TIMBERS EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO FIVE

The Portland Timbers defended their home turf against newly added Major League Soccer expansion team Los Angeles Football Club, facing them for the first time last Saturday, May 26, at Providence Park.

Kickoff was set for noon, and boy, did the Timbers Army let its presence be known. The supporters group was up and running early as they cheered on the Timbers during the warm-ups, and also let LAFC know why they’re simply one of the best fan bases in the MLS.

This was one of the most attractive games MLS had last weekend, as both the Timbers and the LAFC entered in really good form. Los Angeles came into the match with a six-game unbeaten run, while the Timbers were also on fire with a four-game winning streak, the last one being a huge win (considering bragging rights) against their archrivals, the Seattle Sounders.

And these two teams sure gave everyone a show that was full of excitement.

Right at the beginning of the game, Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell appeared to pull a muscle, and he was forced to leave. It didn’t seem too serious, as he left the field walking (he was diagnosed later with a quad muscle pull). So, in just the 5th minute of the match, Julio Cascante replaced Ridgewell.

Three minutes later, Timbers striker Fanendo Adi had an open shot on goal after a beautiful pass from Andy Polo, but unfortunately his attempt rattled off the crossbar. But this got the fans going, and wanting that first goal. That had to wait, but the first half was a very entertaining back-and-forth between the two sides. The Timbers kept on knocking; LAFC also had two great chances in the 30th and 46th minutes, but the Timbers’ defense was able to push those shots away.

The Timber defense has been one of the key elements for Portland’s outstanding run. Head coach Gio Savarese has found a solid back four – Ridgewell being a key figure in all four matches – and Cascante was able to adapt quickly in his absence on Saturday and take that central defense role. It was an impressive performance from the Costa Rican defender, as this was his home debut with Portland.

The goals didn’t come until after the break. The Timbers again knocked on the door early, with another attempt from Adi. But LAFC’s goalkeeper, Tyler Miller, came off his line to make the stop.

Finally, Portland opened up the scoresheet in the 52nd minute with a goal from Cristhian Paredes, who was able to put it away after a free-kick attempt from Diego Valeri that Miller had saved but couldn’t clear away.

This marked the first MLS goal for the Paraguayan midfielder after he joined the Timbers last summer. And it came as a birthday present, of sorts, as Paredes had just turned 20 the day before. “My father, my two sisters and my girlfriend were all here today,” he said afterward. He added that performing well in front of his family “was maybe equal to scoring my first goal” for the club, in his mind.

LAFC responded late in the game with a “touch of magic” from star forward Carlos Vela in the 74th minute. Vela only needed a small opening and a simple touch before curling a marvelous shot over Timbers goalkeeper Jeff Attinella. It was a beautiful individual effort from the Mexican international, and snapped Portland’s run of 404 minutes without allowing a goal, the longest MLS streak in 2018 and the longest shutout streak ever by a Timbers goalkeeper in MLS.

But the game wasn’t over yet as Timbers forward Samuel Armenteros would also score his first MLS goal, in the 81st minute. This came as a counterattack where he dribbled from way behind the midfield stripe, taking it forward himself and scoring on an absolute screamer.

This would give the Timbers their fifth straight win, 2-1, (a new club record since joining MLS in 2011) ending LAFC’s own unbeaten run. After the goal, Armenteros ran straight up to the Timbers Army to celebrate the game-winner.

Portland remains unbeaten at home, with a current record of 4-0-0. Things are looking great for them as they keep climbing the ladder in the Western Conference standings. The win put them in third, right behind LAFC, with only three points separating the two. However, the Timbers have a game in-hand (having played one less game than  LAFC).

Portland’s next match will be this Saturday, May 26, at 6 p.m., available on KPDX (Fox 12+: broadcast Channel 49/703 Comcast) as they hit the road to face off against the Colorado Rapids.

Advocate Staff