Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
– A first-half goal by defender Kyle Veris guided the Miami FC Blues to a 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers at Lockhart Stadium on Saturday evening. Portland returns home from its two-game road trip to begin play in the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tuesday at PGE Park.
Goalkeeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell logged three saves to earn the shutout and Veris scored his first goal of the season to lead the Blues (2-2-7, 13pts) to their second win of the season.
Midfielders Alex Nimo and Ryan Pore each contributed to Portland’s nine shots, while goalkeeper Steve Cronin made three critical saves during the contest. The Timbers (3-4-4, 13pts) were dealt their first road loss by the Blues since May 12, 2006, ending a four-game unbeaten run in Miami.
The home side claimed the lead in the 26th minute on a header by Veris. Defender Euzebio Neto served a corner kick from the right side to the back post. Running through the box, Veris was the first to the ball and he bounced a shot from the top of the six yard box by Cronin to give Miami FC enough to seal the victory.
Just before halftime, forward Mandjou Keita presented the Timbers best scoring chance of the half. From the top of the box midfielder Ryan Pore slipped a pass wide left to Keita open inside the area. After a centering touch, Keita aimed a shot at the top far corner that sailed just over the crossbar.
In the opening moments of the second half, Cronin turned in key save on the back post. Off a corner kick by Blues midfielder Christian Gomez, Miami was able to put a shot on frame. Cronin quickly got to the ground on the right post to stop the shot short of the goal line.
Portland pressed forward most of the second half, looking to find the equalizer. In the 75th minute a free kick by Nimo in a dangerous spot led to a string of chances around the box. Nimo’s initial ball was knocked around the penalty area before setting up the midfielder for a hard shot, which was blocked. Pore then sent a ball towards the goal on a follow-up effort, but it was scooped up by Patterson-Sewell.
The Timbers used the flanks to generate scoring opportunities throughout the match, and connected on a series of passes just inside the 75th minute to create a pair of quality chances from the wings for forwards Takayuki Suzuki and George Josten.
Portland defender Mamandou Danso nearly tucked a shot inside the post in the 78th minute. A ball played into the box landed at the feet of the second-half sub. Under pressure, Danso drilled a low driven shot at the right post that just missed the mark.
Midfielder Ariel Germiniani looked to find Miami FC’s second goal of the night in the 80th minute. Receiving a pass from across the field, Germiniani pulled the trigger on a long, rolling shot from the top right corner across the box at the left post. Cronin was able to get his fingers on the ball to knock it wide.
Portland escaped another scoring threat by the Blues late in the first half. Off a set piece from the right side, midfielder J.P. Rodriguez found the back of the net in the 40th minute, but an offside call cancelled out the tally.
The Timbers play host to the Sonoma County Sol of the U.S. Adult Soccer Association in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday at PGE Park; kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets start at $8 in advance and are available for purchase at the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster location, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
Notes:
Timbers defender Scot Thompson played in his 150th regular-season match as a member of the club; he first joined the Timbers in 2004 … Portland was held scoreless in back-to-back games for the first time since September 2008 … Miami’s starting lineup featured former Timbers defender Mike Randolph, who played for Portland during the 2006 season … Cronin started his 40th consecutive league match for the Timbers on Saturday.
Lineups:
POR: GK Cronin, D Thompson, D Keel, D Smith (Danso, 63), D Joy (Cameron, 45), M Nimo, M Marcelin, M McManus (Lopez, 77), M Pore, F Dike (Suzuki, 45), F Keita (Josten, 67)
MIA: GK Patterson-Sewell, D Kirby, D Veris, D Randolph, D Neto, M Cameron, M Rodriguez, M Shriver (Germiniani, 68), M Gomez (Cabas, 80), F Thompson, F Santeliz (Dominguez, 89)
Scoring Summary:
MIA: Veris (Neto), 26
