The Portland Timbers led the Chicago Fire for more than 70 minutes on Saturday afternoon in Bridgeview, but couldn't close the door on what would have been their first win of the season — leaving two points on the table in a game that finished even at 2-2.
Overall, though, the good news outweighed the bad: after getting their first point of the season in Dallas last weekend, the Timbers continue to emerge from the black hole they found themselves engulfed in when they played the New York Red Bulls three weeks ago.
This game saw Portland take its first leads of the season, score multiple goals for the first time, and finally get Diego Valeri on the scoresheet. Diego Chara talked afterwards about a side "getting confidence"; Giovani Savarese said he saw "a bigger team than last week."
The Timbers aren't, by any means, a finished product. They melted away late in the second half, and were ultimately punished for it. But the trend line remains positive. As they enter the home stretch of their month-long season-opening road trip, the Timbers are inching closer and closer to putting it all together.
The first half on Saturday, especially, was as comfortable as the Timbers have looked under Savarese. With the Fire pointless and in need of a result much in the way that Portland was last week in Dallas, it was the visitors who came out on the front foot — and after less than five minutes, went in front.
Sebastian Blanco picked up a loose ball in the center circle and drove forward, walling off the 6'4 Tony Tchani, and sending a lovely twisting, no-look crossfield pass to a streaking Diego Valeri, who took a touch and lifted the ball over the onrushing Fire goalkeeper Richard Sanchez to make it 1-0.
Valeri had started the move by tackling the ball off of Tchani in midfield, and his finish was familiarly soft, but it the goal was another feather in the cap of Blanco — who has played a razor-sharp month of soccer and is carrying the offense.
Things got no better for Chicago from there. Portland was knocking the ball around with such ease that Fire boss Veljko Paunovic was forced into a significant tactical change after less than a half hour: dropping Bastian Schweinsteiger into the center of what became a five-man backline in hopes of establishing some kind of a foothold in the game.
It didn't do much. Schweinsteiger would have to contribute in a big way defensively ten minutes before the break, when he he made a hockey-style sliding block on a Fanendo Adi shot on the doorstep that fell to Blanco — who saw his ferocious volley tipped onto the crossbar by Sanchez.
Had Blanco scored there, it wouldn't have been at all unjust. The Timbers' first half performance was comprehensive, and the Fire were — as they've been for much of this season — at sea. The shot count was 6-1 Portland, and Paunovic yanked his new DP winger Aleksander Katai for rookie Diego Campos.
Paunovic has his work cut out for him this year, and, if not for Schweinsteiger, despite their improved second half effort, his team wouldn't have recovered in this game. But even in a half empty suburban stadium on a cold, windy March afternoon, the German legend's quality shone.
Five minutes after the restart, Schweinsteiger took the ball on the right wing, cut past Blanco, cut past Paredes, drove to the outside of Chara, got the ball back off of Nemanja Nikolic, and poked it wide for Brandon Vincent — whose cross hit a wide-open Nikolic on the doorstep to tie the game.
Five minutes after that, though, the Timbers struck back. Blanco swung the ball wide for Andre Flores, making his first start, continued his run into the box, got a free header, and planted it into the corner for his third goal in four games.
Back in the lead, the Timbers, for all intents and purposes, shut up shop. Chicago started to take over territorially and generate more offense, and, six minutes from time, with Schweinsteiger back at the controls, they'd find the leveler.
The German had all the time in the world to pick out a cross after receiving a short corner, and his effort was aimed deep at the back post where Vincent — who scored his only prior MLS goal at Providence Park last year — drove past Flores and headed it past Jake Gleeson for 2-2.
The Timbers were out of gas, and Nikolic one minute later fired what would have been the winner off the stanchion just behind the center of the goal.
Savarese threw on a third center back in Julio Cascante to try to stem the tied, but even then Gleeson had to come up with smart stop low to his right to prevent what would have been a trademark — and agonizing — late Alan Gordon winner.
When the final whistle blew several minutes later, neither team could complain. The Fire saved face with their second half fightback, and the Timbers, while they could have had all three points, were satisfied enough with their performance in getting the one.
It's been a slow build — one that, in some ways, has resembled an extended preseason. These results matter, of course, but the goal is to get this team on the same page, playing its best soccer, when it re-opens Providence Park in two weeks time.
To that end, Savarese said midweek that he appreciated the blow his team was dealt the blow they suffered against the Red Bulls. That game gave what was a very successful team last year a point to build from, and in doing that work, Savarese has been both decisive and calm.
Tactically, he's still tinkering. This week saw the Timbers roll out another new formation, a truer 4-3-3 with two inverted wingers, and it's still unclear what how and in what shape this team will ultimately play when it's at full strength.
But it's in how he's managed his players and his message — as Liam Ridgewell can continue to attest — that Savarese has looked the part. We still haven't seen a signature performance from the Timbers, but the effort has absolutely been there the last two weeks. Having Chara back in the lineup hasn't hurt either.
The Timbers are making strides. Soon enough, the wins are going to start rolling in.
