MLS Portland Timbers

Boyd Goal Helps Timbers Draw Whitecaps FC 1-1

Published on May 27, 2012 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Portland Timbers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - A goal by striker Kris Boyd in the second half helped the Portland Timbers to a 1-1 draw with Cascadia rivals Vancouver Whitecaps FC before a sellout crowd of 20,438 at JELD-WEN Field on Saturday night. Portland extends its unbeaten streak to four games with the draw.

The sold out JELD-WEN Field marked the Timbers 24th consecutive capacity crowd for an MLS match at JELD-WEN Field.

The Timbers pressured the Whitecaps FC defense early in the second half, and Boyd cracked the deadlock between the Northwest rivals in the 67th minute with the go-head goal. Vancouver found the equalizer from rookie forward Darren Mattocks, who scored his first MLS goal in the 84th minute, just a minute after coming into the match as a late substitute. With the 1-1 draw, the Timbers shared the points with Whitecaps FC in their first Cascadia Cup match of the 2012 season.

Portland opened the second half with five shots in the opening 15 minutes of the half and the steady pressure led to the opening goal of the night by Boyd. From right side, defender Jack Jewsbury served in a dangerous curling ball in on the back post, which Whitecaps FC goalkeeper Joe Cannon tried to tip away. The ball popped up into the air and it came to Boyd. The striker put his boot on the ball before a defender could get in the way and buried his fourth goal of the season to put the Timbers on top 1-0.

Whitecaps FC, who attempted five of their six shots in the second half, was able to level late in the match. A long ball served into the box by defender Martin Bonjour was flicked on by forward Eric Hassli at the top of the box. Mattocks chested down the ball 15 yards out from goal and ripped a shot into the back of the net six minutes from time.

Portland enters an extended break in MLS action, but plays host to Cal FC in the third round of the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, May 30, at JELD-WEN Field; kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (Pacific). Tickets are available for purchase, starting $10, through the JELD-WEN Field box office, area Ticketmaster locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone at (800) 745-3000.

Notes:

* Saturday was the Timbers' first match in the 2012 edition of the Cascadia Cup, a fan-based derby contested by the three Northwest MLS clubs - Portland, Vancouver and Seattle Sounders FC. Vancouver leads the 2012 Cascadia Cup standings with two points on draws with Seattle and Portland. The Timbers are a two-time winner of the Cascadia Cup (2009, 2010). * The Timbers are unbeaten in their last four matches, posting a 1-0-3 record in that span and recording two shutouts. * The match against Vancouver ended a run of four matches in 12 days, including three league matches and a friendly against Spanish side Valencia CF. The next MLS action for the Timbers is Sunday, June 17, at the LA Galaxy. * With the draw, the Timbers finished the month of May with a 1-1-2. As an MLS side, the Timbers are 3-2-3 in May matches * The Timbers are 2-0-1 in the all-time MLS series against Whitecaps FC, including a 1-0-1 mark at JELD-WEN Field. * The goal scored by forward Darren Mattocks was Vancouver's first scored against the Timbers in the MLS series between the two clubs. * Portland and Vancouver have been rivals since 1975 in the original North American Soccer League (NASL). The Timbers own an 18-10-9 record all-time against the Whitecaps in matches contested in Portland. Vancouver leads the overall series with a combined 26-33-12 record versus Portland. * The skies opened up late in the first half, causing a 39 minute break in action between the end of the first half and the start of the second. * Portland's backline held Vancouver to just a single shot in the first half, an effort from inside the box by Camilo that missed high in the 45th minute; the Timbers out-shot Whitecaps FC 8-1 in the first half. * With his tally against Vancouver, Forward Kris Boyd has factored in each of the Timbers' six goals scored since April 7. * When scoring the opening goal of a game at home this season, the Timbers are 2-1-1. Overall, the Timbers are 13-3-5 as an MLS club when scoring the first goal of a match. * Midfielder Kalif Alhassan saw his first league action since April 14 against the LA Galaxy, earning the start against Vancouver. Additionally, midfielder Eric Alexander made his first start for the Timbers since April 7 against Chivas USA on Saturday. * After making his season debut Wednesday against Valencia CF, defender David Horst made his first MLS appearance of 2012 against Vancouver, coming on as a halftime sub for Eric Brunner. * Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins started his 140th career MLS match on Saturday, and made his 41st consecutive start for the Timbers. * On Sunday, Timbers midfielder Lovel Palmer and defender/midfielder Rodney Wallace will depart for international duty with Jamaica and Costa Rica, respectively. * League Pool Goalkeeper Brian Rowe, who has been training regularly with the Timbers, was called up by the Philadelphia Union and was on the bench for the Union's match against Toronto FC on Saturday. * Vancouver backup goalkeeper Brad Knighton played for the second-division Timbers during the 2008 season while on loan from the New England Revolution.

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