- David Blair – Portland Timbers FC
The San Jose Earthquakes were pitching their perfect game.
Elbows were flying, both the Timbers’ center-backs took turns bleeding profusely and wrapping their heads in bandages, Darlington Nagbe was disappearing holding his shoulder, and with plenty of controversy, plenty of exuberant defense, and plenty of close calls, it looked like the ‘Quakes were about to escape Portland with a coveted scoreless draw. Just like they wanted.
That’s when, in the 91st minute, Jack Jewsbury happened. Again. The Salty Old Legend somehow wrapped his foot around a deflected Diego Valeri free-kick rocket, and twisted in another Timbers game-winner.
Not even Jewsbury could have scripted his return to prominence this season. He’s already played 19 games in all competitions, with 14 starts, all at his favored central midfield position. And after being shut out in MLS play in 2013 and 2014, he’s scored two goals—both game-winners, both in stoppage time.
If Jewsbury’s goal in Colorado just over a month ago was an ode to his career in Portland, this blow for justice against the Earthquakes was an ode to Jewsbury’s 2015 season. Without Jack, the Timbers are below the red line right now. With him, they’re now one point out of first place. Forget the lifetime achievement awards. These Timbers are going places, and before too long, this season that looked like it was falling apart in May is going to produce some of this franchise’s biggest games.
After a collage of memorable moments last weekend against Seattle, there was just the one against the Earthquakes. That’s all the Timbers were playing for, and all San Jose was trying to prevent.
Caleb Porter had no uncertainty about what kind of game was coming his team’s way on Sunday night. That’s why he rolled out Norberto Paparatto, Fanendo Adi, and Dairon Asprilla—power in the air and on the ground against a severely short-handed team. After all, even the Dominic Kinnear Earthquakes are still the Earthquakes. They packed the box, leaned on Clarence Goodson and Victor Bernardez, and employed plenty of dark arts.
The controversies were innumerable in a game that became increasingly frantic and wacky with each passing minute. Referee Ricardo Salazar’s decision was to call pretty much nothing, and hope that things would even themselves out by the end of the night.
They mostly did. From Salazar overruling his linesman to call Diego Valeri offsides on a first-half goal, to the opposite linesman expertly and gutsily flagging Gaston Fernandez off on what would have been an 87th minute winner, to penalty shouts for Tommy Thompson and against Alvas Powell and Jean-Baptiste Pierrazi, to a missed elbow to the throat from Jordan Stewart on Dairon Asprilla, anything was possible.
- David Blair – Portland Timbers FC
But there would be no ruling out Jewsbury’s goal. San Jose often brings the best—or at least the blood—out of Portland. Will Johnson became slightly rabid, and Paparatto and Ridgewell joined Mikael Silvestre, who was himself left incensed and bloody after an Alan Gordon elbow in 2013, in the bludgeoned center-back category of this semi-rivalry.
Portland is now on their longest home winning-streak in the team’s MLS history. Five in a row. And let’s remember: As late as the beginning of this year, the Caleb Porter Timbers had a knack for drawing games that was almost unrivaled around the league. No longer. Portland has scored the most goals in MLS in the second half this year, and almost half of those goals have come after the 75th minute.
But those goals matter because of the defense, which hasn’t conceded a goal from the run of play at home since Orlando came to town on April 12. That streak isn’t possible without the standout play of Paparatto, who was painfully lost at sea when called on to be the main man at center-back last season, but has been so sturdy this year that his getting spot starts over Nat Borchers scares absolutely no one in green.
That’s what happens on good teams: Everyone contributes. It’s not just Jewsbury. Fanendo Adi didn’t score against San Jose, but his holdup play was excellent. He’s in a groove, and the stick he gets from many fans is totally undeserved. Fernandez would have been the hero, had his shoulder not stretched offside, and his renaissance continues to be one of the most pleasant developments of the Timbers’ recent run.
The interesting thing is that we still haven’t seen Portland’s best team start a single game this year. The closest the Timbers got to full-strength was last weekend against Seattle, and that happened to be the only game Liam Ridgewell has missed in MLS since his debut against Colorado almost a year ago.
Portland will continue to improve. Diego Valeri had his best outing since his return from an ACL tear, and between the uncertain future of Adi—who overseas scouts love—and the new core player rule that is about to be instituted in MLS, there may be one or two more big moves before the stretch-run.
Of course, with all great streaks, there has to be an element of luck. The ‘Quakes were missing all three of their DPs against the Timbers, just as Seattle was missing all three of theirs last weekend. DC United, Houston, and New England have all come to town missing star players as well.
But considering the amount of injury misfortune that the Timbers had to struggle through in the spring, they won’t apologize for their luck. Nor should they. 2015 has turned into one hell of a fun season. Especially for Jewsbury—and if he’s happy, everyone is.
- David Blair – Portland Timbers FC
