PORTLAND, Ore.
– Midfielder Ryan Pore continued his early-season scoring streak with two more goals as the Portland Timbers defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 Thursday night at PGE Park. With the win, the Timbers remain unbeaten to open the season.
Pore has scored in each of the Timbers’ first four games of the USSF Division-2 Pro League season and paces the league with six goals. The Timbers were reduced to 10 men late in the match, but even short-handed, Pore delivered the game-winning strike in the 86th minute with a header inside the right post.
Midfielder James Marcelin tallied his first assist of the season and goalkeeper Steve Cronin recorded three saves, including a crucial stop in the closing minutes, to help the Timbers (3-0-1, 10pts) hand the Whitecaps their first loss of the season and take an early lead in the Cascadia Cup derby. Portland is in first place in the United Soccer Leagues Conference.
Defender Nelson Akwari scored his first goal of the season and midfielder Martin Nash recorded an assist and was dangerous on set pieces for Vancouver (2-1-1,7pts). Despite the loss, the Whitecaps, who had 10 corner kick attempts throughout the match, remain in first place in the North American Soccer League Conference.
In another physical matchup between the Northwest rivals, the action started early with both Portland and Vancouver scoring inside the first 15 minutes of the match. The first half was fast-paced, with each side finding its opportunities around the goal.
Pore opened the scoring in the seventh minute on a free kick goal from 25 yards out. Forward O.J. Obatola was fouled just outside the arc to set up the play. Pore unleashed a shot around the Whitecaps’ five-man wall and inside the top left corner of the goal to lift the home side to a 1-0 lead.
Four minutes later, the Whitecaps answered back on one of their five first-half corner kick attempts. From the right corner Nash found Akwari on the back post. Uncontested, Akwari headed in the equalizer from six yards out, bouncing a shot under the diving effort of Cronin.
Much like the first half, the second half featured quality scoring opportunities on goal for both sides. In the 57th minute, Pore had a chance to put the Timbers on top. He found space near the top left side of the box and ripped a shot from distance on frame that forced Vancouver goalkeeper Jay Nolly into a sprawling save to keep the game level at 1-1.
Ten minutes later, the Whitecaps responded with a close chance of their own. A free kick just outside the box was taken by Nash, and he sent a hard shot off the top left corner of the woodwork.
After Portland sub Doug DeMartin had a breakaway shot deflected by Nolly midway through the second half, Timbers defender Scot Thompson a initiated run down the right side and crossed the ball into Pore on the left post. Pore headed the ball back across the goal mouth, but no one was home to finish the build up.
Timbers defender Mamadou Danso was issued his second caution of the night in the 84th minute and was sent off by referee Desmond Miller, forcing Portland to finish out the match a man short.
Two minutes later, Marcelin served a pin-point cross into the box to help put the Timbers back on top. Marcelin’s ball found Pore with space inside the box, and Pore headed a shot just beyond the reach of Nolly and inside the post for the game-winning goal.
But Vancouver had one final chance to level things in the closing minutes of the contest. Midfielder Jonny Steele blasted a 20-yard shot from the left side aimed at the top right corner of the goal that was turned away by Cronin with a diving effort.
The Timbers play host to Costa Rican side Puntarenas FC on Saturday at PGE Park in an international exhibition; kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets start at $12 and are available through the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.tickemaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
Notes:
In six career games against the Whitecaps, Pore has scored five goals … Pore's brace were the first goals allowed by the Whitecaps in 2010 ... Forward Mandjou Keita returned from a six-month loan spell in India on Wednesday; he did not play against Vancouver … The Timbers improve to 5-1-6 at home against Vancouver since the 2005 season ... Seven cautions were handed out by Miller during the match; five were issued to Portland ... The two sides finished even in shots with nine a piece.
Lineups:
POR: GK Cronin, D Joy, D Keel (Purdy, 72), D Danso, D Kirk (Thompson, 45), M Pore, M Claesson, M Marcelin, M Farber (Lopez, 60), F Obatola (DeMartin, 45), F Josten (Suzuki, 89)
VAN: GK Nolly, D Tsiskaridze, D Janicki, D Akwari, D Williams, M Nash, M Bellisomo, M Knight (Philippe, 89), M Toure (Moose, 78), F Haber (Edwini-Bonsu, 82), F James (Steele, 63)
Scoring Summary:
POR: Pore, 7
VAN: Akwari (Nash), 11
POR: Pore (Marcelin), 86
Timbers Player Ratings
(on a scale of 1-0; submitted by members of the Portland media):
Starters-
GK – Steve Cronin – 7.5, D – Stephen Keel – 6, D – Ian Joy – 6.5, D – Quavas Kirk – 5, D – Mamadou “Futty” Danso – 6.5, M – Brian Farber – 5, M – Johan Claesson – 7, M – James Marcelin – 7, M – Ryan Pore – 8, F – O.J. Obatola – 5, F – George Josten – 6.5
Subs-
D – Scot Thompson – 7, D – Steve Purdy – 7, M – Rodrigo Lopez – 6.5, F – Doug DeMartin – 7, F – Takayuki Suzuki – n/a
