2006 Jun 3

Portland Timbers  3 - 1  Seattle Sounders
PGE Park, Portland, OR

Portland: Josh Saunders; Scot Thompson, Jacobi Goodfellow, Josh Brown, Michael Randolph; Luke Kreamalmeyer, Mamba Chisoni (Tom Poltl 84'), Lee Morrison, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar; Byron Alvarez, Alejandro Gutierrez (Drew McAthy 68').Substitutes not used: Elfvin Bayard, Salim Bullen, Garrett Marcum, Sergio Iniguez, Oral Bullen.

Seattle: Chris Eylander; Danny Jackson, Jake Besagno, Zach Scott (Santa Maria Rivera 66'), Seyi Abolaji; Gabe Sturm (Craig Tomlinson 62'), Kevin Sakuda (Nate Boyden 89'), CJ Klaas (Jamal Sutton 76'), Andrew Gregor; Roger Levesque, Cam Weaver. Substitutes not used: David Mahoney, Noah Merl, Jake Sagare.

Goals:
14' POR - Gutierrez (Randolph)
32' SEA - Scott (Abolaji)
33' POR - Chisoni (Alcaraz-Cuellar)
87' POR - Alcaraz-Cuellar (Alvarez)

Additional match reports: Timber Mill, Timbers, Oregonian, Sounder Central.

Match report from the Sounders:

In the second match of a home and home series, the Seattle Sounders fell to the Portland Timbers 3-1 at PGE Park in Portland, Ore. In another intense match, both teams maintained a fast pace. The Timbers struck first in the 15th minute, but Sounder Defender Zach Scott scored his first goal of the season to tie the match. Seconds later the Timbers scored the go-ahead goal and held on for the 3-1 victory.

While Portland had a handful of breakaway opportunities early, the Sounders dominated possession in the match's opening 15 minutes. In the 12th minute on the quick counterattack, Midfielder Andrew Gregor found Gabe Sturm sneaking through the Timber defense. On a quick one-touch, Sturm's shot sliced wide of the net.

Once the game settled in, the Timbers took the lead in the 15th minute on an Alejandro Gutierrez shot 10 yards out. Timbers' defender Mike Randolph took the ball down the left sideline down into the left side of the box. Seemingly backed into a corner, Randolph faked the cross and found Gutierrez sliding through the box. With a quick pass inside, Gutierrez knocked down the pass and sent a right footed shot inside the far post for a 1-0 Timbers lead.

Gutierrez' goal in the 15th minute ended a 285 minute shutout streak by Sounders keeper Chris Eylander. Eylander had recorded shutouts in this previous three starts. Tonight's match was Eylander's first professional match on the road, away from Qwest Field.

In the 22nd minute, the Timbers nearly took a 2-0 lead on a Luke Kreamalmeyer break away. Cutting down the angle, Eylander came way off his line for a sliding kick save only to deflect the ball just yards away. Kreamalmeyer floated the deflection just over the cross bar. Eylander recorded one save on the night.

The Sounders scored the 1-1 equalizer in the 32nd minute as Defender Seyi Abolaji sent in a long cross from the right side of the field to Zach Scott in the far top corner of the box. As the ball curled into the box, Scott met the ball 12 yards out on the left post with a header into the top right corner. The goal was Scott's first of the season, Abolaji was credited for the assist.

Just one minute later the Timbers regained the lead on a four-on-two breakaway in the 33rd minute. A Sounders defender fell to the turf, allowing Portland midfielder Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar to initiate the fast break. As the four Timber players neared the box, Alcaraz-Cuellar skipped the ball to a cutting Mamba Chisoni for the one touch goal and a 2-1 lead.

Eylander made an outstanding diving deflection in the 56th minute to keep the Sounders down by only one goal. Timbers forward Byron Alvarez passed the ball up field to Kreamalmeyer running down the right sideline. With Sounders defender Scott on his heals, Kreamalmeyer sent a low drive to the far post. Eylander charging the ball got just enough of Kreamalmeyer's shot to deflect the ball just wide of the post.

The Sounders made a handful of substitutions in the second half bringing on Craig Tomlinson, Santa Maria Rivera and Jamal Sutton to provide speed on the offensive and defensive ends. Rivera provided excellent coverage on the defensive side while maintaining an offensive threat down the left side.

Rivera set up perhaps the Sounders best scoring opportunity of the second half in the 69th minute. The ball was played back to Rivera just outside the left side to the box; Rivera crossed the ball into the box to Tomlinson who had his back to the goal about nine yards out. Under pressure, Tomlinson couldn't get a solid strike on the ball and his shot was wide.

The Timbers sealed the victory in the 87th minute on an Alcaraz-Cuellar header. Alvarez pushed the ball upfield, fading toward the right corner. Just even with the box, Alvarez sent in a nicely placed ball to Alcaraz-Cuellar slicing through the box. With a header on the near post, the Timbers captured the 3-1 victory.

Much like the first match of the home and home series, five cautions were handed out - four going to Sounder players. Kevin Sakuda, Zach Scott, Andrew Gregor and Danny Jackson all received yellow cards.

The loss drops the Sounders record to 2-3-3, 9 pts. The Sounders continue their streak of road matches with a trip through Charleston and Atlanta starting June 8th. The Sounders play their next match in Seattle on June 28th against the Puerto Rico Islanders at Qwest Field.

Statistics:
          Portland   Seattle
Shots:       13         9
Saves:        3         1
Corners:      6         5
Fouls:       19        22
Offsides:     5         0

Misconduct:
26' SEA - Sakuda cautioned
29' SEA - Scott cautioned
64' SEA - Gregor cautioned
67' POR - Gutierrez cautioned
88' SEA - Jackson cautioned

Referees: Miguel Chicas; Eric Dottarar, Ronald Lagraff; Dick Horner

Attendance: 6,149