Tag: Portland Timbers

MLS Daily: Diego Valeri is proving why he is so instrumental for Portland Timbers this season.

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The Argentine has netted five goals in five MLS games in 2017. 

Diego Valeri is certainly the most exciting player in the American top flight currently.

Yes, that is a bold statement. Especially when you consider the starts Josef Martinez and Erick Torres have both made in the MLS this year.

But the Argentinian playmaker has been doing this for Portland year after year since his arrival in Oregon back in 2013.

A former Porto loanee, this guy is the real deal. He is someone who will once again be a contender for this year’s MVP in the MLS, an award he won back in 2015.

Why? For one he brings goals to the team. Valeri already has five goals in as many games this term, adding to his previous 37 over a four-year period. He is currently second on the MLS goalscoring charts this season behind Houston’s Torres.

He is also crucial in providing assists for his team. He may only have one so far this season, but he is very good at unlocking defences and playing killer balls into either the channels or into the box for forwards. Overall, he has provided 36 assists during his time at Portland.

The Argentine scored without doubt the goal of the week last time out, with a superb volley against New England Revolution.

He spoke to Portland Timber’s media team after they drew 1-1 to their Eastern Conference opponents, and admitted the result was disappointing.

“We played deeper then we wanted,” he said.

“They are a good team but the result is bad. We did enough to win.

“We will take the positives from this game though and prepare for Philadelphia next week.”

With over 100 appearances for the club, Valeri is a icon at Providence Park. The Timber Army adore their playmaker.

His 42 goals for the Timbers is just three shy of Fanendo Adi and John Bain’s all-time record for goals scored at the club.

Adi has benefited hugely from having the 30-year old behind him. The Nigerian striker joined a year later than Valeri, but his goalscoring record speaks for itself having matched his Argentinian teammate’s tally in 12 months less.

In fact, since both made their debuts for Portland, Adi is second in the MLS goal charts and Valeri is first for assists. That shows how much of an influence they have had on the league these past few seasons.

Portland need him to stay fit if they are to replicate their 2015 MLS Cup win. Without his goals and assist this season, Portland would not be top of the Western Conference. He galvanises the team, and helps players play at their best when they are alongside him, learning from him and using his assets to strengthen their own.

Valeri is heading towards the prime years of his career. Watch this space, he could cause a storm in the MLS for the next few campaigns.

 

MLS Daily: Big wins for New York City FC and Atlanta United.

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The two sides scored a whopping ten goals between them!

It was goals, goals, goals on Sunday in the MLS, with both New York City FC and Atlanta United recording huge wins after their opening round defeats.

NYCFC, who were beaten 1-0 in Orlando last week, thumped DC United 4-0 at Yankee Stadium.

Captain David Villa netted a brace, with Rodney Wallace and Maxi Moralez both scoring their first goals for New York respectively.

It was a commanding performance from Patrick Vieira’s men, who are looking to once again challenge in the end of season Play-Offs.

The former-Arsenal skipper has been in the New York job for just over a year, and the Frenchman insists his team will only get better.

“It was a great team performance,” he told the press after the match.

“It was important to win our first home match and we did that really well.

“After the Orlando game, I told the players to play the same way because we did create chances but didn’t take them. Today we did take our changes, and we will go and celebrate what was a very good win.”

Moralez, who also got two assists as well as the goal, echoed his manager’s thoughts. He told @NYCFC after the game: “We must carry on playing like this throughout the season.

“I am very happy to have scored the goal but also to have played my debut in front of the supporters and get the win.”

It was also a day to remember for Atlanta, who recorded their first ever MLS win with a 6-1 demolition of fellow new boys Minnesota United.

Despite the freezing cold weather, Atlanta were in red hot form. Josef Martinez racked up the first MLS hat-trick of the season, with Miguel Almiron scoring twice and Jacob Peterson also finding the net for Tito Martino’s team.

After their heartbreaking 2-1 home defeat to New York Red Bulls last week, Atlanta showed the world their true potential as they aim to claim a stake for one of the Eastern Conference’s play-off spots.

Martinez told the Atlanta Journal Constitution after the game: “It’s always nice to score, even more so when it’s three, but the most important thing is that the team got the win tonight and it feels really good to get the first in in team history.”

Head coach Martino admitted he had never managed a game in the snow before, and said after the match:  “Above all, we played a simple game and avoided problems overall.

“I think if it wasn’t so snowy, we would’ve been able to play more like we did in the first 15 minutes.

“We would’ve liked to have had our first win in the first game, but we’re happy with the first win as a team.”

Elsewhere, Portland kept up their 100% start to the new season with a 1-0 win at LA Galaxy, who themselves are yet to register a single point this campaign.

MLS Daily: Minnesota United taught harsh lesson in Portland after 2017 MLS curtain-raiser.

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No one said it was going to be easy. 

Minnesota United and Atlanta United are both in their maiden MLS campaigns this year, with the former taking centre stage last night against 2015 MLS Champions Portland Timbers.

However it was to be a tough first night for Adrian Heath’s side, who for all their possession, crashed to a 5-1 defeat at Providence Park.

Lawrence Olum scored the first goal of the 2017 MLS season before braces from midfielder Diego Valeri and striker Fanendo Adi made the scoreline convincing. Christian Ramirez netted Minnesota’s first ever goal in America’s top division, but it would turn out to be just a consolation.

Minnesota were very much in the game for 80 minutes, until three quick-fire goals sunk the hearts of the travelling fans.

Adi, whose two goals came in stoppage time at the end of the second half to kill off any Minnesota fightback, told Portland after the game: “I knew I was always going to score.

“I have been working hard in training and I feel confident in front of goal.

“It’s an amazing result. They are an excellent new team and we are very happy to come out with the victory.”

Defender Olum added: “To win the way we won in front of the home crowd is an incredible feeling.

Timbers head coach Caleb Porter believed the score did not justify the performance of Minnesota.

“They are a good side (Minnesota). They will beat teams this year,” he admitted.

“The way we managed to control those last 10 minutes after conceding shows that this group can be scary going forward when they want to be.

“The back four did well to manage their counter-attacking style so overall it was a good game from us.”

 

Heath, who used to play for Everton, told Minnesota after the game: “When I look at our long periods of possession, that gives me a little bit of optimism as well, that we can actually keep the ball with the players we’ve got on the team.

“Their goals were at really crucial times, every time we felt we were just creeping back into the game then, we had another one against us.

“I thought we started a little apprehensive but we grew into the game in the first half. Second half, I thought we started to impose ourselves a little bit. Somebody just said we had the most possession this evening, which surprised me, but I thought we were in the game.

“We played against a really good team, but at the 82nd minute, it’s still 2-1 and we’re looking more likely at that stage. To finish the game with 5 goals against is a little bit of a poor reflection of the evening.”