The Portland Timbers had an opportunity to advance to the MLS Cup playoffs with a win or draw at Real Salt Lake of their common season finale on Sunday. Instead, they misplaced 3-1 in a recreation that used to be by no means actually aggressive, struggling a defeat that served as a 90-minute microcosm of the group’s shortcomings all through 2022.
The Timbers (11-10-13, 46 issues) completed 8th within the Western Conference, simply out of doors the playoff image, lacking the postseason for the primary time since 2016.
“I just wanted to apologize to the fans,” Timbers trainer Giovanni Savarese stated. “It is my job to bring the right quality and competition level for them to feel well-represented and always proud of us. … We will continue to work and continue to make you proud.”
Portland entered the fit after an eventful, emotional week in Soccer City that featured the firings of PTFC executives Gavin Wilkinson and Mike Golub following the free up of the U.S. Soccer investigation detailing abuses and misconduct around the NWSL.
“You have to make sure you always stay positive and try to push forward and make things work,” Savarese stated. “Today we cannot blame on things outside of our team.”
On Sunday, of their ultimate fit of the common season, the Timbers began gradual and stayed there. Portland allowed Jefferson Savarino to dictate the pace of the fit and power his method into a number of bad positions. That started with an offside name within the third minute, which most probably would have resulted in a function have been it no longer for the decision.
Sergio Cordova stored up the onslaught of photographs for RSL, firing a large open glance simply large to Aljaz Ivacic’s left. Portland’s protection used to be transferring a step gradual and reacting part a 2d too overdue at each and every flip.
Savarino struck first with a function within the nineteenth minute. Sitting with a variety of house simply throughout the field, Savarino curled a shot that struck the interior of the aspect netting again to Ivacic’s left. It used to be an excellent strike, made more straightforward via the loss of defensive force on Savarino within the ultimate 3rd.
RSL just about made it 2-0 on more than one events within the first part. A header from Marcelo Silva within the twenty third minute had some energy however wasn’t on-target, and a large open shot within the twenty fifth used to be narrowly blocked away.
David Ayala — filling in for Diego Chara, who used to be out because of a gastrointestinal factor and didn’t shuttle with the group — picked up a yellow card within the twenty seventh minute.
Portland misplaced some other key defensive presence to harm within the thirty fourth minute, when Zac McGraw went down with an obvious hamstring factor. The non-contact harm gave the impression painful for McGraw, who got here off and used to be changed via striker Jaroslaw Niezgoda. Also, Larrys Mabiala collided mid-air with a RSL participant overdue within the part and wore a bandage wrapped round his head for the rest of the fit.
A shift in formation didn’t alleviate Portland’s woes within the first part, and the Timbers sluggishly meandered into halftime fortunate to path via only one function.
Rubio Rubin, who used to be born in Beaverton, graduated from Beaverton High School and performed formative years football with the Westside Timbers, scored for RSL within the forty eighth minute to make it 2-0. It used to be Rubin’s first function in his ultimate 32 video games.
Portland introduced on substitutes Josecarlos Van Rankin and Marvin Loría within the 54th minute, changing Claudio Bravo and Ayala. Curiously, Eryk Williamson and Sebastian Blanco remained at the Portland bench. Blanco would sooner or later come on within the 74th minute.
Savarese stated Williamson, considered one of Portland’s maximum essential gamers, didn’t play because of a coaches’ determination.
“This week was more about him maybe not being at his best to contribute what I think a team needs from a player,” Savarese stated. “Each week, each practice is very important to make sure you’ve earned the possibility to play.”
Williamson seemed to reply to his benching after the sport on social media:
Yimmi Chara had Portland’s very best probability of the evening within the 69th minute, firing a shot that bounced off the put up. Niezgoda just about scored within the eightieth, however his run wasn’t speedy sufficient to catch up with an excellent go from Dairon Asprilla.
Bode Hidalgo scored the capper for RSL, firing one in for the house group within the 82nd minute to bury Portland. Asprilla used to be ready to get one again with a function off a deflection within the 87th minute to make it 3-1, but it surely used to be too little, too overdue for the Timbers.
And so their season ended on a bitter observe, clouded via off-field controversy and in the long run outlined via shortcomings at the subject. A loss of constant attacking threats, a patchwork protection and inconsistent effort plagued Portland all afternoon Sunday, a lot find it irresistible did all season.
— Ryan Clarke, rclarke@oregonian.com, Twitter: @RyanTClarke