Caleb Porter says that he will take the blame for the 4-1 loss against Orlando City on Sunday.
This was an extremely disappointing result for the team and many felt that Portland Timbers allowed Orlando to score at crucial stages. Rather than blame the players for a winless run that now stretches to 3 matches,Porter claimed the blame on himself. The club started the campaign in impressive fashion after a win over Columbus Crew in the opening weekend. Even though Portland Timbers had much more of the ball even as the away team, they were unable to make much of an impact in the final third.
To make matters worse, Orlando City seemed to be buoyed by the return of superstar Kaka. They were playing some impressive football in the final third. Orlando made sure that their good start to the season continued with this win. The team are unbeaten in the four games and it would have taken a huge effort from Portland in order to get something out of the game. Porter will be aware that his team have to recover quickly, as they have a big match against LA Galaxy next weekend. Porter claimed that the first goal deflated the team immensely and defensive strength will be something that he will look to improve before next match.
“I think that’s something I will have to think about. But it starts at the top. It’s my responsibility to make sure the group is organized, ready and can execute. And that wasn’t a performance that’s indicative of who we are and the level we can play.The first goal somewhat deflated us, and it seemed like every chance they had was a goal, and that’s the way the ball has bounced for us for the last three games. We need to correct that because it sets up a bit of a funk in our team,” said Porter.