9 Thoughts: Timbers 3-1 Baltimore

The Portland Timbers (13-7-9, 48pts.) extended their unbeaten streak to 9 games following a 3-1 win at Crystal Palace Baltimore on Saturday afternoon. Bright Dike put bookends on the first half with goals in the 3rd and 41st minutes. Doug DeMartin assisted on both goals. Crystal Palace (6-17-6, 24pts.) cut the lead in half with a penalty kick in the 70th, but Portland substitute George Josten sealed the win in the 85th minute with a half-volley into the upper net. The win locks up no worse than 4th seed in the playoffs ensuring home field advantage for the Timbers.

Here are my thought’s immediately following the match: (do keep in mind, however, that we were playing Baltimore)
(1) Very impressed with Kevin Goldthwaite. He didn’t have a ton of work to do defensively, but he was brilliant with the ball. So calm, so composed. He always looked to keep possession. I was, dare I say, “giddy”.

(2) I think–well, wait… I’m not sure. Maybe… no, I’m just gonna go ahead and commit here: I like Scot Thompson at right back over Steve Purdy. There, I made a decision. Here’s why: It’s close, but I think Scot gets turned and beaten less than Purdy. And while Purdy gets forward more often, and further up the pitch, Scot is better with short combination passes and keeping possession. Purdy is a serial “ball launcher” who’s default mode is to just blast the ball up the field. I’m saying all this even in the face of Purdy being partly responsible for Kalif’s goal last week. His deep runs had Puerto Rico sinking back on the right side which opened up all the space that Purdy, Lopez and Kalif took advantage of to steal those three points. It’s a tough call, but if I’m looking to win games right now, I go with Scot.

(3) I prefer games that mean something, even if we lose them, to games like today’s. Not that I was bored or anything, but I just wasn’t really getting after it–kind of like the players.

(4) Ibad is clearly better playing as a target guy in the middle of the front line than he is playing as a winger out on the touchline. I know what you’re thinking. “Kelly, that’s wonderful! We found where Ibad fits in best. Thanks!” First off, you’re welcome. But not so fast–there’s a problem. We’ve got this guy named Bright Dike… and he does it better.

(5) You could make a really solid argument that Valdemar Teixeira should be Timbers fans’ most hated player. Laying on the ground for a good five minutes right at the start of extra time like that, he better be dead or at least seriously hurt (like paralyzed hurt), because if he’s not, and he ever shows his face in Portland again, he might just find himself dead or seriously hurt (like paralyzed hurt).

(6) Kalif got away with absolute murder with that nasty tackle in the 57th minute. How the referee didn’t even call him for a foul, let alone a yellow, is beyond me.

(7) The PK was definitely questionable, but I think the ref really could have gone either way and been justified. A lot of refs might have awarded a free kick just outside the box, but Kevin did take him down (even though it was just legs getting unintentionally tangled up).

(8) After what was probably his last chance to impress, I think we can safely say, “See you around, Alex.”

(9) The Timbers caught a break when Matthew Mbuta went out with an injury just before halftime. He was causing Josh Cameron fits down the left side and would have been a threat to create something if he had stayed in. Things were much calmer for Portland’s back line after he left.

**BOX SCORE**

And if you didn’t catch the match, here are some game recaps:
Portland Timbers
The Offside
Crystal Palace Baltimore