| Portland Timbers 4-1 Seattle Sounders from Providence Park |
June 28, 2015
Portland Timbers 4-1 Seattle Sounders from Providence Park Major League Soccer - Providence Park 06/28/2015: Warm & Humid, 30C/86F Attendance: 21,314 Pre-game records: Portland Timbers (W7-D4-L6-25pts) vs. Seattle Sounders (W9-D2-L6-29pts) Starting Line-ups: Portland Timbers – GLK Adam Larsen Kwarasey, DEF Alvas Powell, DEF Nat Borchers, DEF Norberto Paparatto, DEF Jorge Villafana, MID Diego Valeri, MID Diego Chara, MID Will Johnson, MID Darlington Nagbe, MID Gaston Fernandez, FWD Maximiliano Urruti. Formation: 4-2-3-1. Seattle Sounders: GLK Stefan Frei, DEF Oniel Fisher, DEF Jimmy Ockford, DEF Zach Scott, DEF Dylan Remick, MID Gonzalo Pineda, MID Michael Azira, MID Aaron Kovar, MID Cristian Roldan, MID Marco Pappa, FWD Lamar Neagle. Formation: 4-2-3-1. Game 18 of the MLS season: After a record breaking week for heat in the Pacific Northwest, the Rose City hosted another Cascadia Cup meeting between the Portland Timbers and the Seattle Sounders. The Sounders won their first league meeting this season in Seattle but in the last contest between these two, it was the Timbers who ran out 3-1 winners away after extra time in a controversial game that saw 3 players sent off for the Sounders (including Clint Dempsey’s infamous referee notebook ripping up incident) and Obafemi Martins taken off injured leaving the Sounders with just 7 men on the pitch come the end of the game. With both Martins and Dempsey missing the Sounders had to try to rely on Lemar Neagle and Marco Pappa for goals if they were going to commit at smash and grab at Providence Park. Meanwhile, Liam Ridgewell got himself off for the Timbers last time out as they were thrashed by the LA Galaxy away meaning that Nat Borchers and Norberto Paparatto would be the central defense partnership on the night. Both sides lost in midweek as Seattle also lost 1-0 at the Philadelphia Union for only the 2nd time in the league this season. If Portland won tonight, it would put them just 1 point behind the Sounders and so Caleb Porter’s men had plenty of incentive to look for another 3 points at home.
1st Half 8 mins: After a pretty open start, Will Johnson decided to hit one from around 35 yards and the ball was deflected back into the path of Fanendo Adi who’s shot was also deflected and Frei made a decent save. 12 mins: GOAL! Darlington Nagbe finds room through the center after a pass from Diego Valeri and Nagbe’s shot flies past Frei in the Seattle goal from 25 yards at the near post. Portland Timbers 1-0 Seattle Sounders. 17 mins: Gaston Fernandez laid the ball for Diego Chara who struck a low shot from 25 yards but Frei was able to gather well. The Portland Timbers once again dominated possession in the first 20 minutes at home and were first to the ball on many occasions looking the hungrier of the two sides. 20 mins: Another attack from the home side as Gaston Fernandez played a breakout ball from the edge of his own penalty area and set Alves Powell free on the right hand side, his shot was low and Frei was able to collect once again. 30 mins: Another lovely move from defense from the home side as Valeri, Fernandez, and Adi setup Nagbe who went looking for his 2nd but his shot was just inches wide of the far post with Frei beaten. 37 mins: A decent opportunity to get onto the end of a ball from Andy Rose for the Seattle Sounders but Michael Azira just could not connect in a rare attack for the Seattle Sounders and Rose is furious that Azira could not connect. 39 mins: GOAL! A free kick won by Marco Pappa was swung in from the left hand side by Tyrone Mears and it flew over everyone except Lamar Neagle who snuck in at the back post to volley home comfortable and make it 1-1. Kwarasey didn’t come for it and Borchers did not connect as poor defensive mistakes cost the Timbers once again this season. Portland Timbers 1-1 Seattle Sounders.
Half Time Score: Portland Timbers 1-1 Seattle Sounders Shots: Portland Timbers 10-3 Seattle Sounders Possession: Portland Timbers 50%-50% Seattle Sounders 2nd Half: 60 mins: Some lovely work on the break after a spell of Seattle pressure as Chara found Powell on the right wing and his cross was almost pinpoint perfect for Adi but he just couldn’t reach it. 62 mins: As the Timbers began to try to get on top once again, Valeri orchestrated a move in which he traded passes with Villafana on the left hand side and the knocked it into Fernandez who put it back into Valeri’s path but his curled low shot from just outside the box went just wide of the far post. 68 mins: Borchers won the ball deep inside his own half after a 5 go game of head tennis, he found Nagbe with a sweet low pass who then knocked it onto Fernandez who wriggled around Evans but his shot was saved once again by Frei as the home side took a foothold once again in the match. Valeri came off for Rodney Wallace. Fitness probably the reason as Valeri was pulling the string in that Timbers midfield. 73 mins: Rodney Wallace won the ball with excellent reading of the intentions of the Seattle defender and combined with Nagbe who knocked it wide to Powell and his low cross almost found Wallace again but he scuffed his shot while off balance. Portland were turning up the heat once again. 74 mins: GOAL! Nagbe was released through and made one of his classic mazy runs and he nonchalantly found Adi who turned and swept it high into the net to take a deserved lead. Portland Timbers 2-1 Seattle Sounders. 76 mins: GOAL! Rodney Wallace made a heck of an impact since coming on and won the ball from Seattle almost straight from the kick off, his pass to Adi was excellent and Adi fired low and hard into the net for yet another brace this season for the striker. Portland Timbers 3-1 Seattle Sounders. 90 mins: GOAL: Substitute Urruti came on for Gaston Fernandez for the last 10 minutes or so and jinxed through the middle of the Seattle defense for one last hoorah as he slipped in Rodney Wallace who had been excellent since coming on also and Wallace made no mistake to finish of the rout as the home fans went nuts one more time. Portland Timbers 4-1 Seattle Sounders. Summary 5 wins in 6 games for the Portland Timbers who are proving to now be a force to be reckoned with. Seattle may well have been without Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins but the home side played with a swagger at home that has been growing in the past month or so and the clinical finishing was there for all to see and Caleb Porter must be delighted with how his team and indeed squad are performing. For Seattle, this is 2 defeats in a row for them and 3 if you include the MLS Cup loss again to the Timbers, and so they need to regroup and continue to push for the Supporters shield. The home crowd? Well, what can you say, they went home very, very happy in a rather one sided affair. Shots: Portland Timbers 23 (11)–6 (1) Seattle Sounders Possession: Portland Timbers 47% – 53% Seattle Sounders
Posted by Mark Henty at 6:15 PM |