The contrast between the last two Saturdays has been stark. Four days ago in Columbus, the Portland Timbers dealt with satisfaction and relief, exhaling with their first victory of the season, 3-1 over Crew SC. One week before, though, confusion and disappointment reigned after a 2-1 loss to FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas, with controversial decisions leaving players and staff wondering if mystical forces were conspiring toward Portland’s winless start.
For Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese, however, there is a yin and yang element to the weekends’ opposing results, with the realities of Frisco’s disappointment laying the groundwork for enlightenment in Ohio.