PORTLAND, Ore.
– Led by goalkeeper Steve Cronin and the backline, the Portland Timbers battled the Puerto Rico Islanders to a scoreless draw before 14,103 Thursday at PGE Park in a matchup between the top two clubs in the USL First Division.
Cronin logged three saves to earn his sixth shutout of the season and extend the Timbers USL First Division record unbeaten streak to 17 matches. Midfielder Brian Farber and forward George Josten each recorded three shots to lead the Timbers (9-1-8, 35pts), who remain in a two-way tie with Puerto Rico for first place with the draw.
Goalkeeper Bill Gaudette posted five saves to capture his league-leading eighth shutout for the Islanders (9-4-8, 35pts), who were held scoreless for the fourth time in five matches.
The first-place matchup against the Islanders sets the stage for another test for the Timbers on Saturday, as they play host to the English Premier League’s Burnley FC in an international exhibition match at PGE Park at 7 p.m., presented by Spirit Mountain Casino. Burnley visits Portland while on a week-long, preseason tour of the United States.
Thursday’s crowd of 14,103 is the second-largest attendance this season at PGE Park, behind the sell-out audience of 16,382 on July 1, against Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC in the U.S. Open Cup. Overall, the 14,103 on hand Thursday is the fourth-largest crowd for the Timbers at PGE Park since 2001.
The two sides battled through the early stages of the first half before the Timbers steadily gained control of the run of play and carried momentum into the break. Portland put Guadette under pressure in the later stage of the period.
Timbers midfielder Brian Farber forced Gaudette to make two key saves in the opening stanza. In the 26th minute, Josten played the ball wide for Farber on the left side. As Farber entered the box, Gaudette left his line to challenge the play and as Farber was in position to fire off his shot, the goalkeeper was there to deflect the ball out of danger.
Farber had another opportunity from inside the box in the 30th minute. Cronin collected a Puerto Rico free kick and quickly played the ball down the left touch. Farber beat an Islanders defender to the loose ball deep in the corner and released a shot from 12 yards out along the left post, but Gaudette was able to knock it down to keep Portland off the board.
The Islanders controlled possession in the opening minutes, receiving chances from forwards James Marcelin and Nick Addlery, and owned a slight advantage in shots, 7-6, heading into halftime.
The Timbers and Islanders continued to test one another in the second half, proving why the two clubs currently sit even at the top of the standings. Portland’s backline, consisting of David Hayes, Cameron Knowles, Stephen Keel and Scot Thompson, held Puerto Rico to just three shots in the second half.
Portland had two close chances in the second period to steal three points. In the 72nd minute, a build up through the midfield set up Josten for a shot at the top of the box from 24 yards out. He unleashed a shot at the top right corner of the frame, but Guadette was able to pull it down with a leaping effort.
Late in the match, second-half sub Alex Nimo had an open look from inside the box miss wide; he was set up by a cross from Farber on the right side.
Highlighting the night, Thompson played in his 133rd career match as a member of the Timbers, becoming the new modern-franchise all-time leader in career games played. He passed former midfielder Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar (132 games played) on the all-time list.
The Timbers host their third international exhibition match of the season Saturday when they face England’s Burnley Saturday at PGE Park. Tickets for the international exhibition start at $17 and are available through the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster outlets, online at
www.ticketmaster.com
or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
Notes:
Signed on Tuesday, new Portland forward Kevin Forrest made his Timbers debut Thursday … Portland remains unbeaten at home with a record of 6-0-2 … Overall, the Timbers have eight shutouts on the season … The Timbers finished their 2009 season series against Puerto Rico with a record of 1-0-2.
Lineups:
POR: GK Cronin, D Hayes, D Knowles, D Keel, D Thompson, M Farber, M McManus, M Savage (Forrest, 89), M Suzuki (Nimo, 66), F Keita (McLaughlin, 80), F Josten
PR: GK Gaudette, D Jones, D Krause, D Henry, D Arrieta, M Delgado, M Noel (Jagdeosingh, 78), M Marcelin, M Steele, F Gargan (Gbandi, 73), F Addlery (Hansen, 78)
Scoring Summary:
None
