Portland Timbers 2, LAFC 1
Providence Park, Portland, Oregon
There is no place like home and for the Portland Timbers playing at Providence Park as these are one tough foe to knock. With a 2-1 win over one of the most notable squads in MLS and being in its first year as an expansion squad loaded with a constellation of stars.
For the LAFC coming in as a one of the hottest and tough squads to beat, and with one of the top scorers and playmakers in Carlos Vela, but today the Mexican international was stopped cold in his creative game.
Still the man managed to score in an assisted play by Eduardo Tuesta in the 74 minute when he sent a nice volley away from the reach of the Portland goalkeeper Jeff Attinella, tying the match putting the whole of Providence in silence but not for long.
With the score by the Mexican International, suddenly his game had a revival after seeing it dominated all afternoon long by a determined and overzealous Timbers defensive game that disallowed all of the Angelinos offensive attack.
As the first half of this match, suddenly we saw the opposite type of game of the Tinsel Town Boys always looking to get the attention of the match official with a series of moves in order to compromise the local elevens.
In what seemed to be a very physical match between both squads and with a toll of twenty fouls committed by both sides and six yellow cards for each team getting three, as this match not considered a clean one.
For the Portland Timbers in the early minutes these saw a number of opportunities flourish with Adi missing in a couple of occasions one of them a possible goal, as the Nigerian giant did not had an easy game as the mark over him increases in every match.
In the early minutes the effort and hard work immediately seen in the Timbers Liam Ridgewell moved out of the initial eleven after sustaining an injury and substituted by Julio Cascante who has never made a start.
As we can state that manager, Giovanni Savarese has all the right moves and with the Costa Rican center back doing a superb job all afternoon long in clearances and winning duels in his squad danger area. After his performance, the question arises when Ridgewell and Tuiloma are back from the DL and this will be one tough decision for manager Savarese to decide on will be his starter.
So far, all of his moves are paying out for Gio, as one of his trademark moves whenever Samuel Armenteros and Andres Flores come in, suddenly we see a new energy and game plan shifting for the better. I mean with Armenteros now seeing his third match contributions and today with a 20 yarder of a goal that was the icing on the cake.
Not before the Swede spectacular goal came the play that gave way to Cristhian Paredes first goal as a Portland Timber in the 52 minute to send the whole of Providence into a frenzy after the Paraguayan took advantage of a Diego Valeri shoot that ricochet on the LA keeper and pushing it to goal.
Despite the reaction from the LAFC with Carlos Vela seventh goal of the campaign, the Portland squad with the incorporation of Armenteros taking the initiative and with two men open he decided to take the shoot and voila scoring what became the Timbers go ahead goal in the 81.
From then the LAFC tried to step up its attack but a little too late despite the game official adding six minutes of injury time for the locals Portland Boys persevering and netting a valuable and fifth win in a consecutive manner.
Post Contents and Property of Fern Mc Costigan © Copyright All Rights Reserved
Photos Credit and Property of Sam Ortega 2018
Photos Credit and Property of © 2018 Major League Soccer
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