The Wall of Pressure

In this wonderful sport, each game exists in a vacuum and as a part of the bigger picture. No match better illustrates this phenomenon than the Portland Timbers’ 1-1 draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy this afternoon.

I’m going to do something a little bit different with today’s recap. Since this game was essentially divided into two separate parts, I think it’s worth illustrating each section and the lessons learned during those two distinct periods of play. After all, the Timbers really needed to win this game. They did not. But is there a path forward that shows where those wins can come from?

20 Minutes of Positivity

Jimer Fory had a busy start. Within the first 3 minutes, he made four key defensive actions to nullify Gabriel Pec’s ability to get in behind. In the 4th minute, the Timbers had to deal with danger for the first time. Diego Chara made an uncharacteristic giveaway, and Pec launched a shot from distance that Finn Surman parried with his head. The rebound fell to the Brazilian winger, and he tried again with his weaker foot. James Pantemis, wearing a facial mask due to getting stomped on last weekend in Houston, was able to dive and collect the ball rolling on the turf. Joao Ortiz made two key headers to nullify more danger in Portland’s box during the 6th minute. However, after that brief bit of danger, the Timbers began to push forward. Some good combination play on the right side led to a Chara cross to the back post. It went over the head of Kevin Kelsy but found the head of Antony, who was unable to put his attempt on target from a tight angle. 

In the 13th minute, Portland took the lead. I’m going to break it down in detail later, but here are the cliffnotes. Some good buildup from the Timbers led to a Brandon Bye cross into the box, but it was popped into the air by a recovering Emiro Garces and weakly cleared by Erik Thommy. David Da Costa intercepted the clearance, and the ball was worked wide and then back centrally. Some nifty combination play led to Antony leaving the ball off for Kristoffer Velde, whose sliding effort beat JT Marcinkowski at his far post. It was a deserved lead for the Timbers, who unlocked LA’s defense with some decisive passing and a great finish from their star player.

In the 17th minute, Antony took a shot from outside the box. It was blocked. The ball was leaked to Joao Klauss, who was tackled by Kamal Miller. Referee Drew Fischer showed a yellow card for stopping a counterattack, and a seemingly cynical foul would just slow down the play and allow the Timbers to recover.

The Decision

But Klauss stayed down. The VAR official (Edvin Jurisevic) was in Fischer’s ear, and he beckoned the center referee to the monitor. Jurisevic noticed something on that play, and what he noticed would turn the entire game on its head.

While making this challenge, Miller unwittingly transferred his entire body weight into his right boot as his left foot elevated above the ground. This caused all of that body weight to fall on Klauss’ Achilles tendon, which is a bona-fide red card 100% of the time. After watching a single replay, I thought it was harsh but correct.

That’s what really bugs me about this play. I don’t think it was a tackle that Miller meant to make. Obviously he wanted to battle Klauss and try to get the ball, but he unwittingly created the circumstances for this forceful stomp. If this play happens to a Portland Timber, I’d be furious if a red card wasn’t awarded to the offender. However, I still had questions. Not about this foul in particular, but the exact threshold it takes for this (definite) yellow card to get upgraded to a red. The officiating crew responded with a very good reply to my first usage of the Pool Reporter system this season.

I don’t think that the studs to Klauss’ Achilles was enough to upgrade the card by itself. However, as Fischer (presumably) explains, Miller’s entire body weight falling on that tendon is what crosses the threshold. I simply wanted to learn where that line was drawn. Studs to a player’s leg occurs a lot, and I don’t think that every instance should warrant a red card. Based on Fischer’s explanation, I think that the force applied is the true separator. And in this instance, a red card was justified.

70 Minutes of Stress

This did little to calm the cauldron of fans who were (presumably) overjoyed with Portland’s excellent start to this game. Six minutes had passed since they grabbed the lead, and now they were going to be on the back foot for the remaining SEVENTY minutes. I was disappointed too, because I thought that I was finally going to see something close to the ceiling of this team. Those hopes were dashed by this red card, and now getting any kind of result became paramount.

Four minutes after the red card, Kelsy was replaced by Alex Bonetig. More on that later. The Timbers had a chance on a 22nd minute free kick, but Brandon Bye’s centering header was collected by Marcinkowski. LA was moving the ball pretty quickly, and a double chance developed in the 26th minute. A chipped pass into the box found Elijah Wynder, but a Bonetig tackle pried the ball loose. It fell to Thommy, who passed it to Klauss around the penalty spot. The Brazilian’s one-touch finish was stopped by Pantemis, who quickly covered the ball to keep it safe from an on-rushing Pec. Two minutes later, another ball over the top found Thommy, who cut it back to Klauss again. Pantemis made an excellent save at his near post to preserve Portland’s lead. However, the Galaxy would soon equalize.

In the 30th minute, Marco Reus attempted to try another ball over the top to test Portland’s backline. It was easily collected by James Pantemis. Like Velde’s goal, I’m going to go into further detail on this concession later. So here are some more cliffnotes. Bonetig played a pass through the middle to Da Costa, who was promptly dispossessed by Garces. The ball fell to Pec, who found Reus at the top of the box. Surman forced Reus away from goal, but Klauss fell on the loose ball. He dribbled around the top of the 6-yard box before beating Pantemis at the far post with a left-footed shot. 1-1. A goal that the Timbers completely gave away.

The rest of this game falls into the cliffnotes section as well. Portland was hell-bent on protecting this draw, and the Galaxy were now desperate for a win. Pantemis was called into action again in the 32nd minute as he denied Thommy at his near post. Velde whipped in another good free kick but no Timber could get a good shot off. Marcinkowski collected the loose ball. 

That was the last notable action from the first half, and it was also the most threatening period from the Galaxy over the entire game. Portland put on a low block clinic during the second half, and nearly found a go-ahead goal from Ortiz on a corner kick during the 49th minute. Alas, his header from a difficult angle went wide at the near post. Pec tried his luck from the right channel in the 55th minute, and his swerving effort was troublesome for Pantemis. But the masked goalkeeper was able to corral the ball after controlling it with his chest. LA’s best chance of the second half came in the 79th minute, when substitute Mauricio Cuevas sent a low cross to Klauss at the top of the box. His effort was hit directly at Pantemis, who made a (relatively) easy save. But the Timbers were still trying to find a winning goal of their own. Ortiz tried a shot from distance in the 89th minute, but Marcinkowski was able to make a routine save. LA’s last-gasp chance came from a corner kick in the second minute of stoppage time. Cuevas served a ball into the box, which got flicked on by substitute Matheus Nascimento. Fory wasn’t able to make a clean clearance, and Ortiz unfortunately headed the ball backwards into space. Pec arrived and blazed an effort with his weak foot, but a deflection took it over the bar. That’s pretty much all she wrote. A good defensive performance from the Timbers, who really needed one. But they also really needed a victory, and they were unable to take three points from a winnable home game.

A Goal To Be Proud Of

During the first 20 minutes, the Timbers were in control. Their control paid off with a very well-worked goal from open play. That’s something that the Timbers have struggled with this year, but this was the second game that both DPs (Velde and Da Costa) were available to start. And, folks, having your two best players available makes a huge difference.

This sequence begins with a simple pass from Surman to Ortiz. LA has pushed into Portland’s half, but they aren’t pressing with intensity. Noted.

Ortiz is able to turn and find Velde, who is about to bounce the ball back to the Ecuadorian. I’m definitely taking note of the amount of space afforded to the Timbers here, but they’re doing a good job of moving the ball with purpose and tempo.

Reus pressures Ortiz on the bounce pass, so the Ecuadorian turns away from pressure and plays it back to Surman. There was a rhythm to Portland’s ball movement in the first 20 minutes.

Two passes occur in the gap between the previous screenshot and this one. Surman found Pantemis first, who moved it to Miller. I don’t really like it when it takes two passes to accomplish one movement. That would be a minor nit-pick if the Timbers didn’t do this quite often.

Da Costa drops to show for the ball, and he creates a triangle with Miller and Chara. The bounce pass that he’s about to play completes the triangle.

Chara quickly returns it to Da Costa, who started moving as soon as he passed the ball to Chara. This is a good spot for Portland’s orchestrator to receive the ball. I’m also noticing Bye’s run at the bottom of the frame.

Da Costa is looking at Bye’s run, but he plays a disguised pass to Velde instead. The Norwegian is able to turn out of pressure in the midfield. When this game was 11v11, Velde was utilizing the center of the pitch a lot. I’m definitely taking note of that. 

When Velde is in the middle of the pitch, his passing range is unlocked. Da Costa might have opted not to go to Bye on the wing, but Velde does with an excellent through ball. Bye does have space and time here, and I’m a little disappointed that he doesn’t carry the ball to the endline for a cutback.

As a result of that decision, Bye’s cross finds an outnumbered box and the unwitting foot of Garces. The ball gets popped into the air, and Thommy opts to make a clearance. But the Timbers have pushed numbers forward, so they can fight for the second ball.

It turns out that they don’t need to fight for a second ball when Da Costa simply has to shift to the left in order to make an interception.

Da Costa opts to play the ball out to the left into space, which forces Fory to win a footrace. The Galaxy still have a numerical advantage in the box.

After holding up the ball briefly, Fory finds Da Costa. Velde is making a run towards the near post. That’s going to become important later.

Garces closes down the angle of a potential pass to Velde, but Da Costa is already focused on getting the ball to Ortiz.

This pass from Ortiz is the key to the entire sequence. He doesn’t betray that he’s looking for Antony, who has slipped in front of his marker. With a quick one-touch movement, the Brazilian can get into space at the top of the box. This also draws Garces’ attention.

The Brazilian erases two defenders with one touch and turns this into a 2v1 opportunity with Velde and Garces. Ironically, I don’t think this action was meant as a pass. I think it’s just a heavy touch. But Velde is there to capitalize.

Velde has space, but he doesn’t have time. No problem. He’s able to pick out the far corner with his weak foot. It’s a very well-worked goal from good combination play and an excellent use of tempo. 

Portland is at their best when they can speed up the pace of an attack. They were able to do that twice during this entire sequence (Velde’s ball to Bye and this 4-man combination that led to the goal). Most of their problems this year have come from an inability to quickly change the speed of their attacks. They created a lot of problems for Galaxy defenders during this sequence, who were unable to defend on the front foot. Portland’s structure also played a big part, with Velde acting as a second number 10 in the middle of the pitch. By simply getting their most potent attackers close to each other, the Timbers were able to unlock a numerically superior opponent. This is definitely a goal to be proud of.

A Goal That Did Not Need To Happen

Unfortunately, this strike was canceled out by a goal that the Timbers will definitely regret.

We’re going to start right here. Reus has just chipped a hopeful pass into the box and Pantemis has made an easy recovery. This gives the Timbers an opportunity to reset.

LA has pushed their first two lines of pressure into the final third, and Bonetig is on the ball. I do not know why the Timbers are insisting on trying to play out from the back here. Taking some time on the ball will definitely help them settle down, but that logic will only be sound if the next pass accomplishes a single goal: move the ball away from pressure.

Bonetig’s next pass does the exact opposite. It’s a direct ground pass right through the middle to Da Costa, who is receiving with his back to goal. He’s immediately pressured by Wynder, and the Galaxy have numbers around the ball. It’s going to be an instant turnover. 

At some point during this game, one of these passes would cost them. Their build-up sequencing is broken. This pass is the result of coaching errors, not Bonetig or Da Costa. They’re simply following a flawed game plan. The man disadvantage doesn’t matter at all here. It’s a play that they would make 11v11 as well. That’s where the primary source of frustration comes from. And, as a result, they’re about to create their own downfall.

This is where Pec receives the ball after Wynder’s tackle. Reus is already in a good position to make a dangerous run.

However, he’s about to enter the Surman Zone. The Kiwi has closed down the angle and is going to force Reus away from goal. At this moment in time, Surman has Reus in trouble. But there’s always going to be an opportunity for a once world-class player to find his teammates despite his disadvantaged positioning.

Reus does exactly that with this cheeky backheel to Klauss. Now it’s up to Bonetig to prevent a shot. But the Australian center back is already off-balance, and he’s going to have to shift his body in order to recover.

Bonetig overcommits, Klauss has a free look at goal, and he beats Pantemis with a good finish using his weaker foot.

This goal is created by the team’s buildup sequencing, not their subpar box defending. Portland would go on to put on a box defense clinic throughout this game. When the team is adding more risk while decreasing their possibility of reward, it increases their beatability. Most of LA’s chances achieved through normal open play scenarios did not have the same chance of scoring that Portland’s gifted opportunity provided. It’s a simple switch that can make Portland’s buildup more secure and cut out these types of passes, which only lead to more harm than good.

No need to go over box tilt for this game. It turns out that defending with 10 men over 70 minutes will produce numbers that are expected for an undermanned squad. Let’s dive right into player ratings.

Player Ratings

James Pantemis: 9

It’s been one week since Pantemis laid on the ground in Houston with blood pouring out of his face. That horrific challenge resulted in 14 stitches and a face mask. A Batman comparison seems pretty lazy, but it’s also apt considering how much Pantemis was flying around the box making big save after big save. He made 6 stops and showed some excellent command of his box. A match-winning performance in a draw. 

Brandon Bye: 6.9

The right back played his part in keeping the clean sheet with 7 clearances. However, substitute Harbor Miller gave Bye more fits than Thommy. He reprised his role as the primary width provider on the right when the teams were at even strength. 

Finn Surman: 9.6

The Kiwi center back usually racks up clearances by the truckload. However, in today’s game, he became a brick wall. He blocked 7 shots, including a 4th-minute Pec attempt that he took to the dome. In addition to that, he found his way into the box in the 84th minute to take a shot. His attempt was blocked, but it was a pretty good strike considering the situation. He’s off to New Zealand for a pair of national team matches. An outstanding performance to keep LA’s attack at bay.

Kamal Miller: RED CARD

Miller obviously did not intend to land on Klauss’ Achilles with his full body weight, and he paid the price for being reckless. I’m more concerned with why he felt like a challenge was necessary in that situation. Portland had defenders in a good spot to recover. Heck, Surman is easily able to pick up the loose ball after the tackle! I don’t think an extra game will be added onto his suspension. But I am very disappointed. 

Jimer Fory: 9.7

I think Fory’s outing qualifies as a “blinder.” He put on a positional masterclass and found the proper line between rough and physical. As a result, he didn’t commit a single foul and was able to draw one himself. His 4 interceptions and 9 recoveries really stood out. When Bonetig entered for Kelsy, Fory slotted in as the left-sided center back. It’s a role that he excelled at last year, and he did an unbelievable job of neutralizing the Galaxy’s right side. LA kept trying to exploit Portland’s left side during the entire game, and Fory threw them back every single time. In a game full of impressive defensive performances, the Colombian center back still managed to make quite an impression.

JOAO ORTIZ: Tears of Joy

You saw it in flashes last year. There were times that Ortiz looked completely settled in the team (New England, RSL away, Houston away) yet he wasn’t able to put together a consistently excellent full game (usually because he got subbed out). Today, above all else, was vindication for the Ecuadorian.

Operating as the 8 to Chara’s 6, I cannot find a time where Ortiz made a mistake in possession during this game. Portland’s excellent tempo during the first 20 minutes is largely due to Ortiz’s ability to move the ball forward quickly and decisively. It’s at this moment where I mourn the loss of Stathead, because I really wanted to plug this performance into the historical computers: 47/51 passes, 5/5 accurate long balls, 5 clearances, 3 interceptions, 8 recoveries, 3 fouls drawn. He literally did everything. 

His head coach was extremely complimentary of his performance post-game. “Joao was a massive positive. I think if you think about the journey that he’s been on, he’s put up with an awful lot. I thought he played well against Vancouver. I thought he came on last week and played well against Houston. I believe in him.”

Like Phil Neville, I also believe in Joao Ortiz. I could not accept that the level he has shown previously was as high as his ceiling could reach. If there is one humongous positive to take from this game, it’s a truly spectacular Ortiz performance. 

Diego Chara: 8.5

There are some moments where the club captain shows his age, but he put in a hard 90 on the back foot. I’d like to highlight his pin-point cross to Antony in the 9th minute; a chance created from a repeatable and effective sequence of play. He drew 3 fouls (including a 34th minute tackle from Reus that should’ve resulted in a yellow card), completed 34/36 passes, and made 4 good tackles. He’s still waiting for that record-breaking yellow card too.

Kristoffer Velde: 8.7

Deployed on the right wing for the first time this year, Velde had his most effective performance of the season. It turns out that when you put your two best players in close proximity to each other in the middle of the pitch, the Timbers suddenly get a lot more control with the ball in the final third. He scored for the second consecutive game, and he successfully carried his personal momentum from Houston in the process. 

Velde’s mentality continues to be a welcome addition to this team. “We need to be happy with that point, but at the same time it’s disappointing because the first 15 minutes were electric and we knew we were going to score…I think that if we stayed with 11 guys on the field it would have been a different result, for sure.”

His substitution in the 68th minute made this game his shortest outing as a Timber so far. And he made the most of his time on the field. 

Antony: 7.5

The Brazilian was credited with the assist on Velde’s goal, taking his tally to 1g/1a in 4 games to start the season. He missed last weekend’s game with an injury, and looked pretty healthy in this outing (with a new haircut to boot). This was also his first game of the season starting on the left, and he acted as Portland’s primary attacking outlet after the red card. I think he has to be the starting left winger for the remainder of the season. He’s just able to make more stuff happen on that side of the pitch. Not the most advanced analysis, but sometimes the most basic observations happen to be true.

David Da Costa: 7.7

Speaking of “basic observations,” Da Costa has been a breath of fresh air during his first two appearances of the season. LA’s goal was credited to his error, but he was put in an impossible position by Bonetig’s pass. Neville’s personnel adjustments allowed Portuguese Dave to be closer to Antony, a partnership that was very successful during Portland’s hot start in 2025. He played as a true 10 instead of an 8, but was very effective at dropping deep to receive the ball. He’s still working his way back to full fitness too. Another encouraging outing from one of Portland’s true force magnifiers.

Kevin Kelsy: Pain

Kelsy started this game brightly, but had to be the sacrificial lamb after the red card. “I’m gutted for Kevin Kelsy because he’s been absolutely incredible in training for the last 10 days, and he started the game so well.”

It isn’t uncommon for a striker to get subbed for a center back after a red card, but I do think that Neville could have kept him on the field for a little bit longer before completely closing up shop. Portland was really lacking a central outlet after his substitution. He has to be starting again in Vancouver.

Alex Bonetig: 6.7

Upon entering the game in the 23rd minute, he slotted into the center of Portland’s makeshift back five. I thought he defended relatively well, but there were some concerns in possession. He’s a dribble-first defender, which can lead to him getting into trouble. But he was able to break a few lines of pressure with his dribbling during this game. I think he still needs some time to gain some confidence and composure with his new teammates. In the 77th minute, he had Antony open on a long diagonal, but opted to pass backwards to Ian Smith. That decision led to a Smith foul and a yellow card for the University of Denver alum. Bonetig picked up a yellow card of his own after a tackle on Reus, but Fischer opted to play advantage and awarded the caution after the play had ended. He’s primed to start alongside Surman in Vancouver due to Miller’s red card.

Ian Smith: 6.7

Smudge was rather solid, but there’s one play that sticks out in my mind from this game.

Smith makes a few quality defensive interventions during this sequence, but he didn’t have to. The long ball was open on this play, but he opted to play it back to Bonetig instead, which invited more pressure. He showed a very good passing range last season, and I was a little confused why he opted to increase the risk by going backwards instead of forwards. Just a minor nit-pick. And it's something that plenty of other Timbers do on a regular basis. He definitely put in the work to preserve the draw.

Alexander Aravena: 6.8

I don’t think that any ground-breaking takeaways will develop from Aravena’s cameo in this game. However, I liked the quality of his dead-ball deliveries. Not much to learn from a performance as an outlet in a game with 10 men.

Felipe Mora: 6.6

The Chilean entered the game in the 84th minute, and made a couple of defensive plays. The Timbers didn’t utilize his hold-up strengths during his time on the field, but he looked mobile and active in the attack. A solid cameo, even if there wasn’t anything too notable about his performance. Definitely a factor of the circumstances.

Coach Rating: 6.5

The most important part of being a manager is putting your players into positions where they’ll be the most effective. Neville accomplished that with his starting lineup selection. I was skeptical of their return to the 4-2-3-1 (especially when they immediately dropped into the much-maligned 4-2-4 off-ball structure at the first moment that they had to form a defensive block) but it was able to get the most out of Portland’s attackers. Prior to the red card, it appeared that the Timbers were on their way to a much-needed victory.

And then the Timbers were down to 10 men through no fault of the coaching staff. Sure, you could point to Neville’s selection of Miller instead of Bonetig, but I don’t think the Australian would have seen the pitch unless it was absolutely necessary. Neville has been very cautious when it comes to re-incorporating injured players this season, so it made sense to see Miller in the starting lineup. 

However, there were still some issues. I’ve already gone into depth about the sequence that led to LA’s goal, and I firmly believe that coaching is the primary blame for it. Portland’s ball movement did look more effective, but the continued decisions to focus on outlet balls to the center instead of the wings will always invite more risk than reward. 

I did not like the Kelsy-Bonetig substitution, but Neville kind of had to do it. The only other option to keep the back four would be dropping Antony to right back and throwing off the balance that the Timbers had in attack. Portland defended in a 4-4-1, 5-3-1, and a 5-2-2 at different times after the red card. “We had to be really fluid and adaptable with our system,” Neville said post-game. I think that the Timbers were able to manage this game while down to 10 men, and it ended up being their most impressive defensive performance of the season.

That performance also begs the question of Portland’s comfort in a block rather than a press. I think that the Timbers should begin to utilize more of a block going forward. They have good box defenders and blocking creates a good amount of space to attack into.

Neville spent a good part of his presser talking about how much of the game was out of their control. I mostly agree with that assessment, but it cannot be denied how much the Timbers needed to win this game. This draw looks good in a vacuum, but the bigger picture illustrates a very worrying sight.

Table Time

This is an especially sobering sight. Portland’s 3-game losing streak has now turned into a 4-game winless streak. They’re at the bottom of the West; saved from the literal basement by a SKC team that is still completing their roster. They’ve only managed to take 4 points from their first 3 home games. Their next 5 games have bloodbath potential: Vancouver away, LAFC home, Minnesota away (a place where the Timbers have never won), San Diego away, and RSL away. After that RSL game, the Timbers host SKC, which looks like their most winnable game prior to the World Cup. They simply had to get a win today. 

Final Whistle

And, good God, they looked set for a victory prior to the red card. The Timbers teased their home audience with a performance that spelled 3 points only for it to dramatically reverse 6 minutes after taking the lead. Last weekend, Neville talked about the “peaks and troughs” that every soccer team has to endure. Their first peak in 2026 is the first 20 minutes of this game. With a first-choice attacking corps on the field, the Timbers started to show their fans what they could be. It was gone in the blink of an eye.

Now our focus shifts to the stands instead of the pitch. During Kyra Smith-Davis’ typically outstanding performance of the National Anthem (seriously, the way she sings "and the flag was still there" is spectacular), white banners appeared in the North End.

The chaos heaped upon the American populace by a malevolent government is still struggling to find a proper outlet. An illegal war is currently being waged against the country of Iran, data centers are appearing nation-wide with the singular objective of gorging on fresh water, countless high-profile pedophiles continue to remain safe from justice, airport security lines take longer to clear than the duration of most flights, the costs of surviving (can you even call it “living” anymore?) are astronomical, and multiple foreign governments have been able to influence Congress and the White House to lengths that haven’t fully been discovered. And stuck among the chaos, the state continues to be at war with their own subjects.

Minnesota’s occupation by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (abbreviated as ICE) and the cold-blooded murder of two citizens (Renee Good and Alex Pretti are the high-profile ones, countless others have had their lives snuffed out by Donald Trump’s chud army) is something that has faded into the backburner as new chaos emerges day after day. The weaponization of ICE by the current government has enacted a state of terror in the country’s most vulnerable citizens. How can an army made up of the worst people America has to offer flout the laws and accountability structures that apply to the vast majority of their fellow countrymen? As Congress continues to sit on its hands and reject the wishes of their constituents (maybe “subjects” is the proper word there considering the utter contempt that the majority of elected officials feel towards the people they’re supposed to represent) what is left for the populace to do in the face of such a massive wall of pressure, stress, and scorn?

As Afroman recently reminded us, the power of free speech is still an unalienable right. The cult hero rapper is just as free to croon “Randy Walters is a son of a bitch” over an early 2000s club beat as the multitude of people in the North End who are free to display these banners with a simple “ICE OUT” slogan. Their speech is protected. Whether you’re forcing an officer of the law to stumble during testimony (nothing will ever be funnier than Mr. Walters’ own admission that he wasn’t entirely sure whether or not Afroman conclusively had relations with his wife, which threw his entire defamation case out the window) or silently voicing your belief that an army of terror needs to be disbanded, you have a constitutional right to do so. In an era of government where the Constitution’s guidelines are being used as toilet paper (or worse), there are still certain things that will never be infringed.

ICE agents are now set to be deployed to airports in order to curb the TSA shortages. This massive understaffing is entirely due to the chud-occupied government refusing to pay those employees in order to force through another bill that will infringe on the personal freedoms of Americans. But racking up war debt and continuing to use tax dollars to fund these squads of death are somehow given the green light. 

It’s hard not to feel bleak about the current state of the country right now. On Soccer City USA Day, that same feeling can be applied to the Portland Timbers. Portland’s start to the season hinged on their ability to get a win in this game, and they couldn’t. The banners in the North End were not confined to pre-kickoff.

After the final whistle, Neville made a beeline for the officials. It wasn’t the first time during this game that he had words for the referees. During the 45th minute, he was outraged at the fourth official after a dubious foul call on Ortiz. I did not see how the post-match confrontation went, but I think a more important event occurred afterwards. This was something I did not personally witness, but several onlookers provided a similar story. Here’s how the events following the final whistle played out, to the best of my ability.

First, Neville went to the referees. His next move was a strong pace towards the locker room without acknowledging his players. Club owner Merritt Paulson appeared “out of nowhere” and walked in front of the goal, cutting off Neville’s retreat. The manager “shrugged him off” and muttered something under his breath. Paulson responded with an unintelligible yell towards Neville, which was disregarded by the manager, who promptly threw his hand into the air. 

The next action has photographic evidence. Neville was unable to go down the tunnel due to Paulson’s interference, so he walked to one of the ad boards and kicked it forcefully.

Neville’s entire career has revolved around his foot, from its obvious uses in a playing capacity to being the base that supports his body while he stands on the touchline. This kick left a dent in the ad board. He raises his hands to clap two (or three) times to the North End without looking up. Into the tunnel he goes. Five minutes later, he reappears from the tunnel, looking “noticeably pissed.” The players and staff funnel into the tunnel (that was fun to write) where Paulson stands for his usual post-match greetings. Every player or staff member gets a handshake except for Neville, who gets awkwardly patted on the back without a look from the owner. 

What does this mean? Is there something important to take away from this series of events? Well, there could be, but I’m going to try to analyze the moment rather than predict the aftermath. 

To me, it’s blatantly clear that the pressure Neville is under was the driving force behind the entire sequence. The opening trip to the referees reinforces the belief that Neville blames them for this result. He needed a win above all else, and those referees denied him of that win. After a rather calm and melancholic press conference, Neville turned to the assembled media and asked one last time, “Did you think that was a red card?” The disappointment on his face was clear to see when that question, uttered on multiple occasions after dubious refereeing decisions at Providence Park during his tenure, was met with calm and sympathetic disagreement. During all of the previous times he’s asked a question in that nature, the room would quickly agree with him. Because he’d usually be right! 

The Asterisk, Mora’s red card against St. Louis, the late penalty given to Denis Bouanga last year, countless other offside/red card/yellow card decisions that went against the Timbers. He desperately needed Miller’s red card to fall into that pattern. A hard decision that went against the Timbers so his fury and despondence would be rationalized. His press conference repeatedly touched on the theme of control. After putting in a hard week on the training ground, it was an action that Neville could not control that doomed the Timbers in this game. It’s one of the hardest parts of being a manager.

He needed a place to blow off some steam. Unfortunately, it was his own lack of control that doomed himself during this sequence. This series of events was magnified due to pressure. When his players are pressured on the field, they tend to make mistakes. Ironically, the pressure got the better of Neville today. During the game, the coaching staff and the players were able to adapt to the sudden sea change caused by the red card. But when the final whistle blew, the steam was released.

Portland’s next game will be in Vancouver in two weeks. Three players are off to their international teams, and Jose Caicedo’s visa status is still up in the air. Speaking of controllables, the Timbers have to feel incredibly hard done by this mini-saga with Caicedo. In their minds, they were almost in the clear prior to the season opener with their new Colombian destroyer. But through no fault of their own, the deal fell through. They were able to resurrect the transaction, but now they’re feeling the pain of an incompetent government. 

Every single person is feeling some sort of pressure from the actions of the current administration. Some of those pressures are more severe than something as seemingly inconsequential as “gas prices.” Peoples’ lives remain at risk for simply existing. The Timbers celebrated Soccer City USA Day in a way that only they can: standing up for what is right in the stands and battling for the badge on the pitch. Taken in a vacuum, this is a really good result. But, like the citizens of this country, they’re about to face another gigantic wall of pressure. They handled that wall today by protecting their box from countless Californian invasions. But that upcoming schedule is looming over them, and they desperately needed a victory today. That’s not unique to Neville either. “I’m disappointed for everyone that’s connected to this club that we couldn’t deliver what we wanted to today because of things out of our control.”

There was a bright spot in this game, and the Timbers need to unleash that brightness over a full game. Today should have been that day, with the sun shining down on Providence Park. Now an international break beckons, and the Timbers must prepare themselves for a meatgrinder. The climb continues.