2019 Match Day #14: Union v. Portland Timbers, May 25, 2019 p/d/p

Must win.

 

3 points.

 

Tie. Why not.

 

I'm getting old, thought we had played them already. Always seems we get the Western team games front-loaded. Well it's got to be a win, right?

 

I have voted loss every game this year after the first two or three. In prior years, I usually voted win. So, loss it is.

Do you think the players watch my vote and try to prove me wrong? No, I didn't think so either.

 

This will be a win. Portland has to be tired of all the road-warrior-ing...of course this means that I'll be wrong and an idiot.

 

After not scoring should be scoring loads in this one. Win.

 

Portland went to Houston last Wednesday and looked pretty good in a 1-1 draw.

Portland's new signing, Brian Fernandez, was excellent coming off the bench. With 10 days to prepare for this game, Fernandez likely will start. He is a DP who last played for Necaxa in Liga MX scoring 18 goals in 32 games.

Portland does not have any injuries and should be well rested and prepared. And Diego Valeri still is very good.

 

Almost 80% of us have voted 'Win'. Interesting...


This is where the wheels start to come off, isn't it?

 

2-0 Portland so far.

It would appear so.

 

This is starting to look like that other season that started out well, but without a Nogueira leaving to blame it in.

 

Well that half couldn’t have gone any worse. Not panicking though. It’s the first bad half we’ve had in a while.

 

Game on again!

 

That sucked.

 

Portland were clinical with their chances, the Union were not. That was the difference tonight.

 

Just got back.

It cannot be stressed enough how much Gaddis hurting the team. He is absolutely afraid to dribble the ball past an opponent or to cross the ball. So for the second game in a row, the other team gives him miles of space and packs the middle. Not that we are going to cross the ball from the right anyway. Bedoya ends up dropping back to receive the timid backpass Gaddis is constantly making. So the entire right side of our attack is missing.

Plus, his defense is nothing spectacular. The first goal came from his side of the field on a counterattack - Elliott ended up covering Fernandez.

Ilsinho has been effective because his strengths complement Gaddis's weaknesses. However, it is hard to play modern soccer without a fullback who can carry the ball downfield and cross it in. This is what we feared when we traded Rosenberry away.

 

They did not look good.

 

Credit to Portland and Fernández, but Curtin's lineup decisions undercut us from the outset. I would have preferred Sergio Santos over Fafa and Mbaizo over Gaddis. Sergio looks active and hungry, but he's not yet in sync with the rest of the team because he's not playing enough. For Mbaizo, even though I'm not sure he's the answer, I am sure that Gaddis clogging up the offense is not.

 

Gaddis is fast. There, that's his defensive prowess. The moment he starts to slip in speed he's pretty much done as a player. He's pretty much a bench player at best in my opinion and that's where he should be utilized. If Mbazio isn't the guy at RB then they need to address it in the summer window.

Even during the game both JP and Tommy pointed out that Valentin was more in the middle of the field which told me that Portland had zero concerns about leaving Gaddis alone with acres of space in front of him.

Ray's numbers just don't stack up. Since 2012 Ray has racked up a mere 8 assists and 0 goals. Rosenberry? 6 assists since 2016 and 3 goals. Kai Wagner? In only his first season he's racked up 4 assists and so far hasn't scored a goal.

Ray has been with the Union for years but has consistently shown he simply CAN'T. HACK. IT. He should be a depth option in case of suspension or injury and thats it.

As for the game, I'll withhold judgement until after the Colorado game. Losses happen, but at this point I want to see how the team picks itself up from this.

 

Gaddis is terrible in the attack, but he's not the only reason they lost Saturday. Plenty of chances were made, but players just couldn't finish. It's the same that it's always been. We had a striker with the ball on his foot within a few feet of the goal with nobody between him and the back of the net and he sailed it. The captain tripped, fell, and started a breakaway leading to a goal. The whole team simply got outclassed.

They need to absolutely crush Colorado on Wednesday or this ship is going to start sinking.

 

A lot has been said about how the team was unlucky Saturday, but when the opponent's pack the defensive third, then we get poorer quality opportunities at goal. And Ray's inability to contribute at all to the offensive just means another defender in the penalty box.

 

Also something else I forgot to mention is the team's punishing lack of urgency on the break, it's been a consistent thing now where we get the ball, have the opportunity to get some number advantages going forward and the team slows the play down which allows the other team time to reset it's defense and get defenders back down the field.

 

That isn't really what happened, though. They didn't collapse into the box, they just led him into space on the edge. They'd still have a token defender marking him.