If the Portland Timbers are to make the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs, they knew they needed wins going into their final three games of the regular season – at least two of them, to be exact.
Wins take goals, something that has eluded Portland throughout their up-and-down 2015 campaign.
So head coach Caleb Porter set out to remedy that in their crucial Western Conference showdown Wednesday night with Real Salt Lake, and it paid off with a 1-0 win that bumped them tentatively into playoff position while conversely dealing a serious blow to RSL’s own postseason hopes.
On the road at Rio Tinto Stadium and facing a team whose playoff hopes hinged on an even more dire do-or-die scenario, Porter all but threw the kitchen sink at RSL, trotting out just one defensive midfielder and five forward/wingers in a 4-3- formation. It was a stark departure from Porter’s normal 4-2-3-1, forced partially out of necessity due to injuries to holding midfielders Will Johnson and Jack Jewsbury.
“Sometimes you get it right,” Porter said in his postgame comments. “I think we got it right, the system we started with, the plan. But you only get it right if the players execute and if they perform, so the players deserve all the credit.”
It may have only paid off with the lone goal, the Timbers’ average on the season, but Porter said he was happy with how they controlled the game early and were compact defensively after finding the back of the net via a Fanendo Adi penalty kick in the 54th minute. With Diego Chara alone in front of the backline, Portland outshot RSL 15-7 (5-2 shots on goal).
And goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey only had to make two saves, although both were exceptional efforts.
“It’s a crucial game for us,” Kwarasey said. “We knew had to win to keep it alive, and we had to be at our best today to win the game. … I really trust the guys in front of me and all around me. Today was amazing, we all fight and bleed and sweat for this team, so it’s such a great feeling.”
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The game’s pivotal moment evolved from Portland’s decisive attack, with Adi playing a ball to unlock speedy forward Lucas Melano behind RSL’s backline. Big center back Jamison Olave was left with nothing to do but drag Melando to the ground at the edge of the penalty box, and after a brief discussion among the referees, the PK was awarded and Olave was sent off.
“We came out aggressive,” Porter said. “We didn’t just come out to sit back and let them come at us; we came out to attack. Obviously our lineup, our game plan reflected that. We pressed up the pitch and had a lot of the ball and were rewarded in the second half with the goal.”
Nothing is secure for Portland, however, holding just a three-point advantage over the San Jose Earthquakes pending their Friday night matchup with FC Dallas. And Portland, who have a game in hand over San Jose, face a tough road test in their next match Sunday at LA Galaxy before closing out the season at home against the Colorado Rapids. But there’s no doubt that Wednesday night signified a big first step.
“We took care of business today, and it took a little bit of pressure off us,” Kwarasey said.
Dan Itel covers the Timbers for MLSsoccer.com.
