VANCOUVER, B.C. –.A game-winning goal by forward Clark Phillips helped the Portland Timbers U-23s to a fourth straight win to open the 2012 Premier Development League season, with a 2-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23 at the University of British Columbia’s Thunderbird Stadium on Saturday.
Timbers U-23s defender Chris Harms scored the go-ahead goal in the 11th minute, but Whitecaps FC U-23 answered back eight minutes later on an equalizer by midfielder Gagandeep Dosanjh as the two sides entered halftime even at 1-1. Phillips provided the game-winning strike in the 75th minute.
Harms and Phillips scored their first goals of the season, midfielder Cameron Vickers recorded an assist in his fourth straight match and goalkeeper Spencer Richey logged four saves to lead the Timbers U-23s (4-0-0, 12pts) to victory in their first road contest of the season. With the win, Portland holds steady in first place in the PDL’s Northwest Division.
Dosanjh’s scored his first goal of the season for Whitecaps FC U-23 (2-2-1, 7pts), facing its second match in four days.
Through the first four games of the season, the Timbers U-23s defense has allowed just two goals.
The Timbers U-23s return home to play host to Whitecaps FC U-23 on Friday, June 1, as part of a Health and Fitness School Day, presented by Providence Sports Care Center, at JELD-WEN Field; kickoff for the special daytime match is 11 a.m. (Pacific). Tickets are $7 and are available for purchase at the JELD-WEN Field box office.
Notes: With the goals by defender Chris Harms and forward Clark Phillips, the Timbers U-23s have had eight different goal scorers through the opening four games of the 2012 season … Midfielder Cam Vickers has a team-high five assists and has logged an assist in four straight matches … The Timbers U-23s improve to 5-1-1 in the all-time series with the Whitecaps FC U-23 (formerly Whitecaps Residency), including a 3-1-0 mark on the road … Goalkeeper Spencer Richey logged his PDL-leading fourth win of the season Saturday … Added to the team’s roster late Friday, midfielder Nick Hamer and Will Seymor made their Timbers U-23s debut as second-half subs against Whitecaps FC U-23.
Scoring Summary:
POR: Harms (Vickers), 11
VAN: Dosanjh, 19
POR: Phillips, 75
Misconduct Summary:
POR: Miller (Caution), 52
VAN: McKendry (Caution), 88
Lineups:
POR: GK Spencer Richey, D Chris Harms (Will Seymore, 65), D Evyn Hewett, D Anthony Hobbs, D Marc Tonkel (Nick Hamer, 64), M Roberto Farfan (Clark Phillips, 68), M Eric Miller, M Andrew Ribeiro, M Cam Vickers (John McFarlin, 73), F Steven Evans (Joey De Mare, 88), F Mark Sherrod (Ricardo Carillo, 75)
Subs not used: GK Justin Baarts
VAN: GK Callum Irving, D James Farenhorst, D Bhupinder Jhutty, D Shawn Kenneth Parkes, D Adam Polakiewicz, M Gagandeep Dosanjh, M Gagandeep Josan (Ben McKendry, 35), M Reynold Brendan Stewart (Michael Marouosek, 60), F Katar Hundal, F Sangyoon Hwang (Spencer DeBoice, 68), F Juan Carlos Marquez (Benjamin Fisk, 54)
Subs not used: GK Sean Melvin, D Tyrin Hutchings, F Wesley Cain
