At the start of the week, almost ever MLS power ranking had the Portland Timbers as one the two or three worst teams in the league. SB Nation's Power Rankings, for instance, had them one spot from the bottom. Don't be surprised to see them shoot up the charts this week after a pair of pulse-racing victories.
MLS Week 5 Review: World Meet The Portland Timbers; Portland Timbers Meet The World
The Timbers opened the week by jumping out to a 3-0 over the Chicago Fire, only to hold on for a 4-2 victory. They followed that up by taking a 3-0 lead over FC Dallas, and needed a pair of spectacular plays for 20-year-old goalkeeper Jake Gleeson to preserve the 3-2 win.
They weren’t exactly dominant in either match, getting out-possessed and completing barely 61 percent of their passes in both of them, but they effectively used the counter-strike and were deadly on set pieces. There are still massive questions about their ability to defend or hold onto the ball, but it’s hard to deny that this team will be a real threat, at least at Jeld-Wen Field.
Speaking of the newly refurbished stadium, Timbers fans also made quite an impression. Led by the Timbers Army -- reportedly 3,000 strong (although no official membership is required and so is hard to accurately measure) -- they introduced themselves to a national audience by singing the National Anthem during the home opener, were as loud as any fanbase in the league and were chanting throughout both games. They even have a mascot, Timber Joey, who fires up his chainsaw and cuts off a round of wood every time the home team scores. While lacking the numbers of their rival Seattle Sounders, the intimacy of the park makes for an experience that is really unlike any other in MLS, something even opposing coaches noticed.
“Fantastic! Fantastic atmosphere, the fan base of Portland should be really proud,” FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman said after his team’s loss on Sunday. “I thought they came out and added some energy to the team, there’s no doubt that this team is playing with such inspiration because of that fan support. You can call them the 12th man or whatever, but I think when you win your first two games at home that just tells more and more things for the future.”
Playing in front of that home crowd, the Timbers looked like an almost entirely different team than the one that had managed just two goals and had gone winless in their first three games. Jack Jewsbury is playing so well that it's hard to imagine how Sporting Kansas City deemed him expendable when they traded him away for allocation money. The Timbers captain scored a goal, had an assist and should have had another during the two-game stretch. But Jewsbury is really a known quantity, having now played in 200 games.
The big revelations this week were a pair of 20-year-olds: goalkeeper Jake Gleeson and midfielder Kalif Alhassan. Gleeson's numbers may not have been spectacular, but he came up big when he needed to and showed some leadership skills may older players lack. Alhassan was an absolute terror, picking up three assists and looking particularly dangerous against FC Dallas. On the Timbers' third goal in the FCD match, for instance, Alhassan beat five defenders in a space of about five yards to set up Rodney Wallace's second goal of the week.
There are lots of reasons to be skeptical of the Timbers’ longterm success, not the least of which is their seeming inability to keep comfortable leads comfortable, but this week should be proof that they aren’t just another expansion team. Credit to GM Gavin Wilkinson and John Spencer for creating an exciting team and even more credit to the fans of Portland for adding another quality atmosphere to the league that is still in need of them.
Trouble In Big D
Speaking of the Toros, this is a team that seemed to be on the right track after beating the Colorado Rapids 3-0, but their loss on Sunday has to bring a lot of those questions back. While they controlled possession and generally outplayed the Timbers, there's no getting around that they have now allowed two or more goals three times this season. With Kevin Hartman in goal last year, they only allowed two goals in a game twice and only once during the regular season.
There’s still plenty of time for Hyndman to fix whatever is broken, but something clearly needs to be done.
Is ‘El Castillo’ Really Impenetrable?
I realize the game happened almost a week ago, but it is worth reminding everyone that Real Salt Lake ran their home unbeaten streak to 37 matches with their win over the Colorado Rapids. It was not a very pretty game, played in wet conditions and in front of a relatively small crowd, but RSL got a stoppage-time winner from Fabian Espindola to keep their 2011 record perfect through four matches.
What’s so impressive about RSL’s streak is not just the number itself, but how they’ve gotten here. This is a team that is undoubtedly built on defense, but they have also been the top scoring home team in each of the past two seasons. Since 2009, they have outscored their MLS opponents by 51 goals at home.
It was a nice way for them to head into their mini-MLS break, as they will spend the next couple of weeks focused on CONCACAF Champions League, where they are facing Monterrey in the finals. Their unbeaten streak will surely be put to test.
Red Bulls Find A Spark
One of the more confusing puzzles this year has been finding the missing piece with the New York REd bulls. After this week, maybe they've found it in Luke Rodgers. The 5-foot-8 forward scored a pair of goals and set up the Red Bulls' third goal, a nice assist to Thierry Henry, that seems to finally have them feeling good about themselves. That they beat what has been a very respectable San Jose Earthquakes team 3-0 is also a good sign.
This week we also learned through the magic of @OptaJack that defensive midfielder Teemu Tainio is leading MLS with a passing completion percentage of 88.1 percent. We've been saying it for awhile now, but the Red Bulls just have too much talent to be this mediocre.
Davies Does It Again
With a league-leading three goals from the penalty-spot, it's tempting to discount Charlie Davies' comeback. But he has scored twice in the run of play, including another one on Saturday during DC United's 3-0 dismantling of Toronto FC. On the goal, he was able to pounce on a rebound, showing the kind of poaching instincts any good goal-scorer possesses.
We don’t want to make too much of the performance, but he had a couple other good opportunities and, perhaps just as importantly, he went the full 90. Davies still may be a ways away from reclaiming his spot in the United States National Team, but these are undeniably signs of progress.
United, too, looked much better coming off their tie with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Chris Pontius, of whom much has been expected, had a stellar game, scoring two beautifully taken goals that would seem to bode well for a team that set a MLS record for goal-scoring futility a year ago.
Personal power rankings
SB Nation editors share their collective power rankings every week, but I figured I may as well start sharing my own rankings here as well. Expect for this to become a staple of this weekly space.
Tier 1: Real Salt Lake
- No other team is even close to playing on their level right now. Putting another team in their tier just seems dishonest
Tier 2: Red Bulls, Galaxy, Rapids, Union, Sounders
- In my mind, all of these teams are relatively close. I still really think the talent of the Red Bulls gives them a slight advantage, but I think the Rapids are still capable of repeating. I’m still unconvinced that the Union can generate enough offense to be really dangerous.
Tier 3: FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Timbers, Sporting Kansas City, San Jose Earthquakes, DC United, Vancouver Whitecaps, Chicago Fire
- Despite their struggles, I’m still convinced Dallas is the best of this bunch, but I don’t think I’d be particularly surprised if any of these teams made or missed the playoffs. The Fire really took a step down this week.
Tier 4: Columbus Crew, New England Revolution, Toronto FC, Chivas USA
The Crew, I believe, are still playing over their heads. Maybe I’m being too much of a slave to my initial impressions, but I’ve just been thoroughly unimpressed every time I’ve watched them.
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