MLS Round-up: Dalls downed by Portland as the Crew tame the Red Bulls.

All Square in Dallas sees Portland advance.

The task facing Oscar Pareja’s FC Dallas side was always going to be a sizeable one. Down 3-1 from the first leg of their series against the Portland Timbers, they returned home in need of a 2-0 win to advance in normal time or a 3-1 win to take it to extra time.

The Texans had already beaten Portland by a score of 4-1 this season so it was not unthinkable, although Caleb Porter’s side had evolved significantly since that drubbing back in late July. They are now a more well balanced outfit which is typified by their midfield and the trio of Diego Valeri, Darlington Nagbe and Diego Chara.

Valeri is the smart, creative type, while Nagbe offers energy in abundance and carries the ball effortlessly. Behind those two more attack minded midfielders is Diego Chara. The Colombian provides vital defensive qualities and consistently proved a thorn in the side of the FC Dallas forward line with seven interceptions during the game (all in his own half).

Operating with a slightly tweaked 4-5-1 formation, Portland knew they could sit deep and spring a counter attack. A tactic that the Timbers have proved adept at this season they eventually took the lead in the 54th minute via Fanendo Adi. The presence of the Nigerian number nine has been vital for the Timbers this season with the former FC Copenhagen man knitting the attack together well.

His presence has also proven the importance of a high quality striker that can not only score goals but also create them. For Dallas that has been something of a weakness with David Texeira largely anonymous during the second leg and managing just one shot on goal before being substituted in the 66th minute for veteran forward Blas Perez.

Eventually finding a route back into the game via goals from Ryan Hollingshead and Perez in the 68th and 73rd minute, it certainly put pressure on the Timbers. However in Nat Borchers they had a man with more play-off experience than anyone on the field. Unsurprisingly the former Real Salt Lake defender came up with a game saving block late on which only further validated Caleb Porter’s decision to bring him in late last year.

As the game became stretched Porter introduced Lucas Melano to give his team even more pace on the break. The young Designated Player has been somewhat mediocre this season but managed to earn a place in the hearts of Timbers fan everywhere with an important goal to kill off the match. Involving a mazy run and two clever dummies (watch it here), it was perhaps a harsh way for this young FC Dallas side to end their season.

Reinforcing how deadly the Timbers are in attack, their balance from front to back also leads many to question how you beat them. With no obvious weakness, it is notable that two of the three Dallas goals during this series came via space in behind the full-back. Admittedly in the case of Hollingshead’s strike it was winger Dairon Asprilla that failed to track his man but the point remains.

As for FC Dallas the future remains open. If they can hold onto Fabian Castillo and Mauro Diaz during the off-season they have a fantastic foundation for next year. If they can add to that by securing a high quality forward (perhaps by unloading one of their backup goalkeepers Dan Kennedy or Chris Seitz), then they will be a certainty for the post-season in 2016.

Late goal proves too little too late for a tame Red Bulls.
During the first leg of this tie it was the opening minute that proved most influential as Justin Meram found the net for the Columbus Crew SC inside 9 seconds.

At Red Bull Arena it was the final minute of the match that was most important as the New York Red Bulls scored once before being denied a second goal which would have tied the two teams on aggregate. Frustrating for the home support, it embodied their entire performance on Sunday night as they struggled to create clear cut chances against the Crew SC.

That was in part due to some solid defending by Michael Parkhurst and Gaston Sauro which limited the effectiveness of Bradley Wright-Phillips. Opting for an aggressive approach when the 30 year old received the ball into feet, they were equally as comfortable when it was put in the box from out wide with Lloyd Sam and Mike Grella seeing 8 of their 11 open play crosses fail to connect. Also unable to consistently beat their full-back in one on one duels (Grella and Sam saw 5 of their 8 combined dribbles end in failure) it represented yet more stern defensive play by the Crew SC.

In fact had the visitors been able to produce better finishing in the final third they could have ended the tie inside the opening half. Playing the game smart by sitting deep and counter attacking, they were able to control the midfield thanks to clever possession play by Wil Trapp and former Red Bull Tony Tchani. Shutting down the space that Sacha Kljestan usually likes to inhabit, the Crew SC then used their pace intelligently on the break by keeping wingers Meram and Ethan Finlay wide.

Contrasted by the Red Bulls’ surprising lack of urgency in attack, the hosts continued to struggle in the second half, with their front four producing just 5 shots during goal the whole game. A team that lacks versatility in the final third, they would be wise to invest their remaining Designated Player spot in an attacker during the off-season.

Eager to change the way the game was going, Jesse Marsch threw young forward Anatole Abang into the match and it was the Cameroonian that finally broke the deadlock in the 93rd minute.

That facilitated a frantic finish to the game in which the Red Bulls threw everything at the Crew SC backline. Unfortunately for Marsch and his team it produced nothing more than a header off the post by Bradley Wright-Phillips, leading to more claims that the Curse of Caricola is alive and well in New York. Their last notable chance before the full-time whistle blew it was an agonising way for the team’s season to end.

As the Crew SC players celebrated, the Verve’s ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ rang around Red Bull Arena. A poetic way to encapsulate a polarising ending to the match, unfortunately for New York Red Bulls this represents another chapter in their disappointment stained history. While some may take comfort in the Supporters’ Shield they earned this season, tonight showed they are still a few steps away from earning the league’s top prize.

Columbus meanwhile will return home to host the MLS Cup final in seven days time. Speaking after the game coach Gregg Berhalter said: “It’s going to be challenging, but what I’m most proud of is we get to bring the MLS Cup final to the city of Columbus. The fans have been behind us all year. You see the excitement that was building for these playoff matches and now to be able to the final in Columbus is special.”

Follow Kristan Heneage on Twitter: @KHeneage