The Portland Timbers made a surprise playoff run last season and ended up lifting the MLS Cup. Now, the 2016 Portland Timbers will be charged with defending that title. While the squad to take the pitch Sunday at Providence Park is largely the same, there are a few new faces in the lineup that can help improve on their regular season fortunes. The last season saw the team jump out to rough starts that questioned how good they could actually be. That’s a fate that many Timbers fans would like to avoid. Here are three questions the Timbers will need to answer if they hope to make another run at the title.
Can they score consistently?
The Timbers could have had a stronger finish in the regular season last year, but their early season form was less than stellar. Their biggest problem was the inability to score goals. They were held off the scoresheet 12 times last season and only score more than once 11 times. All of a sudden, in the last two matches and into the playoffs. they figured out how to score. In the final two regular season matches and six in the playoffs, they scored 20 goals and were held to one or less only twice. The team looked dangerous and they played plenty well enough to make a run all the way and lift the cup in the end. If that goal scoring form can keep up for most of the season, they might not have to worry about playing an opening round heart attack match again.
There’s nothing Timbers supporters want less than a repeat of last year’s opening two months that saw them get shutout five out of nine matches, including opening night. They’d like a little more of a confident start to 2016.
Can there be stability in the back line?
The Timbers back line was one of the best units in MLS last season. The consistent unit of Nat Borchers, Liam Ridgewell, Alvas Powell, and Jorge Villafana often covered for a shaky Adam Kwarasey and made the Ghanaian goalkeeper look much better than he probably is. Trouble is, Villafana, the most productive of that group, is now in Mexico and Ridgewell is starting to get up there in age. His preseason performances leave doubt as to weather or not he will be the number one option for the entire season. Chris Klute was originally brought in to replace Villafana, but his knee isn’t 100% healthy and it might be a while until we see him in game action. That likely means Jermaine Taylor enters the back line by either starting at left back or pushing Ridgewell outside. Either way, this isn’t the optimal back four that Portland wold like to see. Can the hodgepodge group keep goals out of the net well enough until fully healthy? Will Klute, who only made eight starts last season in Columbus, even be good enough to make the club no longer miss Villafana?
The answer to those questions is likely a no. That makes the goal scoring problem we mentioned earlier that much more important. Portland won’t be able to get away with winning games 1-0 on a late winner after desperately throwing numbers towards goal. They simply don’t have as strong of a back four for that to be possible.
Can Jack McInerney be Maxi Urruti?
One of the lesser departures from Portland this offseason was losing Maxi Urruti to FC Dallas in the reentry draft. Urruti was never the big time goal scorer that the man in front of him was, but he was excellent at coming off the bench to score a late goal. They have replaced him with MLS journeyman Jack McInerney. After a season and a half of alright play with Montreal, he was displaced by the arrival of Didier Drogba. He was sent to Columbus, who never had room for him, and now he finds himself on Portland’s bench, primed to become the next Urruti. The TAM used to purchase him will be worth it if he comes in late in games when Adi’s legs are spent, and scores big late goals while getting the occasional start.
When all else failed last season, the Timbers relied on a late game substitute to come in and clean up the mess. Whether it was Urruti, Lucas Melano (now figuring to be a full-time starter), Dairon Asprilla, or whoever, Portland was able to get a lot out of late game subs. Now, it has to be McInerney’s turn to lead that reserve crew whenever they are called upon.
Overall, the Timbers will need to see a more consistent regular season up front, hope that the backline can withstand a little bit of early season shuffling, and hope the bench can be as strong as it was last year if they want to make another run at the playoffs, or even repeating as MLS Cup Champions.
Main Photo: Steve Dykes, Getty Images
