With a good team performance overall in the oppressive confines of Centurylink Field it was hard for us each to pick out a nominee for Man of the Match. After much deliberation, however, we made our picks.
Stacey: Rodney Wallace
I really fought with myself over this pick. I mean, he only played ten minutes and I hate to pick someone just because they scored. But screw logic, I'm going with my heart on this one. Wallace was subbed in for a tired Darlington Nagbe in order to give the offense a spark late in the game and help the Timbers draw level. He did exactly that. Rodney Wallace, you magnificent, frustrating son of a you-know-what, you came up big. Thanks.
Andy: Jack Jewsbury
This is a tough call, and I know a lot of folks are going to disagree with this pick, but I give Jewsbury a lot of credit for the Timbers' improved defense against Seattle. He was the team's best passer on the day, with 53 completed, and he kept the defensive formation tight and organized, which allowed Will Johnson to get forward and do battle with Osvaldo Alonso. Really, though, the whole team played pretty solid football on Saturday.
Ryan: Mikael Silvestre
Every game the defense has gotten better and better and a lot of that can be attributed to Silvestre. Saturday was no different as the other defenders constantly looked to him as an outlet when they were in trouble. He also showed that despite having lost a step we can still get to the long balls by using his experience and taking the right angle to the ball. Hard to imagine but Portland's defense would be a lot more trouble with out him out there.
Will: Jack Jewsbury
Captain Jack added stability to the defense and allowed Silvestre and AJB to roam further afield than we saw in the first two games without stretching themselves thin. Add in some high volume, accurate passing and you have just the sort of performance that the team needed. The biggest issue with Jack's performance was the adjusted positioning of Diego Chara. Caleb Porter needs to continue to evolve his tactics if both players are going to have a place on the team.
Who was your Man of the Match? Vote in the poll and let us know why in the comments.