Ghanaian midfielder Alhassan hailed for American side's progress

Published on: 20 April 2011

Ghanaian midfielder Kalif Alhassan has been hailed as the main reason behind the revival of Portland Timbers in the American top-flight MLS this season.

After beginning life in Major League Soccer (MLS) without a win in their first three games, the expansion Portland Timbers played two home games in four days that were a resounding success.

In each game, the Timbers built three-goal leads and had to hang on for victories with more than 18,000 energized fans jammed into the stadium.

And in each game, the Timbers’ Kalif Alhassan, a 20-year-old midfielder from Ghana, provided an impressive spark, with a total of three assists.

“In the last month he’s really changed his whole mentality to being a professional,” Portland Coach John Spencer told the club’s Web site.

“He realizes when we don’t have the ball you can’t just play one way. Landon Donovan and Ryan Giggs, all these guys at the top of their game, when they lose the ball, they’re expected to track back. That’s what Kalif struggled with at the start.

“Now, he realizes that it doesn’t matter how good you are, you’ve got to work your opponent and win your individual battles.

“Tracking back defensively is what Kalif struggled with at the start and now he realizes that it doesn’t matter how good you are, you’ve got to get back behind the ball. I think today was a very good performance from him from start to finish.”

Last Thursday, the Timbers scored three goals against Chicago, gave up two, then scored late for a 4-2 victory.

On Sunday, Alhassan sandwiched assists on goals by Jack Jewsbury (who appeared in his 200th M.L.S. game) and Rodney Wallace around Kenny Cooper’s second score of the season.

Dallas, which lost to Colorado in last year’s championship game, scored two late goals, but ran out of time in the Timbers’ 3-2 win.

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