Game 26: Portland Timbers v. Puerto Rico Islanders

Portland Timbers will play their last ever second division home game on Thursday night against Puerto Rico Islanders. Amazingly the Timbers have played twenty-five times without yet facing Puerto Rico. Now the game with the Islanders comes both as an emotional end of an era in the Rose City, but also as an important game with major playoff implications.

The Timbers finally earned their tenth win of the season on Sunday in a 3-0 rout of Crystal Palace Baltimore. The win moved Portland’s unbeaten streak to five games. Meanwhile the Islanders have gone unbeaten in their past nine matches, though six of those have been draws. Puerto Rico did take down Carolina RailHawks 3-2 on Sunday and are of course in the Group Stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, having defeated LA Galaxy last month.

Expect to see Scot Thompson start for the Timbers in what will almost certainly be his last home game in Portland’s green and gold. Futty Danso will be missing the game on international duty for The Gambia in African Cup of Nations qualifying against Namibia. Whether Gavin Wilkinson retains the attacking formation employed in the destruction of Palace or returns to the generally cautious approach shown throughout the season could determine the outcome of the match before it even starts. The 4-3-3 used by Portland was much more suitable to the particular personnel playing for the Timbers on Sunday. In fact, it was almost a 4-1-2-3 as Tony McManus sat deep and allowed Johan Claesson, who enjoyed his best game of the season, and Keith Savage to drift forward and supply Ryan Pore, Bright Dike and Doug DeMartin up front. Chances are Wilkinson will not use the exact same line up, for example Ibad Muhamadu will likely return in DeMartin’s stead, but it is possible that he could use either the 4-1-2-3 or a more traditional 4-3-3 against against Puerto Rico.

Unfortunately for the Timbers, there is little time left this season for experimentation. Though Wilkinson has spent all year trying different combinations of players he has rarely, if ever, done anything outside of the very narrow confines of a flat 4-4-2. Portland need to either go with the new look and embrace it over the final month of the season or switch immediately back to the less effective formation, lest the players get confused as to their roles. The three points that are possible against the Islanders are some of the most crucial of the season for the Timbers. Win in the final home game and the playoff picture remains bright. Fail to gather points in front of an emotional crowd and have to spend the next month away from home and the rest of the season could suddenly become very difficult.

Category: Portland Timbers, USSF Division II