BEAVERTON, Ore. – It was a tactical shift born part out of necessity, part out of matchups and, perhaps, also out of the need to spark one of the league’s lowest-producing attacks.
Only the Portland Timbers' technical staff will truly know all that went into their move to a 4-1-3-2, or 4-3-3, formation, and the results still only produced one goal in a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, but the departure from Porter’s usual 4-2-3-1 was a gamble that clearly paid off.
“We don’t just wake up and come up with it and say, ‘Yeah let’s do it,’” Porter quipped after his team’s training session Friday at the team facility ahead of another crucial Western Conference matchup Sunday at the LA Galaxy (7 pm ET, FS1 and FOX Deportes). “We all go in the war room and hash it out, figure it out.”
The reward was an almost season-saving three points, especially considering the San Jose Earthquakes’ 1-0 win Friday night over Sporting Kansas City. It keeps the Timbers tied on points with the Quakes for the sixth and final Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoff spot; San Jose currently hold the tiebreaker, but Portland have a game in hand.
Four or more points in the Timbers’ next two games – after LA, they finish the season at home Oct. 25 against last-place Colorado Rapids – will result in their second trip to the postseason in the last three seasons.
“We’re not going to look for help. When you start looking for help with other results, we did that last year and those results didn’t come,” Porter said referring to missing out on the 2014 playoffs by just one point. “So we’re not going to be in that position.”
That means at least earning a point on Sunday at StubHub Center, where Portland have never won and earned only two draws in seven contests there since they joined the league in 2011.
And while Porter didn’t show his hand as to whether he’d return to the 4-1-3-2 formation again in LA – saying the Galaxy’s system, player matchups and expansive field will go into that decision – he did offer some insight as to why he went that way against RSL.
With holding midfielders Jack Jewsbury and Will Johnson both out with injuries, Porter fielded only Diego Chara at holding midfield. He pulled usual right winger Darlington Nagbe into the middle in a pulley system with Chara, while bringing Lucas Melano off the bench as a withdrawn forward/right winger, keeping Rodney Wallace out left, Diego Valeri at attacking midfielder and Fanendo Adi up top.
It gave Portland one more attack-oriented player than normal.
“Looking at the two games, this game [vs. RSL] and LA, chances of getting three points, being aggressive coming into the game, giving us a little more possession, allowing us to match up a little bit with their midfield and press, getting Melano on the field, which brings penetration, keeps Rodney as well to bring his fighting spirit and defending,” Porter said.
Portland outshot RSL 15-7, clearly the more dangerous side despite only producing the one goal, their season average. Adi said the extra attacker opened things up for him up top; he finished four shots (three on goal) and the game-winning goal on a penalty kick earned when Melano was dragged down at the edge of the box.
“I was more free,” Adi said. “You could see most of the long balls were going to Rodney’s side, so that took a lot of pressure off me.”
Defending MLS Cup champions LA, who will be chasing a Knockout Round bye, obviously present a lot more challenges, especially on the attacking end. But with Jewsbury still in a walking boot this week from a foot injury picked up in training ahead of the RSL match and Johnson returning to training but not likely to return for LA, Porter said, the same formation would seem likely.
“When they have that well-oiled machine rolling, they’re pretty much unstoppable,” Porter said of LA. “That’s why I think they’re the best team in the league when that happens. We’re hoping it’s a game where maybe that doesn’t happen. Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Dan Itel covers the Timbers for MLSsoccer.com.
