Coming into their regular season finale, Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter made a point to talk about all the aspects in which his team had improved over the final stretch of the year.
Their attacking group has evolved into a well-oiled machine – scoring 22 goals in their last 10 games to record a team-record 61 goals on the year. Their defense, one of the league’s worst for much of the year, has put up four clean sheets in their last six games.
All that was on display Saturday in a comprehensive 2-0 win over FC Dallas, their first ever win at Toyota Park. And it just might make them the second team in MLS history to advance to the MLS Cup Playoffs after going winless in their first eight games, with the three points thrusting them two points ahead of the Vancouver Whitecaps, who faced off against the Colorado Rapids later Saturday, for the fifth and final postseason spot in the Western Conference.
“Everything we needed to correct, we’ve corrected,” Porter told the media after the game. “These guys have done everything in their power to put themselves in position to be in the playoffs. If we get in, I like our chances to make a run here.”
Despite the fact that Dallas also needed a win to move into third place in the West and bypass the Knockout Round, Portland dominated the first half action, firing off seven shots to Dallas’ two and nabbing a goal on Darlington Nagbe’s first of the year, two minutes before halftime. Even with Dallas pushing numbers forward in the second half, they managed just one shot on goal. And Maximiliano Urruti put the game away with a goal in the 82nd minute.
“Very mature,” Porter said. “I thought we managed them, a very good attacking team, defensively. Very organized and packed. We’ve been pretty much that way the final stage of the season, and I think we’ve done that time and again.”
Even the goal from Nagbe, who hadn’t scored in 33 games this season after posting a career-high nine last season, was somewhat of a checked box for the Timbers.
“I was just happy we won the game,” Nagbe said after the game. “It shows the guys have been working hard throughout the whole season, and we’re happy we were able to come here and get the result.”
Following the game, the Timbers turned into spectators, hoping for a Vancouver loss or draw at BC Place. That would mean they’d stay in Dallas for a Wednesday Knockout Round game.
“No matter what happens, these guys can hold their heads high,” Porter said. “To end the season with 49 points, that’s a good season, that’s a lot of points, that’s usually enough to get you in.”
Dan Itel covers the Timbers for MLSsoccer.com.
