The Portland Timbers are currently spiraling downward at an alarming rate. After a promising 2-1-1 start, the club has failed to win in eight straight games after suffering a deflating 2-1 defeat to the Seattle Sounders on Sunday. They sit dead last in the Western Conference standings and look destined to miss the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
Fans have expressed frustration in response to Portland’s abysmal form, with many calling for Head Coach Phil Neville and General Manager Ned Grabavoy to be relieved of their duties. Countless issues are hurting the team’s performance, but some stand out among the whole bunch.
The squad has failed to apply pressure on the ball when out of possession, negatively impacting their offense and defense all year. The lackluster effort to get on the front foot has allowed opponents to freely dictate the tempo. At the same time, Portland struggles to gain control, ultimately costing the Timbers several points this season.
On Sunday, there was an occurrence where Seattle capitalized on Portland’s lack of pressure, stringing together passes before Raúl Ruidíaz found some space just outside the top of the 18-yard box and scored the winning goal. This defensive lapse led to the Sounders earning all three points on the road. Throughout the rest of the match, the Timbers let their bitter rivals see out the game while not showing any urgency to regain possession and score an equalizer until it was too late.
That lack of intensity is simply unacceptable in a derby. You HAVE to be aggressive and want it more, and not only did the Timbers fail to step up, but they also appeared to not really care about being outplayed either.
Let’s go back in time to the 92nd minute of Portland’s heartbreaking 3-2 loss to LAFC on April 27. You’ll see goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau save a header from Kei Kamara, and the rest of the Timbers practically stand around until Denis Bouanga picks up the rebound and fires a shot into the back of the net mere seconds later. The 2023 MLS Golden Boot winner had all day to line up his game-winner, which only exacerbated the frustration of Timbers fans.
Suppose they cannot control possession and apply consistent defensive pressure when they don’t have the ball. Their chances of dictating the game and creating scoring opportunities will be low in that case. It only worsens things if they don’t put enough effort towards those critical aspects of the game. The squad has plenty of talented players, and several starters are among the best in the league at their position, but they aren’t gelling as a team right now. Neville has to acknowledge these specific shortcomings and bring new ideas to the table soon, or his job could also be in jeopardy.
These are just a few of the many hurdles the Timbers will need to overcome before they can reverse their downward spiral and climb the Western Conference standings, but they need to start somewhere. Fortunately, they can turn things around in their next match on Wednesday against the San Jose Earthquakes at Providence Park. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
