Portland Timbers vs Vancouver Whitecaps Player Ratings: The Results

Thank you to all those who participated in the player ratings, 138 of you to be exact, although we did have one person try and skew the ratings with 10's for everyone. Without further ado here are the ratings as well as the short blurbs on what the editors saw.

Donovan Ricketts - 6.5

Will - The Timbers defense was strong enough that Ricketts was rarely tested and did not even have the chance to make one of his regular future Save of the Week winners. His distribution was fine including one quick punt down the field that almost sprung a good attack for the team. It is even hard to blame him for the Whitecaps goal, given that Jordan Harvey looked every bit as surprised as Ricketts that he has scored.

Andrew Jean-Baptiste- 6.6

Ryan- He continues to be a solid part of the backline and this game was no different. His position was good and he combined with Harrington to almost completely shut down the left side of the field. The next step is eliminating the silly fouls around the top of the box, sometimes he is just to physical.

Michael Harringon- 6.4

Will- The arrival of Alvas Powell on the opposite flank did somewhat put a damper on Harrington's performance as he did not quite have the same balance that he has enjoyed with Jack Jewsbury and was forced to limit his runs forward to compensate for his young counterpart on the right. Still, comparing Harrington to Powell showed the level of consistancy and competance that Harrington brings to the table. With Rodney Wallace playing front of him, Harrington was able to lock down the left for the Timbers as a part of a very good defensive effort across the board.

Pa-Madou Kah - 5.9

Ryan- Someone else compared Kah to Hanyer Mosquera and I would have to say it is an apt comparison. There were times last game that I felt Kah was playing angry and was about to punch someone. I also felt he may be a big presence in the back but relies too much on that physical strength. If we would position himself a little better he we would not need to be so physical.

Alvas Powell- 4.9

Stacey- Powell sure did show his inexperience in his MLS debut. He drew an early yellow card and seemed to let Vancouver's approach to the game get under his skin. He showed some promise too though, and certainly looked like the fastest right back we've had so far.

Ryan Miller- 5.1

Ryan- Ryan came in at a time when Portland needed a steadying presence. What they got instead was a little anxiety. Miller gave away passes which lead to counters and was beat numerous times for crosses. While he did recover and force contested crosses he also gave up the corner which proved to be the equalizer.

Jack Jewsbury- 5.3

Will- Jack playing in the midfield was a novel sight for Timbers fans and it certainly served to solidify the defense given the more attacking bent of Powell at right back. Jewsbury didn't cover a ton of ground, as we are used to seeing from Chara, Johnson, and Zemanski, but his positioning was good and his passing was accurate, which is pretty much the basic requirement for a defensive midfielder in MLS.

Will Johnson- 5.9

Ryan- Will played more of a CAM this game and it took some time for the Timbers to adjust to the new roles. While his passing was okay Vancouver's defense was able to anticipate the attacks rather than be surprised by Will's forays forward. With Diego Chara playing alongside Will the forays forward for either of them come as surprises and a big reason why Portland was so dangerous earlier in the season.

Diego Valeri- 6.9

Ryan- Diego is a known commodity in MLS and teams have developed strategies to neutralize his effectiveness. Vancouver's strategy was no different as it involved double and triple teaming to deny space and time but when that didn't work they fouled him. Diego worked tirelessly and battled through the fouls to find the one moment of brilliance Portland needed. His cross was perfectly placed and allowed Ryan Johnson to score the game opening goal.

Darlington Nagbe - 6.8

Ryan- Nagbe and Valeri were Portland's two most dangerous players and Vancouver did their best to be as physical as possible with both. While it worked for most of the game the two combined to help set up the Timbers only goal. Not all of Nagbe's contributions are on the offense, his defensive game is pretty good and more than likely underrated. Nagbe never lets his mark dribble around him and at one point his mark was Camillo and on the edge of the box. Nagbe stood him up and this allowed help to come and tackle the ball off of Camillo to end a dangerous chance.

Rodney Wallace- 5.9

Ryan- Rodney Wallace's best attribute is his ability to get forward and play off of the striker. It happens less often when Piquionne is in but a lot more frequently when Johnson is playing up top. Wallace did get forward at times his decisions once he got near the box needed to be sharper. A couple of times he had Will Johnson overlapping or making a run in the middle and he elected to have a long shot with defenders in the way. Every once in a while being selfish is okay but sometimes the pass is a better option.

Frederic Piquionne- 5.2

Will- Piq looked off his game from the start and a physical style from Vancouver's bruisers did not help matters as he was forced off in the 40' after managing one shot on goal. Nowhere is Piq's rough day more evident than in his passing stats; rather than his normally solid stats, Piq was 4 of 8 in his passing.

Ryan Johnson - 6.7

Stacey- He did so well to finish Portland's chance at one of the field, but needed to do a better job of challenging Jordan Harvey for that corner kick at the other.

Jose Valencia - 5.5

Ryan - It is very hard to rate El Trencito because of the limited amount of time he had on the field. However, no matter what time he comes on the field he always brings it and goes at his defenders. I think it is time for some more playing time.