273 days after it began, the Portland Timbers’ 2015 season at Providence Park ended with Nat Borchers. It ended with Nat Borchers on his back, fighting home what stands as the Western Conference Final’s decisive goal; and it ended with Nat Borchers standing on top of the eighteen yard box and saluting the Timbers Army long after his teammates had made their way down the North End tunnel and into the Rose City night.
Plato would say that there is a little bit of gold sprinkled into Borchers’ blood — but whether you believe that or not, there’s no way we’re ever seeing a player with his blend of style, fortitude, and heart ever again. All he does is win, and his team is following in his old-man footsteps.
It was Portland Timbers 3, FC Dallas 1 in the first leg of the West Final on Sunday night. There was another fantastic tifo, a Ridgy Roll, and a golazo from Dairon Asprilla. There was a lot of Darlington Nagbe, a farewell for Will Johnson, and, thanks to a lonesome away goal, a sliver of hope for the #1 seed to cling to.
But folks, realize this: It’s happening. This Timbers team looks the part. Portland hasn’t won a major sports championship since 1977, but hold onto your hats because the hometown soccer team is just ninety minutes from MLS Cup.
That’s not to say that Portland is going to win a championship, or even this series — Dallas is always, even down two goals, a mighty tough proposition in Frisco.
Still, there’s no escaping what the Timbers are doing. They’re undefeated in over a month, having won six of seven. They swatted Vancouver away two weeks ago without breaking a sweat, and then, last night, took the best team in the West out for a ride.
Great teams are calm. That’s what the 2013 Timbers never were — and how could they be, with Pa Modou Kah flying around the back-line? — but this year’s edition carries itself with the type of quiet confidence that develops naturally when each player knows his role and plays it with zeal.
Having Borchers helps. It also helps having Jack Jewsbury, the man who Caleb Porter once again turned to in his time of need, and the man who once again delivered with a game that was subtle and simple and excellent.
Then there’s Liam Ridgewell. The Brit is a pro’s pro, but he gets as giddy as seven year old on Christmas morning when it comes to his patented log-roll celebration. All season, the Ridgewell has seen balls clang off crossbars and flash by posts, desperately hoping for the chance to nab a goal, just one goal, and break out his move.
So when the ball fell to him on a corner midway through the first half, Ridgewell kept kicking until the ball — and the player — were in the back of the net. It was perhaps the quintessential center-back’s goal, and, on a team where center-backs set the tone and lead the way, it was a beautiful moment.
It was also a vital goal that the Timbers deserved as they came out, and, somewhat surprisingly, went straight on the attack. Lucas Melano, who looks great until he gets the ball, was at the center of much of the early action, along with the duo of Nagbe and Fanendo Adi.
If Ridgewell’s goal was one of scoring, Asprilla’s goal in the second half was the opposite way. After picking off an errant clearance from Zach Loyd, Asprilla’s 25-yard shot whipped from east to west so quickly that Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez barely had time to turn around and watch it hit the top left corner of his goal.
It was a moment of brilliance that he — let alone anyone else — will never be able to replicate. But he won’t have to. He’s etched into Timbers lore now, and considering that when the turn around started in Salt Lake Asprilla wasn’t even in the eighteen, that’s a comeback almost as remarkable as the goal.
It wasn’t just the goal. Asprilla was a vital outlet for the offense all night as Melano was once again painful to watch on the opposite flank. Nagbe continued to sparkle, while Adi — channeling Valeri’s missing presence — couldn’t miss with unusually eye-catching passing in the first half.
A year ago — or maybe even earlier this year — Dallas would have lost its collective mind. Not now, though, and, they responded. Ridgewell exited with calf tightness, Norberto Paparatto came on and promptly lost David Texeira at the near post, Dallas pulled themselves back in.
But they struggled all night to unlock the Timbers’ defense. Mauro Diaz was spellbinding in moments, but he was mostly bottled up or pushed wide where Jorge Villafaña and Alvas Powell had their way with Fabian Castillo and Michael Barrios. And when Paparatto made amends by winning the header that set up Borchers’ last-gasp goal, the job in leg one was done.
But every great moment comes at someone’s expense, so, in the midst of all the celebration, spare a thought for Will Johnson. It was just over a year ago that Johnson’s bonds here were so strong that Caleb Porter selected the Canadian for the MLS All-Star roster and Johnson turned around and selected 75 for his shirt number to honor the founding year of the club.
He loved it here, Will did. His thrived on the ferocious energy of the Timbers Army. Instead of care like we do, it was very often care like he does. But on Sunday night, Johnson’s last Timbers appearance was merely a gesture of thanks. He came on for the final minute to say goodbye, shorn of his armband and his dignity — crashing a party that once was his. Sports are cruel like that.
Spare a thought for Oscar Pareja too. The Dallas boss, the target of so much scorn here in Portland since April and TissueGate, lost his mother late last week. He flew after the service and met his team on Saturday night, and before the match, Porter offered his condolences in as warm a manner as he is capable of mustering.
Life is cruel like that. And it’s the intersection of sports and life, as we saw two Fridays ago at the Stade de France, that is so often so chilling. But the other side of that intersection is one of uplift, and as Ridgewell pointed to mark his spot for the log-roll after his opening goal, I found myself thinking about this woman and hoping she made it in time to smile.
Championships aren’t won with just players and coaches. They’re won with everyone who ever cared. The Timbers will have an Army with them next Sunday night in Dallas, and they’ll need it — this job is far from over. But the finish line is in sight. Portland has everything it needs to cross it, and if they do the job, the feeling will last forever.
What a great write up! I read along, reliving last night’s magic and getting a bit teary thinking about the intersection of life and sports when I realized you linked to my Facebook post about my mom. Because of the generosity of Merritt Paulson and The Timbers, we were at the game, and got to meet some players afterward. It was a grand and special day, celebrating my mom’s life and the Timbers. Having missed most of the first half because of our party, she went home after and immediately watched the whole game again. RCTID! Onward to Dallas!
I know you said “major sports”, but let us not forget the amazing Portland Thorns championship of 2013. Your write up is indeed, wonderful. I just want to ensure that we acknowledge that championships have been captured in Portland in this wonderful sport we love so much. Thanks for a very impassioned piece.