PORTLAND
, Ore. –
Midfielder Brian Farber scored his second goal of the season and Ryan Pore delivered the game-winning penalty kick goal in the 90th minute as the Portland Timbers defeated the Rochester Rhinos 2-1 in front of 7,556 at PGE Park Thursday.
Farber scored the go-ahead goal for Portland just before halftime, but the Rhinos rallied back despite playing a man down to tie the match at 1-1 in the 66th minute. The Timbers, who out-shot Rochester 25-10, mounted a late comeback which set up Pore for a game-winning penalty kick after defender Stephen Keel was fouled in the box during second-half stoppage time.
Pore’s goal was his second of the season, forward Mandjou Keita recorded an assist and goalkeeper Steve Cronin logged five saves for the Timbers (2-1-2, 8pts), who extended their unbeaten streak to four games.
Defender Darren Kenton found the equalizer in the 66th minute for his first goal of the season and midfielder Tiger Fitzpatrick attempted three shots to lead the Rhinos (3-2-1, 10 pts), who had a three-game winning streak come to an end Thursday. Rochester midfielder Nano Short was ejected in the second half, forcing the visiting side to play a man short for the final 29 minutes of the match.
The two sides played a physical first half, but it was the home side that opened up the game in the second minute and put the Rhinos under pressure throughout the opening period. Timbers defender David Hayes sent a 35 yard free kick into the box that connected with defender Cameron Knowles on the left post. Knowles’ header missed just wide.
Pore took four shots in the first half, including one from inside the box in the 37th minute. Following a deflected Timbers shot, the ball rolled out to Pore set up inside the top left corner of the box. On his second touch, he fired a shot on target but Rochester goalkeeper Scott Vallow was in position to smother the attempt.
Pore also set up chance for Keita in the 25th minute on a short corner played by Hayes. Pore chipped the ball into the box for Keita inside the six-yard box. Keita skied over his defender to connect with the ball, but his header sailed over the crossbar.
The Timbers pressure on the Rochester defense paid off in the 40th minute, as Farber broke the stalemate with shot from the door step. Keita fought off his defender as he took the ball down the left side of the box towards the end line. He sent a pass back across the goal mouth and had two Timbers teammates, including Farber, making a run on the back side. Farber caught up with the pass and drilled his shot between Vallow and the goal post to give Portland the lead.
Portland continued its offensive rhythm early in the second half. In the 56th minute, midfielder Johan Claesson had a chance to double the Timbers’ advantage. The ball was played over the top to Keita near the penalty spot. He chested the ball down and out to Claesson at the top of the box. Claesson fired a shot at the right post that was stopped on the goal line with a diving effort by Vallow.
In the 61st minute, the Timbers were given a one-man advantage after Short was issued a straight red card by referee Landis Wiley.
Despite playing a man short, Rochester leveled the scored in the 66th minute on a follow up shot by defender Darren Kenton. A free kick from the left side found Defender Kenny Bertz for a header the top of the six yard box shot right at Cronin. Cronin made the initial stop, but the ball went back into play, allowing Kenton to crack the rebound into the back of the net for the equalizer at 1-1.
Led by Pore, a full-sided Timbers squad continued to apply pressure on Rochester and generated several opportunities to take the lead as the second half wore on. Portland had six shots on goal in the final four minutes of the match, including a shot from the top of the box in the 87th minute by Pore.
As regulation drew near, second half sub Takayuki Suzuki had one final attempt as he delivered a shot off a Scot Thompson throw in from the right side. Suzuki, on the back post, poked his header at the top left corner of the goal, but a Rochester defender knocked the shot away.
As the game entered stoppage time, the Timbers continued to pepper the Rochester goal with shots and passes into the box, hoping for one last effort on target. In the 90th minute, Keel was fouled in the box while attempting to get to a ball in the air, which set up the game-winning penalty kick goal by Pore. After some delay, Pore stepped up to spot and netted the go-ahead goal inside the left post to give Portland their second straight victory at home.
The Timbers hit the road for a series of matches against the Puerto Rico Islanders on Friday, May 22 at 5 p.m. (Pacific) and Sunday, May 24 at 4 p.m. (Pacific). A live broadcast will be available online at
www.portlandtimbers.com
, with a live video webcast available through USL Live at www.usllive.com.
Notes:
Defender Scot Thompson played in his 120th career match as a member of the Timbers ... Portland had their string of three consecutive shutouts snapped by Rochester Thursday. The scoreless streak by the Timbers backline spanned 363 minutes … Rochester midfielder Andrew Gregor, who played for the Timbers from 2007-08, made his first start of the season for the Rhinos against his former club … Pore took a season-high 10 shots against the Rhinos.
Lineups:
POR: GK Cronin, D Hayes, D Keel, D Knowles, D Thompson, M Pore, M Claesson, M McManus (Nimo, 87), M Farber (Suzuki, 70), F Keita, F McLaughlin (Savage, 65)
ROC: GK Vallow, D Ball (Heins, 63), D Bertz, D Sancho, D Earls, M Nurse (Kenton, 45), M Short, M Fitzpatrick, F Gregor, F Menyongar (Sarkowdie, 89), F Ambersley (Salles, 45)
