By the way, we’re fine playing that type of game,” Porter said. “We have a tough team as well. We’ve got guys who are more than up for a fight, no problem.”
Center back Liam Ridgewell, who was one of two Timbers players to pick up a second yellow in the preseason match, said the Timbers are buoyed by their two straight 3-0 wins over the ‘Caps to finish out the 2014 season – one of those coming at BC Place.
“We had a good match against them in the preseason, obviously, and it was physical,” Ridgewell said. “It was a good preseason game… so I think we’ll be expecting the same.”
Dan Itel covers the Timbers for MLSsoccer.com.
