It’s Cascadia Cup time! The second match of our PNW derby gets going Friday when the Vancouver Whitecaps (2-5-3), who have started to earn results this season, play host to the nomadic Portland Timbers (3-5-1), bearers of their own three-game winning streak. Match Information Where: BC Place, Vancouver, BC When: Friday, May 10th at 7 PM PST How: TSN1 (TV); TSN 1040 (Radio); MLS Live on ESPN+ (Internet) The 2019 season has been an odd one for the Portland Timbers so far, but for a pretty glaring reason. Though there are striking similarities to the opening of last season... 1st 5 Games - 2018: 0-3-2 vs. 2019: 0-4-1 2nd 5 Games - 2018: vs. 2019: 3-1-0* *They’ve only played 4 so far. Still impressive turnaround. ...the oddity stems from the sharp uptick in results despite the Timbers opening the season on a twelve-game road trip, due to renovations and a seating expansion at Providence Park. Three tiers! ! Regardless, it’s admittedly impressive that Portland has won three on the trot away to Columbus, Toronto, and Salt Lake, before visiting Vancouver at stop No. 9 of the road trip. Despite the resurgent performance, the Timbers have still conceded in every match this season, giving up more goals (20) than every team outside the conferences respective #12s, Colorado (27) and New England (30). It’s hard to say what we’ll get: a somewhat porous defense or a moderately battle-ready offense. What Happened Last Match Season? The Whitecaps claimed all six points off their Cascadian rivals in 2018, behind a pair of 2-1 victories. In mid-August, first half headers from Kei Kamara and Cristian Techera got the ‘Caps out front, but it was far from smooth sailing: posts were hit, Vancouver was out shot 25-13 and out-possessed 69%-31, and Diego Valeri had a crack at two PKs. Thankfully, he needed a second one to make good, as his first effort was dragged wide. Game #2 came at the end of the season, when the playoffs were out of reach and Seattle already raised the Cascadia Cup. Again, the Whitecaps made good on two in the first half, this time behind an Alphonso Davies brace. The statline was far more flattering for the Whitecaps this time around, leading 13-12 in shots and 59%-41% in possession, but that didn’t keep Andres Flores from defaced the scoreline with a ninetieth minute tap in. All-time, the Whitecaps are 6-10-6 against Portland during the MLS regular season, though they hold a slightly more encouraging 4-4-2 record, with 15 GF and 15 GA. Semblance of balance, that’s what that is. Who’s Available? For Vancouver, midfielders Michael Baldisimo (left ankle) and David Norman Jr. (right foot surgery), and centerback Jasser Khmiri (left knee) continue to be unavailable, while Yordy Reyna (left hamstring) will miss his second-straight game and, most likely, the rest of May. As for the Timbers, two keepers, Aljaz Ivacic (left tibial stress fracture) and Kendall McIntosh (left thigh) are both out. Not that it matters: Jeff Attinella and Steve Clark have started all nine matches, with Clark backstopping the last two wins. And listed as Questionable for the Timbers is off-season signing Marvin Loria, who is also yet to feature this season. To sum up, the Timbers are absent two goalies and a forward, three players in total with zero combined minutes of MLS experience. Who’s Worth Watching? Diego Chara vs. Hwang In-beom This has less to do with stats and more to do with personality. Admittedly, Chara is a great defensive midfielder, but he’s also a gigantic pain in the ass. He’s Brad Marchand. He’s Draymond Green. He’s A.J. Pierzynski. It’s why his club headlines how odd it is for him to draw more fouls rather than commit them for once. He’s never not going to play the game right on the line. If he’s on your team, you love him for it. Everyone else? Most likely seen him less favorably, to put it mildly. And he’s a notorious ear flicker. Either way, he’s a hard man and a pest. Which is why I firmly believe Hwang is in for a battle Friday night. He’s been one of our best players this season, and is capable of some tight turns in traffic and pointed through balls, but how well will that work when Chara won’t give him time on the ball? Vancouver is going to need a lot of fast-paced ball movement in the middle to draw Chara out of position and work the ball either up the wings or to whomever the #9 is on the evening. Who’s Going to Win? Considering how the Whitecaps are 4-4-2 at home all-time against Portland with a goal difference of nil, history won’t necessarily be an indicator in this one. Neither will travel; it’s a derby match after all, with a club who’s fan base travels very well. So much so that, after the most recent standstill between the Vancouver supporters groups and VWFC management, which only served to draw more attention to the club’s grossly simplistic responses to the alleged abuse suffered by the 2008 women’s team, not to mention the hiring of a racist youth coach, by attempting to manage the marketing perspective through limiting media representation and preventing meaningful discourse with ownership alone, the Timbers Army will be joining the Southsiders, Curva Collective, and Rain City Brigade in a third, 35th-minute walkout: Portland Supporters to Join Southsiders in Walkout. As @CityNewsTravis explains, the next home game is Friday night. pic.twitter.com/MipeSCpllE — Breakfast Television Vancouver (@BT_Vancouver) May 9, 2019 I get the feeling fan involvement will therefore be limited to tifos and the second half, where the Whitecaps have been outscored 8-4 this season. So, that’s no good. And despite how the Whitecaps have shown signs of improvement results-wise over the last five matches, going 2-1-2, the Timbers have done just a little better at 3-2-0, with those three wins coming in the matches leading up to Friday. All things considered, I would have been certain of a 2-1 result, as 9 of the past matches between these two have ended with that scoreline.<doc-sep>VANCOUVER – Coming off their first road win of the season, the Vancouver Whitecaps return to BC Place Friday night to renew their Cascadia Cup rivalry with the Portland Timbers. Even after his club went winless through its first five matches, coach Marc Dos Santos has continually stressed to his players to stick with the process and keep their mental focus. That paid off in a big way last weekend when Vancouver posted a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids. “When you look at our last seven games, we’ve grown into a team,” Dos Santos said of his team that is now 2-5-3. “When things were difficult, the guys’ mentality was always good. What I liked about the Colorado game was how difficult it was to manage the game mentally.” Getting their first road win was the end-result of a roller coaster ride of a match for the Whitecaps. Vancouver built up a 2-0 lead on goals by Freddy Montero and Lucas Venuto before conceding a late first-half penalty to Kei Kamara. In the second half, Kamara equalized with another penalty awarded after video review, the Rapids then had a player sent off, and Vancouver had a goal disallowed after VAR confirmed Andy Rose was in an offside position. Just when it looked like the Whitecaps were destined for another draw, Rose was able to drive home the winner with three minutes remaining. For Rose, the feeling of scoring could not have felt sweeter after having just returned from a six-game absence with a head injury. “To come back into the squad and contribute that way felt great,” admitted the 29-year-old midfielder. “I felt we were the better of the two teams. Going up 2-0 on the road, you have to come away with three points.” “To go through a little adversity at times early on in the season (with a new group) sometimes helps,” added the native of Bristol, England. “Winning games in that sort of fashion help a team grow, so we’re raring to go Friday.” Friday marks the second leg of the Cascadia Cup series for the Whitecaps, which also involves the Seattle Sounders. Vancouver, who have won the trophy six times, earned a 0-0 draw at home to Seattle March 30. “They are great to be a part of,” said Rose who has experienced Cascadia matches in the past as a member of the Sounders. “We go into this week with an understanding of what these games mean. I’m sure the crowd will be right behind us.” “Any time we go there or they come here, it’s a big matchup,” midfielder Russel Teibert said. “Both teams are in good form at the moment. I don’t think the standings tell the story of how teams are doing.” Undefeated in their last two games at home (1-0 vs LAFC and 0-0 vs Philadelphia), the Whitecaps prepare for the Timbers (3-5-1) who have played all nine matches away from Portland. Similar to Vancouver, the Timbers had a slow start but they enter the weekend having won three straight matches, including back-to-back 2-1 victories over Toronto FC and Real Salt Lake. “It’s going to be a game between two teams that are going to be organized,” Dos Santos said. “It’s a game where the level of concentration needs to be very high.” Former Major League Soccer MVP Diego Valeri continues to be the driving force leading the Timbers offence, with two goals and six assists so far. However, all eyes will be on newly acquired Designated Player Brian Fernandez. The 24-year-old joins the club after scoring 12 goals in 15 games for Club Necaxa in Mexico’s Liga MX this year. Portland acquired the Argentinian striker in a club-record transfer pegged at close to $10 million. Fine Lines: Whitecaps radio show Get your weekly dose of news and analysis on the Vancouver Whitecaps by listening to Fine Lines live on Sportsnet 650 every Monday from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. PT. Hosted by Dan Riccio and J.J. Adams. NOTES & TIDBITS Friday’s match will be the 23rd regular season meeting between the Whitecaps and Timbers in MLS play. Vancouver is 6-10-6, including a home record of 4-4-2. Vancouver won both meetings with Portland in 2018. A 2-1 road win on August 11 snapped the Timbers’ 15-match unbeaten streak while Alphonso Davies had both goals in a 2-1 victory in the regular season finale. With renovations taking place at Providence Park, the Timbers will not play their first home game of the season until June 1. That means they wind up playing 17 of their final 21 matches in the Rose City.<doc-sep>Share this Story: J.J. Adams: Whitecaps work on ways to avoid penalty box trap before Timbers tilt J.J. Adams: Whitecaps work on ways to avoid penalty box trap before Timbers tilt In a penalty box: The Whitecaps lead the league in penalty kick goals against last season, so why should 2019 be any different? Photo by JONATHAN HAYWARD / THE CANADIAN PRESS Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content The Vancouver Whitecaps aren’t a fan of second chances. Not when they nearly cost you a game. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or J.J. Adams: Whitecaps work on ways to avoid penalty box trap before Timbers tilt Back to video The Caps saw a 2-0 lead against the Colorado Rapids last week evaporate like morning dew in the sun after being torpedoed by two penalty-kick calls. If not for an 87th-minute game winner from midfielder Andy Rose, the mood and talk around the Major League Soccer team this week would have been distinctly different. NEXT GAME Friday Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps 7 p.m., B.C. Place Stadium, TV: TSN 1; Radio: TSN 1040 AM The most vexing part of the match for coach Marc Dos Santos was that both penalty kicks came after the Whitecaps failed to clear two Rapids corner kicks, allowing Colorado a second crack at goal. The first saw Fredy Montero hack down Kellyn Acosta with a needlessly clumsy challenge in the 38th minute, the second a shove from Montero pushing teammate Brett Levis into the back of Colorado’s Axel Sjoberg in the 53rd. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The two PK goals, converted by former Whitecap Kei Kamara, were the fifth and sixth of the season against Vancouver, three more than the next closest team. “Where we need to do a better job is, we defend the first ball, the first ball gets out, now here comes the second ball. Where are we? What’s our mindset? What’s our focus? Don’t foul,” said Dos Santos. “Again, it’s the first time in my career there are so many penalty shots inside the first 10 games. It’s new. I’m learning. It’s a question of focus and awareness of where you are.” It’s why a good portion of Thursday’s practice was spent in a set piece scramble drill, first defending a corner kick before immediately facing a cross in the following structural disarray. Ironically, the Whitecaps have actually defended set pieces well this season. They haven’t conceded a goal directly from a corner kick or any from free kicks. And if you take away the PKs, they’re averaging just 0.8 goals per game, and their defensive numbers would be among the league leaders. But, alas, one cannot pick and choose which stats to include. Even if the ones rescinded after the fact by the Professional Referees Association — calls on Jake Nerwinski vs. Real Salt Lake and Derek Cornelius vs. Houston — still count. Dos Santos and the team talked at length about the other four calls, even if some of those were also debatable, and used them as teachable moments. “It’s very difficult for a coach to eliminate (penalty kicks),” he said. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “We focused on the four. And the four, they were clumsy and bad decisions. In soccer, the things and the actions happen so fast. Everything happens in a split-second, the decision-making, and we have to do a better job there.” Photo by Jack Dempsey / AP That has been the issue for the Caps, navigating the fine line between being aggressive and rash. Example A: Doneil Henry’s handball against Chicago was a play that could have been avoided, as he had perfect defensive position on Aleksandar Katai, and would have been better served staying between the Fire forward and the goal. Example B: Nerwinski might have been the victim of a dive by RSL’s Corey Baird in Salt Lake, but he also took down Minnesota’s Francisco Calvo in the season opener, another play where there was no immediate danger. “It almost seems that at some point, you get into a last-ditch effort, and maybe you lose your head for that half a second, and that’s all that’s needed,” said Nerwinski. “(It’s) frustrating, for sure,” added Rose. “Especially where you have moments in games where you feel in control of the play, in control of the situation. We saw that against Colorado. Two-nil up and feeling as though we’re in a good moment of the game, and to give away a penalty before halftime is difficult to take and certainly lifts the other team. “We’ve had moments go against us this season VAR-wise, but it’s certainly something we’ve addressed as a group. You need to focus on your decision-making and try to stay on your feet as much as you can. But at the same time, you always want to be aggressive in the box and not let that faze you. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “We’ve gone through a spell of bad luck, and hopefully we’ve come out of that.” Compared to Portland — 17 of their 20 goals against have come from open play or set pieces — the Caps have been a wall in front of goalkeepers Max Crepeau and Zac MacMath. Their defensive shape — usually a 4-5-1 block — has been tight, compact and players are rarely drawn out of position and isolated. They might be 19th in tackles per game at home (14), but they excel at jumping into the passing lane, leading the league in interceptions per game at home (13.8).<doc-sep>Normally we get together with one of our sister sites to learn more about the Vancouver Whitecaps’ upcoming opponents. But this time they didn’t respond to our DM. So instead i’ve asked myself three questions and done my best to answer them. I seem to vaguely recall that the Portland Timbers were struggling. Is that still the case? No, not really. Portland have a 3-1-5 record and are outside the playoffs but those three wins came in the last three games. They are on a role. Actually Vancouver and Portland have had very similar seasons. Portland started with a draw against Colorado Rapids (how embarrassing) and then lost four of their first five. Since then they’ve picked up nine points. The Whitecaps also lost four of their first five and then then picked up eight points since. So it’s two teams that started terribly who look like they might be picking up a bit of momentum. It’s kind of a neat storyline. Unfortunately for the Whitecaps the Timbers will be strengthened by new DP Brian Fernández, for whom they paid eight million. This brings us to the next question. Will Brian Fernández totally destroy the Whitecaps and is this further evidence that the Whitecaps are falling behind the rest of the league in spending? The answer to both parts of this question is maybe. Fernandez is a talented player who can play anywhere across the forward line. He absolutely tore up Liga MX this past season (and spat at someone) and MLS isn’t as good as Liga MX so one would assume he’d do better here than he did there (though that didn’t happen for Efrain Juarez). It would be fantastic if the Whitecaps would shell out for a player like that. Here’s the thing though; Fernandez was available a year ago for less than a million. If you get your scouting right then you absolutely can find guys of that quality for less than eight million. But you might need to employ more than one full time scout to do that. Do Portland have any weaknesses that could be exploited? Yes. Their defence is pretty wack. they’ve conceded the 5th most shots in the league. Now the Whitecaps concede the most shots in the league but a much higher percentage of the shots Portland concedes are inside the eighteen yard box. They’ve also conceded six more goals despite playing one less game. The Whitecaps very much have a chance to keep the offensive breakout they had against Colorado rolling.<doc-sep>
Share this Story: Whitecaps Game Day: Travelling Timbers have an axe to grind in battle of Frenemies Whitecaps Game Day: Travelling Timbers have an axe to grind in battle of Frenemies The head coaches on both teams give each other wine and give each other grief on the field; it should be a lively rivalry game for coaches Marc Dos Santos and Gio Savarese. Photo by Sean Meagher / The Oregonian Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content NEXT GAME Friday We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Whitecaps Game Day: Travelling Timbers have an axe to grind in battle of Frenemies Back to video Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps 7 p.m., B.C. Place Stadium, TV: TSN 1; Radio: TSN 1040 AM KEY MATCHUP Jon Erice vs. Diego Valeri No teaching required — these two old dogs already know all the tricks. Thirty-two-year-old Jon Erice will aim to dictate the pace and blunt any attacks from his No. 6 role for the Whitecaps, while 33-year-old Diego Valeri will try to direct his team’s offence from his deep-lying No. 9/10 hybrid role. Valeri, who like Erice played in the Spanish second division for a spell, has two goals and six assists in eight Major League Soccer starts this year. Two years removed from a 21-goal season that saw him earn MLS MVP honours, Valeri now has a club record 70 goals and 71 assists since joining Portland in 2013. FIVE THINGS TO WATCH 1.) Coaches, Frenemies Portland Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese and Marc Dos Santos have quite the history. They squared off 12 times when they were coaching in the NASL — Savarese with the New York Cosmos and Dos Santos with the Ottawa Fury and San Francisco Deltas — including splitting two championship meetings. Article content Savarese’s Cosmos beat the Fury 3-2 in 2015, before Dos Santos and his Deltas blanked New York 2-0 in the 2017 championship game. Despite battling for so long, the two have developed a friendship that includes the hosting coach gifting a bottle of wine to the visitor. And for them to have both ended up in the Pacific Northwest — Savarese took over Portland in 2018 — was kismet for Dos Santos. “It’s special that it’s Vancouver and Portland. We could have been coaching any other teams. To be Vancouver and Portland — that it’s such a rivalry, me being on one side and Gio on the other — it’s quite special,” said Dos Santos. 2.) Roaring Roadies Because of renovations to Providence Park, the Timbers will play an MLS-record 12 straight games on the road before their home opener vs. LAFC on June 1. It was a rough start, with Portland getting outscored 17-6 in their first six games, losing five straight at one point. But the Timbers have turned it around with three consecutive wins. They’ve only won three consecutive away games two other times in their history. 3.) Predicted score line: 2-1 If you’re a betting fan, here’s your over/under. The last five meetings between the two teams have ended in 2-1 scores, and with +2.5 goals in Portland’s last nine games and +2.5 goals in all of Vancouver’s last eight games with Portland. Odds are it will finish in the same score line. 4.) Let’s Get In Formation The Whitecaps will almost certainly roll out the 4-3-3 formation and personnel they did last week against Colorado, with Lucas Venuto, Fredy Montero and Lass Bangoura starting up front. Article content The Caps have yet to record a point in a different formation this year. The Timbers will counter with the 4-4-2 they’ve settled on in recent weeks, likely seeing Jeremy Ebobisse playing just before Valeri. Ebobisse has two goals in his last three games, all Portland wins, and leads the team with four goals on the season. New Designated Player signing Brian Fernandez is ineligible to play for Portland, still serving the three-game suspension handed down for spitting at a fan when he was with Nexaca. 5.) The Exorcised Dos Santos has been vocal about improving his team’s possession numbers. Currently, their 46.5 per cent average is 20th out of 24 teams. But the Timbers haven’t exactly been playing possessed, either, but it hasn’t mattered with their clinical finishing.