Portland Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark saw quarantine amid the coronavirus pandemic as a chance to finally rest. He did his wife’s workouts with her to stay in shape, training twice a day as a test subject for her new fitness program. But he mostly unplugged and relaxed.
Clark adjusted quickly when he returned to the team and entered the MLS bubble, though. In the Timbers’ first game at the MLS is Back tournament Monday, Clark’s save on a penalty kick provided a key spark in Portland’s 2-1 win against the LA Galaxy.
The three points brought the Timbers to the top of Group F, which includes the Galaxy, Los Angeles FC and the Houston Dynamo. The group is considered one of the most difficult in the tournament.
And the Timbers can take a big step toward advancing to the knockout stage when they face the Dynamo at 5 p.m. PDT Saturday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
A win would give the Timbers six points, clinching at least second place in their group and thus advancing them to the knockout rounds.
The Dynamo drew with LAFC 3-3 on Monday and are two points behind the Timbers.
“He’s building a team that is strong mentally,” Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese said of Dynamo coach Tab Ramos. “He’s building a team that has depth, pieces that are clear in the way they want to play. We saw against LAFC how well they did and it’s going to be a tough match for us.”
The Timbers may not have been regarded among the top contenders to win the tournament, but Savarese, Clark and forward Jeremy Ebobisse each expressed confidence Thursday that Portland can make a run.
Clark said he isn’t relaxed anymore, and he’s focused on Saturday.
“Anyone can beat anyone at any time,” Clark said. “When you get in this pretty unique tournament, you’re going to have chaos. Which is a lot of fun for everyone involved. We feel good about our first game, but that doesn’t mean we are anywhere close to getting out of our group.”
For Ebobisse, the win over the Galaxy felt different in the way the team handled adversity. In past games, Ebobisse said the team may have struggled and been frustrated with one another and come apart as a result.
But against the Galaxy, that never happened. Savarese believes that is because of the scrimmages the team had against itself in training, and how competitive those scrimmages were. Savarese talked to the players before the Galaxy game about being balanced emotionally and supporting one another on the field.
It’s the success in achieving that mindset against the Galaxy that gives the Timbers confidence. The players and coaches believe that mentality can be maintained throughout the tournament, and they believe the approach will set them apart in a field where everything is new, and adjustments are crucial.
“If you’re able to be very balanced and manage the game the right way, it pays a big reward,” Savarese said.
The players have had what Savarese described as good distractions to help bond together, such as pingpong games and relaxing while hanging out in the social rooms.
The format of this tournament requires Savarese to prepare in an entirely new way. Turnaround times between games are shorter, meaning Savarese is working to utilize more players each game to keep his players’ legs as fresh as possible.
“This is completely different from the regular season,” Savarese said.
The Timbers also have had to adjust to the Florida climate, an environment far different from what they are used to in Portland.
Portland’s adjustments to playing in a new environment have been smooth thus far and led to a positive result in the first game.
Continued success no doubt will require more adjustments.
-- Matt Cohen; mcohen@oregonian.com
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