Déjà vu: Timbers Beat Rapids 4-0 in Leagues Cup

PORTLAND, Oreg. – MLS is crazy and unpredictable, but sometimes it’s a flat circle. The Colorado Rapids opened Leagues Cup play on Thursday night at Portland Timbers. The club’s had such a turnaround this year. This game was a chance to right the wrong of the opening game of the year. Instead it was déjà vu.

Chris Armas had his lineup unchanged from the squad that beat RSL in the Rocky Mountain Cup. Cole Bassett was in the 10 with Jonathan Lewis out wide. Oliver Larraz and Connor Ronan were in the double pivot. Moïse Bombito was in at center back.

Phil Neville made five changes from the squad that beat Club León on Sunday. Erik Williamson and Diego Chara were on the bench instead of in midfield. The goalscorer Zac McGraw was also on the bench.

The first half was a game of moments. Colorado could have scored twice in the first five minutes. A minute in, Lewis found Omir Fernandez making a run into the box. Fernandez went for a midair volley. Timbers keeper Maxime Crépeau made the point blank save. The in the 5th minute, captain Keegan Rosenberry found Rafael Navarro for a shot that the keeper saved.

Portland grew into the game with good pressing that troubled the Rapids defense, especially Sam Vines. Colorado’s verticality dropped off. Their passing slowed down, to the advantage of the home side.

They got their big chance in the 30th minute when they switched the field to Kamal Miller who found Felipe Mora in the box. Mora created space for Antony with a header. The Brazilian put the ball between Zack Steffen’s legs to make it 1-0. Rapids fans will remember Antony scored twice in the season opener, a 4-1 win for PTFC.

Antony would be subbed out in the 38th for injury after a hip check from Andreas Maxsø outside the box that earned a yellow card. Maxsø remained in the game.

The second half followed a similar script. Two minutes in, Fernandez found Navarro at the top of the box. The Brazilian did well to create his own shot. It ended up being a weak foot shot wide of the top corner.

Portland would make it 2-0 in the 52nd on a corner. Evander found Cristhian Paredes at the near post, who flicked it to the back post. David Ayala beat Vines to the ball to score his first goal for the club.

Substitute Mayson Toye put the match away, beating the offside trap in the 69th. Santiago Moreno made it 4-0 in transition two minutes later. Armas waived the white flag at the hydration break, making a triple sub that included Wayne Frederick on and Cole Bassett off. The match ended 4-0.

It was a game of moments:

On balance, the game was close prior to those two goals in the 69th and 71st. Colorado had two big chances in the first half. Portland had one. Before the Toye goal, it was two big chances on the second half for the Rapids and one for the Timbers.

In two games at Providence Park, the Timbers have been clinical in the box. Colorado’s been poor. That’s now seven games without a goal for Navarro, his longest stretch this year. He has two assists since signing permanently. Bassett and Fernandez did some good work in chance creation, but did not finish their looks either.

“We have to do what we’ve done all season. Attack certain spaces. Be disciplined. Upgrade shots. This has been deliberate, how we’ve manufactured goals. He’ll be scoring plenty of goals the rest of the way,” Armas told Burgundy Wave when asked about the offense and Navarro.

The defense had a tough night as the Timbers beat Rapids:

Portland had five shots on target and scored on all but one of them. All of them were dangerous. One could argue they were just really clinical and the Rapids were not. This game will not help Steffen’s post shot expected goals. He got nutmegged on a goal. The fullbacks were beaten by their marks on the corner goal. Someone messed up on the offside trap on the third goal. The fourth was too easy. The effort had gone.

“We didn’t have our best stuff tonight. We knew all along we’d have to have the best stuff. We’d have to show that we’ve learned some things from the first time around here against a team in transition. Tonight was tough. This is not who we are. We got punished. Probably gave up four or five big chances. We had four big chances. They score. We don’t,” Armas said.

“It wasn’t a great performance. Max helped us with the game with the two saves in the first 10 minutes. There was a little bit of a lull. We can punish teams on the counter attack,” said Phil Neville.

What does this mean for Monday?

With two wins, Portland has won the group no matter what. Monday’s game against Club León is effectively a playoff game. Whomever gets the win, in 90 minutes or PK shoutout in the event of a tie, advances. Expect plenty of León fans to show up. Colorado will need to improve on this performance to make the knockouts.

León will be a bit of an unknown. They played four different lineups in four league games in Mexico. The gameplay against Portland might bright some insight. Armas acknowledged they do a few things well, both defensively and in possession. They could be a bit of a wild card.

“This team responds well. They’re prideful. They’ve always responded. We learn from the past. We quickly move forward,” said Armas, adding, “All along, we knew winning our home games gets us through. We focus on that.”

Photo Credit: John Babiak

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