It's a familiar sight to Portland Timbers fans, and even better it marks a return to form.
Known for his tendency to earn braces, Fanendo Adi returned to the score-sheet Saturday night scoring both goals in Portland’s 2-0 win against FC Dallas.
With Saturday's performance, his first multi-goal game since the season-opening win against Minnesota United, Adi has built on his Timbers MLS club record for two-goal games with 13. It also snapped a five-match scoreless slump going all the way back to April 29th against this very same FC Dallas squad. Prior to the slump, the longest of Adi’s MLS career since 2015, Adi’s six goals had him in a tie for the second-most goals in MLS.
"It has been tough for me, not scoring goals," said Adi to Root Sports NW after the match. "It happens, but the best thing is to keep [your] composure, keep training well and keep doing the right thing of course. We have great coaches that help me a lot in training, so credit to them. It's just amazing to be able to find the back of the net twice again."
Both Adi and the Timbers swooned slightly amid injuries and a tough schedule. Now, Portland sits second place in the West having won two straight, and Adi is back scoring goals.
“What I love about Adi,” Timbers coach Caleb Porter said, “Is when he’s not scoring, he’s working harder on the pitch, spending extra time finishing.
“That’s why he’s continued to improve during the time that he’s been here,”
It hasn’t been for lack of trying. The Nigerian striker led the Timbers in shots in each of the team’s last two matches with two of his attempts striking the post in the Timbers 2-0 win against the San Jose Earthquakes last week.
The timing of Adi’s resurgence could hardly have been better for Portland. With Darlington Nagbe and David Guzman out on international duty, the Timbers were forced to burn two substitutions at center back following injuries to Liam Ridgewell and Roy Miller.
For Porter, it was just a matter of time. “We knew it would come. He was getting chances,” noting Adi twice hit the woodwork against San Jose.
“We knew he would eventually find a goal,” Porter continued. “No one was worried.”
