If fans wondered whether the Timbers would punt Saturday’s MLS game against FC Dallas, they didn’t need to wait long for the answer.
If a starting lineup devoid of several available stars hadn’t already made it clear beforehand, then FC Dallas’ opening goal within two minutes of the opening whistle sure did.
In the end, the Timbers lost 4-1 in Dallas but it wasn’t exactly a shock. With a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal set for Wednesday against Club América, Saturday’s MLS match just didn’t seem nearly as important. Coach Giovanni Savarese opted to rest his key players, including Diego Chara and Diego Valeri.
“We have a limited roster right now, we have a lot of injuries, and our main focus is Club América,” Savarese said. “We want to go through and fight to make sure we can compete in the CCL, and with the amount of consecutive matches we have, we have to make some decisions.”
Savarese’s rotation included one surprise: Hunter Sulte, a local homegrown goalkeeper, made his MLS debut and started ahead of Jeff Attinella. Sulte turned 19 last week, making him the second-youngest goalkeeper to ever start in MLS.
FC Dallas took advantage within the first 90 seconds Saturday. Racing upfield, Freddy Vargas and Ryan Hollingshead sliced through the Timbers’ defense with a one-touch give-and-go before Hollingshead knocked the ball into the path of Andrés Ricaurte, who finished with a one-time strike.
In the 14th minute, Dallas capitalized again. Dallas goalkeeper Phelipe Megiolaro punted the ball up the field as Jáder Obrian chased. Obrian let the ball bounce three times in front of him until he chipped Sulte off a half-volley.
FC Dallas eventually went on to score two more, including one from 18-year-old homegrown Dante Sealy, but the match felt decided after that second goal.
“I take full responsibility of everything we did today because it’s not the fault of the players,” Savarese said. “It’s on me having to make these rotations, having to pick the match against Club América.”
The Timbers will face the powerhouse Liga MX team Wednesday in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, a chance to extend Portland’s best-ever campaign in the competition. The Timbers’ two previous Champions League appearances ended in the group stage under a different format.
Last week, the Timbers earned an important 1-1 draw at Providence Park in the first leg against Club América. That sets up a scenario where Portland will either need to win at the storied Estadio Azteca or earn a draw with multiple goals. Fans will not attend the game in Mexico, setting a favorable environment for the Timbers compared to non-pandemic times.
The aggregate score of both home-and-away legs determines the winner, but in the case of a tie, the team with more away goals advances. If the away goals are equal, a penalty kick shootout after the second leg will determine the winner.
It’s easy to see why Savarese and the Timbers would prioritize the CONCACAF Champions League: while the tournament’s winner gets a chunk of a prize pool — last year’s champion netted $500,000 — the bigger reward is a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup. Prestige aside, simply qualifying for the Club World Cup is worth a prize of $2.5 million.
Despite prioritizing the upcoming Club América match, Savarese was still visibly upset with Saturday’s lopsided loss in Dallas. When asked for his post-game opening statement, which has become customary at remote press conferences where reporters can’t as freely ask questions, Savarese declined and said he wanted to go straight to questions.
“I feel out of the four goals, we kind of gave away three of those goals in an easy way and we could’ve been better,” Savarese later said. “Ultimately, with the limited roster that we have, I had to make decisions so it is my responsibility.”
In all, Savarese made seven changes Saturday from the starting lineup that faced Club América three days earlier, but reinforcements later helped the match look closer on paper than it felt.
Eryk Williamson, Dairon Asprilla and Valeri all came on at halftime, and Williamson pulled a goal back in the 62nd minute. With the ball at his feet, Williamson drove into the box and dribbled through traffic. He dished it to Valeri, who tapped it back, and Williamson finished with a well-placed shot inside the far post.
“I think we had a lot of focus on this game,” Williamson said when asked how he approached the game knowing Club América loomed around the corner. “They (Dallas) kind of surprised us with the way they came out and they switched things up.”
Perhaps the best Timbers news out of Saturday’s loss was the return of Jeremy Ebobisse, who made his 2021 debut after recovering from a hamstring injury. Ebobisse, who has been one of the Timbers’ most reliable goal-scorers, came on as a substitute in the 75th minute.
Saturday also marked the season debut of midfielder Renzo Zambrano, as well as midfielder Andy Polo, who has been out for weeks dealing with a green card issue. Center back Zac McGraw made his MLS debut.
The Timbers were still without Sebastian Blanco, who Savarese has said is close to a return after tearing his ACL in September, but has yet to dress for a game.
Cristhian Paredes had to be stretchered off the field last week against Club América in what appeared to be a serious injury, but Savarese said Friday it was a thigh injury that should keep him out for six to eight weeks.
Injuries aside, it’s still early in the MLS season to manage simultaneously playing in a high-stakes tournament, and the players who had to be rotated in Saturday aren’t yet 90-minutes fit, Savarese said.
“We thought about everything and, at the end, some players like McGraw and Pablo (Bonilla) were cramping — they haven’t played 90 minutes,” Savarese said. “(Blake) Bodily is getting there.”
Savarese added: “Polo gave me more (minutes) than what he could give because he’s right now getting back into form. We hoped for 45 and he was able to do it, thank god.”
Four days after Wednesday’s match in Mexico, the Timbers return home to host the Seattle Sounders at Providence Park on May 9.
-- Caitlin Murray for The Oregonian/OregonLive
Twitter: @caitlinmurr
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