Who Deserves The Captain’s Armband: Timbers v. Earthquakes

Monday, September 29, 2014

David Cath, GoLocalPDX Contributor

jewsbury

Will veteran and former Captain Jack Jewsbury receive the Captain's band? Photo Credit: Betony Mezsaros

The Portland Timbers are resigned to being without Will Johnson (broken leg) and Diego Valeri (one-game suspension) for this Saturday’s game against the San Jose Earthquakes.

With both their captain and main offensive producer sidelined, GoLocalPDX would like to hear from you:

Who do you think should wear the captain’s band?

Here are some options. If you have a write-in candidate, we'd like to hear your thoughts, just put them down in the comments section below.

1: Jack Jewsbury

The 2012 Timbers captain seems like an obvious fit for the empty defensive midfielder position. Jewsbury has appeared in 16 MLS games and all 3 CONCACAF Champions League games this season. The veteran has seen most of his action as a right back, where he made 13 appearances. Jewsbury has played the left back position as well, tallying two assists in two appearances.

2: Liam Ridgewell

Overall, the English Premier League veteran has been a valuable addition to the Portland Timbers backline. In addition to scoring two goals as a central defender in his first 7 games with the Timbers, Ridgewell has played a full 90’ in each of the 11 games he’s played and has given some stability to a weary backline.

3: Fanendo Adi

Adi’s physicality against a strong but aging San Jose backline will be critical to Portland’s offensive threat. Expect most of the Timbers through balls to either end with Adi or go through Adi. At 6’4”, 190 lbs, Adi has the capability to sit on San Jose’s backline and wait for a buildup to come through him, where he can look for attacking midfielders in the middle of the field, or wingers going up the flanks. In addition to his strength, Adi’s speed and agility can be used as a primary weapon for breaking away from aging San Jose center backs Jason Hernandez and Victor Bernardez, age 32 and 33 respectively.

4: Diego Chara

My personal favorite and the Timbers' first Designated Player, Chara exhibits everything you want in a defensive midfielder, and more generally, a soccer player. Chara has good defensive instincts with the quickness and agility to catch up to an opponent. His defensive concentration and game management skills in the backfield are invaluable. He favors short passes as opposed to the often astray long balls, and has the speed and touch to create an offensive build-up from the back line. In his 27 MLS appearances this season, 12 have been played as a central midfielder, where he has scored two goals and two assists. Overall, Chara has no significant weakness; he’s strong, fast, has good touch, and he isn’t afraid of contact.

Who’s your choice?

Comment below: