—by Chris Rifer
I’ve had Sunday’s match circled on my calendar since the Fiasco in Frisco two weeks ago. If that match wasn’t over by halftime, it was in the 48th minute when David Ferreira found Jackson for the Hoops’ third goal. The Timbers never showed any sign of life, and after the match the boys in green pointed out the obvious in admitting that some had quit on the game.
While the Timbers got exactly what they deserved that day in Dallas, let’s be honest, Dallas rubbed Portland’s noses in it. Dallas was going directly at goal for all 90 minutes, despite the result never being in doubt. Their last goal came in the 81st, when Dallas was already 4-0 up. And to really rub it in, Dallas inserted Timbers-reject James Marcelin in the 78th minute.
Now, personally, I don’t have any moral objection to what Schellas Hyndman’s boys did that day. If the Timbers didn’t want to get beat 5-0 and let James Marcelin take his rightful place in garbage time, they should have done something about it. They didn’t.
On Sunday they get a second chance.
The Timbers are in the midst of their darkest period in at least the last four years. There is nothing positive to take out of the last month of soccer played by the Morrison Street boys.
But players over and over have said they still believe they have a decent team. They still believe that can play good soccer. They still believe they can get results.
Well, now is the time to prove it, boys. Dallas punked you two weeks ago. And after that they rubbed your face in the dirt.
If the Timbers have any professional pride, there is only one result on Sunday: A multiple-goal victory. With tackles flying all over the plastic pitch Hyndman will complain about after the game.
If the Timbers want respect from anybody in the league, they don’t just need to beat Dallas on Sunday. They need to embarrass them.
No Pity.
