Crystal Palace Baltimore arrived in Portland last Sunday night hoping to shake off the mental impact of a 0-5 shellacking by the Montreal Impact the previous weekend. The Timbers not only showed no mercy but stepped up their game, looking like the team Coach Gavin Wilkinson had been talking about all season. The three goal shutout featuring a brace from Bright Dike and a solid finish from Ryan Pore was not only notable for the bottom line but also because it was the prettiest display of football the team has displayed. Passing was crisp and particularly precise in slotting dangerous, short through balls in the box from a variety of directions. Claesson's early intrusion in behind the defense and his lovely ball to Dike on top was only one example. It was pretty to watch. And it stands as the kind of game in which the excitement of creative interaction between the players on attack makes those moments almost as satisfying as the tallies in the net.
The Timbers got both in this match, and it's perfect timing as they head toward the last home stand on the schedule Thursday night. One other interesting note was that we had the first chance to see Kalif Alhassan, the young player from Ghana. He's got quick feet and looked poised in his first runout.
We'll hope this starts a run.
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