When Caleb Porter first came to Major League Soccer and took over the Portland Timbers in 2013, he implemented a high-press, possession-oriented system of play. The playing style and he became so synonymous with one another, it was dubbed “Porterball.” The system created turnovers by utilizing a staunch pressing defense to minimize the oppositions time and space. The Timbers offense would then meticulously maintain possession using quick combination passing, and pacey transitions. Positive results followed.
Prior to manning the sidelines for Portland, Porter built an NCAA powerhouse at Akron University using the Porterball system. Given his success and accomplishments in the NCAA ranks, it only seemed natural that such a style could seamlessly transition to MLS.