Timbers look for better result against Chicago

After falling one game short of playing for the MLS title last season, the Portland Timbers are hungry for revenge and looking for another sensational season in 2014 under head coach Caleb Porter’s guidance.

Those hopes stumbled just a bit last Saturday, after a 1-1 draw against the Philadephia Union in a season-opening contest played in Portland.

Expectations couldn’t be higher for the Timbers entering the new season, as they have the pressure of surpassing last year’s success. They started No. 2 in the weekly MLS power rankings and are considered by many to have the best team in the league — and also maybe the best fans.

New players acquired by the team include two Argentinians: defender Norberto Paparatto and forward Gaston Fernandez. Fernandez, who has played for several clubs around the world, will bring experience to the young team and should link well with another Argentina native on the team, Diego Valeri, who is sure to be a strong MVP contender.

Finishing atop the Western Conference won’t be easy for the Timbers, best in the West last season, since taking the top spot has usually come down to the last regular-season game.

Not only is making the playoffs the team’s priority, but also regaining the Cascadia Cup, won by the Vancouver Whitecaps last season (the trophy is fought for by bitter Pacific Northwest rivals Portland, Seattle and Vancouver).

Success will require focus for each game, as became clear last Saturday.

Portland scrambled to earn a dramatic draw against a young and remodeled Union team that took the lead in the 62nd minute, silencing the sold-out Providence Park crowd.

After the goal, Portland pushed its lines up and desperately looked for the equalizer before newcomer Fernandez saved the night. He made the fans erupt when he found the back of the net for the Timbers off a header, thanks to a corner kick delivered in the dying seconds of the match.

It was not the type of opener the fans and players were hoping for, as the Timbers struggled to find rhythm until they were forced to look for the tie.

Portland outshot Philadelphia, 15-10, but only put two of those shots on target. They were surprised by a well-organized and quick Union team that seemed superior at times in the first half and most of the second.

Porter and the players know what went wrong and are sure to work on needed improvements. The poor performance shouldn’t set off alarms, because the team is just beginning a new season and these types of games are common around the league in the first weeks of the season.

It takes a couple games together for a team to be at its highest level.

The Timbers will aim for a much better showing, and their first win, against the Chicago Fire (a 3-2 loser to Chivas USA last weekend), in a Rose City matchup set for 12 p.m. on Sunday.