MLS Game 2– Providence Park
03/16/2014: Cloudy, 14C/57F
Attendance: 20,132
Portland Timbers vs. Chicago Fire
Starting Line-ups:
Portland Timbers – GLK Donovan Ricketts, DEF Jack Jewsbury, DEF Norberto Paparatto, DEF Mamadou Danso, DEF Michael Harrington, MID Will Johnson, MID Diego Chara, MID Diego Valeri, FWD Darlington Nagbe, FWD Gaston Fernandez, FWD Maximiliano Urruti. Formation: 4-2-3-1.
Chicago Fire – GLK Sean Johnson, DEF Lovel Palmer, DEF Gonzalo Segares, DEF Bakary Soumare, DEF Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, MID Jeff Larentowicz, MID Matt Watson, MID Alex, MID Harrison Shipp, MID Benji Joy, FWD Quincy Amarikwa. Formation 4-5-1.
Game 2 of the MLS season:
It was a mostly cloudy and somewhat breezy Sunday afternoon at Providence Park that greeted the hosts the Portland Timbers and the visitors the Chicago Fire for their 2nd games of the season. Both were looking to improve on their opening matches after the Timbers required a last gasp equalizer from Gaston Fernandez against Phildelphia Union to secure a 1-1 draw at home and the Fire came back from 2 goals down away to Chivas USA and thought they were on for a well-earned point on the road before Bobby Burling struck in the 88th minute to give Chivas the win at home and deny Chicago a point.
Portland’s team sheet had no surprises and the only change was one enforced through Pah Modou Kah’s injury that he suffered in the opening match with Mamadou Danso filling in for him at center back. For the Chicago Fire, there were 4 changes from their opening fixture with Dilly Duka, Chris Rolfe, Patrick Nyarko, and Juan Luis Anangono making way for not only Matt Watson and Harrison Shipp in midfield, but they also included both of their goalscorers who came on as substitutes last week against Chivas USA in midfielder Benji Joya and forward Quincy Amarikwa.
Match Highlights:
1st Half
The opening few minutes saw Portland clearly deciding to go at Chicago using their creative midfield to play some excellent interchange passing through the central areas of the pitch and if Urriti had just held his run in the 8th minute, he would have been clean through on the left from Gaston Fernandez excellent, outside of the right foot pass that sliced through the Fire defense. The Fire a minute later responded with a chance of their own as the Timbers failed to deal with a defensive header and Alex slung a shot at goal from just outside the box that Donovan Ricketts tipped around the post. It was the Timbers who pressed more in the opening 15 minutes and when Urruti was fouled 30 yards from goal by Hurtado, it provided a decent opportunity for Will Johnson but he unfortunately dragged his shot low and wide of the goal.
The Chicago Fire had another reasonable opportunity on 16 minutes when a skillful turn from Quincy Amarikwa after Michael Harrington poorly gave the ball away broke through the Timbers defense but his low cross could not be met by Benji Joya as it was just behind him. Penalty: A minute later the Chicago Fire were awarded a penalty when the uncomfortable looking Norberto Paparatto clumsily brought down Amarikwa in the penalty area. Jeff Larentowics sent Donovon Ricketts the wrong way and slotted the ball home to give the away side the lead in the 19th minute. Portland Timbers 0-1 Chicago Fire.
This was the 2nd home game in a row that the Portland Timbers had gone behind in and with 2 games on the road coming up followed by bitter rivals the Seattle Sounders at home, these were already slightly worrying signs for a team whose home record was imperative to their success last season. The game then into a slight lull as the Chicago Fire held the Timbers at bay who rarely threatened and like the Philadelphia Union last week, they looked to catch out Portland on the break. Going into half time, the Timbers continued to enjoy more of the possession but rarely threatened the Chicago Fire goal and when they did obtain free kicks in fairly decent positions, they were unable to create anything clear cut except for a headed chance in the 42nd minute from Diego Valeri that didn’t really trouble Fire keeper Sean Johnson.
Half Time Score: Portland Timbers 0-1 Chicago Fire
2nd Half:
The Timbers kicked off the 2nd half knowing that they were again looking at the possibility of their first defeat at home in over a year unless they upped their game and they clearly looked to adopt a more direct approach, getting the ball forward with more speed and purpose and looking to cut open the Chicago Fire defense. Nagbe and Fernandez had switch position at half time in a change of tactics from coach Caleb Porter. It was, however Donovan Ricketts who pulled off an excellent save from the powerful shot by Matt Watson on 54 minutes.
As the Timbers continued to press, including a neat move between Valeri and Fernandez that almost found an outstretched Urruti at the far post, Caleb Porter decided to being on Steve Zakuani with an hour gone to try to freshen up the attack. By now, Jack Jewsbury was venturing forward on multiple occasions and almost put Gaston Fernandez through in the 66th minute closely followed by a well worked move that saw the substitute Zakuani almost open his account for the season. The Portland Timbers were beginning to look dangerous in search of the equalizer.
In the 72nd minute the Timbers should have scored as Bakary Soumare and Keeper Sean Johnson both missed a Diego Valeri though ball and Will Johnson had a brief opportunity to hit the almost open goal but it slid agonizingly just wide of the post. A minute later, the now more influential Darlington Nagbe went on a mazy run but was brought down just outside the penalty are by Fire substitute Patrick Nyarko who was booked for his foul. Valeri took the free kick from 20 yards out and having deflected it off the wall, the ensuing scramble in the 6 yard box almost provided Fernandez and finally Will Johnson with a sight on goal but between them, they couldn’t get a dangerous shot off as it was collected by Fire keeper Sean Johnson. By now, it was pretty much all Timbers with 15 minutes to go.
79 mins Goal: The Timbers finally break through! Some excellent work on the right hand side between Jack Jewsbury and Diego Valeri created an opening where the cut back to Nagbe was well saved by Johnson but Gaston Fernandez was on hand to tap it in from 5 yards. Portland Timbers 1-1 Chicago Fire 1
The Timbers continued to press in search of the winner and with 5 minutes to go as the Timbers broke Steve Zakuani was chopped down by the already booked Patrick Nyarko and the referee had no choice but to give Nyarko his second yellow and send him off.
Full Time
Summary:
The 2nd half display from the Portland Timbers was much more direct and they looked dangerous, especially in the final 30 minutes and the switch over between Fernandez and Nagbe brought both players into the game and Jack Jewsbury consistently provided the width that they were missing in the first half. 2 draws is not what the Timbers will have hoped for from these two home opening games but the Chicago Fire will leave Portland happy to have taken a point despite being run ragged for much of the second half.
Shots: Portland Timbers 21-14 Chicago Fire
Corners: Portland Timbers 5-8 Chicago Fire
Possession: Portland Timbers 64%-36% Chicago Fire
Final Score: Portland Timbers (Fernandez 79) 1-1 Chicago Fire (Larentowicz 19 pen)
World Football Daily
