Quotes & Notes | Portland Timbers 0, Vancouver Whitecaps 0 | May 2, 2015

Portland Timbers Quotes

Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter
His assessment of tonight’s game…
“I thought we played well, I thought we played to win. We were aggressive. I was really pleased on the defensive side. I thought we were able to manage them on the counter. You could say this is an easy game to defend in, I think it’s a really hard game to defend in. Sometimes when you have the ball and you’re up the field, you’re most vulnerable and Vancouver has played this exact way on the road and gotten results by opening teams up on the counter. We knew that was going to be crucial. I thought our discipline in the back was outstanding. We didn’t give them, over 90 minutes, very many looks on goal, especially in the transition I thought we were balanced and really disciplined. I’m really pleased on that side of things. Same thing on set pieces – we knew that was something that was going to be important. Part of this game, those were the two things we felt they would look to do and I thought we defended those areas, those moments, very well. We also knew that we would have to have some quality in the final third to break down their numbers. They’re organized, very good at cutting out crosses. They are a tough team to breakdown. I thought possession-wise, buildup-wise, we were very good. I thought we created enough to score. You are not going to create a ton when a team sits like they did, but we created enough to score. Obviously, the penalty kick, a few other moments, Maxi’s header [Maximiliano Urruti], [Diego] Valeri had one and few others where we were in position to score. We probably could have created more. Our final ball at times could have been better, crosses, our ability to push guys through, spring guys in, but again we created enough to score, and we can’t be satisfied over 90 minutes not finding a goal."

On Diego Valeri’s return tonight…
“Couldn’t have come at a better time. We are struggling to score goals. Like I said, it’s not for lack of the ball and having chances. Sometimes you have to look at organization. But it’s not for lack of being in position. It’s not for lack of anything other than in the moment, being ruthless, being clinical, being clever. At halftime, I said to the guys, you are going to score a goal in one of four ways. You are going to score off a long buildup, which rarely happens. Vancouver plays those odds. They let you have the ball a bit. But you are going to score on a long buildup sequence, maybe it’s switch of play. Maybe it’s a combination, the nine off the 10 and you spring a guy, you work on these things every week. A two-v-one with the outside backs getting forward and getting a cross in. Or you are going to score off a set piece, which we had a lot of set pieces. Or you are going to score on the counter, so when they do have the ball, which they didn’t have much, they were smart with managing the game and not getting their lines up the field much. I felt like if they did we could open them up on the counter. Or we were going to score off our pressure and being able to turn them over, and we didn’t find a goal in any of those moments. For me in looking at the game we can’t be satisfied not finding a goal in the 90 minutes. What we have shown in nine games playing the top four teams in the West and Vancouver twice, that’s five of the games, and if you look at the total table it’s the top four out of the seven, we’ve played in the first nine games. In none of the games have we been overmatched. We have been in every game. Our spirit has been good, our chemistry has been good, our mentality has been good. We’ve defended overall really well, but where we have fallen short is finding goals consistently. To have Valeri back will help a lot because if you look at his production for us, he’s had the lion’s share of our production over the last several years. So that’s probably a big reason why we haven’t scored. How would Seattle play if Dempsey’s out? LA’s managing a little bit with Robbie Keane, but you look at every week it’s interesting. I look at the score of the game in MLS and then I look at the box score and a lot of times I don’t even need to look at the box score because I know who is going to be on it with certain teams. You are going to start seeing Valeri on that box score and some of the others when they step up.”

On the penalty kick…
“I was proud of Darlington [Nagbe] stepping up and taking the penalty. I’ve known the kid since he was 14 years old and he never wants to take penalty kicks, ever. So while I was disappointed that he missed the penalty kick he took responsibility to step up and take it. That’s a good sign because we are going to need him to continue to take responsibility to score goals. He knows that if he is going to take it he needs to make it, but I think that’s a really good sign because he’s going to be another guy that has to chip in more for us to win games."

On how to improve finishing…
“Training and repetition. We did a lot last week with getting around goal every day. We are working on attacking movement, some of it unopposed, so you can gain that automatic, where you are confident. Then you have to add an opposition as well. So there is a little bit a balance there in how you train it. We’ve never had any trouble scoring goals. Even last year we started a little slow, but obviously the first two years, the two years I’ve been here, we’ve been top three in the league in goals scored and we’ve done it by committee. I’m confident it will come and like I said if you look at the 4-2-3-1 system and the 4-3-3, you play that system because you have a 10 that chips in assists and goals. We’ve kind of built this system around Valeri and we’ve gotten production from at times the wingers and of course the strikers, there have been a couple of guys we've played there. Maxi and [Fanendo] Adi rotated at times last year. The d-mids chip in every once in awhile and the center backs help on set pieces, here and there. So we’ve done it by committee. If you don’t have a guy like Valeri you are going to sputter a little bit more.”

On the decision to start Urruti over Adi…
“Just trying to find the hot hand. The other thing is tactical. They are different in their tendencies. We knew Vancouver was going to play a physical game and we knew [Kendall] Waston and [Pa Modou] Kah like that game. They are up for that game. They want to play that game. They want to bang. You saw that Waston came to life even more when Adi went in the game. He loves that. So we felt to play a little bit more technical and tactical group to try to use movement and pressing at times. So I felt Maxi could turn Kah and Waston over a little bit maybe create off that and use Maxi’s movement to bring Darlington into the game and create combinations, but also he seems to lengthen the field a bit more. It’s not that one is better than the other, they’re different. Just like if the defenders make a mistake that’s part of their job to stop goals. The strikers have to score goals. They know that. We are at home. We have the ball 65 percent of the time. The toughest thing to do in a game is find a goal when a team sits back and is organized. And like I’ve said they’ve ‘smashed and grabbed’ results on the road, I think it’s three times. The positive is we didn’t give up the goal, and it’s not easy because when a team plays like that sometimes you get impatient and you lose your discipline. That’s what they are waiting for. But somehow we have to find a goal; whether it’s individual quality or collective quality, we have to find a goal.”

Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri
On how he’s feeling after a long rehab…
“I am feeling good. I’m really happy about that. I just try to help the team. We couldn’t find the result, the three points, but the feelings are good because we played well. We know the way to get points is this [playing well].”

On how he feels after his first minutes back on the field…
“A little bit tired, a little bit tired. It’s normal. It’s my first 40 minutes in a game, which is nothing. I was focused in the game. The way we play, that helped me, because we just attack all game, trying to find the goal. Like I said, I’m a little bit tired but happy to be back.”

On if he felt the energy from the stadium…
“Sure. I want to say thanks to the people, to our supporters, because they made me feel like home again. Hopefully, it will be a great season and our goal is to get a trophy for them.”

Portland Timbers defender Nat Borchers
On the shutout and the defensive effort…
“Good. I thought we were organized and I didn’t think they had any chances. Soccer is a game of chances and they had nothing on us. That was encouraging. As it usually is against Vancouver, they don’t play the type of soccer that they’re going to create a lot, but usually when they do they can score goals. I thought we did a really good job in the back six with being organized and not giving them anything.”

On continuing to build positive results…
“We’ve got to show some character here. We’ve got to continue to do the right things defensively. We got Diego Valeri back, so offensively I think it’s going to come. I think our guys are really close. We’ve got a lot of belief in them and in ourselves. In the back we can do better as well when it comes to scoring goals, I think we’re all accountable there.”

On getting Diego Valeri back in the lineup…
“It was great. I’ve always wanted to play with a guy like Diego. I got to play with Javier Morales at RSL, who is a very special player. Diego is also an extremely skillful, special kind of player. You always want to play with guys like that.”

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Quotes

Vancouver Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson:
On whether the match was a good defensive showing or luck…
“I’ll say a bit of both. I’ll say very professional, disciplined away performance. That’s five times we’ve been away from home now, conceded one goal. A lot of positives, a lot of strong work, from the back four especially, Kendall [Waston] and Pa [Modou Kah] were outstanding. So defensively, fantastic. Attacking wise we didn’t really click tonight which is disappointing because I felt like there were gaps we could exploit. We huffed and puffed and the longer the game went on they were getting a little more desperate which opened up space for us but we didn’t execute the transitions we’re so good at.”

On how familiarity between the teams effects the match…
“I said to the group in there that I’m proud of them today because we haven’t conceded a goal. Obviously Darlington [Nagbe] hits the post from the penalty so we had a little bit of luck there but prior to the game I said, Caleb [Porter] said, I had said, I know what they’re about, they know what we’re about, it’s who performs on the day. Today my back four performed and my attacking side of the team probably didn’t execute final passes like we usually do and he’ll probably say the same. Hopefully we’ll see them once more this year or maybe a few more in the playoffs. They are a good team, let me tell you that. They are a very, very good team. Don’t let the standings fault you with that.”

On adjusting when Diego Valeri entered the game…
“You know what, I’m delighted to see him back. He’s a top player and you can see when he comes on, the crowd was obviously happy to get him back. He’s a big player for the league and obviously a big player for Portland but he causes problems. You can see he’s been out for a while and I’m delighted to have him back. I really am because he’s a good player. I want to see good players in this league because it tests my young players. [Gershon] Koffie and Russell [Teibert] in that central midfield area, they managed to contain Darlington and play the number 10 role for 60-odd minutes and then Mr. Valeri comes on, so we did a professional job but I’m happy for him because he’s worked back from five or six months out, so credit to him.”

On the penalty kick…
“At the time I didn’t think it was a penalty. I stood right behind it. It seemed to hit his leg, then hit his arm, then hit his elbow. I don’t know. Sometimes they’re given, sometimes they’re not. Referees have a hard enough time as it is. Last thing I’m going to do is disagree. If they score the penalty I might be standing and saying something different.  It’s a very fine line. We got called last year on a penalty in Dallas when my defender’s arm was down by his side. Today his arm is bent and it hits his elbow. It is what it is.”

Vancouver Whitecaps FC defender Kendall Waston:
On the overall performance…
“I think it was a good performance for us because it was a nice atmosphere. We felt the pressure of the other team obviously but we stayed calm. We tried to do our best. We didn’t concede no loss, that’s good. We know that this point is good for us looking forward for what we want.”

On the defensive showing…
“We tried to be compact, the back four line and midfielders. We tried to stick together because we know the kinds of players that they have. Obviously, Portland tried to do one and twos and make crosses but every time we stay calm, we play together, everything goes well.”

Vancouver Whitecaps FC goalkeeper David Ousted:
On the overall performance…
“I thought we did well, a good clean sheet here, a good point and happy with a good performance. We might have been able to get a few more chances, keep the ball a little bit more but overall a good place to get a point.”

On if a solid defensive showing helped the outcome…
“Definitely. I thought the back four was outstanding today. Ethen [Sampson] coming in and doing really, really well and Jordan [Harvey] on the other side and the two guys in the center, we know how they are, rock solid. I thought they did well.”

On if there is an element of knowing each other’s game so well that it cancels it out…
“You can say that. It seemed like today it was going to take something special to break the tie. Today it was the defenses better than the offenses and I think that’s why it was a nil-nil today.”

Notes:

• Saturday’s crowd of 21,144 was the team’s 73rd consecutive home sellout at Providence Park since 2011. Portland has sold out all of its regular-season home games since joining MLS.
  
• Midfielder Diego Valeri made his season debut for the Timbers on Saturday, entering the match in the 52nd minute. It marked Valeri’s first competitive match since Oct. 25, 2014, following a successful recovery from a torn ACL.
  
• For the fourth straight match, the Timbers compiled a passing accuracy rate above 80 percent (86 percent).
  
• Saturday’s match was the 81st meeting between the two clubs dating back to the 1975 NASL season. With the draw, the Timbers are now 30-35-16 all-time against Vancouver across all eras.
  
• Portland extended its home unbeaten streak against teams from the Western Conference to eight consecutive matches since Sept. 7, 2014. The Timbers are 3-0-5 at Providence Park against Western Conference opponents during that span.
  
• With the result, Portland improved its record immediately following a loss to 9-2-6 overall since 2013. The Timbers have lost back-to-back games just twice over the last two-plus seasons.
  
• Saturday marked the 40th anniversary of the Timbers’ inaugural match as a professional soccer club.
  
• Midfielders Diego Chara and Darlington Nagbe each made their 125th career starts for the Timbers on Saturday night.
  
• Chara surpassed the 11,000-minutes played mark for the Timbers on Saturday, starting and playing 90 minutes. Chara has logged 11,076 minutes for the Timbers since 2011, a Timbers MLS-club record.
  
• Valeri notched his 65th career MLS appearance on Saturday in his season debut.
  
• Saturday’s match marked Portland’s 145th regular-season match in Major League Soccer since 2011.
  
• Defender Alvas Powell's nine tackles during the match brought his season total to 50. Powell is the first MLS player to reach 50 tackles this season.
  
• Following Saturday’s match, defenders Liam Ridgewell and Nat Borchers, goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey and midfielder Darlington Nagbe have played the full 90 minutes in each of Portland’s nine games this season (810 minutes).
  
• With the draw, the Timbers are 5-2-5 overall with six shutouts in their last 12 matches at Providence Park, dating back to the 2014 season.
  
• Defender Liam Ridgewell made his 24th consecutive start for the Timbers on Saturday, which is the longest current streak on the team.
  
• With the clean sheet, goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey ranks tied for second in the league with four shutouts.