With playoffs closing in, Timbers' Neville is looking for club's killer instinct

The Timbers showed some fire. Phil Neville needs more.

Photo courtesy of Portland Timbers

Antony wasn’t in much of a mood to celebrate.

Yes, Portland’s leading scorer was happy to finally find the back of the net — it had been since June 8 since the 24-year-old had scored. And in the three months since, quite a bit has changed for both the forward and his Portland Timbers.

The club has undergone a facelift, with new stars Kristoffer Velde and Matias Rojas making their home debuts during Saturday’s 2-1 win over New York. Meanwhile, Antony has endured one of the most challenging stretches of his career: after carrying the Timbers through the first half of the season, a hamstring injury sidelined him for more than a month.

When he scored in the 73rd minute to give Portland the lead, he looked more relieved than jubilant.

“I feel happy with the result and with my goal,” Antony said. “But I’m also upset with my performance and feel like I didn’t perform very well. I feel like my participation with the ball at my feet tonight wasn’t great. I feel like I didn’t help the team much other than with the goal.”

His coach largely agreed.

Yes, Antony is one of the hardest workers on the team. Yes, Portland’s current sixth-place standing in the Western Conference is built on the load he carried in the first half. And yes, his goal Saturday gave Portland its first MLS win since July 25.

But with the additions of Velde and Rojas — who combined for Portland’s opening goal — coach Phil Neville sees a club capable of more than simply making the playoffs.

“I thought (Antony) should have scored at least one in the first half, and I think he should have scored another in the second half. He could have had a hat-trick,” Neville said. “That’s why I want him to be that ruthless guy. That’s a hat-trick goal. I think Jonathan Rodriguez, in a way, scores three goals tonight. That’s the next step for Antony. But I was super pleased with him. The boy can run. The boy’s got speed.”

With the win, Portland sits a point ahead of seventh-place Austin and two points behind fifth-place LAFC with five games to play. The next two come on the road — Saturday against lowly Houston and then in Vancouver against the No. 2 Whitecaps.

And in the large sense, the Timbers have actually played some pretty good soccer as of late. While Saturday was the team’s first MLS win since beating LAFC on the road on July 25, the Timbers drew two of the West’s top teams in Minnesota and San Diego, and largely dominated play against the Red Bulls.

Antony’s goal was the highlight, but the play between Velde and Rojas was impressive in the first half, with the pair linking up for one goal that was waived offside before making up for it when Velde lofted a pass for Rojas in the box, who headed it home into the top corner of the net for a 1-0 Portland lead.

Both players played two matches with the Timbers before the two-week international break. Saturday marked the first goal contribution for both.

Velde said he was finally getting into a good rhythm with the club after the draw against Minnesota, but said he also appreciated the break before locking in for the season’s final push.

“So many things were happening when I came here, with paperwork, from outside football, to getting used to my teammates and everything,” Velde said. “So it was nice to have a small break and just kind of reset. … We’re done with that now. It’s time for games again.”

There’s one month left. The Timbers have their roster, their veterans, their health — now they just need the ruthless edge Neville believes Antony can provide.

“We’re a different team than last year. We’re a more together team. We’re a more structured team. We’re a more cohesive team,” Neville said. “Do we miss that killer instinct up front with Jonathan Rodriguez? Yes, we do. But we’ll get there.”

— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor