FRISCO, Texas ā One manās loss was another manās gain 154253311" tabindex="0">on Saturday night at Toyota Stadium.
With MVP candidate Diego Valeri sidelined with hip injury, Timbers head coach Caleb Porter inserted Sebastian Blanco into the all-important No. 10 role. The decision paid off handsomely, with Blanco scoring his first goal since signing a Designated Player contract with the Timbers this winter to give Portland up a 2-1 lead in the 71st minute of their 2-2 draw at FC Dallas.
āItās kind of been the theme all year,ā Porter said after 154253312" tabindex="0">Saturdayās match. āWeāve had a lot of injuries, guys have been out, and the next guy steps in and gets the job done. We saw that again today. I thought Blanco was really good in that role.ā
The goal came as a relief for Blanco, who had seen nine of his Timbers teammates score before he hit the back of the net on Saturday.
āI felt a lot of pressure because almost the whole team has scored aside from me,ā Blanco said via translator. āBut things were coming together. Iāve been working hard as well. Itās not essential for the goal to come. For my game itās also important to create chances and also do whatever helps the team get points. I hope going forward things will keep getting better.ā
Added Porter: āItās good for him. Obviously he hadnāt scored yet, so for him to get his first in a Timbers uniform that never hurts. His confidence will continue to grow. I thought he had a very good game.ā
Blanco said he was happy to not only have the opportunity at the No. 10, but to put his team in a position to steal three points from a stadium that FC Dallas have turned into a fortress.
It was especially rewarding for Blanco considering the talent he was stepping in for in Valeri, who has five goals and four assists in eight games this year.
āIt was tough, obviously, to replace a player like Diego, not only because of what he means football-wise but also what he means for the team off the field,ā Blanco said. āFor me, it was a great responsibility. Luckily, I was able to respond, I think, in a good way, scoring my first goal and helping the team as well to get a result.ā
While it doesnāt appear Valeri will miss an extended amount of time, Blancoās performance in his absence gives Porter and the Timbers confidence their attack will stay potent for as long as it takes.
āWeāve been pretty fierce with our attack this year and we showed that again [Saturday], especially with one of our top players Diego Valeri being out,ā Porter said. āI thought our team played as a whole played really well.ā