by Matt Hoffman
The Portland Timbers play the best defensive team in MLS today when they face the Colorado Rapids. The Rapids have allowed a league-best eleven goals in 16 games but also will have Tim Howard in goal.
The spectre of a Tim Howard will loom large over the match. Two years ago, Howard make a record thirty saves against Belgium in the 2014 World Cup. Howard might be coming off a down year in Everton, but remains an elite goalkeeper.Howard will be replacing a solid, but error-prone Zac MacMath in the net.
Colorado will be a good test to gauge where the Timbers offense stands. Darlington Nagbe returned to the Timbers lineup during the 1-0 U.S. Open Cup match on Wednesday and, in coach Caleb Porter’s words, was the best player on the field:
“I thought he was outstanding … I don’t think [Nagbe] made a wrong step over 90 minutes. Good to have him back, good to get him a 90.”
Porter noted that the Copa America experience was a positive one for Nagbe despite only getting playing time in friendlies:
“He trained for a month with the top-level players in our country, day in and day out. Being in that environment is a huge positive. You can see his game, even though he didn’t play in the games, his play didn’t suffer at all. In fact, I saw even a little bit more confidence to him.”
A rested, confident Nagbe lined up with an emergent Lucas Melano could, when paired with Diego Valeri, present Colorado fits.
Only once in eight home games has Colorado failed to get all three points. Over that period, Colorado has only allowed four goals. If Portland is going to break through, they will need to do more than just hold onto the ball.
For one thing, Colorado is happy to cede possession. Portland will need to assess it’s risks and find opportunities to create chances. Generally, this has been through some combination of Nagbe, Valeri and utilizing the hold up play of Fanendo Adi.
The game may well be won or lost on the wings. With Dairon Asprilla’s departure, that leaves Jack Barmby as the most technically proficient winger. It’s going to be interesting to see if that’s enough to promote Barmby over Darren Mattocks who seems to have settled into Rodney Wallace’s role.
Diego Chara and Ben Zemanski have proven to be a solid partnership protecting the backline. They may need to venture more into the Colorado portion of the field. That may not be possible. Alvas Powell returned on Wednesday but was, in Porter’s words, “rusty.”
Opposite him will likely be Jermaine Taylor or Zarek Valentin. Neither player has necessarily played poorly but sources within the team called finding a left-back the team’s top priority.
Where Portland could really struggle if it becomes a physical match. Four of the six front-line players, fit the description of the typical, aggressive, defensive midfielders. It doesn’t seem like a natural fit pairing Jermaine Jones–who at one point played as a center-back not long ago, in the hole. Yet, it’s worked with collecting three goals and two assists in his seven games.
