This time there was
no opening day rout over newcomers Minnesota, as the Portland Timbers after a
demoralizing loss in Colorado last week, once again they could not capitalize
and saw their luck dwindle for the worst.
With a very accidental
match with two red cards and each squad seeing a player ejected, the better
half became at the end, the best to the local Loons who really took advantage in
their foes mistakes and its patch up backfield.
For Portland after back-to-back
wins at home over notable and resilient foes, this road trip was to be a consolidating
one for them and see their luck change for the best at Colorado and later in
the Thousand Lakes State.
Unfortunate this road
trip became once again a total disaster for the Rose City squad.
Despite the shuffling
and moves, the Cheesmaster Caleb Porter tried to implement in today’s game with
Amobi Okugo, Alvas Powell, Roy Miller and Marco Farfan starting.
This little could do
after a pushing and hungry local frontline, trying their best to beat them and
these did with an all-around success.
However, in the frontal
attack the Timbers armada was complete with David Guzman in the lineup and
Darlington Nagbe back in his usual position.
Portland had the opportunity
to salvage at least a point on the road if not deliver a valuable win that
could been a boost for their morale on the eve of their important match this
weekend at home, against their I-5 foe the Seattle Sounders.
Besides the lost game
and now players like Roy Miller and Sebastian Blanco, being out of this next match
and these is consider notable absences for their upcoming Derby, as the outlook
for Portland does not look so encouraging coming to Sunday game.
Still I do give Caleb
Porter an A for trying and believe the Cheesmaster is making an extra human
effort to try to deliver with his moves to see if one these can make the impact,
he wants in his initial elevens and deliver that one of a kind game.
In a match of uneven Minnesota
submerged in last spot with 15 points
before this match and the Rose City squad with 24 and still above the red line,
this was to be a walk in the park, I doubt it but a win would been fine.
As I always state
that there is no such thing than an easy foe, those were the Loons the resilient
and hard fighting who at the end prevailed after seeing one of his players thrown
out due to red cards and another scoring on his own goal.
The way both squads
score, the Minnesota opened the score with an own goal from Amobi Okugo to give
the home squad the lead and for the delirium of the locals, then in the 35 luck
went to Portland side when Diego Valeri was fouled by the locals keeper Bobby
Shuttleworth.
Here the Maestro tie the match with a nice
cannon shoot to beat Shuttleworth via a penalty kick and even the score,
elevating the tally for the Andean at nine goals and always being present in
assists and score in the Timbers wins.
Today it was not that
day for the visitors, as the second half started with just a couple of minutes,
a Christian Ramirez move caught Jeff Attinella of guard for the go-ahead goal
in the 46 minute.
This was not over as
the visitors came back with Minnesota Francisco Calvo own goal kick that put
the game even for a while but until the fatidic resolve by Atinella coming out
his area and the opportunity shined for Abu Dandali to push in the game winner.
Wild, crazy and weird
are my overall thoughts for the match, that's football.
Heartbreaking indeed,
now the focus for the Portland Timbers squad will be Sundays match against the
Seattle Sounders, these coming out of a tie against Orlando at home and now
ready for a contested and much fought off Cascadia Derby.
Post Contents and Property of Fern
Mc Costigan © Copyright All Rights Reserved
Photos Credit and Property of
Portland Timbers Football Club and Brad Reupel USA TODAY SPORTS 2017
Photos Credit and Property of © 2017
Major League Soccer
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