Excellent chip pass from Mullins ... I'm really liking this signing ... Clever chip finish from Acosta too ...
No more tonic in stadium going with whisky and ginger ale. All games should start at 8 and be played in 100 degree weather. Randy Bobandi looking like tactical genius.
Don't tempt them ... We've blown leads in our last two home games. But I suspect it's too hot for Portland to find that extra gear to come back from 2 down. We just need to be smart and use the heat and the 2 goal lead to our advantage. As they push bodies forward they'll be too tired to chase back on defense and we should get a handful of counter opportunities.
Without Jermaine Taylor, United scores 17 more goals. Actually toying with the defending champs. Still, another half, finish the job.
lol ... what a contrast. Acosta with the prettiest play of the game and De Leon with the ugliest play of the game.
lol De Leon ... I like the idea of pulling Nyarko off, but why De Leon? Igbo or Neagle would be better options ...
Hamid : If he can stay healthy down the stretch he'll single handedly be worth at least a handful of points. A little help from from the woodwork tonight, but the two saves on McInerney were world class. Birnbaum/Boswell : Something looks off with our D compared to last year. I'm not sure if it's the absence of Kitchen or Boswell getting one year older, but Portland had about 3 point blank looks at Hamid which were avoidable. On the flip side it's nice to see Birnbaum finishing. He's had so many looks in the first half of the season with no goals. We'll need that set piece threat if we salvage anything out of this season. Franklin/Kemp : These two have gotten so much criticism last season, but in my opinion they've both improved this year. Kemp's only been exposed maybe 2 or 3 matches this season, but for the most part his defending has been solid. Sam/Nyarko : Why did Red Bull give us Sam? Feels like highway robbery. Not sure why Nyarko looked off tonight, but subbing in De Leon is not the answer. De Leon looked comical at times and I'm convinced that Igboananike should be a better option in that situation. Sarvas/Jeffrey : Sarvas > Vincent ... Sarvas may be a step slow on defense but he brings so much intelligence in possession. And please please please Ben, please let Jeffrey start over De Leon. So much calmer and more composed. Acosta : Best player on the team!!! Please pay that transfer fee! I know his numbers aren't amazing, but he's still a kid. Give him a full preseason with some of the better players we've picked up recently and he'll at least double the production for next year. Mullins/Saborio : Mullins is another brilliant pickup. He has all the instincts of a solid forward. Brilliant assist and three solid shots on goal. I hope Ben gives him the keys for next season. I don't see him as a 15-20 goal scorer, but I can see him as a solid 10 goal scorer which is way better than the strikers we've had recently. Good cameo by Sabo too. At this point it's obvious he won't be part of the picture next year, but he may still prove to be useful down the stretch.
I concur with the totality of that post. I think the defense gets stretched more now because United takes more chances. It's kind of banking on opponents being less than clinical in order to create more chances for your own less than clinical team. A good bet I believe.
The last three home games that I've missed for various reasons, we've managed to get wins. We haven't won in like the last 5-6 games when I've attended. Guess I'm not going to another game this season.
For the last three home games we've had the ball in the offensive third more than I can remember. And Mr. Backpass has not been seen very often. Let's give credit to the FO for the pickups that have made the loss of Rolfe bearable. And especially, let's give credit to Ben/Chad for starting Nicky on the bench. I'm much happier with Jeffrey, unless he starts fouling at our 18 again.
Man is it hard to drink steadily in 100 degree heat. Takes training and concentration. Glad my son and I were up to it. Boloni nailed it. Not much to add, except I've finally decided that NDL is the equivalent of the baseball clown -- the guy who amuses the fans with his antic. That chest trap and fall onto his back was priceless. Of course you knew he wouldn't score on the point blank attempt against Gleeson. Jeffrey was very good, much better than NDL in the middle. He ran the channel early in the first half and if the pass was just a bit better weighted, he would have had another goal. Nagbe did squat tonight, and credit Jeffrey and Sarvas for that. Acosta is just a delight -- he was still going full speed in extra time. Just pay the ********ing transfer now -- he's a keeper.
Back from RFK! Hot, hot, hot! I drank 2 liters of water and I just peed when I got back home! Back to the game: finally a really good win! Portland melted. Finally Acosta scored! Best on the field: Acosta, Kemp, Jeffrey, Mullins, but in general the whole team played really well, there were moments that I was in disbelief. Worst on the field: De Leon - tragicomic. Excellent number of Timbers fans, many really. I think most are genuine, but I believe there was also a discrete part of bandwagoners. I like this new coach, Chad Ashton.
Ashton is undefeated as coach, correct? Love it. Acosta was superb, Mullins didn't score, but had a fab chip to set up the second goal. And even Marcelo looked halfway decent. Good game -- we need more like it. Even if it takes global warming to cook the planet and this team into the playoffs.
De Leon had long enough to prove what he can do. I'll never forget his goal against RB in 2012 (2012?), but he's never taken his game to that next level that we've needed him to. Over the last two weeks Mullins has had innumerable opportunities to grab goals. I'm hoping that it's just nerves, because otherwise we might need to find another option. Lloyd Sam had a creative final ball in the second half. Led to nothing, but still been a while since we've seen that... Someone steal Acosta's passport.
Love to see Bennie take the next couple of games off to see if the current 3 goal scoring streak with him in the stands continues.
That's a bit unfair given what he did last night. He had the chip pass to Acosta that led to the second goal. Just a few minutes later Gleeson made a finger tip save on Mullins' chip that was going into the net. In the second half, Mullins forced a Hamid like save from Gleeson on his shot from 20 yards out. Gleeson got just enough to deflect it off the post. The only "flub" was the set up in front of the goal when Mullins took a bad first touch instead of just shooting. Given that he goes to goal and isn't afraid to shoot and generally plays where a forward should be (unlike Espindola), I'll cut him a lot of slack at this point.