BEAVERTON, Ore. – The Portland Timbers returned to training this week at the adidas Timbers Training Center to begin preparations for their next game against the LA Galaxy Sunday at the StubHub Center (6:30pm PT, FS1).
This weekend’s match on the road kicks off a busy stretch of three matches in just seven days—all against Western Conference opponents. Following LA, Portland returns home to take on FC Dallas next Wednesday and then again at Providence Park next Saturday against San Jose.
“A couple results could change things quickly and we have an opportunity the next week...to change our position in the table with a couple results,” said head coach Caleb Porter. “That's our mindset right now.”
While last week’s loss to Orlando City SC was disappointing, Porter said that he remains confident in his team. Moreover, now that all players have returned from international duty, a full week of training with everyone will help reconnect the squad’s cohesiveness.
“That's what I said to the group [Wedensday], is we've always been a team that has a great chemistry. We're a team. We're in synch on both sides of the ball. We look like we have a good cohesiveness and we didn't have that [in Orlando on Sunday].”
As they head into their fifth game of the season on Sunday, the Timbers continue to lead the league in chances created (377) and shots (486) while also being sixth in shots on target (166) and fourth in passes in the final third (2,306).
The challenge remains how to best translate the team’s strengths into points.
“I'm honest enough and have been around the block enough to know when there's a few tweaks that need to be made to bring out and unlock a little more chemistry, a little more balance, a little more leadership in the team,” Porter said. “Those things are crucial to winning games.”
“I don't think we need major tweaks, but we need a few tweaks to change the chemistry, to change the opponent's prep on us tactically and to change the balance,” he added.
Forward Fanendo Adi, who leads the team with three goals, is optimistic that this group is ready to get the results it wants in the next three games.
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“We've got a good team, a deep team, so a lot of guys will be given the opportunity to stand up and do something,” he said. “We are looking forward to it, but we are taking each game as it comes.”
Porter, too, remains assured that this particular team is well prepared to move on and get the results that it needs both at home and on the road. The numbers help back that up. Since 2013, Portland has a record of 13-3-10 following a loss under Porter.
“We're going to focus on the process of preparing and we're going to work on the things we need to work on to be better in this next game.”
