PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers punched their ticket to the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs with a resounding 4-0 win over D.C. United at Providence Park Sunday evening in front of a sellout crowd of 21,144.
Midfielder Sebastián Blanco scored a brace, Diego Valeri contributed a goal and two assists while Alvas Powell scored his second goal of the season. Goalkeeper Jeff Attinella made five saves as the Timbers picked up their seventh clean sheet of 2017.
- MATCHCENTER: Stats
- MATCHCENTER: Boxscore and Chalkboard
Match Moments
43' - SAVE (POR) - D.C.'s Zoltán Stieber carried upfield and fired a knuckling shot from distance that tested Timbers goalkeeper Jeff Attinella but he parried it away for a corner.
45' - CHANCE (POR) - Alvas Powell sprinted down the right side with the ball, cut in and around D.C. goalkeeper Steve Clark but his shot was blocked by a United defender. David Guzmán collected the rebound and fired but his shot was then blocked off the line.
45+3' - GOAL (POR) - Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri put the home side on the board in first-half stoppage time with a penalty kick to the lower left corner of the net for a 1-0 Portland lead. The penalty was awarded moments earlier after Darren Mattocks had attempted to round Clark but the 'keeper collided with the forward and referee Mark Geiger pointed to the spot.
Number 21 of the season for Diego Valeri. 🙌 #RCTID#PORvDCUpic.twitter.com/qw0TC7sILc
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) October 16, 2017
49' - SAVE (POR) - Attinella came up big when he made a diving save to his left to stop a header from Luciana Acosta and then recovered to deny a follow-up point-blank shot from Patrick Mullins.
50' - GOAL (POR) - Portland defender Alvas Powell scored when he calmly approached the right corner of the 18-yard box before hammering a low shot with his left foot to the far corner of the D.C. net for a 2-0 Timbers lead. Valeri, credited with the assist, became just the second player in league history to register 20 goals and 10 assists in the same season.
Diego Valeri's assist put him in the record books - he's the 2nd player in @MLS history to score 20 goals & have 10 assists in one season.🙌 pic.twitter.com/oj8GcpwF6Z
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) October 16, 2017
57' - CHANCE (POR) - Powell almost added a second when he sprinted down the right side towards goal, beat a United defender and shot on target only to have Clark knock the ball over the bar.
60' - GOAL (POR) - Blanco continued the rout when he combined nicely with Valeri on the edge of the box before deftly placing his shot over Clark and into the top left corner of the net for a 3-0 Portland lead.
What. A. Strike.🔥🔥🔥 Take a bow, Blanco. #RCTID#PORvDCUpic.twitter.com/bT1e1mypdj
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) October 16, 2017
82' - SAVE (POR) - Attinella leaped high to tip over the bar a dangerous shot from distance from D.C.'s Lloyd Sam. A minute later, he tipped away a close-in shot from Russell Canouse.
86' - GOAL (POR) - After forward Jeremy Ebobisse forced a turnover from D.C.'s Steve Birnbaum, Blanco scooped up the loose ball, zigged and zagged around two defenders, rounded the 'keeper and roofed his shot to give Portland a 4-0 lead.
Portland will close out the regular-season next Sunday when they host Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a rivalry match that will decide the winner of the 2017 Cascadia Cup (1:00pm PT, ROOT SPORTS).
Portland Timbers (14-11-8, 50pts) vs. D.C. United (9-19-5, 32pts)
Oct. 15, 2017 – Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
D.C. United 0 0 0
Portland Timbers 1 3 4
Scoring Summary:
POR: Valeri (Penalty kick), 45+3
POR: Powell (Valeri), 50
POR: Blanco (Valeri), 60
POR: Blanco, 86
Misconduct Summary:
DC: Clark (Caution), 45+3
POR: Guzmán (Caution), 58
Lineups & Stats:
POR: GK Attinella, D Powell, D Mabiala, D Ridgewell ©, D Vytas, M Guzmán (Olum, 66), M Chara, M Blanco, M Valeri, M Nagbe (Asprilla, 61), F Mattocks (Ebobisse, 75)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Gleeson, D Miller, D Valentin, M Zemanski
TOTAL SHOTS: 17 (Mattocks, Valeri, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 8 (Three players tied, 2); FOULS: 6 (Guzmán, 3); OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 5
DC: GK Clark, D Korb, D Birnbaum, D Canouse, D Robinson, M Harkes (Sarvas, 67), M Acosta, M Arriola, M Stieber (Sam, 67), M DeLeon, F Mullins (Miranda, 75)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Klenofsky, D Franklin, D Odel-Atsem, F Brown
TOTAL SHOTS: 7 (Arriola, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Five players tied, 1); FOULS: 9 (Mullins, 3); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 3
Referee: Mark Geiger
Assistant Referees: Logan Brown, Jeffrey Greeson
4th Official: Ricardo Salazar
VAR: Fotis Bazakos
Attendance: 21,144
Weather: Clear, 56 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
