2003 Aug 10

Seattle Sounders  1 - 3  Portland Timbers
Seahawks Stadium, Seattle, WA

Goals:
7' POR - Tennyson (Sagare)
15' SEA - Velez (Edwards)
69' POR - Alvarez (Alcarez-Cuellar)
81' POR - Alvarez

Seattle: Rich Cullen; Danny Jackson, Zach Scott, Ryan Edwards (Scott Jenkins 84'); Kevin Sakuda (Craig Tomlinson 78'), Jason Farrell, Ben Somoza (Darren Sawatzky 46'), Alex Bengard (Sean-Michael Callahan 67'), Viet Nguyen; Roger Levesque (Marco Velez 54'), Herculez Gomez. Substitutes not used: Preston Burpo, Chad Brown.

Portland: Josh Saunders; Gavin Wilkinson (Bryn Ritchie 78'), Lee Morrison, Aaron Heinzen, Nick Downing; Brian Winters, Scott Benedetti, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar, Jake Sagare; McKinley Tennyson, Byron Alvarez (Dan Antoniuk 86'). Substitutes not used: Cole Burgman, Ryan Youngblood, Jason Melendez, Manuel Brasil, Fadi Afash.

Match report by Ron Stickney:

The Portland Timbers were overdue for a win against the Seattle Sounders, and the visiting Timbers took this one 3-1, keeping their playoff hopes alive. McKinley Tennyson scored early for Portland and the lead held through halftime. Seattle evened things up with a goal by Marco Velez, but Byron Alvarez responded with a pair of goals for the Portland win.

The Sounders started six players who had not started the previous night in Portland. Starting up front were the two forwards on loan from MLS, Herculez Gomez and Roger Levesque. It was Levesque's first minutes for the Sounders, and he never managed a shot.

First Half

It looked like the Sounders would score in the first minute after Jason Farrell stole a throw-in and passed up the left touch line for Gomez, who entered the penalty area with only the goalkeeper to beat, but Gomez' shot missed the far post and went out sideways for a throw-in.

7' Tennyson (Sagare). After a Gomez turnover in midfield, Jake Sagare took off with the ball up the left touch line and beat a pair of Sounders defenders to make it to the end line, where he dropped a 45-degree pass in front of goal. Tennyson ran in unmarked and finished inside the far post from 15 yards. 1-0 Portland.

Over the next 18 minutes Seattle captain Farrell tried three shots from well outside the penalty area and missed by a few yards on each attempt. In the 32nd minute a throw-in bounced through the crowd for Ben Somoza, but his pressured shot was sent well over the bar. A long pass across the pitch found Alex Bengard, who made space nicely, but he fired a yard high from 15.

The last chance of the half was Portland's when Nick Downing's cross from the right was headed nicely by Alvarez from the arc and it barely missed the right post.

Halftime: Seattle 0 - 1 Portland

In the 52nd Portland's Alvarez was free up the middle when his marker tried for the ball and missed, and Alvarez had only Cullen to beat, but the low shot was too close to Cullen, who collapsed for the save.

59' Velez (Edwards). Ryan Edwards served ahead for Velez 35 yards from goal. Darren Sawatzky was open on the right, but Velez saw defenders retreating and dribbled up the middle to the 18-yard line and shot low into an open part of the net. 1-1.

Portland had almost all the chances the rest of the way. A cross from the right made it past the goal for Alvarez, whose shot from close was blocked, and Tennyson got to the rebound but a defender made it there to block. A shot from a Portland corner kick play was cleared off the goal line by a Seattle defender.

69' Alvarez (Alcaraz-Cuellar). On the attack, Portland from the left side crossed along the 18 to Alcaraz-Cuellar, who served stright ahead for Alvarez. Cullen came sliding out, but Alvarez' low shot went by the keeper and inside the far post. 2-1 Portland.

Seattle's only remaining good attempt came when a throw-in was flicked on by Velez for Edwards, whose header from 8 yards missed the far post by a yard.

81' Alvarez. At the 18-yard line Edwards attempted to clear the ball and blasted it hard into Alvarez' legs. The rebound deflected slightly off Edwards and shot past the diving Cullen and in off the far post. 3-1 Portland.

Final: Seattle 1 - 3 Portland

Statistics:
         Seattle  Portland
Shots:      15       13
Saves:       6        1
Corners:     3        5
Fouls:       9       14
Offsides:    2        4

Misconduct:
60' POR - Winters cautioned for taking out Edwards' legs near the halfway line.
66' SEA - Bengard cautioned for what he said when complaining about a corner kick call for Portland.
66' SEA - Velez cautioned for continuing to complain about the corner kick call.
73' POR - Tennyson cautioned for a two-footed, cleats-first slide into Scott in Seattle's penalty area.
73' SEA - Scott cautioned for taking taking a swing at Tennyson in retaliation, missing with the swing.
85' SEA - Jackson cautioned for a late kick into Alvarez' legs.

Referees: Jair Marrufo; Jason Panos, Mike Fox; Shahram Pourazari.
Attendance: 2,990