BURNABY, B.C.
– Rookie forward Alan Gordon scored two goals and midfielder Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar added another as the Portland Timbers defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 Sunday night at Swangard Stadium.
The win was the first-ever in Vancouver for the A-League Timbers, who snapped a seven game winless streak north of the border.
The Timbers (4-0-0, 12pts) remain undefeated and in first place in the Western Conference ahead of Minnesota (11pts) and Vancouver (10pts).
For the first time all season, Portland had to come from behind to capture the win.
The Timbers found themselves down a goal when the Whitecaps’ Davide Xausa went on a run inside the box and found the back of the net to give Vancouver the 1-0 lead in the 29th minute.
Portland would not wait to equalize, as Gordon scored his first goal of the game in the 34th, heading in a cross from Jake Sagare to even things up from six yards out.
Alcaraz-Cuellar put the Timbers on top in the 41st minute, dribbling through the Whitecaps defense and beating the goalkeeper to hand the visitors from the Rose City a 2-1 lead at halftime.
Gordon, an Oregon State product, tallied his second goal of the evening in the 65th, taking a free kick from Alcaraz-Cuellar and heading it in for the final goal of the match.
Gordon leads the Timbers with three goals on the year and Alcaraz-Cuellar paces the team in assists, with three as well.
Despite the scoring disparity, Vancouver held the edge in corner kicks Sunday, 8-2 and had several good chances at a goal midway through the second half.
The Timbers will return home to PGE Park to face the Milwaukee Wave United on Saturday, May 29. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
TIMBERS NOTES:
Sunday’s match was the third of eight for the Timbers against Northwest rivals Seattle and Vancouver in the quest for the 2004 Cascadia Cup. Portland leads the competition with nine points … Vancouver midfielder Martin Nash is the older brother of Dallas Mavericks point guard Steve Nash … Shawn Saunders, who started the first three games for the Timbers at midfield, was moved to defender Sunday night … midfielder Brian Winters, sidelined by injury this season, saw his first action of the year Sunday, subbing in for Scott Benedetti in the 85th minute.
SCORING SUMMARY:
Xausa, 29’ (Corrazin); Gordon, 34’ (Sagare); Alcaraz-Cuellar, 41’ (Bengard); Gordon, 65’ (Alcaraz-Cuellar).
PENALTY SUMMARY:
POR S. Saunders, YC (15’), Morrison, YC (45’); VAN Nash, YC (66’), Lyle, YC (90’).
LINEUPS:
PORTLAND (4-0-0) J. Saunders GK, Morrison D, Wilkinson D, Heinzen D, S. Saunders D, Benedetti M (Winters 85’), Bengard M, Alcaraz-Cuellar M, Sagare M, Gordon F (Antoniuk 82’), Alvarez F; VANCOUVER (3-1-1) M. Franks GK, Clarke D, Lyle D, Dasovic D, Morris M (Harmse 46’), Sulentic M (Kindel 46’), Nash M (Griffiths 68’), Valente M, C. Franks M, Corrazin F, Xausa F (Piette 77’).
