Portland Timbers' new coach Cifuentes promises patience ahead of Minnesota clash, as club absorbs loss of star striker
Portland Timbers' new head coach Martí Cifuentes says building his side's identity will take time as the team hosts Minnesota United, just as the club deals with the club-record sale of top scorer Kevin Kelsy to Rangers FC.
A new coach facing an early test
Portland Timbers, currently 11th in the Western Conference, host Minnesota United on Saturday under new head coach Martí Cifuentes. According to VAVEL.com, the Timbers' last outing ended in a 2-1 home defeat to Austin FC, with Oleksandr Svatok scoring the winner in the 93rd minute.
Cifuentes, who joined the club mid-season, said in comments reported by VAVEL.com that building a team takes time. He noted this is the fifth time in his career he has joined a club mid-season, giving him experience with the process, though every league and squad differs. He explained that a more expansive style built on pressing and playing out from the back takes longer to establish than a lower-block, counter-attacking approach, calling the Austin loss an example of a team still finding its rhythm and fluidity early in games.
Minnesota arriving in strong scoring form
According to Minnesota United FC's own preview, the Loons have been in prolific attacking form, having drawn 3-3 with Orlando City in a match that included three goals scored within five minutes, following a 5-1 rout of San Jose the week before. Top scorer Kelvin Yeboah has reached 11 goals on the season, including a brace against San Jose and a bicycle-kick strike against Orlando, while Marcus Caldeira has scored in back-to-back matches after ending a scoring drought.
Minnesota sits 9th in the Western Conference, just one point above Portland, and are unbeaten in their last three meetings with the Timbers — including a 2-0 win in Portland back in April.
A blow to Portland's attack
The transfer window has dealt Portland a significant setback: as reported by Minnesota United FC, top scorer Kevin Kelsy has moved to Scottish Premiership club Rangers FC for a club-record fee of $13 million. Kelsy had featured in nearly every Timbers win this season across all competitions, scoring in six of them. His departure follows that of forward Felipe Mora, who left for Liga MX side Atlético de San Luis at the end of July. Kristoffer Velde is now the only remaining Timbers player with more than three goals this season, leaving Portland to lean on players such as Gage Guerra and Ariel Lassiter to fill the scoring gap.
The match kicks off Saturday evening and, per both clubs' previews, is considered an important fixture for playoff positioning on both sides.
