US Open Cup Round Of 32: Portland Timbers-RSL Preview (5/10)

Following their victory over Orange County SC on April 26, the Timbers are ready for the Round of 32 in the US Open Cup. Their opponent is a fellow MLS club, and also an old rival. 

Since Portland will play RSL in the league again in a week, I will use this section to talk about my favorite MLS player who isn’t a Timber. In many ways, David Ochoa should be a hero to Timbers fans. 

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Not only was he in net for the 6-1 demolition of RSL in 2021, he played hero in the 2021 playoffs. In a match where the Monarchs didn’t register a single shot, he made 3 saves in 120 minutes, and then saved only one penalty in the shootout against Seattle. He then returned to Portland for the Western Conference Final. In that match, he spilled the ball directly into the path of Felipe Mora for an early Timbers lead. But his biggest moment of magic occurred when Santiago Moreno strode through the RSL defense and fired a shot off the post. Ochoa, being the greatest keeper I’ve ever seen, used his posterior to guide the rebound into his own net. Portland won the game, and Ochoa’s two brilliant acts were key to that result. But it wouldn’t stop there. Portland hosted RSL in their final 2022 preseason game. In that game, Ochoa would see his last match action in a RSL uniform. He left with an injury in the second half to a cascade of boos. His career since that moment has been a downward spiral with his character getting way out of hand. He joined DC United, did OK, but no one liked him. That led to his transfer to Atletico San Luis in Mexico, where they didn’t like him either. On May 2nd, they terminated his contract. To be fair, all reports pointed to him being late to training and not behaving professionally in any sense. But I hope he can land on his feet, because I love him. And everyone else should too. 

Moving on to the Timbers’ actual opponent this week, RSL is 3-2-5 so far in 2023. The biggest hole on their roster is the striker position, as they never fully replaced Sergio Cordova. However, there are still quality players in this squad. Jefferson Savarino is their current top scorer with 3 goals, and U22 Initiative winger Andres Gomez is slowly finding his feet in MLS. Justen Glad will never leave Salt Lake, and Damir Kreilach is still their talisman on and off the pitch. Their previous Open Cup result was a 3-1 win over Las Vegas Lights FC, but that game was tied 0-0 after 90 minutes. Kreilach hit an extra-time brace and Danny Musovski finished off the USL club in the 120th minute. In that game, several starters were in the initial XI. This is a very hard XI to predict.

Coming into this match, the only player I would have Sharpied into this XI was Diego Luna. However, he is with the U20 USMNT as they prepare for the U20 World Cup. It is also worth noting that RSL’s next match is at home against LAFC. I can’t imagine they would throw away the Open Cup, but they would definitely want to field a strong lineup at home. They are also in the midst of an injury crisis, with Jasper Loeffelsend and Anderson Julio the most notable names on their report. Loeffelsend is expected to be out on Wednesday, while Julio was questionable this past weekend against Houston. Julio could return, but if he does I expect him to come off the bench. There are a couple names I want to highlight in this XI. The first is Delentz Pierre. He played at the University of Portland and the RSL Academy, and this match is screaming for him to get a start with the first team. Moses Nyeman is on loan from SK Beveren in the Belgian second tier. This is also an opportune game for him to start. Pablo Ruiz is their first-choice center midfielder, and he was not in the squad against Houston due to a red card suspension. Head coach Pablo Mastroeni might not want him to go the full 90, but he should still start. Savarino is their best player, and while it might be tempting to rest him for LAFC, he should start and probably play about an hour. Kreilach and Rubio Rubin should start, but look out for Ilijah Paul off the bench. He was drafted 7th overall in the 2023 SuperDraft, and he did get minutes against Las Vegas. Danny Musovski is another forward to watch off the bench, as he can play both out wide and through the middle.

Giovanni Savarese stated in Tuesday’s press conference that the goal is to advance in the Open Cup. He also stated that there will be opportunities for young players in the coming weeks. Keeping that in mind, here’s my predicted Timbers Open Cup XI:

There are several changes to this rotated XI. Most notably, I expect Sebastian Blanco to once again start in the Open Cup. Same with Dairon Asprilla. Savarese confirmed that both players are available for this match. Zac McGraw should return to the XI, but I don’t expect him to go the full 90. Tyler Clegg should partner him. Both Claudio Bravo and Juan Mosquera are too crucial to risk in this match, so backups Justin Rasmussen and Pablo Bonilla will both be starting. Eric Miller is still in health-and-safety protocol, so he won’t make the matchday squad. With only 3 healthy central midfielders, Diego Chara’s legs must be preserved for Saturday. Victor Griffith is another candidate to spell some tired central midfield legs, but he isn’t confirmed to be in the squad tomorrow. Santiago Moreno will probably get more time at the 8 off the bench. Marvin Loria must start this game. The striker position is interesting. Nathan Fogaca’s best role is off the bench, so I’m predicting a Niezgoda start. However, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Franck Boli get minutes against Salt Lake while he continues to work towards full match fitness. The most controversial inclusion in this XI might be David Bingham. He made the matchday squad against Austin, and he has been solid in his starts this year. It makes sense to rotate the keeper position, and I think it would be a big ask of Hunter Sulte to start this game, particularly with a rotated backline. Yimmi Chara and Evander should be available off the bench, with Evander another candidate to substitute into the central midfield. 

The biggest worry I have about this match is the possibility of extra time. I don’t really have a ton of tactical insight into this fixture, just that the Timbers should dominate possession. Extra time is just more minutes for a squad that is very thin at key positions. Given Salt Lake’s recent struggles with scoring, a 2-0 lead would probably be insurmountable. Set pieces are still a concern, but Clegg has shown remarkable tenacity in the air. I don’t even need to mention McGraw’s aerial prowess, but here I am doing it anyway. I think the combination of Bonilla and Asprilla on the right is going to be key. Asprilla should take more space in the middle while Bonilla bombs the flank looking to fire crosses in. In a team with very few attacking aerial threats, Dairon’s presence in the box will be key. I would also like to see quick, decisive counters. Blanco’s chemistry with all the players on the pitch will definitely speed up any counterattacks, and Paredes’ late runs will open up the space that Niezgoda needs. Just play a simple game. That’s the beauty of Cup matches. Just execute good fundamentals and the chances will come. 

Since both teams are keeping an eye on the weekend, some players will probably not see the pitch unless there are dire circumstances. However, for Portland, their favorable draw should see them advance on Wednesday night. The Open Cup is still an attainable goal for the Timbers, and Savarese knows it. The dream should continue, and the quest for silverware in 2023 will remain alive.

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