SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica – For the opponent, depth players got valuable minutes. After all, Deportivo Saprissa’s first team played at San Carlos on Saturday, with former MLS players Johan Venegas and Jairo Arrieta scoring in El Monstruo Morado’s 2-0 victory two-and-a-half hours away from home. For the first-teamers who featured then for the 38-time Costa Rican champions, Tuesday’s friendly would have meant a quick turnaround from league play, something that would have defeated the purpose.
For the Portland Timbers, though, the day’s 4-0 win over Saprissa’s team was a first step: one which leads toward a regular-season opener on March 2; one which starts the defense of the team’s 2018 Western Conference title.