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It is hard to overstate the degree to which the Portland Timbers not named Diego Valeri stunk on Wednesday night. The Timbers took just five shots and completed one – ONE !!! – pass into the box. They had just six keys in the box, which MLS editor and official stats nerd Ben Baer says is a low season. The Timbers completed an appalling 64 percent of their passes.
Portland was extremely bad before they picked up a red card, but yeah, there was also the red card. It was a horrible, repugnant performance.
And yet, the Timbers won 2-1, eliminating Dallas FC from the MLS playoffs, because Diego Valeri did this.
And this. While down to man.
Valeri was the 2017 MVP, and he might have looked like the best player in the league in 2018 too if he had better support. He led his team in shots this year and was second in the league in key passes. His teammates just could not finish the odds he created, and the ones he got for himself were not as high-percentage as they were set up for him last season.
Portland is not a better team than their next opponent, either Sporting Kansas City or the Seattle Sounders. But they might have the best player on the field, and that will always make them dangerous.
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