The Timbers Army represented on Saturday.

It was a red carpet affair on Saturday and deservedly so. Seattle v.Portland is not only the league’s tentpole rivalry, but Portland’s 1-0 defeat to the Sounders was the first meeting of the last two MLS Cup winners.

“It was undeniable to me that we were the better team on the day,” Caleb Porter would say in his post match remarks. “When you look at every category in terms of chances, in terms of possession and in terms of every metric you want to measure, we were the better team. That’s what makes it disappointing.”

Porter is correct: Portland played a solid match, winning the possession battle, doubling the shots the Sounders took, all the while completing nearly 500 successful passes, setting a season high mark. These are all impressive stats. Unfortunately, to borrow a phrase from Bruce Arena, the Timbers came up short in the only statistic that truly counts: goals. Which is what makes it all disappointing.

They make good banter, but respect flows both ways between the two coaches.

Arena’s remark, about goals being the only worthwhile stat, followed a match that played out similarly; the Galaxy withstood a strong start by Portland and suckerpunched Portland with Robbie Keane’s early goal.

And just like setting up the perfect first date, only to find out she went to back to her ex- after he stood outside her window playing Peter Gabriel on his boombox (seriously you can’t compete against that), the Timbers did a lot of things right after giving up the early goal. I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen. C’mon people, Say Anything. It’s a classic movie!

For those focused on results over process, there’s a palpable fear that the Timbers have peaked; the secret is out that Portland’s strong start was too hot and has transitioned into something undercooked.

Let’s just take a moment to recognize that the 2017 MLS Cup Final is six months away. We are closer to last year’s MLS Cup Final, than we are to this years. A lot can change over such a long period of time. So climb off the ledge.

The Timbers have had a problem with corners lately. Denying that would be like buying into David Hasselhoff’s claim his musical career would have taken off in the states had his pay-per-view event not gone up up against O.J. Simpson’s chase down the freeway in that white Ford Bronco.

The Montreal Impact game was a game that got away from them, much in the same way the match got out of hand for Minnesota United in the opener. The Timbers have more than half of a season to go and are one of five teams in the Western Conference with a positive goal differential. Consider that the back line has featured eleven different defenders in thirteen games and almost certainly will be adding one more in summer.

The ability to bring in a game changing player in the Summer Transfer Window is just one reason that May results can only be taken with a grain of salt. How about history? Where were the Timbers two years ago? Remember Under the Red Line: Same As It Always Was? Porter had to say following a match that he cares about results.

Example B: Seattle Sounders circa August 2016.

This is just one bump in a very long season in a league that feasts on parity. Philadelphia got hot and lost to RSL who had been running a lukewarmish tepid, at best. Sporting beat Portland at home, but Colorado managed to win their contest. Orlando CIty had raced to the top spot in the league only to lose to a Minnesota United who no one is comparing to breaking Chivas USA’s most goals allowed tally.

So take a deep breath, and chin up dreamboat and enjoy George Harrison & Ringo Starr:

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