BAYAMON, Puerto Rico
- Mauricio Salles scored two goals and the Portland Timbers dropped their second game in three attempts, losing 2-0 to the Puerto Rico Islanders Monday night at Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel.
Puerto Rico goalkeeper Dan Kennedy, who was the Timbers’ second round draft pick in this year’s college draft, handed the Timbers their first shutout of the season with just three saves in the match.
The two clubs play a rematch on Thursday, June 16, in the Timbers’ first game back at PGE Park following the four-game road trip.
Salles dialed in his first goal of the evening for the Islanders (3-2-3, 12pts) in the sixth minute, cradling a cross from Peter Villagas and putting a left-footed shot past Portland goalkeeper Josh Saunders for the 1-0 lead.
Saunders made two tremendous saves in the opening minutes of the second half to keep the match close, turning back a shot from Corey Woolfolk and putting his left hand on the follow-up to deny the Islanders a goal.
The Portland goalkeeper finished the match with six saves while facing 19 shots.
Salles put the contest out of reach in the 74th, teeing off a spectacular goal from 24 yards out that left the Timbers’ back line stunned and the Islanders up 2-0.
The Timbers (4-2-3, 15pts) wrap up their four-game road trip with a match at Vancouver on Friday, June 10. Kickoff is 7 p.m. (Pacific).
TIMBERS NOTES:
At a rough distance of 3,700 miles, Monday’s match was the farthest the Timbers have played away from PGE Park in five USL seasons … Timbers fans can log on to www.portlandtimbers.com to check out broadcaster Andy McNamara’s travel blog … McNamara, in his fifth season as the “Voice of the Portland Timbers,” has been updating his web journal on a daily basis.
SCORING SUMMARY:
Salles, 6’ (Villagas); Salles, 74’ (UA).
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
POR Thompson, YC (57’); PRI Salles, YC (7’), Maliza, YC (43’).
LINEUPS:
PORTLAND (4-2-3) J. Saunders GK, Morrison D, Wilkinson D (S. Saunders 45’), Thompson D, Miranda M, Poltl M (Alcaraz-Cuellar 70’), Winters M, Benedetti M (Lines 45’), Heinzen M, Antoniuk F (Afash 73’), Conway F (Alvarez 45’); PUERTO RICO (3-2-3) Kennedy GK, Ortiz D, Zuleta D, Velez D, Rivera D, Maliza M, Gonzalez M (Delgado 62’), Da Silva M (Gores 74’), Villagas M (Mourelo 89’), Woolfolk F (McAthy 69’), Salles F (Nieves 83’).
