A Rugged Draw in Carolina

With the season winding down and facing four difficult road games before the playoffs, the Portland Timbers knew it'd be important to start their road trip off with a bang. Well, there certainly was some banging going on at Carolina's Wakemed Park Saturday evening. And a whole lot of bumping and bruising too. The Timbers played the Carolina Railhawks to a scoreless draw in what was a tough and physical contest. A match that saw 30 total fouls whistled between both teams, including 4 yellow cards, 3 of those cautions given to Portland. Still, the Timbers survived a feisty defensive battle and their unbeaten streak remained intact as well. The club is now unbeaten in their last 7 matches with a record of 7-2-5 in their last 13 games played.

Another 90 minutes, another draw
After over 180 minutes of spirited competition between Portland and Carolina this year nothing has really been settled, again, each side walking away with only a single point in the standings. The teams played to a 1-1 draw earlier in June. With the tie, Portland (11-7-9, 42pts) will fall back to 4th place in the overall league table (Vancouver beat Baltimore 3-0 earlier in the day) and Carolina (10-8-8, 38 pts) will remain in 5th place overall and 2nd in the NASL conference.

A back and forth defensive battle, both teams were successful at breaking up attacks in the midfield and shutting down opportunities inside their own box. The Timbers built attacks well, but struggled to find quality chances, only taking 5 shots in the 1st half, while Carolina fired 10 shots on goal, often finding open spaces to counter up field. The 2nd half wasn't much different. Portland had the edge in controlling possession, but was unable to turn that fact into consistent chances on goal. Perhaps, the team's best shots came early in the 2nd half, a series of three corner kicks and a pair of headers on frame that were both saved by Railhawks keeper Nicolas Platter.

The intensity of the match would raise to another level around the 66th minute, when forward Bright Dike made a run into the Railhawks box and was called for a controversial yellow card. Dike appeared to be pulled down by midfielder Devon Mckenney, then in the race for the loose ball, collided with defender Daniel Woolard, both players crashing to the ground. However, it was Dike that left the exchange with a booking and stern warning from the official. Moments later, freshly subbed in Taka Suzuki would be tackled from behind as he made a run up the midfield, leading to some heated words and a bit of shoving. This would spark a flooding of fouls called by the referee (an attempt to keep control of the rising physical play), ultimately leading to another caution for Portland, this time on Suzuki for pulling a Carolina player's jersey.

Despite a handful of offensive-minded substitutions down the final stretch, Portland couldn't find the game-winning goal. The Timbers took a total of 12 shots for the match, although they were outshot by 4 on the night and even though team earned 6 corner opportunities, they were also blown for 17 total fouls, including 11 in the 2nd half. Without a doubt, both teams were involved in their share of grabbing, elbowing, and rough play - neither side willing to give an inch.

Lots of rain, but no Pore
The weather was wicked down in North Carolina Saturday evening. The gray and gloomy skies eventually gave way to rain as the 1st half came to close and would continue on through the 2nd half. By the final 15 minutes of the match, the rain was pouring down, soaking the ground, the 2,000 fans in attendance, and players alike. It was far from ideal playing conditions and likely contributed to the lack of goals or offensive rhythm by either team.

Both teams were also without key players. Midfielder and leading scorer Ryan Pore was missing in action because of personal matters and Carolina star Daniel Paladini was out of the starting line-up nursing a previous injury. With other lineup changes for Portland (Steve Purdy out and Mamadou Danso returning from a national team call), somebody needed to step up. Defenders Stephen Keel and Quavas Kirk were given the start on the backline and both filled in admirably. Midfielder Rodrigo Lopez had the big shoes to step into, taking over Pore's spot on the left wing and was impressive, creating dangerous chances especially in the 1st half.

Coaching Strategy
The Timbers opened up the game using their new 4-3-3 formation, with Lopez and Ibad Muhamadu on the wings and Dike pushing high up front in the middle. In the 2nd half however, it appeared that Portland switched back to a 4-4-2 system, playing Dike and Ibad at forward and moving Lopez back to the midfield. Coach Wilkinson has stated in the past that he would use the 4-3-3 depending on situation and opponent. Perhaps, he felt without Pore as one of the wings upfront that it would be more effective to use a 4-4-2 where Lopez can play his more natural position. What do you think?

Coach Gavin Wilkinson also made some interesting substitutions, really pushing for a goal late in the game. Forward Doug DeMartin and Taka Suzuki were brought in, as well as midfielder Kalif Alhassan. Danso was also subbed in to spell Dike's tired legs, playing out of position at forward for the final 10 minutes. An interesting sight to see Danso leading the attack, could we see Futty playing striker again in the future? More than likely no, but either way, Coach Wilkinson's substitutions show his faith in the roster and the depth that it carries.

Overall, Portland may not have gotten the result they wanted, but have nothing to hang their heads over. Keeper Steve Cronin was able to record his 11th shutout on the season and the Timbers displayed top effort tonight, fighting hard for 90 minutes against a quality playoff team. Now, with 3 games left in the regular season, Portland will get a week off before they head back out on the road in a return match against the Puerto Rico Islanders at Juan Ramon Stadium on Saturday.

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