Things aren’t exactly going well in Portland through the first two months of the 2015 Major League Soccer season. A year after going eight games without a win to open the season, the Timbers have just one win through six matches and sit at the bottom of the Western Conference. After finally picking up their first win in a convincing 3-1 victory over a very good FC Dallas team it appeared things might be looking up. After all, one could excuse the Timbers for not being top of the table given a difficult opening schedule and a number of key players missing with injury. It didn’t take long though for any goodwill earned against FC Dallas to disappear, as the Timbers put in their worst performance of the year and, arguably, one of their worst performances of the Caleb Porter era in a 2-0 loss at home against expansion side Orlando City Soccer Club last Sunday.
Following a result in which the team never really looked in it, especially mentally, frustration was abound on social media and in the crowd in attendance. With the tactical setup not really working against Orlando City and a general sense that this team lacks creativity without the presence of Diego Valeri, who remains out injured, there’s a growing sense that the Timbers front office made a mistake in the offseason by underestimating the impact that Valeri’s absence would have on the team.
While Gaston Fernandez was widely expected to step in for Valeri, Fernandez has often found himself starting games from the bench this season. When coming into games Fernandez has certainly added some creativity, but he does so quite differently from Valeri and it hasn’t provided the boost the Timbers hoped it would. Fernandez is a creative attacking player, but he isn’t nearly as good as Valeri at bringing the rest of the team into the attack and creating for others, something Valeri excels at.
With the team falling well short of expectations so far, and the memories of the Timbers being unable to overcome a slow start last year and missing the playoffs by the slimmest of margins, patience is wearing things in the Rose City and it’s certainly understandable.
That said, there are plenty of reasons that the Timbers faithful should feel hopeful that this season will not be a repeat of 2014. First is the simple fact that despite the Timbers struggles thus far, they’re ahead of where they were last year. Through six games in 2014 the Timbers had only four points. They ended up missing the playoffs by a single point, so the fact that they have six points now gives at least some reason for hope. As the MLS playoffs have been expanded to six teams per conference for 2015, the Timbers should have no trouble recovering from this slow start to make the playoffs.
Second, their opening schedule this season has been more difficult than in 2014. In their first six games last year the Timbers faced only two playoff teams. So far through six games they’ve faced five playoff teams and an expansion Orland City side which looks like they’ll compete for a playoff spot.
The third reason that hope is on the horizon for Portland is that they’re battling through this early stretch without Diego Valeri and Will Johnson, but both are back in training and working toward fitness on their way back from injury. While Timbers fans will certainly wish the team was coping better without their two stars, if they can survive a few more weeks, both should be back. Once Portland got going last year (remember, Valeri was recovering from an injury early last year as well) they were one of the best teams in the league. There’s no reason to expect they can’t do the same this season.
It’s understandable if Timbers fans aren’t satisfied with simply being in contention for a playoff spot. Two years ago the team won the Western Conference and with the roster they’ve assembled one would certainly expect them to be contending near the top of the conference again. That they’re at the bottom is certainly disappointing, but with key players nearing a return and a long season ahead, hope is on the horizon for the Portland Timbers.
