BEAVERTON, Ore. – Caleb Porter is known for sending his players personal messages of inspiration, in the hopes, obviously, of getting the most out of them on the field.
In the case of Fanendo Adi, the Portland Timbers head coach always has one simple message: “Play big, and play mean.”
It would seem an easy enough job, considering the Nigerian striker’s sculpted 6-foot-4, 185-pound frame. But it hasn’t always been the case, according to Porter.
“He’s a guy that as big as he is sometimes he doesn’t play that big, or in the past he hasn’t,” Porter said after the team’s Tuesday training session at the team facility. “But he’s learning to embrace how big and strong and mean he can be.”
That could spell trouble for the rest of the league. In Portland’s last three wins, Adi has five goals and an assist – keying the team’s late Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs push. He was at his finest – or rather, biggest and meanest – in the Timbers’ shocking 5-2 win Sunday over the LA Galaxy, scoring two goals and recording an assist as the team rallied from a goal down at the half to their first-ever win at StubHub Center to earn MLS Player of the Week honors.
Porter lauded his hold-up play and finishing, matching up against Galaxy center backs Omar Gonzalez and Leonardo and ultimately dominating.
“He’s matched up against some of the best in the league, [Sounders center back] Chad Marshall and Omar Gonzalez, and he’s given them problems because he has a world-class body,” Porter said. “He is a specimen, but he’s only a specimen if he uses the body, bangs guys and plays big and plays strong and plays mean, and that’s what he’s doing.”
Adi now has a Timbers MLS-record 15 goals heading into the team’s season finale Sunday at home against the Colorado Rapids (7 pm ET; MLS LIVE/ESPN3). It's perhaps surprising when taking into account what has been a season of feast or famine for a player originally signed as a Designated Player midway through 2014, but who was benched midway through this year as he suffered through a goalscoring drought.
“It’s football, man, you can never be on for the whole season,” Adi said. “It’s football. It’s the same at working somewhere else, sometimes you are there and sometimes you are not there. And sometimes in a game you are there or not there. … Of course we had bad periods during the season, but at least it’s a period where we are enjoying, and we have to enjoy it well.”
Porter said the change has been in part due to the coaching staff’s focus on Adi simplifying his game, embracing his role as a true target forward, holding up the ball while not trying to do too much. That was on display on what turned out to be the game-winning goal on a header from Diego Chara.
“That’s what we tried to do with Adi, simplify his game, make him a true target, play to his strengths where he holds the ball up,” he said. “And if you notice he’s playing a lot more simple. When the ball is played into him he’s not taking extra touches, he’s just popping it off quick, and he’s getting on the end of things.
“Simplifying his game was key and playing to his strengths and not necessarily always trying to make everybody’s weaknesses better but make sure his strengths are highlighted, and that’s what we’ve tried to do with Adi.”
Porter said there was no frustration with Adi as he went through struggles earlier in the season, noting that he is still only 25 years old and finding his way as a professional. At the time, Porter had said falling out of the starting lineup, in addition to the midseason signing of forward Lucas Melano, only created more competition among the attackers, yet another push for Adi.
“Never frustration,” Porter said. “Guys go through ups and downs. He’s still in my opinion a young player. You forget that sometimes, he’s still learning, still evolving, still embracing his role.”
Dan Itel covers the Timbers for MLSsoccer.com.
