The Vancouver Whitecaps have won the Cascadia cup all thanks to the Portland Timbers. Kalif Alhassan’s 45th minute goal was all it took for the Timbers to beat their archrival and move atop the Western Conference. If they can continue this undefeated streak into Saturday’s match against Real Salt Lake, Portland will be going to their first ever MLS postseason and possibly the Champions League.
Seattle pressured Portland and controlled possession right out of the gate, leading to two great chances on goal. Diego Chara fouled Clint Dempsey in the 12th minute, which Seattle used to put the ball into the box. Neagle, completely undefended, got his head to the ball and directed it into the top right corner of the goal. It would have sailed in if not for the fingertips of a diving Donovan Ricketts and the crossbar. The resulting corner wasn’t cleared by Portland and ended up with Adam Moffat at the top of the box. Moffat lobbed the ball in and found Dempsey at the far post. Dempsey beat Ricketts with his powerful header, but not the post. After a frantic 13 minutes of defending, Portland finally settled things down and started to play their game.
Jack Jewsbury picked up the ball on the right wing and crossed to the far post in the 45th minute. Patrick Ianni could only clear the ball as far as the top of the box, and a waiting Kalif Alhassan. Alhassan struck the ball first time and put it right past Sounders keeper Marcus Hahnemann right before halftime. Here, Portland earned their only yellow card of the match: Excessive (earned) celebration by Kalif.
Things got chippy in the second half as Seattle couldn’t get into the attack. A Jhon Kennedy Hurtado foul on Darlington Nagbe in the 72nd minute started things off. He earned a yellow, but it was Osvaldo Alonso that escalated the situation by throwing an elbow to Will Johnson’s face. Alonso was sent off by referee Hilario Grajeda, forcing the Sounders to play with 10 men for the remaining 15 minutes.
With minutes to go, Seattle earned another dangerous free kick. Moffat sent the ball in where it was easily cleared, but earned back by the Sounders. It was played back in and the Timbers defense fell apart, unable to clear or even locate the ball. Recently subbed on Zakuani found it and struck it into a diving Pa Modou Kah, causing it to ricochet up and off the crossbar. Rose got a second shot off which was blocked and cleared by Jewsbury. The Timbers held on to win 1-0 and jump the Sounders into first in the West.
Three points richer, Portland moves on to host Salt Lake tonight at 7:30PM PST. The Timbers have yet to beat RSL so far this year. Through three games they have lost twice and disappointingly drawn once. But if the Timbers want to win the Supporter’s Shield and keep their number one playoff seed, they’ll have to find a way to keep their undefeated streak alive.
To start things off, Maximiliano Urruti is out after picking up a late knock against Seattle. Porter stated that he won’t be active this week, but shouldn’t be out any longer than that. This means that Ryan Johnson, Frederic Piquionne, or Jose Adolfo Valencia get the start. I doubt that Porter chooses Trencito after a flat showing against Seattle. Plus, with Rodney Wallace back from international duty there’s no need for Jose out wide. Ryan Johnson is the frontrunner for sure. Piquionne, though available, is still working his fitness up and could make a late, substitute appearance like last week. His offense and defense in the air makes him a valuable piece when looking for a late goal.
Another question is whether or not Diego Valeri starts. After Kalif Alhassan’s solid outing against the Sounders I think Valeri sits and subs in if needed. Confidence is key to Kalif’s game and he should be brimming with it. He and Darlington Nagbe had some great interplay last match, with Rodney Wallace returning I think it will only be heightened.
RSL is in the same boat with missing players; Javier Morales is out due to card accumulation and Abdoulie Mansally is out for red card suspension. The best, or worst, news is the loss of Morales. Morales has scored against the Timbers twice this year and contributed and even more. Coming on for him is 19-year-old Luis Gil, who has five goals and three assists in 2013.
Why Portland Will Win:
Simply put, depth and form. No matter the injury, it seems like this year the Timbers are able to deal with the loss of any position. Urruti goes down and there are three others waiting to start; Valeri can’t go and Kalif, Zemanski, and Zizzo are ready to play.
Portland is on a six game unbeaten streak. The post definitely helped against Seattle, but the Timbers really have looked good in most respects. Their set piece defense has improved tremendously, the Great Wall of Gambia (Pa Modou Kah and Futty Danso) are controlling the back, and the midfield are keeping possession like they should. Porter’s style has evolved to cover all aspects of the field.
Why Portland Will Lose:
They’re at a disadvantage against mirror-teams. What I mean by this is that RSL play a very similar game to Portland. Controlled, attacking possession that averages three goals per game against the Timbers. Three of their nine total goals have come in the first 15 minutes. Portland is good at coming back, but better at coming back to draw than to win.
Projected Lineups:
Portland Timbers: Donovan Ricketts; Jack Jewsbury, Futty Danso, Pa Modou Kah, Michael Harrington; Will Johnson, Diego Chara; Darlington Nagbe, Kalif Alhassan, Rodney Wallace; Ryan Johnson
Real Salt Lake: Nick Rimando; Tony Beltran, Nat Borchers, Chris Schuler, Chris Wingert; Kyle Beckerman; Yordany Alvarez, Ned Grabavoy; Luis Gil; Alvaro Saborio, Robbie Findley
