Mashing the Potatoes

The Portland Timbers woke up on Thursday morning in the midst of terrible wildfire smoke. In what has become a very unfortunate and tragic tradition, the Pacific Northwest now burns throughout the summer. Despite the poor air quality, and the furnace-like temperatures on the field, the Portland Timbers decided to pollute the air even more. Five more Timber goals hit the back of the Providence Park net tonight, as the victorious Timbers kept the positive momentum going with a 5-2 victory over Club Puebla in the opening game of Portland’s Leagues Cup journey.

Recap

The first 15 minutes were better, but still not very good.

The “better” aspect was illustrated by Portland’s first goal within the first 15 minutes of the game since May 9th against SKC. Kristoffer Velde pressured Puebla right back Iker Moreno, forcing the 22-year-old Mexican to play a suicide pass directly up the middle of the field. Cole Bassett scooped up the loose ball, and quickly returned it to Velde. The Norwegian winger took aim from outside the box, but his shot was deflected and looked like it would fall into the waiting arms of goalkeeper Daniel Gutierrez. However, Ariel Lassiter kept his head up, beat Gutierrez to the loose ball, and tapped it over the goalkeeper and into the net to give the Timbers a 1-0 lead in the 5th minute. Taking shots from outside the box don’t always have to hit the back of the net to be productive.

However, the “still not very good” aspect was present when Puebla equalized in the 14th minute. Alonso Ramirez found winger Brayan Garnica on the right wing with a quick field-tilting pass. He crossed the ball into the center of the box for striker Eduardo Mustre to finish calmly past debutant Trey Muse. This goal was controversial, despite the described actions being pretty mundane. I’ll get into it more later on.

In a repeat of the story from the most recent Seattle game, the Timbers continued to be under pressure after allowing a goal. Winger Emiliano Gomez tested Muse from distance in the 21st minute, but Muse was able to make an easy catch. Portland nearly took the lead in the 25th minute after Velde dispossessed Puebla center back Angel Leyva inside the box, but the Norwegian winger’s attempt towards the far post was parried by Gutierrez. But the Timbers were able to find the lead again from a set piece.

Velde swung a corner kick into the box in the 36th minute. Bassett rose up at the near post and flicked the ball over Gutierrez and into the side netting of the far post. Near-post flick-on headers remain undefeated. But the scoring didn’t stop there. Two minutes later, the Timbers were probing again. Velde slipped the ball to Ian Smith, who dribbled through Puebla’s weak defense until he was level with the six-yard box. He tried to shoot, but the shot was blocked. Smith got his own rebound, dribbled through the remaining space to the endline, and chipped the ball into the six-yard box. David Da Costa popped up and calmly tapped the ball in for Portland’s third. This effectively ended the game, but goal differential required the Timbers to keep scoring.

So they decided to go into the locker room for halftime by celebrating another goal. In the 3rd minute of first half stoppage time, Smith blocked a pass in his own defensive third. This rebound fell to Velde, who immediately got onto his horse and started charging forward. But he wasn’t the only Timber who was running into the open field. Da Costa was alone in all kinds of space and Velde found him with a perfectly weighted through ball. Portuguese Dave darted into the penalty area before choosing to be unselfish and finding a wide-open Bassett at the back post with a calmly hit square ball. An easy finish for Bassett brought the Timbers into the locker room amidst cheers and chants from the North End and with a gargantuan 4-1 lead.

Portland kept the pressure on at the start of the second half. Velde forced another high turnover and carried the ball into the box, but his 50th-minute attempt blazed over the bar. They got to work in possession, stringing a long passing sequence together in the 56th minute. Da Costa received a through ball from Brandon Bye on the right wing, and then he got back to work. He glided past his marker and played a calm cutback ball towards the penalty spot. Three Timbers converged on it. Lassiter won the race and roofed the ball past Gutierrez to increase Portland’s lead to 5-1. Jack Cassidy has coached 5 first-team games as the interim, and this is the second one to feature that scoreline at some point. I find that to be very cool!

Then the Timbers slowly took their foot off the gas. A 66th-minute free kick from Kevin Velasco was easily fielded by Muse. The debutant goalkeeper was called into action again in the 73rd minute; making an excellent save on a difficult flick-on header from substitute Sergio Sanabria on a corner kick. Puebla was able to score again in the 80th minute (a tribute to Timber Jim during the annual Sunflower Game, I’ll allow it). Gomez received the ball between lines and charged forward, sending Portland’s backline into a retreat. After getting on the wrong side of Finn Surman and creating just enough space to get a shot off, the Uruguayan winger hit the bottom right corner of the net with an excellent finish. The Timbers conceded another goal from the top of the box. More on that later.

The rest of the game was just a procession to the final whistle. Velasco hit the side netting in the 90th minute, while substitute Luifer Hernandez did the same in the 2nd minute of stoppage time. The final whistle blew on a big 5-2 Timbers win. They’ve begun their Leagues Cup journey with 3 points and a +3 goal differential. 

Needless Concessions

In the MLS regular season, goal differential isn’t very important. The first tiebreaker in the league table is wins. Most other leagues around the world use goal differential, but MLS puts an outsized emphasis on actually winning games. The parameters change during Leagues Cup. Goal differential matters again. So when the Portland Timbers score 5 goals, keeping a clean sheet becomes much more important.

Portland took a +3 goal differential from tonight’s game. Why weren’t they able to keep a clean sheet? Although this qualifies as a “big win,” I’m more concerned with the Timbers’ inability to keep Puebla off the scoresheet. Marti Cifuentes was in the building tonight. I have a feeling that he’s thinking about the same thing.

The first goal has one fixable problem and one bewildering refereeing error. Let’s start with the fixable problem, because it’s pretty common.

This goal only requires two screenshots. The first illustrates that the Timbers still aren’t as organized as they should be. Three players are converging on this ball instead of thinking ahead in the play. What is the most likely outcome if none of them can get there before Ramirez? Is the Puebla midfielder going to try and dribble out of that pressure or is he going to find his wide-open teammate who is very clearly in his line of vision? Smith is already caught farther up the field because of his intent to turn possession into attack and no one is covering his space. Timbers players still have a hard time when it comes to thinking about where the ball is going to be, not just where it currently is. I wonder how Cifuentes is preparing to fix that issue.

But the incoming head coach can do nothing to fix the second problem with this goal: officiating nonsense.

If you are only looking at this picture from a surface-level view, nothing seems too out of the ordinary. Yes, the striker has a step on his defender, but the Timbers aren’t outnumbered in their own box. But if you squint and see the jersey numbers, a problem emerges. Why is Brandon Bye playing like Surman’s center back partner? Is that Lassiter dropping in as a right back and attempting to protect the far post? Where in the name of GOD is Alex Bonetig; the center back who started alongside Surman? Why isn’t he on the field?

In the 11th minute, Mustre landed on top of Bonetig while dueling for a long aerial ball. Bonetig stayed down after landing hard on his shoulder. Since no foul was called on the play (rightfully so), Bonetig had to be subjected to a firmly enforced rule that made its debut a couple years ago: the Off-Field Treatment rule.

This rule is meant to cut back on time-wasting. Per the rulebook: “If the referee stops play due to a potential player injury in which the player remains on the ground for more than 15 seconds and the medical staff enters the field of play, the player may be required to leave the field of play for one minute. The one-minute treatment period begins once the ball is put back into play. Time is kept by the fourth official with the support of the assistant video assistant referee (AVAR).”

Let’s take a look at this sequence and see whether or not the rule was applied correctly. The collision occurred at 10:34, and play was stopped at 10:49. Bonetig is observed on the broadcast at 11:17 shaking out his shoulder as he stood back up and prepared to continue playing. But referee Victor Rivas (who should be very familiar to all of you) hasn't dropped the ball and allowed play to continue. At 11:39, he tells Bonetig to go to the sideline to receive treatment. Per my notes, the trainers do not enter the field of play during this sequence. The Australian defender simply goes down, but gets back up under his own power. Rivas is overstepping his authority by ordering Bonetig to go to the sideline to receive more treatment. If the trainers don’t enter, the player doesn’t have to exit.

But you can’t argue with the referee without inviting further discipline, so Bonetig is forced to leave the field. The ball is dropped at 12:02, and Bonetig’s one-minute timer begins. It’s an incorrect interpretation of the rule, but it’s about to get a lot worse. 

The cross that turns into the assist is struck at 13:02, directly at the moment when Bonetig is supposed to enter the pitch. Rivas’ incorrect interpretation has cost the Timbers a goal. He did not need to order Bonetig to the sideline, but he did anyway. That’s infuriating. Cassidy was bewildered about Rivas’ interpretation of the rule. “He didn’t get treatment, so I don’t get why he was outside the pitch for so long.” Because he never should have been taken off the pitch to begin with. Good God.

However, Puebla’s second goal can also be explained in a couple screenshots.

It’s still very easy to pull Portland’s players out of position. Their entire middle line at this moment consists of Joao Ortiz, Jose Caicedo, and Omir Fernandez. One simple pass through plenty of space is enough to bypass the line of pressure and find Gomez.

No one recovers in time, Surman gets turned and has to make up the distance in a millisecond, and Gomez is able to pick his spot. They can’t keep conceding goals like this, especially against such an inferior opponent.

Duels

Another victory on the duels front for the Portland Timbers, magnified by their continued aerial dominance. The ground duels still need some work, but it’s encouraging to see the team’s efforts in aggression continue to pay off.

Player Ratings

Trey Muse!: 7

Conceding two goals on debut isn’t necessarily something to be proud of, but neither of the concessions were Muse’s fault. He made 3 saves but looked a little uncomfortable with the ball at his feet. It was very good to finally see him in between the sticks for the Timbers after signing two-and-a-half years ago and having to wait an inordinate amount of time to get some first-team action.

Brandon Bye: 7

I was surprised to see him start given his heavy workload, but a solid 70 minutes provided some good defensive solidity. He won all 3 of his aerial duels and tallied 1 tackle, 1 block, 3 clearances, 1 interception, and 2 recoveries. The Michigan native will have his hands full with Brian Rodriguez on Sunday. Tonight was a good warmup.

Finn Surman: 7.4

I’d like to point out one Surman stat that rises above all the others. He completed all 4 of his long balls in tonight’s game. His defending is already superb, but increasing his passing range continues to elevate his ceiling. 

Alex Bonetig: 6.6

The Australian made his first start since May 2nd in Salt Lake City. He has all the tools to become a quality MLS starter, but he’s just not putting it together right now.

Having said that, I do believe that he was slightly hobbled by the shoulder injury. He went down a couple other times after the initial stoppage in the 11th minute. I hope his shoulder will be OK. Because there were some things that an injured shoulder cannot cover up.

Center backs are either “steppers” or “droppers.” The top players in the world in this position find a balance between the two. Surman is primarily a “stepper,” but drops when the situation calls for it. Bonetig, on the other hand, is a pure “dropper.” He doesn’t attempt tackles on the front foot. He tracks his man out of position and leaves holes in the formation when doing so. And he sometimes takes unnecessary risks with the ball at his feet (mostly when he tries to dribble forward).

These issues can be fixed, and Bonetig just got his first major minutes in almost three months. I doubt that he’ll start against Club America, but another appearance against Tijuana could be on the cards. Let’s see how that shoulder is feeling.

Ian Smith: 7.3

Like Bonetig, it’s been a while since Smith was in the starting lineup. Since March 7th against Vancouver, to be exact. However, Smith did see a fair amount of playing time off the bench during the Apertura, although his appearances have consisted of late-game cameos during the Cassidy era. So how did Smudge impact tonight’s game?

Puebla began targeting him and Bonetig from the opening whistle. Sometimes Smith was in position and would make a play on the ball, but other times he was out of position and was easily bypassed. Although Claudio Bravo departed the team last summer (I still can’t believe it’s only been a year) Smith gave a pretty good impersonation of his former teammate tonight, for better and for worse.

Let’s begin with the “better.” Smith and Velde have excellent chemistry together, and it was apparent on Da Costa’s goal. Smudge didn’t get credited for an assist due to the deflection of his chipped pass. That’s unfortunate, because the work he put in to fashion that chance out of a disadvantageous position was very admirable.

But the “worse” can be illustrated by a pretty poor defensive performance. Although Smith filled up the stat sheet with 2 tackles, 3 clearances, 1 interception, and 2 recoveries, he was dribbled past twice and lost 7 out of 11 attempted ground duels. In addition, he committed three fouls. Bravo could be hit-or-miss on the defensive end during the latter part of his Timbers tenure, and Smith didn’t do a great job of balancing positional risk with potential attacking reward. But he did technically get an assist, and celebrated with one of his favorite teammates.

His other favorite teammate was one of the first to congratulate him. More on Cole Bassett later.

Jose Caicedo: 7.7

Caicedo had another great outing when it came to breaking up play. However, his passing wasn’t as fine-tuned as it could’ve been. Nothing that I saw in this game gave me any serious cause for concern, however. He started slow like the rest of the team; failing to get a single mention in my notes until the 25th minute. But he began to grow into the game, and spent the second half spraying diagonals from right to left. I would like to see more of those diagonals, please. There are times when I think he’s too safe with the ball at his feet. A couple of those “safe passes” turned into turnovers because Caicedo wasn’t aware of Puebla’s positioning. Those are obviously chemistry flaws instead of technical. I think Cifuentes is going to love him.

Joao Ortiz: 8

Playing as the right-sided 8, Ortiz faded as the game went on. But he was making quick and correct decisions in the first half, and his defending never took a step back. He won 5/7 ground duels and drew 4 fouls. He can play the 8 or the 6 in Portland’s new 3-man midfield. I’d like to see him get more of a run as an 8 before this tournament is over. He needs a willing runner on that right side to take advantage of his willingness to play through balls. 

Cole Bassett: 9.4

Does it surprise you that Bassett prefers to play on the left? He joins Velde, Lassiter, Da Costa, and Antony as attack-minded players who feel a lot more comfortable on the left wing. “The left is my favorite spot. It just so happens that it’s also the favorite spot of almost everybody on the team. Me, David, Kris, Antony, we all like to be on the left side. So it’s tough in the game for some of us to have to switch to the right side. It’s just a different feeling. You feel more natural on the left because you’re able to cut inside and the whole field’s there for you on the right side.”

Bassett got his chance to play on the left tonight and did an excellent job of linking the defense with the attack. Both of his goals were well-taken and didn’t fall to him by accident. He earned them. In addition, he made 2 tackles and 4 recoveries while winning 4/6 of his ground duels. But he celebrated one thing harder than each of his two goals: Smith’s assist. “We’ve trained together in the offseason for about 6 or 7 years now, when he was in college I was always going and playing with him because he played with my brother and they were very close friends, so having him up here and being able to move up here with somebody that I’m so comfortable with and close with is special. I know how hard he works, so I was very happy for him to have a play like that.”

Ariel Lassiter: 9

Call it veteran savvy, hard work, or whatever you want. He created his first goal by wanting the ball more. Like Bassett, he took two shots and scored both of them. The second was a classic box-crashing outside-in run that was excellently utilized to ghost in front of Bassett and Velde. After finding the back of the net for the second time in the 55th minute, he was promptly subbed off. Did he want the hat trick? “It was definitely in the back of my mind. But, you know, Coach makes the decisions and we gotta be ready for Sunday. That’s going to be a really important game for us…We put 5 on the board tonight. But the most important thing for me is that we go into the next round.”

Lassiter scored twice in last year’s Leagues Cup; once against Atletico San Luis and the shock opener against Las Aguilas in Austin. His brace tonight gives 4 goals in 4 Leagues Cup games for the Timbers. After all, there’s a reason why they call him “Leagues Cup Lassiter.”

Kristoffer Velde: 8.3

The assist streak has reached 4 straight games, which is every game that Velde has played since the Clausura began. Do you want to know the most fascinating part of this streak? 3 of the 4 assists have come from corner kicks! At the beginning of his Timbers tenure, his corner kick delivery left a lot to be desired. It usually wouldn’t make it past the first man. Now his deliveries loop into the box and cause constant danger for opposing teams.

I’d like to invite you to feast your eyes on this first touch.

You probably missed this live. The crowd didn’t gasp or cheer because it was so nonchalant. While that first touch checked off the self-endorsing aspect of Velde’s game, he’s becoming increasingly comfortable with sharing the load. The through ball to Da Costa on Bassett’s second goal? Sublime. Letting Smith take his usual duties of deleting defenders on the way to the endline? Awesome. Velde is at his best when he’s using his own superpowers to enhance the play of his teammates. He had two decent chances tonight (one of them very good) but screwed up the finish on both. He really wants that goal, man. Maybe he’s saving it for Club America.

David Da Costa: 10

Fotmob did a weird thing with tonight’s starting lineup.

Most of it was correct, but there are a couple of funny errors. No, Ortiz didn’t play striker. So I assumed that Velde would be playing through the middle as a false 9 with Da Costa on the left. However, warm-ups completely changed that assumption. Portuguese Dave lined up as a false 9 and tore Puebla to shreds.

Immaculate first touches, a willingness to spread play from flank to flank, outstanding striker runs, and the technical ability to notch 1g/2a through different varieties of goals. Da Costa has been the biggest beneficiary of the coaching change thus far, and he excelled at an unfamiliar position tonight. “Thank you to the coach for putting me on the pitch,” Da Costa said post-game. “And wherever you want to put me. I played up front when I was younger. Today, it worked and we felt comfortable to score goals.”

I wouldn’t advocate for Da Costa to start up top unless it could provide a significant tactical advantage. Tonight, he popped up everywhere and dragged so many Puebla defenders out of position. Hopefully Cifuentes noticed that he has a very interesting new club in his bag.

Omir Fernandez: Stop Fouling Him

This was a trend that began last year when he arrived in Portland, but I’ve never seen a player draw so many fouls for simply existing on the pitch. Tonight was Fernandez’s longest outing since his recent return from a broken ankle, and he drew 4 fouls while winning 4/6 ground duels and a single aerial. He began his substitute appearance on the left wing before switching to the left-sided 8 role. I think he’s better in the center of the pitch than on the wing, but it’s pretty good that he can play either role. Especially with Alexander Aravena’s long-term injury opening up more minutes for the Bronx Messi.

Sawyer Jura: 6.9

It’s always cool to watch an academy player take the pitch for the first team, and Jura is no exception. He hadn’t made a first-team appearance prior to tonight since July 2024 in the dying moments of a 3-2 loss in Dallas. That was his first-team debut, and he was a welcome spark on the right wing tonight. He nearly got his first assist when he sent a delicious cross towards Guerra at the back post, but the goalkeeper made a good save to stop a difficult Guerra header. I think he’ll see the field again before Phase One is over.

Eric Miller: Season Debut!

Did you know that Eric Miller hadn’t played a single minute this year before he entered tonight’s game in the 70th minute as a substitute for Bye? There’s usually a sense of security when Mr. Reliable checks in and occupies his usual spot at right back. I’d like to highlight a moment in the 3rd minute of second-half stoppage time. The Timbers utilized a triangle combo with Ortiz, Jura, and Miller on the right side of the pitch. Miller made an excellent pass into space for Jura to run onto, but the homegrown winger didn’t continue his run. Opportunity missed, but it was a really smart play. Good to see Miller get back on the pitch tonight.

Gage Guerra: 7

Guerra missed each of the previous four games with a core injury that he picked up during the World Cup break. He announced to reporters on Tuesday that he was back without saying a single word. He thumped home a glorious bicycle kick that rubbernecked the entire team. So when he entered tonight’s game in the 70th minute, he wanted to make an immediate impact. And he nearly got that chance two minutes later. He picked Leyva’s pocket and immediately charged in on goal with the ball at his feet. The Puebla defender recovered and fouled Guerra from behind. Rivas did not give the Timbers a penalty kick, much to the dismay of Bassett. It would’ve provided some form of compensation for Rivas’ mishandling of the Off-Field Treatment rule, but it wasn’t meant to be. Ugh.

Guerra played through the middle and on the left wing during his substitute appearance. I thought he worked hard, which can always prove as a gateway for more minutes in the future. 

Kevin Kelsy: Why?

You all know how much I like Kevin Kelsy. Could a scenario where a Kelsy substitute appearance make me slightly upset? Well, it happened tonight.

Cassidy opted to bring Kelsy on in the 77th minute. This change moved Guerra to the left wing, and it bewildered me. The Venezuelan striker just returned from injury, and now he was being trotted out in a blowout. Antony ended tonight’s game as an unused substitute, breaking an appearance streak that lasted an entire year back to the Club America game in Austin. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to bring on the speedy winger so he can play on the left wing and keep Guerra as the center forward? I thought Cassidy made a mistake by potentially aggravating Kelsy’s injury at a moment when he absolutely didn’t need to. But he’ll definitely be in the starting lineup on Sunday. 

Coach Rating: 8

More credit has to be given to the entire coaching staff, not just Cassidy. Liam Ridgewell’s flick-on header design from corner kicks paid off in a goal. Memo Valencia’s work with Muse over the past two-and-a-half years prepared him for his long overdue team debut. All three of them wore sunflowers to honor Timber Jim’s tragically deceased daughter.

The decision to start Da Costa up top flew in the face of logic and reason but it worked wonders on the pitch. All of the substitutes made sense except Kelsy’s unnecessary cameo. He’s barely had a day to rest since assuming the interim duties 9 weeks ago. But all of his effort has been put into improving this team, and the results are speaking for themselves. 16 goals across 5 games, and 13 points from 5 games. Fans at the bottom of section 105 bellowed his name right before the counter that led to Bassett’s second goal began. He’s become a cult hero in such a short period of time. “There’s been an amazing energy in the stadium since we’ve had these home games. And I think the players’ performances have generated that energy. I’ve been really grateful for the reception that the supporters have given me. And I’m just really hoping that this revitalized energy can be taken forward into Marti’s reign because it makes a massive difference. The players spoke about it in the week at the training ground after the Seattle game. The noise, the atmosphere, it makes a massive difference and I know it means a lot to everyone.”

His interim period now has a defined end date. Sunday’s game against Club America will be his last match in charge of the Timbers before Cifuentes assumes head coaching duties against Tijuana and into the future. Cassidy began his interim tenure with the most daunting of road games: in Seattle at Lumen Field. Now he has an even bigger test awaiting him before he makes his return to T2 (because Seattle away is always a good time, after all).

Table Time

Fotmob made mistakes with the starting lineup, and the same can be said about their Leagues Cup table. So the Worldwide Leader in Embrace Debate is the source for this week’s table. Isn’t it so wonderful to look at? The Timbers are on top with 1 win and a goal differential of +3. Did you notice who is on the bottom? Why, it’s the defending Leagues Cup champions! By all rights, the Seattle Sounders should have shipped five goals in Toluca, but Stefan Frei did a reverse Cinderella and turned back into a princess from a pumpkin and made 16 saves to single-handedly keep the final score respectable. I don’t think the Sounders are repeating as champions this year, y’all. While we’re on the topic, I observed several different banners bearing the phrase “Stupid Tifo” tonight. Finally, the Sounders are taking the mantle of humiliation from the Timbers. It’s been long overdue. Seven straight losses for the Fishies. Sooner or later there won’t be anything left to gut!

But this is a combined tournament, so a look at the Liga MX table is also in order.

Only 6 Mexican teams tasted victory on Matchday 1. Toluca, Juarez, Atlante, Leon, and Cruz Azul began their campaigns with very important victories. So did Portland’s next opponent: Club America. Sunday’s game should be an all-timer.

Final Whistle

Phuoc Nguyen of Cascadia FC’s Rose City Breakdown podcast likes to watch soccer for the joy it provides the players and the fans. He’s probably wishing that the Thorns had a fraction of the joy that the Timbers are currently playing with. The existential dread of the end of the Neville era is completely gone. His permanent replacement watched tonight’s drubbing in the stadium, while the interim boss has achieved a mythical status. Adam Booker of The Timber Review compared Cassidy’s tenure to a summer fling on a recent episode of the aforementioned podcast. Well, it’s almost time to return to school, so one last night of fun is all that can be spared.

These players know that Cassidy wouldn’t be leading them for the remainder of the season. Cifuentes’ arrival gives them even more motivation to keep pushing themselves for more and more success. But hopefully they can continue to let the joy keep flowing.

I already used this photo for the cover. But I had to put it in here again. This was taken right after Da Costa made the score 3-1. Portuguese Dave immediately beckoned as many teammates as he could over to the corner flag to pose for this picture. They’re playing well, winning games, and having a ton of fun while doing it. You can’t ask for better momentum to take into a grudge match with Club America; the team that committed heinous crimes on and off the pitch against them on a stupidly hot Texas night exactly one year ago. The lead-up to that game was characterized by a sudden mutiny and travel problems. Now the Timbers get to remain at home and keep feeding off of their delirious home crowd. They took care of business tonight and mashed some potatoes. But eagles are always a tougher test. Sunday night could be a sliding-doors moment similar to last year’s disappointment in Austin. But these smiles aren’t fading anytime soon. They’re top of the table after the first matchday, and the desire to reach the knockout stages is keeping everyone focused. The quest continues.