PORTLAND
, Ore. -
Forward
Bryan Jordan
scored two first-half goals to lead the Portland Timbers to a 4-1 exhibition win over Major League Soccer's Toronto FC in front of 6,614 at PGE Park on Sunday evening. With the win over the MLS expansion side, the Timbers recorded a clean sweep of exhibition opponents in 2007 and remain unbeaten at PGE Park this season.
The Timbers featured three invited players in the starting line up and each one made an impact on the result including former University of Portland midfielder
Miguel Guante
who recorded a goal and an assist in the first half. Forward
Roger Levesque
, who played for the Seattle Sounders in 2007, logged an assist. Levesque's teammate from Seattle, midfielder
Kenji Treschuk
, started at the holding midfield position.
The goal scored by Toronto FC in the 25th minute was the first goal scored on the Timbers at home since Portland's exhibition match against England's Preston North End on July 28th. In 2007, the Timbers have not lost a match at home, posting a combined record of 12-0-7 including regular-season, playoff and exhibition matches at PGE Park.
Portland built a 3-1 lead in the first half on goals by Jordan and Guante, and the pair would also team up to give the Timbers a 2-0 lead by the 20th minute. Entering the match for an injured
Jaime Ambriz
in the 17th minute, Jordan scored two goals within three minutes of stepping on to the pitch.
In the 19th minute, Levesque received a long ball over the top and headed it on for Jordan. Out-running his defender, Jordan was able to force a one-on-one with Toronto goalkeeper
Kenny Stamatopoulos
and chipped the ball over his head for a 1-0 lead.
Less than a minute later, Guante found Jordan with space in the top left corner of the penalty area. Jordan doubled the Timbers lead by slotting home his second goal of the night inside the far post.
Toronto FC, who finished their inaugural MLS season last weekend, pulled one back in the 25th minute on a goal by midfielder
Chris Pozniak
. The play developed on a shot by midfielder and recent addition to the U.S. National Team
Maurice Edu
which was knocked down by Timbers goalkeeper
Josh Wicks
but the ball deflected back into play. Pozniak charged the loose ball from the top of the box and fired a shot from 12 yards out that ricocheted off the crossbar and landed just inside the goal line for Toronto's lone goal of the evening.
Guante capped off the first half scoring with his first professional goal in the 43rd minute to give the Timbers a 3-1 advantage. Midfielder
Tom Poltl
played the ball 40 yards across the field to Guante who collected the ball near the top, left side of the box. Guante was able to work his way around Stamatopoulos, leaving his line to play the ball, and passed the ball into an open net.
Toronto nearly pulled within a goal in the 58th minute on a free kick from midfielder
Carl Robinson
about 23 yards out along the right post. Robinson sent a bending shot to the far post that was punched away by Wicks on a diving effort.
Second half substitute
Lawrence Olum
scored Portland's final goal of the night in the 77th minute, capitalizing on a misplayed clearance. Olum then beat his defender and sent a bouncing shot over a sliding Stamatopoulos at the edge of six-yard box.
Former UP alumni created a scoring chance for Portland in the 14th as midfielder
Andrew Gregor
and Guante worked a give-and-go up the left side of the box. Gregor found Guante in the box who then skipped the ball to Poltl running at the far post. Poltl's shot sailed wide as he collided with Stamatopoulos near the six-yard box.
Notes:
Sunday's match marked the second time in 2007 the Timbers have scored four or more goals in a contest … Toronto FC was the Timbers fourth exhibition opponent of the season.
Lineups:
POR – GK Wicks, D Higgins (Marcum, 64), D Morrison, D Knowles, D S. Thompson (Meissner, 70), M Guante (Olum, 45), M Gregor, M Treschuk, M Poltl (Lara, 45), F Ambriz (Jordan, 17)(Ready, 75), F Levesque
TFC – GK Stamatopolus, D Stewart (Boyens, 45), D Marshall, D Dunivant, D Hemming (Melo, 45), M Pozniak, M Robinson (Braz, 75), M Wynne, M Edu, F Lombardo, F Samuel
Scoring Summary:
POR: Jordan (Levesque), 19
POR: Jordan (Guante), 20
TFC: Pozniak, 25
POR: Olum, 77
