The Portland Timbers were thrashed by the Houston Dynamo to return to the MLS for the regular season

Portland Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese wanted to be very clear: Sunday’s embarrassment is on him.

There is no way around it. Portland’s 5-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo in the team’s first game in over a month was unbelievable. Timbers was out of it before things really got going. However, the coach of the struggling football team wanted one more thing to be clear: He’s not the guy who plays there.

“We all have to take responsibility for the lack of competition we showed as a group today,” Savarese said. “It’s not about individuals. It’s a whole group that didn’t perform today.”

The hardest thing for Savarese was that he had great aspirations coming up on Sunday. The Timbers have not competed in MLS play since July, with the team playing in three League Cup competitions in the month since then. With Portland entering the game just three points clear of Houston in last place in the Western Conference, Savarese considered Sunday a potential starting point for the final 10 games of the season.

Instead, it was a shipwreck. The Timbers (6-10-8, 26 points) allowed three goals in the first 14 minutes of the game, including a fifth-minute penalty that put the team behind for good. By the time Houston scored a fourth before halftime, Apple TV commentators were almost in disbelief of Portland’s performance.

“That halftime whistle couldn’t come close enough for the Timbers,” the broadcast said. “Just awful 45 minutes for them. Definitely one of the worst, I’m sure Giovanni Savarese has experience in Portland.”

The five-goal loss tied Portland’s worst defeat in MLS history. And it’s not one of those that looked better than it looked. With Diego Chara absent due to suspension (yellow card accumulation), Portland looked listless more often than not – getting hit on loose balls, not pressing defenders and allowing plenty of space for Houston’s offense.

“In the first half I could have changed anyone,” said Savarese. “I tried to bring some new energy to bring something into the game.”

The Dynamo underlined the explosion in the second half when he assisted goalkeeper Steve Clarke on the final goal of the match. Houston controlled 63% possession of the game and put up eight shots to the Timbers net to none for the Timbers over Houston.

It was complete domination.

“It was a tough game,” said midfielder Krizian Paredes. “We need to be realistic. We played a terrible game tonight. We just need to look forward and focus on the next game.”

Portland’s next home game on Saturday comes against the Vancouver Whitecaps, who are eighth in the Western Conference standings. And although the Timbers have a history of upping their game late in the season, Sunday showed no sign of a run-in.

If the Timbers were going to make the playoffs, Savarese said he wouldn’t play like that.

“As the person in charge, it starts with me,” Savarese said. “But I think this time the players can’t escape the fact that no one is performing perfectly.”

— Tyson Alger on The Oregonian / Oregon Live