MLS Game 9– Providence Park
05/03/2014: Rain, 14C/57F
Attendance: 20,814
Pre-game records: Portland Timbers (W0-D5-L3) vs. D.C. United (W3-D2-L2)
Starting Line-ups:
Portland Timbers – GLK Donovan Ricketts, DEF Jack Jewsbury, DEF Futty Danso, DEF Pa Modou Kah, DEF Michael Harrington, MID Will Johnson, MID Diego Chara, MID Diego Valeri, FWD Darlington Nagbe, FWD Steve Zakuani, FWD Gaston Fernandez. Formation: 4-3-3.
D.C.United – GLK Bill Hamid, DEF Chris Korb, DEF Bobby Boswell, DEF Jeff Parke, DEF Cristian Fernandez, MID Nick DeLeon, MID Perry Kitchen, MID Davy Arnaud, MID Chris Rolfe, FWD Conor Doyle, FWD Fabian Espindola. Formation: 4-4-2.
Game 6 of the MLS season:
After a beautiful spell of weather in the Rose City, the clouds rolled into Portland just in time to welcome D.C. United to Providence Park and the home side was looking to finally break their duck at home and grab a victory against a team coming off an excellent 4-1 home victory against FC Dallas last weekend. Goals from Bobby Boswell, Sean Franklin, and a brace from Fabian Espindola sealed an emphatic victory and left D.C. United unbeaten in their last five league games. Four of those games were indeed at home but they also grabbed an impressive away draw at the Columbus Crew one week earlier.
Portland were hoping it was to be 5th time lucky at home in the first of a string of 3 games at Providence Park against tricky opposition, the other 2 games being against the LA Galaxy and the side currently sitting in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference, Columbus Crew. The Timbers were indeed a little unlucky to come away with nothing from their away game against Real Salt Lake going down 1-0 but showing signs of improvement on the road and those signs improved further when they grabbed a point at Houston last weekend through a Gaston Fernandez goal and enjoying some decent possession, especially in the first half.
Match Highlights:
1st Half
Goal 1 min: With a mere 37 seconds on the clock Gaston Fernandez latches on to an excellent drilled cross from the right hand by Diego Valeri after Darlington Nagbe won the ball by the half way line. Gaston’s first attempt is blocked but he acrobatically hooks the rebound into the net for an amazing start for the Timbers! Portland Timbers 1-0 D.C. United.
In the 6th minute, D.C. United almost equalize after Perry Kitchen heads the ball straight from a corner onto the crossbar and Davy Arnuad’s follow up header is straight at Ricketts. Timbers survive some early pressure after their opening goal. Just 2 minutes later, Diego Valeri breaks down the right hand side and delivers another low cut-back cross that is met by Gaston Fernandez once again but this time he scuffs the shot wide to the left of the goal and it rolls out for a goal kick.
Goal 21 mins: Davy Arnaud takes a speculative shot from around 30 yards out and it takes a wicked deflection from the on-charging defender and loops over Donovan Ricketts into the net. Portland Timbers 1-1 D.C. United.
After the goal from D.C., the Timbers had started throwing numbers forward and on 32 minutes Darlington Nagbe slipped through a lovely pass for Jack Jewsbury to latch onto who found himself at a tight angle and his only choice was to hit the ball right at Bill Hamid who saves well. It was obvious that the Portland Timbers were determined to try to get another goal before half-time.
Goal 37 mins: Diego Valeri whips in a corner from the right hand side and none other than Futty Danso meets the ball at the bounce and it slides directly into the right hand corner of the goal on the wet surface. The Timbers regain a deserved lead! Portland Timbers 2-1 D.C. United.
After some late pressure from D.C. United, the Portland Timbers held on to take a 2-1 lead into half-time. This was a much better performance in the first half than we had seen in most of the Timbers home games and Valeri, Nagbe, and Fernandez were looking lively.
Half Time Score: Portland Timbers (Gaston Fernandez 1, Futty Danso 37) 0-0 D.C. United (Davy Arnaud 21)
Shots: Portland Timbers 9-9 D.C.United
Possession: Portland Timbers 49%-51% D.C.United
2nd Half:
The worry for the Timbers as has been the case time and time again at home this season would be that the away team would just be allowed to come onto them and equalize and the early exchanges saw the Timbers actually look for the 3rd goal and not be afraid to go forward with some quality passing that looked to penetrate the D.C. defense.
After a promising initial first 10 minutes or so for the Portland Timbers, the game began to get a little scrappy and there was no real pattern to it but on 62 minutes Steve Zakuani decided to take the ball inside from the left wing and aim the ball into the bottom corner, but it was met brilliantly by D.C. keeper Bill Hamid who tipped the ball around the post.
In the 68th minute some magnificent work from Darlington Nagbee saw him skip past 2 defenders and the goalkeeper but he just could not find the back of the net, instead the side netting as Will Johnson was left agonizingly hoping for the ball to be squared. Darlington did amazingly enough to do all that he did and could be excused for not spotting Johnson in the center to be honest.
Goal 78 mins: From truly out of nowhere D.C.United swing in an in swinger and Futty fails to pick up Cristian puts enough pressure on him to force Futty Danso to head the ball into his own net for an own goal to square things up. The game honestly looked like it was petering out to a fairly easy victory for the Timbers but for the 7th time out of 15 goals, it was a cross or corner that undid the home side. Portland Timbers 2-2 D.C.United.
Caleb Porter wanted this victory and it was plain to see as he brought on Maximilliano Urruti for Jack Jewsbury in an attacking move with around 10 minutes to go for broke and with only 5 minutes to go Diego Valeri lays the ball off to Darlington Nagbe who turns and finds Gaston Fernandez….the ball is bobbling and it appears to find the top of his boot and he scoops the ball up and over the cross bar. A golden opportunity to find the winner missed and the score remains 2-2.
Goal 93 mins: The Timbers are all pushing forward for a final corner and the ball comes out to the only Timbers player outside the penalty area who is Diego Chara and he slips the ball out wide to Diego Valeri who grabs a yard on the defender and finds Urruti who’s first attempt hits the post and it rebounds back out straight to him and this time he finds the net!!! Portland Timbers 3-2 D.C. United
Summary:
This was the most commanding performance at home that we have seen from the Portland Timbers and they dominated long periods of this game and it looked as though through true resilience shown by the D.C. United side who remember had been unbeaten in 5 matches, the away side were somehow going to be able to force a draw from this game, but the last gasp winner from substitute Maximilliano Urruti ensured that the Portland Timbers secured their first win of the season, and it was richly deserved. Next up for the Timbers, LA Galaxy at Providence Park in 8 days’ time.
Full Time Score: Portland Timbers (Gaston Fernandez 1, Futty Danso 37, Maximilliano Urruti 93) 3-2 D.C. United (Davy Arnaud 21, Futty Danso OG 78)
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