BREMERTON, Wash.
– With a 4-1 win over the Kitsap Pumas on Tuesday night, the Portland Timbers advanced to the third round of the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and will play host to Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC on Wednesday, June 30, at PGE Park; kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. and gates open at 6 p.m.
Tickets for the Timbers’ third-round matchup against Sounders FC start at $15 in advance and will go on sale to the public Wednesday at 10 a.m. through the PGE Park box office, area Ticketmaster locations, online at
www.ticketmaster.com
or by phone at (800) 745-3000.
Current season ticket holders can purchase their exact seats for the match at the season ticket rate by logging into their account at
www.portlandtimbers.com
by 9 a.m. Friday morning. Season tickets not purchased by Friday at 9 a.m. will be released to the general public. Current 2011 MLS depositors and half-season and flex plan ticket holders can purchase tickets at the season ticket holder rate with their special promotional code at
www.ticketmaster.com
. Fans who place a new deposit on 2011 season tickets will also be able to purchase tickets for the U.S. Open Cup match at the season ticket holder rate. To place a $50 deposit towards 2011 season tickets, contact the Timbers ticket office at (503) 553-5555.
The third-round tilt between the Timbers and Sounders FC presents a rematch of last season’s third-round matchup, in which Seattle claimed a 2-1 win before a sold-out crowd at PGE Park on its way to the 2009 U.S. Open Cup championship. The deep and spirited rivalry between Portland and Seattle dates back to 1975 as members of the North American Soccer League. The two sides battled through eight seasons (2001-08) as opponents in the USL First Division, and the rivalry will be renewed in 2011 when the Timbers join Sounders FC in MLS. In their most recent meeting, the Timbers defeated Sounders FC 1-0 in a Community Shield match March 11, 2010, at Qwest Field.
The Timbers’ third-round matchup will be televised live on FSN, with a live broadcast on Sportsradio 95.5 The Game and in Spanish on 910AM+1390AM ESPN Deportes.
Forward Bright Dike (DEE-kay) recorded a hat trick and defender Ross Smith scored his first goal of the season to help the Timbers defeat the Pumas of the Premier Development League. Goalkeeper Steve Cronin recorded three saves and anchored a backline that withstood moments of pressure; it took Kitsap until the 90th minute to find the back of the net.
Smith broke the deadlock in the 34th minute. A corner kick by midfielder Alex Nimo found Smith at the top of the six yard box square on goal. The defender powered a header past Kitsap goalkeeper Dustyn Brim for the lead.
Three minutes later, Dike buried his first goal of the night off a pass from Ryan Pore. Inside the box, Dike made two quick moves and then fired a shot past Brim from 10 yards out to double the Timbers’ lead 2-0.
Dike overpowered the Pumas’ backline to record his final two goals of the night. In the 47th minute, he charged into the box at the left post, fighting off his man, and beat Brim to the far side with a low shot inside the right post. He capped the Timbers’ scoring for the night in the 63rd minute, out-working his defender into the box. With the advantage, the rookie unloaded a shot from eight yards out, leaving Brim no chance for the stop.
The Timbers return to USSF Division-2 Pro League action Sunday as they play host to FC Tampa Bay Rowdies at PGE Park at 5 p.m. live on FSN. Tickets start at $12 in advance and are available through the PGE Park box office and Ticketmaster.
Notes: The Timbers reach the third round of the U.S. Open Cup for the fifth time since 2001 … Portland and Seattle have met three previous times in the U.S. Open Cup, including the 2005 and 2007 tournaments … Dike recorded the Timbers’ first hat trick since forward David Hague scored three against the California Victory on July 15, 2007, at PGE Park.
Lineups:
POR: GK Cronin, D Thompson (Purdy, 54), D Smith, D Danso, D Cameron, M Nimo, M McManus (Keel, 70), M Gaudet, M Pore (Keita, 74), F Dike, F DeMartin
KIT: GK Brim, D Mohn, D Scott, D Hyde (Gray, 45), D Lee, M Hepple, M Fishbaugher (Friesen, 70), M Besagno, M Cascio, F Perdido (Phillips, 63), F Christner
Scoring Summary:
POR: Smith (Nimo), 34
POR: Dike (Pore), 37
POR: Dike, 47
POR: Dike, 63
KIT: Christner (Phillips, 90)
