—by Chris Rifer
A lot has been made about “Porterball” this year. Perhaps "Porterball’s" defining feature, however, has been that the commentators and pundits using the phrase have not always been consistent about what it actually is.
As the Timbers have repeatedly shown lately, however, one of Portland’s best attributes has been their tactical flexibility. Without a doubt, Caleb Porter came to Portland and installed a system – a philosophy – that had previously been lacking on Morrison Street. The Timbers pressure high defensively, hold the ball high in the midfield, and frequently change the point of attack in the final third.
Within that philosophy, however, the Timbers have had success making tactical tweaks on a weekly basis to match up with their opponent and manage their own lineup.
“Going into the season, my goal was to build a club that had a clear identity, had a clear system, had a structure, but also to not be predictable, but to be flexible tactically,” Porter said after training at Jeld-Wen Field on Saturday.
Against D.C. United, without the team’s primary playmaker in Diego Valeri, the Timbers went direct. They tucked their two true central midfielders in front of the defense and left the task of breaking United down to the front four of Rodney Wallace, Darlington Nagbe, Frederic Piquionne, and Ryan Johnson. The result was a 2-0 win with two goals and two assists for that group.
In Chicago, the Timbers looked to create space in the midfield and add width to the attack by aggressively pushing their fullbacks forward, spreading their center backs out wide and dropping a central midfielder back into the hole to provide cover. As a result, the Timbers ran roughshod over a helpless Fire midfield for more than an hour before the wheels wobbled on Portland’s wagon after Valeri came off.
On Saturday, the Timbers travelled down to L.A. to take on a Galaxy team that has some of the best attacking talent in MLS history. “You noticed, at L.A., we played with a lower block. That was part because of managing this window, and part of it also just personnel we had, and part of it also just looking at the match up,” Porter noted. This allowed the Timbers to control the match by possessing the ball – albeit a little deeper than usual – and provide cover for their backline against a counter-happy opponent. Porter felt that “if we would have sat deep against L.A. the whole game and never attacked, or never had the ball, we would have got crushed.” Instead, Portland used possession to manage the game and take the venom out of the Galaxy’s attack.
Three matches, three tactical tweaks that ultimately had their desired effect.
And as successful as the tweaks have been to date, there is reason to expect them to continue on an upward trajectory. “Over time your players start to see those little tweaks. And now when we go back to them the second time or third time it’s like clockwork, it’s a lot easier. It’s typically the first time you throw something out, a little wrinkle, that you need to make sure you’re thorough. But then when you go back to some of these things, later in the year, in the second half of the year, I think we’ll be even more . . . machine-like.”
The defining aspects of “Porterball,” then, are really just footballing habits that Caleb has ingrained in his team from day one. Because his system isn’t rigid, Porter can make tactical adjustments on a weekly basis without requiring his players to do anything radically different than they’re used to. The result is a team that can be tactically versatile without compromising the core qualities that make it successful.
And if you’re still looking for the reason the Timbers have been able to successfully compete against opponents of all different shapes and styles, perhaps you should look no further than Portland’s tactical flexibility. Or “Porterball.” Or whatever you want to call it.
Onward, Rose City!
