Timbers brought back to earth in 2-0 loss at Colorado
A week after a promising opener, Portland’s road struggles resurface in a flat performance against the Rapids.
Cole Bassett has been in MLS long enough to know one can’t get too high or too low.
Yes, the Timbers looked great in their season-opening win over Columbus last week, but after seven years in the league, Portland’s 24-year-old midfielder has learned success comes from treating every game the same.
Still, he knew Saturday against Colorado was different from the start — beginning with the tribute video the Rapids showed on the videoboard at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.
“It was weird,” Bassett said. “Just because it happened so quick. Four weeks ago, you’re in preseason with them, and then you’re traded here.”
The unique start then segued into a match that looked nothing like Portland’s season opener. A week after beating Columbus 3-2, the Timbers were thoroughly handled by the Rapids 2-0.
It was a beating so convincing that the eight minutes of added stoppage time felt like punishment for the previous 90 minutes. Portland (1-1-0, 3 points) had already been bombarded with long shots — including a low 22-yarder from Hamzat Ojediran in the game’s seventh minute that deflected off Finn Surman and crossed up keeper James Pantemis to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. And it had been under siege on set pieces, conceding 12 corner kicks that brought varying levels of danger to Portland’s side.
The Timbers survived most of them — but Colorado finally broke through in the 53rd minute when Lucas Herrington headed home a corner.
It was the first goal of Herrington’s MLS career. Ojediran’s was his first, too. And that was another frustration for Phil Neville in a match where veterans such as Kristoffer Velde squandered the few good opportunities Portland had.
The mistakes added up.
There was Velde blasting a ball over an open net after a nifty pass from Gage Guerra. There was a Portland free kick that turned into a Colorado corner after Jimer Fory overhit a pass back to Pantemis. Then there was the red card. With the Timbers already gasping for air at high elevation, Fory tackled Paxten Aaronson from behind and was immediately sent off.
“We had two massive opportunities, and we’ve got to put them away. So that was a disappointment,” Neville said. “Thing is that our best players didn’t put the ball in the back of the net and that’s disappointing, which is what we pay them to do.
“Jimer Fory — unacceptable. Unacceptable. I’ll defend my players to the hilt, but that’s unacceptable because that’s a pattern. It’s not the first time. He’s obviously been told that this is sort of the last time.”
It wasn’t quite the smile and ringing eardrums Neville left Providence Park with last week after an opening match where the Timbers showed heart, grit and a little bit of flair. This time, Portland’s defensive midfield offered little resistance to Colorado’s attack. The Rapids ripped 12 shots on net. Portland had just three.
For the ninth straight time, dating back to July of last season, the Timbers left an opponent’s stadium without a win.
“Coming away from the comfort of Providence was a big test for us. And I thought we failed the test today,” Neville said. “I felt the players now need to start living in that vulnerability stage, living in that stage where they’re feeling uncomfortable, where it puts pressure on, where they’re feeling uncomfortable. And that’s the next stage for the team.”
Next up is Vancouver, and the Whitecaps certainly know how to make the Timbers uncomfortable. The last time Portland faced Vancouver at home, the Whitecaps handed the Timbers a loss that felt a bit like Saturday.
It was early in the season. The Timbers were dominated. And the hope was that things would settle out and that low would rebound back into another high.
“It doesn’t matter who the opponent is,” Bassett said. “After tonight’s result, we want to bounce back in any way we can.”
— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor