PORTLAND — For long stretches on Sunday, the Portland Timbers had the ball at their feet. But in the moments that decide soccer games, the Timbers were just a touch off.
That and some solid defense from San Jose resulted in a 1-0 win for the Earthquakes in the first show of the preseason at Providence Park.
“I’m happy with the fact that we dominated the game, but not happy with the fact that we didn’t find a goal,” Timbers coach Caleb Porter said. “In the end, games are won and lost in the boxes.”
San Jose is a team built on a defense-first philosophy. For as much possession as the Timbers had — and despite a 17-6 edge in shots for Portland — the Earthquakes’ veteran backline, midfield and goalkeeper limited Portland to few quality chances.
“In a lot of ways, I was looking forward to playing this type of game, because this is the kind of game that can be a challenge for a team like us,” Porter said. “(The Earthquakes) are very effective at playing the way they play. We’re going to deal with it more. We failed the test today.”
Darlington Nagbe credited San Jose for cluttering its defensive third.
“Teams are going to sit back against us, considering the season we had last year,” Nagbe said. “It’s up to us to try to get our guys on the ball with some space and let them create.”
Portland played without team captain Will Johnson who was ill. Ben Zemanski filled his defensive midfield spot alongside Diego Chara. Maximiliano Urruti played up front and was active for 73 minutes. Rookie Schillo Tshuma took his spot — and narrowly missed high with a scissor kick attempt.
Porter said he wants his attacking players to be fluid, interchanging positions. On Sunday, newcomer Gaston Fernandez played in four different attacking spots and had a couple of near chances after moving to striker late in the match.
Diego Valeri made his preseason debut, coming on in the 62nd minute after only two full training sessions. Valeri is returning from offseason surgery for a sports hernia.
This difference on the scoreboard was an own goal when new Timbers defender Norberto Paparatto headed the ball into the Portland goal. It happened in the 26th minute on a corner kick for San Jose, with Paparatto and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts colliding in the goal mouth. Porter said a lack of focus on assignments created the trouble.
Until that moment, the Timbers were flying, entertaining the crowd of 13,503 with some crisp one-touch soccer .
“The first 25 minutes I thought we strung together some really good combinations,” Timbers right back Jack Jewsbury said.
It nearly produced a goal in the 21st minute when a Nagbe pass found Maximiliano Urruti in stride, but San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch made the biggest of his seven saves.
Ricketts did not make a save, a credit to Portland’s possession and a reflection of San Jose’s defensive approach. The match had plenty of intensity. The teams combined for 27 fouls — 16 on the Quakes, who also drew four yellow cards.
“From the outside looking in, people might think (because) it’s a preseason game it won’t be physical,” Jewsbury said. “But the reality is, once we step across those lines we’re all competitors and everybody wants to win.”
The Timbers next chance to do that comes at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday against Portmore United of Jamaica. The Vancouver Whitecaps beat Portmore 5-1 on Sunday in the opener. The Whitecaps and Earthquakes play at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
