After dropping a hard-fought decision in Seattle last Saturday, the Portland Timbers enter the month of June winless in their last five games — having fallen from first place to fifth in the Western Conference.
Needless to say, returning to Providence Park for their first and only Friday night home game of the season, the Timbers badly need a victory. Standing in their way? A San Jose Earthquakes team that has never won an MLS game in Portland (8:00 pm; TV on KPTV, UniMas).
The History
The Timbers played their worst match of the season in San Jose in early May, losing 3-0 in a game that was never close. It was the most lopsided result in the history of the MLS series between Portland and San Jose.
The Timbers were without both Darlington Nagbe and Diego Valeri for that game at Avaya Stadium, and they'll be without Nagbe again tonight. The good news is that Portland has owned the 'Quakes over the last several years at Providence Park.
The Timbers beat San Jose at home twice last spring, knocking them off 3-1 in April and then — playing with ten men for almost fifty minutes after Dairon Asprilla was sent off — 1-0 on the first of June. San Jose has lost its last four games in Portland, and has never won an MLS game here in nine attempts.
This will be the first Timbers home game played since the train attack one week ago today that claimed the lives of two Portlanders standing up to hate. Timbers Army member Ben Sterns explains what that means to him — and possibly to you too — here.
The Tactics
The headline and potentially the only absence for the Timbers is Nagbe, who is on international duty through next week with the U.S. national team as it resumes World Cup qualifying with a friendly against Venezuela before games against Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico.
David Guzman has also been called up to his national team, but since Costa Rica doesn't play until June 8th, he'll be available for the Timbers on Friday night despite the sore eye — Caleb Porter's words — that forced him out of the Seattle game at halftime.
Porter made a big call last weekend when he benched Alvas Powell — the unquestioned starting right back since late 2014 — for Zarek Valentin. Powell has struggled mightily of late, but he's still the club's future at the position. Has Porter sent his message? Or is he ready to roll for now with Valentin, who has been good in limited time this year? It will be a fascinating call.
Dairon Asprilla, who had his best outing in some time in his twenty minutes in Seattle last weekend, will likely replace Nagbe in the lineup. Darren Mattocks, another potential option, has been nursing a hamstring injury.
The Earthquakes enter this game one point ahead of the Timbers in the West, but been highly inconsistent all season. They lost 4-2 at home to the rival LA Galaxy last Saturday, and the Timbers should expect to control the game much as they did in the first half against the Sounders.
One interesting calculation for Porter is how to deploy his central midfielders. During the first part of the season, Guzman has been held back while Diego Chara has been given license to go forward. But Guzman excelled last week roaming ahead of Lawrence Olum. Might we see he and Chara change roles this week?
The Lineup
90 - Gleeson
16 - Valentin
24 - Ridgewell (C)
7 - Miller
5 - Vytas
20 - Guzman
21 - Chara
27 - Asprilla
8 - Valeri
10 - Blanco
9 - Adi
The Pick
The Timbers aren't as good right now we thought they might be in March, but they're not as bad as they were in May. The team did plenty right in Seattle, and they'll get well in this one. 3-1 Portland.
