PORTLAND, Ore. – A first-half goal by forward Yaikel Perez helped Crystal Palace Baltimore to a 1-0 victory over the Portland Timbers on Thursday in front of 8,817 at PGE Park. The loss ended the Timbers four-game unbeaten run to open the 2010 campaign.
The Timbers returned to league play Thursday after a 13-day layoff since their last match. After a slow start, Portland (3-1-1, 10pts) found its rhythm and attempted 16 of its 19 shots in the second half trying to find the equalizer. Forwards Mandjou Keita and George Josten combined for 10 shots on the night and each had attempts hit off of the goal.
Portland was dealt its first loss and first shutout of the season, despite a 19-10 advantage in shots and five saves from goalkeeper Steve Cronin.
Perez scored his first goal of the season in the 29th minute and goalkeeper Evan Bush made four saves – all in the second half – to lead Baltimore (1-3-1, 4pts) to its first win of the season.
Crystal Palace Baltimore took the lead in near the half-hour mark, capitalizing on a well-timed run through the box by Perez. From just outside the box along the right side, midfielder Pat Healey whipped in a cross, which found Perez cutting through. From 10 yards out, Perez flicked the ball inside the top near corner of the goal just beyond the reach of Cronin.
A couple of early substitutions by head coach Gavin Wilkinson sparked the Timbers’ attack midway through the first half. In the 40th minute, substitute Alex Nimo set up the home side’s best scoring chance of the period when he sent a short cross into the box for Keita. Eight yards out from goal, Keita out-jumped his defender and hammered a header just over the cross bar.
In the 27th minute, Josten had a chance to put Portland on the board. Keita worked the ball inside to Josten stationed at the top of the box. Josten hit a hard shot past a diving Bush, but laid it off the left post. Josten could not catch up to the deflection before Crystal Palace Baltimore was able to clear the ball away.
The Timbers put Baltimore under constant pressure in the second half, with a season-high 16 shots and eight corner kick attempts in the period.
Josten had another chance in the 66th minute to find his first goal of the season. A chipped pass across the box by Keita found Josten on the back side, but his header was turned away by Bush with an outstretched hand on a diving effort.
Late in the match, Keita had two dangerous shots hit off the post. In the 76th minute, a cross from defender Scot Thompson dropped in for Keita just outside the six-yard box. Keita’s bid for the equalizer bounced off the right post. Two minutes later, his header off a corner kick rattled off the top right corner of the frame.
The Timbers pushed everyone forward in the closing minutes of the match. Midfielder Ryan Pore, who entered the game on a four-game scoring streak, had a close-range shot deflected inside the box in the 90th minute. Late sub Doug DeMartin also had a pair of chances in stoppage time, including looping header that was reeled in by Bush.
The Timbers return to action on Saturday as they play host to AC St. Louis at PGE Park at 7 p.m. The first 2,000 fans receive a limited-edition Timbers skateboard deck. Tickets start at $12 in advance and are available for purchase at the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
Notes: Earlier in the day, the Timbers announced the club will play host to English Premier League club Manchester City in a friendly on July 17 at Merlo Field in Portland, Ore. …Pore’s scoring streak of four games came to an end Thursday … Keita, the team’s leading scorer in 2009, made his first start of the season on Thursday since returning from an extended loan in India … In two career games at PGE Park, Bush is 2-0-0 with a pair of shutouts.
Lineups:
POR: GK Cronin, D Kirk (Thompson, 59), D Keel (DeMartin, 83), D Purdy, D Joy, M Farber (Nimo, 24), M Marcelin (McManus, 33), M Claesson (Suzuki, 45), M Pore, F Josten, F Keita
BAL: GK Bush, D Nishimura, D Marshall, D Teixeira, D Robson, M Yoshitake (Seabrook, 62), M Lucio, M Healey, M Mbuta, F Brooks (Patterson, 55), F Perez (Neto, 78)
Scoring Summary:
BAL: Perez (Healey), 29
Timbers Player Ratings (As submitted by Portland media members on a 1-10 scale)
G – Steve Cronin – 5.5, D – Stephen Keel – 6.5, D – Ian Joy – 6.5, D – Steve Purdy – 6, D – Quavas Kirk – 5, M – Johan Claesson – 5, M – Brian Farber – 5, M – James Marcelin – 5, M – Ryan Pore – 5.5, F – Mandjou Keita – 6.5, F – George Josten – 6.5
D – Scot Thompson – 6.5, M – Tony McManus – 7, M – Alex Nimo – 7, F – Doug DeMartin – 6, F – Takayuki Suzuki – 7
