BEAVERTON, Ore. – Portland Timbers forward Fanendo Adi is full of confidence these days, having scored seven goals in the team's last nine matches, including the game-winner and series-clincher against Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals.
While Adi didn’t make the score sheet in the first leg of Portland’s Western Conference Championship 3-1 win over FC Dallas at home last week, the striker was involved throughout the match with key hold-up play in attack and winning the ball to gain valuable possession.
But take a step back to the goal against Vancouver. Adi scored the goal while battling Vancouver’s physical center back Kendall Waston—a nominee for 2015 MLS Defender of the Year.
“He's a good player, but in such games you just need to go prepared,” Adi said. “I went in really prepared.”
On his 31st-minute goal, Adi timed his run perfectly, waiting for Waston and his defensive partner Tim Parker to defend against Diego Valeri's run before Adi cut back on them and blasted Valeri's clever pass one-time past Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted.
It's the kind of play that Adi has routinely made over the past two months: the intelligent movement in and around goal, the physicality with his back to goal, and the electric finishing touch.
But when he's asked about what's made the biggest difference for him, Adi shrugs.
“I can say it's just training well, doing the right things,” he said. “Training is the basic thing, training 100 percent every day. That's just what helps you as a striker. You have to be focused even though the goals are not coming regularly you just have to be focused on training well and eating well, sleeping well, and doing the right things.”
His teammates and coaches, too, have played a big role, encouraging the Nigerian to dig deep and find that finishing stroke.
“The guys have been really fantastic because if they don't give me the ball I won't be able to put it in the back of the net,” he said. “So the whole team have been amazing and that's just what's helping.”
Adi has used his superior strength and size to hold off defenders, play his teammates into space, and help coordinate an attack that has now netted 17 goals in the last seven Timbers matches.
“You have to be very intelligent to play, because as the ball is coming, you have to watch your side, watch your back and everything,” Adi explained. “I try to just look at the man, even if it's just with my left eye or my right eye, see what is beside me and behind me as I approach the ball.
“I just try to stay up very strong and coach has told me you have to stay up because they're not going to call [a foul] against you so I just try to stay up as much as I can.”
