Philaelphia Union Vs Portland Timbers: 3 things we learned – Sebastian Blanco masterclass

1. Portland counter-attack pays dividends

The Portland Timbers are known for their excellence in knockout competitions. Like their great rivals, the Seattle Sounders, they have enjoyed terrific success in the MLS postseason, even when they have not been the best team in the Western field. This is down to their superb counter-attacking system, which is perfectly suited to knockout football. The same was true here.

The Timbers executed their usual deep-lying, fast-breaking approach superbly on this occasion. They scored an opener from the corner, then defended superbly throughout, only conceding late on from a rebound on a freekick, and looked vicious on the counter-attack, only failing to score to further extend their lead thanks to wasteful finishing.

Diego Valeri was influential in the second-half, Jaroslaw Niezgoda provided an offensive spark from off the bench, while Sebastian Blanco became a more consistent threat when he switched to the right flank at half-time.

The Timbers have been known for their exquisite counter-attacking style for several years. It was once again on full display and was ultimately far too much for the Union to contain.