Portland Timbers player ratings
by Niall McCusker
Portland featured three players making their MLS debuts and with regulars Will Johnson, Diego Chara and Ben Zemanski all injured were down to their 4th and 5th choice defensive midfielders. So it was no surprise that they started quite slowly and with an uncharacteristic safety first approach. They took control of the game after half an hour but not for the first time at Providence Park could find no way past Nick Rimando as the sides played out a 0-0 draw.
The Timbers only had 45% of possession and played more crosses and long balls than aficionados of a more technical approach might like, but they had the chances to win the game and after last season’s defensive woes an opening night clean sheet was perhaps more important than a goal-fest.
Here are the individual ratings:
Adam Larsen Kwarasey 7: While not troubled at all by a lethargic RSL attack, the Norwegian/Ghanaian keeper appeared as advertized : cool and collected, quick off his line and always looking to start counters with quick throws.
He got his first clean sheet log slice, but as he said afterwards “I don’t think I was on the ground once in this game, so I have to share this one with all my defenders”.
Alvas Powell 7: Last season an early yellow card for Powell would have seen a nervous coaching staff wondering when he would get a second, but the Jamaican youngster appears to have curbed his enthusiasm in the tackle. Playing behind a true winger in Asprilla he was not required to get forward as much to provide width in the attack, just a quiet, solid, defense-first performance – exactly what he needed.
Kwarasey off his line to attack a ball.
Nat Borchers 7: Looked good against his old club. The color of the shirt may have changed but the veteran presence remains intact. Stepped up to win a few key interceptions and seems like he will offer Portland something they lacked last season, a central defender who is aerially dominant.
Liam Ridgewell 7: This is not the quintessential English center-half. He actually likes to play a little football, a no-nonsense partner like Borchers may prove to be just what he needs. They handled the ever dangerous Saborio quite comfortably, but Ridgewell will want to improve on his distribution from this game.
Jorge Villafana 7: Yes another 7, this was a collective defensive effort with no stand-out performer. He didn’t get to swing in many of his trademark low, left-foot crosses, but Villafana continued last season’s successful left side partnership with Rodney Wallace.
Jack Jewsbury 8: Relegated to back-up right back last season, few would have expected Jewsbury to be an opening day starter in midfield. But just like nature in Jurassic Park “I’m simply saying that Jewsbury, uh… finds a way”.
Portland fans would have been quite confident in his ability to do a job in midfield beside the ever dependable Diego Chara, but with the Colombian unable to shake off a knock picked up against Vancouver in preseason his partner ended up being MLS debutant George Fochive. Things now looked a little shaky, at least on paper. On the field however Jewsbury quickly set about calming any concerns with simple, effective passing and sensible positioning. He may not offer those lung-bursting runs into the box to support attacks that Will Johnson does, but he certainly contributed to the clean-sheet.
What he does offer on the offensive side is the best set-piece delivery on the Portland Timbers roster and yes that does include the injured Diego Valeri. Caleb Porter often comments on the number of fouls Portland players like Darlington Nagbe receive but complaining about it won’t stop opponents seeing it as an effective strategy. What will reduce it is punishing the opponent by whipping good free-kicks into the box and creating goals. Portland only managed to do that once last season.
Jewsbury’s near post free-kick onto Wallace’s foot in the first half didn’t quite come off, but was an example of the kind of threat that may make opponents think twice before hacking.
Jewsbury provides good service into the box.
George Fochive 7 (off in 86′): Had proved he could play a role in defensive midfield with an excellent preseason performance against Chicago but started the game a little nervously with some wayward distribution. But he soon settled and in the absence of Chara his tackling added some needed bite to the Timbers midfield. He was well mentored by Jewsbury, but when Chara returns there will only be room for one of them. He did enough in this game to at least make Porter think about that decision.
Dairon Asprilla 6 (off in 62′): Asprialla was another player making his MLS debut after a strong showing in pre-season and another who endured a nervy start to the game. His 28th minute header from an excellent Wallace cross was probably the clearest chance of the game and would have been the perfect confidence builder. But while he made good contact and kept it low, he just steered it the wrong side of the post. For a young attacker he does not shirk defensive responsibility but will want to show more of his powerful direct running on the attacking side in his next appearance.
Darlington Nagbe 6.5: Preferred to Gaston Fernandez in the central attacking role Nagbe put in a hard-working shift with some of his nice dribbles looking dangerous. Portland bypassed midfield a lot so he wasn’t asked to be a creator like a traditional number 10, but he did get some good balls into the box. If Portland continue to look to play on the counter he will likely remain in this position at the core of what Porter has called his ‘pace, power component’.
He will want to get a goal early this season and may need to push up closer to Adi to get it and leave the midfield graft to others at times.
Rodney Wallace 7.5: Portland’s most dangerous attacker on the night, his wing play should have been rewarded with a goal by Asprilla and he also has a knack for popping up in the right place in the box to finish off broken plays – it took a fine reaction save on the line from Rimando to keep out his 53rd minute effort.
How did that stay out?
Fanendo Adi – 6 (off in 82′): A tough night for the big Nigerian, Schuller and Olave won’t be physically dominated by anyone and he was left on an island at times with a midfield playing deep and conservative. He earned a few dangerous fouls but his hold-up and linking play weren’t as sharp as in the preseason game against Stabaek last week.
Gaston Fernandez – 6 (on in 62′): Came into the center as Nagbe went to the right, he certainly got closer to Adi in the attack, perhaps too close, Portland might have used him a little deeper to create. He is definitely capable of fox-in-the-box type goals as he proved at the start of last season, but the service to him needed to be a little better
Maxi Urruti (on in 82′): Not really in long enough for a rating, he will have been wondering why his name wasn’t called a little earlier.
Michael Nanchoff (on in 86′): Not on long enough for a rating, but he was almost the hero at the death only for his shot to be blocked.
Portland
Nanchoff almost won it at the end.
