MLS Portland Timbers

Club finishes Cascadia Summit with 1-1 draw against Vancouver

Published on March 5, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Portland Timbers News Release


TUKWILA, Wash. - The Portland Timbers remain unbeaten in preseason as they wrapped up their participation in the Cascadia Summit on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a preseason match at Starfire Sports Complex.

Playing their second game in two days, the Timbers fielded an entirely different starting unit from the squad that defeated Seattle Sounders FC on Friday. Head coach John Spencer was positive about the team's overall performance and results from the weekend against their two Northwest rivals.

"(Today's group) was pumped up from watching their teammates win last night," Spencer said. "It was a different game today, I felt. The good thing about it is, we come out of a weekend playing against Seattle and the Whitecaps having only given up one goal and not lost."

For their second consecutive match, the Timbers were able to secure a first-half lead. Midfielder Ryan Pore capitalized on a Brian Umony shot off the post in the fifth minute, knocking in an uncontested rebound to give the Timbers 1-0 lead.

Portland's string of four consecutive preseason shutouts came to an end as an own goal leveled the score at 1-1 in the 36th minute. It was a miss-hit clearance from a defender following a diving save by goalkeeper Adin Brown, which halted the run. The last goal allowed by the Timbers was in the second half of a 1-1 preseason draw with the LA Galaxy on Feb. 8.

The Timbers' goal sparked the offense early on and they attempted seven of their 10 total shots in the first half. Brown was tested only a few times in the opening period and made three second-half saves to preserve the draw.

Forward Atiba Harris had perhaps the Whitecaps best chance of the night in the first half, ripping a shot off the near post from the right side of the box. He forced Brown into key save in the 60th minute on shot from just beyond the penalty area.

Portland gave one last effort in second-half stoppage time to try and steal the lead. Substitute Rodrigo Lopez hit a bouncing ball from the top of the arch at the left post, but Vancouver goalkeeper Joe Cannon was there to knock it wide with a diving save.

Saturday's match concluded the Timbers' sixth week of preseason. The team will resume training back in Portland early next week as they continue their preparations for the upcoming Major League Soccer season. The Timbers' next preseason match is Saturday, March 12 against the San Jose Earthquakes in San Jose, Calif.

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