Quick Recap:
The Portland Timbers passed the ball well side to side, backwards, and sometimes even forward but never threatened except for one long range shot from Kris Boyd. The LA Galaxy got a few dangerous chances and the lone goal. 1-0 loss.
First and Second Half:
Both halves were pretty much the same so I will sum it up with the following paragraph:
Portland passes the ball down the wing to (insert outside player name) who then passes it back to the outside back. The outside back then swings the ball around to the other side where the same sequence occurs. The ball occasionally goes into the middle but then it is passed back to the outside wings or the defense. Every once in a while the forwards actually get the ball played to their feet and but they can't do anything with it. The ball then gets played back to a midfielder and the sequence repeats. The slight variation in all of the other outcomes is a cross that goes out of bounds or straight to a Galaxy defender.
There, if you haven't watched the game, I just described it for you. Don't bother to watch it.
Observations:
It is so easy to defend the Portland Timbers right now that I feel I could trot out my 60+ year old parents as CBs and Portland wouldn't score. They would just have to stand at the top of their 18 yard box and Portland would pass the ball back and forth in front of them. If and when Portland decided to cross the ball it would most likely go out of bounds or straight to my parents.
If Portland wants offense they need to actually play the ball behind the back line of the opponents defense. I can think of 4 passes that were behind the defense and of those 4 passes 3 of them created dangerous chances. Without the through balls Portland was one dimensional and easy to defend.
Something needs to change because teaching us the definition of insanity by example is driving us fans crazy.
More to come later in the week but for now use this thread to rant and rave.