PORTLAND, Ore.
- The San Jose Earthquakes advanced past the Portland Timbers in the 2005 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with goals from Wade Barrett and Brian Mullan before 6,607 Wednesday night at PGE Park.
Major League Soccer got the best of the USL First Division in the cross-league match, while Portland falls to 2-3 all-time against MLS opponents.
The Timbers return to league play with a Friday night game versus the Minnesota Thunder at PGE Park, followed by a Sunday home match with the rival Seattle Sounders, also at PGE Park.
Goalkeeper Josh Saunders, a former Earthquake, found plenty of action in the affair, facing 16 shots while roping in seven saves in the loss.
In the opening minutes, it was the Timbers who looked the stronger side, but the tide began to turn just 10 minutes in after two quality chances failed to produce results.
Scot Thompson sent a header wide in the second minute on a free kick from Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar and an open Fadi Afash sent his shot straight at the ‘keeper in the fifth.
San Jose delivered the first of two goals in the 27th minute when Barrett sent a ball out wide to Brad Davis, whose cross into the box found the streaking defender for a right-footed finish past Saunders.
In the second half, the Timbers nearly got the first goal back on two different occasions in a minute’s span.
Dan Antoniuk put a shot inches wide of the post in the 58th while Tom Poltl drove a 30-yard rocket just over the ‘keeper and the crossbar.
Mullan added the second goal for the Earthquakes in the 63rd when he beat Saunders to a ball and bounced it into the untended net.
Alcaraz-Cuellar nearly struck for a consolation goal in the 83rd when he volleyed a loose ball in the box off the cross bar.
The Timbers next match versus Minnesota will kick off at 8 p.m. (Pacific) to accommodate a national broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel.
TIMBERS NOTES:
Timbers defender Kevin Goldthwaite, who was loaned to Portland last week, was recalled by San Jose for the match and picked up a yellow card while playing 45 minutes as a substitute in the second half … Jarrod Weis made his first career start for the Timbers, playing 90 minutes on the wing.
SCORING SUMMARY:
SJE Barrett, 27’ (Davis); Mullan, 63’ (Russell).
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
SJE Goldthwaite, YC (51’).
LINEUPS:
PORTLAND J. Saunders GK, Thompson D, Marcum D, Morrison D, Miranda D, Poltl M (Benedetti 70’), Winters M, Alcaraz-Cuellar M, Weis M, Antoniuk F, Afash F (Higgins 68’); SAN JOSE Conway GK, Gray D, Califf D, Robinson D, Barrett D (Goldthwaite 45’), O’Rourke M, Russell M (Wondolowski 80’), De Rosario M, Davis M (Chung 70’), Mullan F (Nash 86’), Moreno F.
