2008 Apr 26

Portland Timbers  2 - 0  Seattle Sounders
PGE Park, Portland, OR

Portland: Ray Burse; Leonard Griffin, Tim Karalexis, Scot Thompson, Cameron Knowles; Shaun Higgins, Andrew Gregor (Lawrence Olum 80'), Miguel Guante, Tom Poltl; Chris Brown (Chris Bagley 76'), Takayuki Suzuki (Bryan Little 81'). Substitutes not used: James Jordan, Justin Thompson, Kiki Lara, Neil Dombrowski.

Seattle: Chris Eylander; Danny Jackson, Taylor Graham, Zach Scott, Kevin Sakuda (John Fishbaugher 69'); Kenji Treschuk, Leighton O'Brien, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar, Josh Gardner (Jason Cascio 77'); Roger Levesque (Andre Schmid 54'), Sebastien Le Toux. Substitutes not used: Ben Dragavon, Noah Merl.

Goals:
7' POR: Suzuki (Brown)
77' POR: Guante (Suzuki)

Additional match reports: Timbers, Sounders, Portland Oregonian.

Match report from Ron Stickney:

The Portland Timbers extended their season opening win streak to three, beating the visiting Seattle Sounders 2-0 with quality goals early from Takayuki Suzuki and late from Miguel Guante. The Sounders had plenty of chances, outshooting the Timbers 19-13, but some of the best chances were deflected just wide by a just-in-time defender. The Sounders have just one point from their first two matches, both on the road. The result gives Portland the early lead in this year's Cascadia Cup derby.

Seattle started arguably their first eleven, with Leighton O'Brien recovered from a hip pointer that kept him out of the season opener.

First Half

7' POR: Suzuki (Brown). After a first 5 minutes without even so much as a foul, Seattle earned a corner kick in the 6th minute. But the advantage quickly switched to Portland's side when on a counterattack Chris Brown sprung Suzuki from the halfway line. Suzuki was closed down by his marker to the right of the penalty area, but managed to elude him with a turn and carried the ball square towards the middle 20 yards from the goal line. Finding an opening for the first shot of the match shot, Suzuki fired a fast bender perfectly over goalkeeper Chris Eylander and into the top far corner. 1-0 Portland.

From Portland's first corner kick play, they earned a low shot up the middle that was broken up by a defender near the spot, and a shot from the loose ball was aimed nicely at the near post but saved by Eylander with a dive.

Seattle's first shot waited until the 19th, a long try by Kenji Treschuk that was watched wide by goalkeeper Ray Burse. Next, O'Brien tried a chip shot from the 18 but it cleared the top near corner. Midway in the half Sebastien Le Toux worked free for a go from 8 yards that a defender managed to deflect just wide for a corner. O'Brien's corner kick went off the fingertips of Burse and had to be headed clear of the goal plane by the defender at the far post as Taylor Graham was nearly there in time to finish.

Seattle's pressure on goal continued at 28' when Josh Gardner beat his man on the left and had an excellent chance from a somewhat acute angle from 10 yards with Burse drawn out and beaten, but the shot glanced off the outside of the far post on the way out for a goal kick. Roger Levesque got a good chance from an O'Brien free kick but missed the top near corner.

Portland's offense woke up in the 33rd when Suzuki fed Shaun Higgins for a 20-yarder that was aimed nicely at the top near corner with Eylander a bit off his line, but Eylander managed to push it over, conceding a corner.

Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar's shot from a broken corner kick play forced a diving save by Burse, his first of the match. Alcaraz-Cuellar also took the last shot of the half, a free kick up the middle from 25 yards that just missed the post.

Halftime: Portland 1-0 Seattle

The first chance of the second half was Portland's in the 50th when Scot Thompson tried a long one from the right touch line, and Eylander dealt with it by pushing it wide for a corner.

A minute later Seattle took a turn when O'Brien won a cleared ball and chipped it at the top far corner, missing the target.

At 66' a Portland free kick play let Suzuki get open for a blasted shot from the top right corner of the 6-yard box, and it was blocked by Eylander's chest.

At 69' Seattle came close when Alcaraz-Cuellar's cross from the right corner to the far post was headed on goal by Treschuk. Burse saved the shot but gave up a rebound, and the follow-up shot by Treschuk was pounced on by Burse.

77' POR: Guante (Suzuki). With Seattle pressing forward, a counterattack gave Suzuki the ball on the right. He eluded his marker and rolled a nice pass in front of Guante, who was on a diagonal run. From the 18 on the right, Guante shot well, low to the far corner. 2-0 Portland.

Seattle had three more chances. Schmid was in close for a shot, but a defender got there to deflect it wide for a corner. Le Toux tried a quick turn-and-shoot from the 18 that was aimed at the top near corner, but Burse flew to push it wide. In the final minute O'Brien just missed from the arc.

Statistics:
         Portland   Seattle
Shots:       13        19
Saves:        5         8
Corners:      6        13
Fouls:       13        10
Offsides:     2         3

Misconduct:
65' SEA: Alcaraz-Cuellar cautioned
75' POR: Poltl cautioned
85' SEA: Cascio cautioned

Referees: Colin Tait; Eduardo Irigoyen, Carlos Tercero; Cesar Tercero

Attendance: 9,894