On the day that the U.S. women’s national team won its second straight World Cup, one of the most extraordinary streaks in American sports came to an end: the Portland Timbers finally, after nearly four years and 26 attempts, won an MLS game without Diego Chara in the starting lineup.
Chara did feature in this game — but not until the final quarter of an hour, not before the Timbers had taken and held onto a 1-0 lead at a venue, Yankee Stadium, where the home team, New York City FC, had not lost all season.
Once the Colombian did enter the fray, replacing Renzo Zambrano in central midfield, it was becoming clear which way the result was going. The Timbers held onto their lead and, in doing so, snapped NYCFC’s league-best 12-game unbeaten run.
That they did it on the other side of the country, having rested five starters in advance of their Wednesday U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal in LA, made the accomplishment that much more impressive. It is, without a doubt, one of the wins of the season so far.
That’s not to say it was pretty. It wasn’t. But games at Yankee Stadium, with its matchbox dimensions and choppy playing surface, never are.
Games at Yankee Stadium are about mental commitment, about focus and intensity over the course of 90 minutes, and that’s what the Timbers — even with a number of reserves playing in a number key spots — brought in spades.
Portland had barely more than 30 percent possession and completed fewer than 300 passes, but they dug out their chances going forward, especially early, and then didn’t let NYCFC breathe on the other end of the field.
The Timbers came close to opening the scoring after just five minutes, when Dairon Asprilla, who scored his first goal for the Timbers in the Bronx in 2015, charged inside from the righthand flank, cut inside of Maxime Chanot, and fired a shot from an acute angle that NYC goalkeeper Brad Stuver pushed onto the post.
It was a warning shot, and, eight minutes later, the Timbers would take the lead. Diego Valeri floated a free kick in behind an extremely high NYCFC defensive line that bounced in the box, squibbed off of a retreating Sebastien Ibeagha, and fell to Sebastian Blanco — who stuck out a foot and lofted it into the far corner.
It was a goal that fit the game: scrappy and a touch lucky, but ultimately worth getting stuck in for.
The first half ended with an unusual flourish when five Timbers, starting with Claude Dielna and finishing with Zarek Valentin, were booked by referee Ted Unkel within a span of eight minutes before the halftime whistle.
It was during this rather bizarre period that NYC had their best chance of the half, when Valentin Castellanos connected with a Ronald Matarrita corner, but his shot, perhaps altered slightly by the attentions of Larrys Mabiala, flew just wide.
The Timbers took a lead, and a bevy of yellow cards, into the break. They could have expected a big New York City push on the other side of the restart, and it arrived almost immediately.
Less than two minutes after the resumption of play, Matarrita made a big forward run and was sent into space by Maxi Moralez. He then shot a cross towards the backside that Sebastian Blanco, tracking back, cut out ahead of an oncoming Anton Tinnerholm.
But Blanco’s interception went straight back to Matarrita, who stabbed it back towards Tinnerholm with a clear look at goal — only for Blanco, flying across, to block his shot. Steve Clark covered his teammate in a hug. It was the play of the game.
New York City would continue to enjoy all kinds of possession in the following half hour, but the Timbers doggedly closed down the limited space with which they could create high-caliber chances.
In fact, Brian Fernandez and substitute Jeremy Ebobisse had two of the best two chances — with Clark forced to make just one big save, pushing an Ibeagha header onto the roof of the net in stoppage time. Moments later, the game was over.
NYCFC manager Dome Torrent had words for Savarese on the touchline after the final whistle. He was none too happy. His team was missing key players, like high-priced DP Alexandru Mitrita and first-choice forward Heber, and he complained later that it is “not easy to play so many games without rest.”
But few teams are lucky enough to face the Timbers without Chara, or the majority of their first choice backline, and Torrent’s team was unable to take advantage.
The Timbers, of course, this particular collection of Timbers, deserve a huge amount of credit for that. Blanco’s defensive effort, which never lacks, was only amplified by the small field — and his defensive heroics at the start of the second half themselves saved the game. Savarese called his display “phenomenal.”
Marco Farfan played his best game in over two years, pitching in with a Chara-esque 20 defensive actions, while Zambrano again looked like he belonged in the top flight.
Overall, there was even more reason to be encouraged. Steve Clark has now gone three straight league games without conceding a goal, playing behind no fewer than seven different defenders. He and the Timbers’ defense, which was so incredibly porous to start the year, are in a groove.
Compared to the start of the year, the team’s effort level, its attention to detail, is night and day. The Timbers believe that they can beat anyone right now — and if their defense continues to back up their offense the way it has over the last month, they’re not in any way wrong.
If they can rack up road points, or win while resting Chara, with all of the home games they have to finish the season, they’re going to sail into the playoffs. The only team they might not be able to get around? Bob Bradley’s LAFC. Wednesday night’s game is going to be some kind of battle.
