But the guys in the studio for ESPN were good as usual. Alexi Lalas's comments are usually insightful and frequently provocative, and this year, ESPN has added Kasey Keller to the crew. While it felt mildly like he was shouting his insights at the viewers, what he did have to say was worthwhile, and when Lalas offered a particularly negative comment about expansion team Montreal Impact's prospects for this season, Keller was there to offer a little encouragement to their supporters.
The play-by-play commentator turned out to be none other than every Barca fan's favorite, Adrian Healey, who so consistently waxes poetic about Barcelona that I'm convinced he must have fallen in love there. He makes me look unbiased when talking about FC Barcelona, not that I'm complaining about his predilections, though. Needless to say, I've never had an issue with his commentary, and he was in typically eloquent form tonight, making alliteration at will ("pandemonium in Portland") and offering statements that enhanced my enjoyment of the game - something unusual in most sports commentary at the moment.
What really set ESPN apart however, was the way they must have coached Twellman to just shut up and let Healey do his thing. Healey's used to commentating on Spanish Primera games for which he's the only commentator, so he doesn't really require a color commentator. I found tonight that for long periods, I had forgotten that Twellman was even in the booth with him. Who knows, maybe Twellman just had bowel troubles and was constantly off in the restroom. Whatever it was, it worked. Twellman's comments were usually on the worthless side (he went on about Tweeting and e-mailing rather too much), but he did once or twice offer some insight into tactics and movement on the field. Mostly, though, he allowed Healey to run the show and offered color commentary at down points in the match.
The game itself was a rather odd affair. After a first half that could have been an advertisement for the Premier League (30 seconds of the first half followed by a voice-over saying: "You want to watch that?"), the second half turned out to be a thrilling encounter. Philadelphia got on the board first after a great ball was whipped into the box from a free-kick. It was officially scored as own goal, which seems at bit harsh, as the shot was on target before a minimal deflection off a Portland player.
The Union goal seemed to fire up the Timbers, though, and the one- and two-touch passing that coach John Spencer has implemented in Portland started working to great effect. The pace of Kalif Alhassan, Jorge Perlaza, Diego Chara, and the overlapping fullbacks, and the solid passing of Captain Jack Jewsbury and Eric Alexander really looked like it would pay dividends. It would be an error from the young Philadelphia goalie, however, that would get Portland back into the game. A simple header from Andrew Jean-Baptiste (also credited with the own goal) should have been saved by 20-year-old Zac MacMath, but the ball squirted under his arms and into the side netting.
From that point on, the Timbers didn't look back. It was Alhassan who created the second - his cross was met by Scotland's finest, Kris Boyd, who headed home on his MLS debut. It was arguably the best goal of the night, and fully merited by the great play from Portland.
Portland's third goal also came from Alhassan. A quick free kick from Jewsbury short down the right flank left Alhassan short, but he took a quick touch around the defender and sent in a lovely chip that he was most likely intended as a cross, but some somehow sailed over the helpless MacMath and into the side netting. It was a delicate finish, the kind Lionel Messi has been making look commonplace in the last week. Whether Alhassan meant it or it was a happy accident, it made for beautiful viewing.
Portland could well be a force to be reckoned with this season. I have rarely seen an MLS team play one- and two-touch football of the caliber Portland played in the second half. They really looked like they could have been competing in the English League Championship, or perhaps one of the lesser European leagues (Belgium, Switzerland, maybe the Eredivisie).
My enthusiasm for Portland's play may well have been influenced by the absolutely marvelous atmosphere inside the stadium. I don't think there was a minute of the entire match where the fans weren't singing or chanting. It was veritable pandemonium when Portland scored - flags waving, green smoke bombs turning the entire stadium into that deep green of the Pacific Northwest, fans jumping up and down. It made me want to hop on a plane to Portland to be sure I could catch the next Timbers game.
Overall, this was a far better advertisement for American soccer than yesterday's fixture. Better commentary; better atmosphere; better game. Who cares that the game didn't feature Thierry Henry? It featured Kris Boyd, and I'm betting Boyd scores more than Henry this year anyway. Tonight was the real beginning of MLS season. A great fixture to mark the start of what we all hope will be a great year. To MLS!
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