Liam Ridgewell is expected to be a full participant in the Portland Timbers training session on Wednesday.
The central defender missed the Western Conference clincher at Dallas with a lingering calf strain, but looks to be available for the MLS Cup final on Sunday in Columbus.
Meanwhile, the status of forward Fanendo Adi might not be known — at least publicly — until Sunday. Adi, whose 18 goals leads the Timbers this season, left the match in Dallas after being tackled from behind by Kellyn Acosta in the 80th minute.
Timbers coach Caleb Porter said on Tuesday that Adi has a “calf contusion from a pretty hard tackle, so we’ll see.”
If Adi cannot play, it would be significant. The Nigerian striker has been a force during Portland’s run to Major League Soccer’s championship match. His left foot has given Portland a 1-0 lead in each of the team’s road playoff games. Beyond that, his strength and success winning and holding possession as a lone forward is a huge factor in the Portland attack springing to life this fall.
Their attack began gaining steam late in the regular season and has been steady in the playoffs. The Timbers have scored two or more goals in four of their five playoff matches — the exception a scoreless draw against Vancouver three days after the emotional penalty-kick shootout survival against Sporting Kansas City. Only by scoring nine times in their final two regular-season matches did the Timbers get their scoring average above a goal a game.
Dating to their 2-1 win at Columbus on Sept. 26, the Timbers have scored at least twice in four of their last five road outings and are unbeaten in those matches.
Eight different Timbers have scored playoff goals this season, a balance that reflects the team’s flexibility and depth.
Porter said creating a culture where every player feels a part of the process is critical to his philosophy — and crucial for success in a league of parity where teams are going to face challenges over a season that begins with preseason play in February.
“You need to have a deep team to manage a long year with a lot of challenges,” Porter said. “You need to rely on a lot of different players, and you need to keep everybody on board to do that. I think the way we’ve created the hierarchy, certainly we have guys that make more than others, but I think the hierarchy is pretty level from the standpoint of everybody feels like they have ownership.”
