Portland Timbers Quotes
Portland Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese
General thoughts on the match…
“We knew it was going to be a very difficult group for us coming in. One of the things we wanted to accomplish first of all was winning the group. We are very content to have done that right now against three very difficult teams. We knew today that LAFC was going to be a very difficult team to play against. I felt the first 30 minutes we had the better of the play. We definitely moved the ball well. We were dangerous. We were the better team. The last 15 minutes in the first half, unfortunately our legs became a little bit tired. [LAFC] started finding more space. They became more dangerous. I think the second half, it was an open game that went a little back and forth. So we’re content to have been able to get this point that put us on top of the table in Group F and we’ll continue to plan going forward.”
On if winning the group gives the team momentum going into the knockout rounds…
“First of all, these points are important for the season. Looking with that view, it is important for us to have been able to get seven points in our group, and not only that, the seven points are against teams that are in our conference, so we look at it in a very positive way. Second, we want to be competitive. We want to play every single match in a way that every time we step onto the field, we want to win. Whoever we have to play after, that will come now that we finished this match, we will plan for that game. But the main goal for us was to make sure that we won the group and I was very proud of the players. I think we can continue to grow, to be better. I think there’s some areas that we showed today in the first 30 minutes of very good soccer. And then we got a little bit tired and I think the players that came in the second half were able to help us out to get a very important draw against a very good team.”
On Jeremy Ebobisse’s run of goal-scoring form…
“I spoke about him after the last match and I reiterated the fact that he’s been developing very well. We’ve put a lot of time into making sure that he continues to grow from two years ago when I arrived in 2018. We knew that he had talent, but he needed to mature. He needed to continue to develop. At some point he was able to come in against Colorado and did very, very well. Last year he showed everyone that he made a huge improvement. Playing every single match, scoring, if I remember correctly, around 11 goals. And this year he brought an even higher level, so credit to him. He’s hungry, he wants to do well, he is very critical of himself and wants to continue to develop. We’re there to support him and make sure that we continue to help him become a better player.”
On defending against LAFC…
“One of the things that we wanted to make sure is that we were able to have a little more control of the ball. We didn’t just want to be a transition team only. We wanted to make sure that we had moments of good possession and we did that the first 30 minutes. I think after the 30 minutes, unfortunately some tired legs and some not good decisions. I think we needed to play a little faster. We started giving the ball away and then it became very difficult for us. We defended very well. We made it difficult for LAFC to find easy moments to be able to penetrate into the box. In the end, I think the fighting spirit of the group was able to come through in order to be able to find that goal that gave us the draw. Also I think the new legs that came in the second half were very important to us.”
On what he saw from LAFC that allowed them to score two quick goals…
“Listen, the first 30 minutes, we had the better of the play. We were very tight; we didn’t allow them to create much. Then the last 15 minutes in the first half, we were tired. They started finding balls in between the lines, they start making better movements in the areas that we wanted to protect. We were tired so we couldn’t close those spaces as well as we did the first 30 minutes. Also, we gave up the ball in those moments different than the first 30 minutes where we had a lot of the ball and were smart in the way we moved it. I think the two goals were two moments that are a little separated from them finding space. They were moments in which we…the first goal left the left side open. We gave up the ball and they took advantage of it. [Diego] Chara had to come a little bit of outside to protect. [Bradley] Wright-Phillips found the space in front of the center-backs and was able to score the goal. Then on a set-piece, we gave up an easy opportunity for them. Besides that, yes, they had a little bit more of the ball in those minutes. They tried to create, but we defended very, very well even though we had some players that were getting tired. I think the players that came into the game gave us oxygen and became dangerous and we were able to find a way to score the second goal that tied the game and put us on top of the table.”
On the changes that he made to the team’s lineup and on Andy Polo’s performance…
[Through a translator] “I am very happy honestly about our play in the first half. We demonstrated that this is a competitive team. We have depth even though when we are rotating players. There is a lot of credit to be given to players like [Jarosław] Niezgoda, in his first match, or Marvin Loría who is very dangerous in small spaces. [Cristhian] Paredes also had a great first half and he won a lot of balls for us. Andy Polo did very well. He has been very good in training sessions. He had a very difficult role today, but he had a great, great game. He’s a player that continues to develop.”
Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chara
On defending LAFC...
“It was tough. I think the challenge today against this team was tough. They played well, they tried to keep the ball, create different opportunities for the middle, and we tried to avoid that, and I think we did a little bit better in the second half. At the end with Jeremy [Ebobisse] on the field, he scored and we are really happy for that.”
On how the Timbers know when to possess versus when to counter attack against a team like LAFC...
“I feel that the more difficult part today was to lose the ball so quickly. When we were ahold of the ball we tried to play forward, but we missed a lot of passes and I think it was more difficult for us to keep the ball, and I think LA today was a little bit better to get the second balls.”
On what the halftime conversation was regarding substitutions and if they were discussing their next potential opponent...
[Through translator] “Not at all, we knew that we wanted to win the group. The second that Gio Savarese started making those decisions, he wanted to bring on players with experience, independent of who we were going to play next.”
On if the Timbers and LAFC are now considered a rivalry matchup...
[Through translator] “It’s beyond a classic, it’s a very difficult match. Ever since LAFC arrived to the league, there was a sort of rivalry between the two. It’s always difficult, each team has its own formation. I would call this a very tough match to play.”
Portland Timbers forward Jeremy Ebobisse
On what has made him so effective this tournament...
“I think it's a team effort, and I know it's a cliché and strikers say it all the time, but ultimately when you look at the service I’ve gotten this tournament it's been good, and luckily I’ve been sharp in front of goal thus far. I’m happy with the progression from last year to this year, and I think the team’s in a really good spot right now, level headed, winning a tough group, so we should go into the next few games with a lot of confidence.”
On how he knew when to combine versus when to get behind LAFC’s backline...
“It’s definitely a challenge trying to balance the two, understanding that we didn’t want to expose ourselves defensively, but also not wanting to sacrifice the potential for a counter-attack and getting in behind the space that they were leaving. So a fine line for some of the attacking players, myself and the wingers, to balance, but ultimately, I think we had some good opportunities on the break, maybe could have had one or two more even at the end. So that shows a job well done to manage the difficulties of when they had the ball and were penetrating us, and those times that we were able to break out a few passes and imbalance them.”
Notes:
- Portland’s 10 points through five regular-season games is tied for the club’s most points through five games in MLS play (2017).
- The Timbers were one of just two teams (LAFC) to score multiple goals in all three of their group stage matches at the tournament.
- Jaroslaw Niezgoda made his first career start and scored his first career goal for Portland in the match.
- Niezgoda is the 10th Timbers player to score in his first MLS start with the club. He is the 58th different player to score for Portland in an MLS match.
- Sebastián Blanco registered an assist for a third consecutive match. It marks the second time Blanco has recorded an assist in three straight matches for Portland.
- Blanco has 33 assists in league play in his Timbers career, which is the fifth-most on the club’s all-eras list.
- Blanco’s three assists in MLS is Back Tournament play ranks tied for second in the competition.
- Jeremy Ebobisse tallied a goal for a third straight match. Ebobisse's scoring streak marks the first time in his career that he has scored in three consecutive matches.
- Ebobisse was one of two players to score in three different matches in group play in the tournament along with LAFC’s Bradley Wright-Phillips.
- Ebobisse has scored three goals against LAFC in all competitions, which ranks as the most of any Timbers player against LAFC.
- Ebobisse’s three goals in MLS is Back Tournament play ranks tied for third in the competition.
- Bill Tuiloma tallied his first career assist for the Timbers.
- Marco Farfan and Cristhian Paredes made their first appearance of the tournament. For Farfan, it was his first appearance of the 2020 season.
- Marvin Loría recorded his first assist of the 2020 season in the match.
- With assists from Loría and Tuiloma, seven players have recorded an assist this season for Portland through its first five matches.
- Blanco, Diego Chara and Steve Clark started all three group games for Portland.
