Balance.
It’s a word that has been frequently spoken by Portland Timbers coach Caleb Porter when asked what has allowed his team to surge into the MLS Western Conference finals.
One of the best defensive teams in MLS this season, only lately have the Timbers found their footing on the attack. But the timing couldn’t be better for a team that has been unbeaten in six consecutive matches back to their hot finish to the regular season.
Getting that defend-attack balance right figures to be critical to the Timbers fortune in the conference finals. FC Dallas brings youthful enthusiasm and dynamic attackers to Providence Park for today’s first game in the two-leg series that will send the winner to the MLS Cup final.
Today, part of that balance is understanding that limiting Dallas’ attack is more important than going all out to score goals. That’s because away goals are the first tie-breaker in this series, so a shutout will put Portland on sound footing for the second leg.
“We need to be mentally and tactically very composed. But we also need to be aggressive, because we’re better when we are aggressive,” Porter said. “But we’ll take a 1-0 win. That would be a great result; 2-0 would be even better. But a clean sheet and a win would be a great first half of the series.”
The Timbers will be without Diego Valeri and Rodney Wallace because of yellow-card suspensions. Both will be eligible for the second leg in Dallas on Nov. 29.
But today Darlington Nagbe will be called upon to be the main creative force in midfield.
Fresh off his U.S. National Team debut last week, Nagbe said he is comfortable in that position. He noted that he had success playing the central role in the regular-season finale against Colorado, a match in which he scored two goals.
“The biggest difference is just getting touches,” he said. “The more touches I get, the better rhythm I get in.”
“A big part of our attack is going to have to go through him, and he’s ready for that,” Porter said.
Porter noted that Nagbe played some games early in the season as a central attacker while Valeri recovered from last season’s knee injury.
“I’m not sure he was quite ready to carry the team (early in the season),” Porter said. “But I think he is now.”
