On July 4th, the Portland Timbers headed into Dick's Sporting Goods Park to take on the Colorado Rapids, the first place team in the Western Conference. With two of their leaders in Liam Ridgewell and Diego Valeri out due to injury, while also playing in one of the toughest environments in the MLS due to altitude, the Timbers turned in one of their best performances of the season, despite only leaving Denver with a point. While the game saw players like Fanendo Adi and Lucas Melano stand out on the attacking end, the highlight of the match was how organized the team was defensively, a point that has been an issue at times for the Timbers.
Stumptown Breakdown: Commitment to Defensive Shape
