Portland Timbers 1, Vancouver Whitecaps 2
Providence Park, Portland, Oregon
Give round one to a determined Vancouver Whitecaps, coming to Rose City and delivered an upset over a red-hot Portland Timbers looking for that sweet 16 mark with perfection.
For the Portland Timbers in their home stand, they had to endure the pressure from three squads seeded below the red line and looking forward to deliver, after the Union and Dynamo coming short, these Caps were not one of those squads.
As last night, the visiting Caps came to play like a sharpened pencil and knowing when to strike with a couple of surprising plays that caught the locals’ defense by total surprise.
So many times the Vancouver defense raised the bar over an attacking and persistent Portland attacking core lead by Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco looking for a wide open Samuel Armenteros and the Swede not displaying his game effectively.
In addition of the local’s defense surprising attack by the Canadian side and its playmakers in Nicolas Mezquida, Brek Shea, Kei Kamara, Cristian Techera and Felipe making all sorts of moves that really incommoded the Portland defense. As Kei Kamara scoring in the 14’ and later in the ending minutes of the first Cristian Techera 43’ seal the deal.
In spite of the early error by Jeff Atinella that gave way to Vancouver first goal, still he made some outstanding saves that could been worst in the scoreboard for the Timbers.
In spite of the loss, the Portland Timbers seeded third in the Western Conference with a tough road stand that includes a hot streaking DC United and then going toe the Midwest and always-difficult Children’s Mercy Park to a face off against SKC.
Not only did the visitors snap a fifteen game run with perfection for the local Timbers but as well, they shattered their perfect record at home with no losses, and this win for the Caps ties things up in the Cascadia Cup standings.
Still do not take credit away for the battling and hardened Portland Boys not giving up so easily and making a run of the arches defended so zealously by Vancouver goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic who stopped the Portland game.
With many maybes, still this campaign the Portland Timbers are playing a one of kind game of football but at times, we have to cede to not having one of their best performances and displaying their new kind of game that has them atop the red line and in third place.
What if Jeff Attinella would not been away from his goal posts, or Diego Valeri not missing his first penalty kick and what if Sebastian Blanco or Dairon Aspirilla on target. My conclusion is that these chaps are humans and can make mistakes; as well, Diego Valeri alone does not have to carry this squad on his shoulders.
They are going to be good performances and some bad, that is the law of the game and the thrill of victory and last night the agony of defeat and that will be a good encouragement for these Portland squad to focus more positively in the remainder of the campaign.
As this heavy burden lifted of being perfect is behind- now to focus on a tough road trip and looking forward to come home on the 26th of August to play their cross the I-5 foes the Seattle Sounders at home.
In the end, the arrivals of Lucas Melano and Jorge Villafaña will give this squad a boost in its defensive game with Jorge to lead the charge and Melano playing a sort of winger or accompanying Armenteros in the frontal attack.
In the end, Portland came short in its comeback rally to at least tied the match, however Diego Valeri with a penal in the 71’ cut the visitors lead to one goal and taking the clean sheet away for the Whitecaps in the end.
Post Contents and Property of Fern Mc Costigan © Copyright All Rights Reserved
Photos Credit and Property of Mark Hoffman Photography 2018
Photos Credit and Property of © 2018 Major League Soccer
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