Sure, the Portland Timbers scored two objectives within the opening seven minutes in Sunday’s MLS Cup last. However as Sam Polak reveals right here on this GIF-filled piece, Caleb Porter’s males performed nice protection too.
BY
Sam Polak
Posted
December 12, 2015
2:00 PM
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WITHOUT A DOUBT the craziness of the primary 20 minutes of the 2015 MLS Cup last—two early objectives for the Timbers and a aim within the seventeenth minute for the Crew—set the tone for the match and rightfully dominated the headlines.
After that first flurry of exercise, nonetheless, Portland established itself as the higher crew—and its protection specifically stood out in two very particular methods. For starters, the Timbers’ press brought about the Crew all kinds of hassle because the hosts tried to construct out of the again. Equally necessary, the Timbers demonstrated a capability to rapidly regain its form with nice defensive interchanges each time the Crew bypassed the primary line of Portland’s press.
A number of occasions when Columbus had possession in its personal third Wil Trapp tracked again and sat between Gaston Sauro and Michael Parkhurst. This pushed the 2 heart backs wider, permitting the fullbacks to maneuver ahead. After which Tony Tchani positioned himself in entrance of Trapp and the 2 heart backs as this quartet sought to push the ball ahead.
The Timbers tried to disrupt the Crew’s build-up with Fanendo Adi and its two attacking midfielders, Diego Valeri and Darlington Nagbe, leaping into the fray.
Let’s first study how the Timbers three-man press disrupted Columbus’ efforts to play via Tchani’s ft. Seen under, Adi was in a position to isolate the Crew defender and drive a go into Tchani, and with Tchani in hassle and his again to aim, the three Timbers gamers work collectively to win the ball again with solely minimal distance to aim. Behind this trio, it is necessary to notice, the remaining Timbers’ midfielders fashioned a block of three offering extra defensive assist.
You may see under how efficient this was press was in one other sequence. Right here, Columbus doesn’t lose possession however it’s clear that if Portland goes to be damaged down, it is not going to be by the ft a Columbus midfielder.
Throughout sequences when Portland prevented Tchani from receiving the ball or Tchani didn’t verify again, Portland may bait the Crew into making an attempt to play longer passes. In these cases, Nagbe may drop again and join along with his fellow midfielders, which pressured the Columbus passer to be extremely exact along with his supply. When you may argue that that is merely a poor go under, the Timbers’ defensive group lured the Crew right into a low proportion gambit.
Trapp was not the one sufferer of this identical defensive tactic. Under, Tchani is marked out of the play and Adi forces the ball ahead slightly than permitting it to return and flow into across the Crew’s defenders to the opposite facet. Parkhurst performs a protracted ball and the end result is similar—the Timbers again 4 claimed possession.
For an excellent stretch of time Portland’s’ press merely bamboozed Columbus. The Crew finally discovered extra success after intermission due to some higher decision-making, substitutions, and the truth that the Timbers’ first line of confrontation moved again towards it personal aim at occasions.
Even after its press misplaced a few of its effectiveness, Portland’s protection was arguably much more spectacular and positively simply as influential. Within the seventieth minute, Columbus strung collectively one in all its greatest sequences due to some nice motion and several other fast passes. However Portland’s protection rapidly recovered its defensive form—as you may see under.
Portland’s skill to work as a collective unit created defensive stability with the unlikely again 4 of Nagbe (an attacking midfielder) at proper again, Powell (a left again) coming in to play heart again, Borchers shifting from the correct facet to play left heart again, and Ridgewell (a left heart again) enjoying left again.
Columbus followers may argue that it was the Crew’s lackluster play and poor offense that led to Portland’s victory. However Caleb Porter’s defensive schemes labored completely, neutralizing a deadly Crew assault and main Portland to a well-deserved league title.
That is Sam Polak’s first article for American Soccer Now.
