The Red Bulls are preparing for a tough game against the Timbers in Portland, but for two players the trip is also about a homecoming.
Goalkeeper Luis Robles and midfielder/defender Sal Zizzo have ties to the Rose City, so they are familiar with the people and their love for soccer. So when the Red Bulls take on the Timbers Sunday night, both expect – and are looking forward to – one of the best atmospheres in Major League Soccer.
“Portland will always have a special place in my heart. It’s where I went to school and spent four and a half good years here,” Robles said. “I made a lot of friends and still have some relationships that I maintain here. It’s a great place not only to visit, but to live.
“More than anything, especially like (coach) Jesse (Marsch) said, this is a business trip so we’re going to play and it’s going to be a great environment, but it’s the type of environment that will not only feed their team, but will feed the energy of our team.”
Robles was born in Arizona but attended the University of Portland from 2002-06. He graduated as the program’s all-time saves leader with 346 and ranked third with 21 career shutouts and eighth with a 1.18 career goals-against average. As a senior, he was also named the West Coast Conference Defender of the Year and was an All WCC first-team selection.
Robles was drafted in the fourth round, 50th overall, by D.C. United in the 2007 SuperDraft but never played for the team. Instead, he found his way to Germany, where he stayed until joining the Red Bulls in 2012.
Zizzo, a California native, left UCLA in 2007 after two years and also headed to Germany. In the summer of 2010, Zizzo was acquired by Chivas USA in a weighted lottery, but the next year was traded to the then-expansion Timbers for allocation money.
Zizzo spent two-plus years in Portland, where he scored two goals in 60 games. He spent a year with Sporting Kansas City before joining the Red Bulls this season.
“It’s a lot of fun. It’s a great city,” Zizzo said of Portland. “I still have a lot of friends, lot of good memories. It’s going to be a great atmosphere on Sunday and I can’t wait.”
With the yellow card suspension to Connor Lade, Zizzo is expected to start at right back. He’s looking forward to the atmosphere and the craziness on game days.
“It’s awesome. It’s one of the best in the league,” he said. “You’ll always be motivated to play there, home or away. The fans will be jumping as soon as you walk out. They’ll be a line before you even arrive there to get in. It’s a great atmosphere and I’m really looking forward to getting back there.”
Following the disappointing loss to the New England Revolution, the Red Bulls are looking to bounce back quickly despite a second straight road game, a long plane flight and just a couple of days to rest. Robles said the loss in New England, which seemed a bit one-sided in the second half, was not as bad as first thought.
“Directly after the game (Marsch) was saying that it wasn’t one of our best performances,” Robles said. “What’s great about this time of the season is all these games mean something. It’s not so much like the first half of the season where people are still trying to figure each other out or figure out how they want to play these games that have a direct impact on positioning into the playoffs.
“When we looked at video (on Friday) we started to realize that there were some good things that we did. It’s just this idea of being able to put together a whole game or a full 90 minutes on the road. There are bits and pieces with each game that, if we can draw upon and put together, I feel that if we can do that this game we’ll be very successful.”
Marsch agrees, and added that with the team being in excellent physical condition and playing in a place like Portland, the legs may have an extra bit of energy.
“The guys are in good shape,” he said. “As much as we weren’t happy with how we played in New England, we also know that not on our best night we still made it difficult for them. Guys are excited for this opportunity to get on the field again and get that game out of our system and have a good performance here in Portland.”
Fortunately, the Red Bulls have developed quite a bit of depth this year, and this is another time that depth will be tested.
“The guys know that we have a deep roster and that we believe in all our guys,” Marsch said. “When you watch training every day it’s not like you see one group that’s so much higher than the other. There’s a lot of comparisons within the roster on how guys train, on where they’re at and how they can contribute. Now it’s time for some of those guys to show what they’re about and we’re excited for them to have an opportunity.”
