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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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Valeri looking for full game

Timbers midfielder declares himself back, coach more cautious

By , Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published:

Diego Valeri believes that he is ready to go the distance.

Caleb Porter is glad to hear it, but will reserve judgement if his star midfielder is fit enough to play a full 90-minute match for the first time since last October.

“I’m feeling (ready) to play 90 minutes,” Valeri said. “The coach has to decide in the game what the team needs. I’m ready. I’m feeling good. We’ll see.”

We will see was also Porter’s take if Valeri might be able to start and finish Sunday’s match against the visiting San Jose Earthquakes.

The coach noted he would be disappointed if Valeri did not say he wanted to play a full 90, but that the coaching staff must first consider the long-term impact on their creative midfielder.

“Especially with a guy like Valeri, (the decision is) based on what’s best for him long term. We’ve been trying to really be smart, working with our fitness coach and medical staff. He’s had a lot of start-stops here.”

After recovering from offseason ACL surgery, the Argentine made his season debut on May 2 as a substitute. He then started three consecutive league games, but suffered an ankle injury at Toronto that cost him three games. Valeri returned as a late substitute on June 20. He started the last two Timbers league games, playing a total of 136 minutes.

He has played 465 minutes over nine 2015 appearances, the longest of those 84 minutes in the match before his ankle injury.

“I want to play a couple of games in a row. My goal is to play 90 minutes,” Valeri said.

Porter said Valeri’s energy level will determine how long he plays on Sunday.

“We’ll leave him in 90 for sure if he looks good and doesn’t fade,” Porter said.

Better at night

Playing the game at 8 p.m. instead of 2 p.m. should improve the odds of a long shift for Valeri. Had the match happened in the heat of the day, on a field that can be much warmer than the air, the contest would have suffered.

“It’s good for the game. It’s good for the show. For players it’s a big difference,” Valeri said of the temperature difference. “It will be great for the intensity of the game.”

Porter credited Timbers owner Merritt Paulson for getting the game time moved.

“When it’s cooler, I think, the intensity goes up. The tempo goes up with the game,” Porter said. “Any time the lights go on, I think it just makes for a different feel.”

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Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter