The Portland Timbers tied the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-1 in a heated Cascadia Cup clash Saturday night at Providence Park before 21,144 fans. The Timbers are using Major League Soccer’s new targeted allocation money to pay down the salary budget value of Fanendo Adi, freeing a designated player spot.
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Portland laid siege to their opponents’ goal in the early stages, with Dairon Asprilla and Will Johnson going close in the first 15 minutes.
On 57 minutes, the Canadian outfit levelled matters in style when Matias Laba’s fierce long-range drive found the bottom corner from 30 yards.
The Whitecaps thought they had the equalizer minutes before halftime after Earnshaw headed the ball in off a feed from defender Craig Nitti but the Welsh striker was slightly offside on the play and the goal was disallowed.
Portland Timbers forward Darlington Nagbe, top, leaps over Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Gershon Koffie as he chases the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer game in Portland, Ore., Saturday, July 18, 2015. In one play, he worked his way into a breakaway with some fine dribbling, only to see his left footed effort denied by Adam Kwarasey, who did well to come off his line quickly and cut down the angle. For the third time in two-matches the Whitecaps were denied a goal thanks to a timely last-ditch goal-line clearance from the opposition. He gave Kwarasey a deke, and when Portland’s goalkeeper bit, Manneh was looking into an empty net. “We have a lot of players with good touch on the ball”.
“We’ve got to get back to basics”, Ridgewell said. They should have scored and we get a goal and we are up 1-0.
Vancouver was full value for the point and might have had more if not for some familiar first-half missed opportunities. Valeri took a touch and started to lose his balance as the Whitecaps’ back line closed in around him.
“They played excellent”, said Harvey.
“I’m just excited more than anything”, said Dean. That didnt imply, nevertheless, that they weren’t creating possibilities.
Whitecaps midfielder Matias Laba got a pass in the middle of the pitch, 45 yards away. All are legendary players long past their best years, but all are primed to help their respective teams for a year or two. He took a touch, then another, and from 38 yards sent a rocket at goal. “Obviously he hasn’t played in a little while so it was great to get him some minutes today”.
They won on the front foot in Portland however, so let’s hope they can finally do the same in Vancouver!
Physically gifted, the Caps coaches couldn’t seem to get him to play with the kind of aggression one would have expected.
The depleted Vancouver defensive corps will be tested even further next weekend vs San Jose because Jordan Harvey was issued a straight red card.
For all the excitement, though, neither team had enough quality in and around the box to score again.
In three matches versus the Timbers this season, the Whitecaps have managed a win and two draws. A shoving match broke out between the teams at the final whistle, and Portland’s Will Johnson appeared to exchange words with the officials, resulting in a yellow card followed by a red. Only three points separate first-place FC Dallas from Seattle and Portland, who are tied for fifth.
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“I have no idea what happened after the game”, Porter said.
