Game 9: Timbers 1 – Carolina 1

The almost comical throwing away of points continued for the Portland Timbers last night in a heartbreaking 1-1 draw with Carolina RailHawks. For the third time in four games the Timbers gave up a goal in extra-time to either lose or draw a league game, this time allowing Daniel Paladini to bundle in Etienne Barbara’s cross deep into stoppage time. Instead of breaking a frustrating streak of four games without a win, the Timbers threw away two more points in a season that is quickly slipping away. Portland now have just twelve points to show for their nine games, fully eleven points behind league leaders Austin Aztex, the Timbers’ next opponent.

The only bright spot of the game from Portland’s perspective was Ryan Pore’s league leading eighth league goal of the season just after the hour mark. Bright Dike slipped a wonderful pass down the left flank, leaving Pore plenty of room to blast his shot across the face of the goal and into the right corner of the net. That goal was well-deserved, particularly given the vast advantage in shots for Portland over the RailHawks. But once again Portland could not convert any of their other chances, leaving the door open for Carolina to equalize over the final half-hour. Dike himself had a chance at an open net that was blocked by a defender in the first half, Stephen Keel just missed on a volley and Pore hit the post late in the second half, any one of which would have easily put away a game dominated in possession and shots by the Timbers.

Instead, defensive lapses late in the game again doomed Portland’s efforts at collecting its first league win since April 28. Instead of replacing the clearly exhausted back line players, manager Gavin Wilkinson foolishly used just two of five substitutes, both of which put forwards on the field. George Josten and Doug DeMartin replaced Dike and the completely and utterly ineffective Mandjou Keita, respectively. Neither substitution was necessarily a bad one, but considering how two points were thrown away at the end, it is outrageous that Wilkinson failed to make any changes at the back. Josh Cameron and Steve Purdy were seen warming up throughout the second half, though it is true that Futty Danso is still recovering from a hamstring injury. Why Wilkinson continues to bottle his responsibility of running this year’s team is a mystery that has cost the Timbers dearly over the past five weeks.

Portland now take back to the road with matches away to Austin and Miami FC before returning home for next week’s US Open Cup first round tie with Sonoma County Sol. Miami are not particularly great, but then neither is Crystal Palace Baltimore who scored twice in the final fifteen minutes to steal three points from the Timbers two weeks ago. Austin are another story all together, having lost only once this season while racking up twenty-one goals in their ten games. Based on recent history, the Timbers face the prospect of ending another week without picking up a league victory. If that is the case, Portland will likely slip out of the playoff picture, a sad reality for a club that did not lose for 24-consecutive matches just last year.

Category: Portland Timbers, USSF Division II