Kris Boyd, the Portland Timbers’ new Scottish striker, nailed the game-winning goal. Young Philly goalkeeper Zac MacMath created conversation with one noteworthy moment, while teammate Freddy Adu created a few more talking points for his lack of them. Meanwhile, Monday’s Jeld-Wen crowd added a little more rock to the roll of it all. Well done, all ye of Timbers Army.
But personally, when I think back on Portland’s 3-1 win Monday night over Philadelphia to drop the exclamation point on MLS Round 1, visions of Kalif Alhassan rampaging up and down the Timbers’ right side will be first to fill my mind.
Local investigative agencies may soon open a case file for what the Timber’s young Ghanaian winger did over there to Philly left back Porfirio López. And it wasn’t just wasted effort on Alhassan’s part; there was production on the end of all that abuse.
In the end, Alhassan’s one goal and one assist had plenty to do with Portland’s splashy, season-opening win. Years from now, in a quiet corner of some swell soccer bar, a curious man will ask: Just who did get that first ProSoccerTalk MLS Player of the Week prize? And you will know that it was Alhassan.
“I would say it’s about hard work,” the soft-spoken Alhassan allowed afterward. “We worked hard all preseason. We were ready for this game, and I’m glad we got three points.”
Years from now, in a quiet corner of some swell soccer bar, a curious man will ask: Just who did get that first ProSoccerTalk MLS Player of the Week prize? And you will know that his name was Kalif Alhassan.
