MLS Portland Timbers

Timbers Defeat Seattle Sounders FC 3-1

Published on July 17, 2016 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Portland Timbers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - The Portland Timbers defeated Cascadia-rival Seattle Sounders FC 3-1 before a sold-out crowd of 21,144 fans at Providence Park on Sunday afternoon, extending their unbeaten run to nine games in league play while recording their seventh home win of the season.

Midfielder Diego Valeri produced two goals during the match, recording his second brace of the season to propel his 2016 regular-season tally to nine goals in 17 games played, while forward Fanendo Adi notched his 10th goal of the season, which ranks as the third-most in MLS this season. Additionally, midfielder Lucas Melano recorded two assists during the win against Sounders FC, tying Valeri for the most assists (5) on the team in 2016.

The Timbers (7-6-8, 29pts) opened the scoring one minute before halftime when Valeri finished his eighth goal of the season, curling a precise strike into the bottom, right corner from the edge of the box. The goal resulted from combination play from Valeri and Melano on the left wing, with Melano running at the Seattle defense before playing Valeri into space for the finish from just outside the 18-yard box. Portland doubled its lead in the 50th minute of play as Valeri completed his brace, scoring from a tough angle from the right side of the box to give the Timbers a 2-0 advantage five minutes into the second half. Valeri found the back of the net for a second time after receiving a deep switch from defender Jermaine Taylor, using his chest to control the ball over Sounders FC defender Joevin Jones before lobbing Frei at the far post.

In the 59th minute, Sounders FC (6-11-2, 20pts) cut into Portland's lead when defender Chad Marshall managed to produce a powerful header from a corner kick, scoring from just outside the six-yard box.

Five minutes later, though, Portland extended its advantage when Adi scored his fifth goal against Seattle since joining the Timbers in 2014 to propel the Timbers back to a two-goal lead. Adi found space for the finish after Melano ventured deep into Seattle's half with the ball, finding Adi inside the 18-yard box. With a clear shot on goal, Adi stuck a first-time effort on target, beating Frei to notching his 10th goal of the season.

Outshooting Seattle 10-4 in the first half, the Timbers opened the game on the strong foot, creating numerous dangerous opportunities in the first half. In the 12th minute of play, a well-placed through ball from Valeri found Melano in behind Seattle's defense, setting up a clear first-time chance that went high of the target. In the 23rd minute, Valeri led the charge for Portland on the counter attack, setting up a one-time strike inside the box for Melano, whose effort caused difficulties for Frei, while Adi's low, driven effort from outside the of the box forced Frei to make a difficult fingertip save in the 33rd minute of play.

Next up, the Timbers will play host to the LA Galaxy on Saturday, July 23, at Providence Park; kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. (Pacific). The match will feature a national broadcast on ESPN with local radio broadcasts on 750 AM/102.9 FM The Game (English) and La GranD 1150 AM/93.5 FM (Spanish).

Notes:

* Sunday's game marked the 96th consecutive regular-season sellout for the Timbers at Providence Park.

* Portland currently leads the 2016 Cascadia Cup standings on a tiebreaker. The Timbers are tied with Vancouver Whitecaps FC with six points in three matches, but rank first due to a higher goal difference in matches played against Vancouver this season.

* Midfielder Diego Valeri scored two goals in the match, recording his second brace of the season. With the two-goal performance, Valeri has nine goals on the season, which is tied for fourth-most in MLS this season.

* Valeri has scored in four consecutive years against Seattle with goals in the 2013 MLS Cup playoffs, the 2014 and 2016 regular seasons and the 2015 U.S. Open Cup.

* Valeri is the only player in MLS this season to have nine or more goals and five or more assists this season.

* Forward Fanendo Adi scored his 10th goal of the season, becoming the third MLS player with double-digit goals this season, joining New York City FC striker David Villa and Montreal Impact midfielder Ignacio Piatti.

* Adi has recorded 35 regular-season goals in his career with the Timbers, which ties him for fourth place with Dale Mitchell on the team's all-era goal-scoring chart.

* Adi and Valeri's five competitive goals against Sounders FC are tied for the third-most by a Timbers player in the rivalry behind only Byron Alvarez and Clyde Best.

* Adi and Valeri have combined for 19 goals this season, which is two more than any other duo on the same team in MLS this season. Additionally, the Timbers are the only team in MLS to have multiple players with nine or more goals this season.

* Lucas Melano recorded two assists in the match, which brings his season total to five, tying him for the club lead with Valeri. It is the first time in his Portland career that Melano has notched multiple assists in a single match.

* Defender Jermaine Taylor logged his third assist of the season, which extends his career high for a single season.

* Goalkeeper Jake Gleeson made five saves, all in the second half, marking just the second time this season Gleeson has made five or more saves in a single half.

* The Timbers are undefeated in their last nine regular-season matches, signifying the third nine-game unbeaten streak in club history during the Timbers MLS era. The Timbers previously surpassed nine games with a 15-game streak from March 16-June 23, 2013, and a 10-game streak from Sept. 7, 2013-March 16, 2014.

* Darlington Nagbe played against Sounders FC for the 16th time in a regular-season match and 20th in all competitions in his Portland career, marking the most matches played in the rivalry by a single player across both teams during the MLS era.

* The Timbers have scored seven goals in their last two home matches against Seattle, marking the most goals Portland has ever scored in consecutive home games in the series, which dates back to 1975.

* Sunday's match was the 93rd all-time meeting between the clubs.

Postgame Quote Sheet Quotes with reaction to the match from coaches and players from both clubs can be accessed when ready.

Postgame Sound Postgame sound can be accessed when ready.

Video Highlights Highlights of the match can be viewed.

Next Game The Timbers will play host to the LA Galaxy on Saturday, July 23, at Providence Park; kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m. (Pacific). The match will feature a national broadcast on ESPN with local radio broadcasts on 750 AM/102.9 FM The Game (English) and La GranD 1150 AM/93.5 FM (Spanish).

Portland Timbers (7-6-8, 29pts) vs. Seattle Sounders FC (6-11-2, 20pts) July 17, 2016 - Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)

Goals by Half 1 2 F

Portland Timbers 1 2 3

Seattle Sounders FC 0 1 1

Scoring Summary: POR: Valeri (Melano), 44

POR: Valeri (Taylor), 50 SEA: Marshall (Ivanschitz), 59

POR: Adi (Melano), 64

Misconduct Summary: POR: Jewsbury (Caution), 11 SEA: Jones (Caution), 37 SEA: Alonso (Caution), 66

Lineups & Stats: POR: GK Gleeson, D Taylor, D Ridgewell (c), D Borchers, D Powell, M Jewsbury (Zemanski, 65), M Chara, M Nagbe, M Valeri (Barmby, 90), M Melano (Grabavoy, 83), F Adi

Substitutes Not Used: GK Hamilton, D Valentin, D Peay, F McInerney

TOTAL SHOTS: 16 (Valeri, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Two players tied, 2); FOULS: 12 (Melano, 3); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 5

SEA: GK Frei, D Mears, D Evans (c), D Marshall, D Jones (Remick, 72), M Alonso, M Roldan, M Friberg, M Ivanschitz (Kovar, 72), F Valdez (Gomez, 77), F Morris

Substitutes Not Used: GK Miller, D Alfaro, D Fisher, F Anderson

TOTAL SHOTS: 13 (Valdez, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Two players tied, 2); FOULS: 10 (Two players tied, 2); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 12; SAVES: 3

Referee: Jair Marrufo Assistant Referees: Frank Anderson, Jeff Hosking 4th Official: Mark Geiger Attendance: 21,144 Weather: Cloudy, 70 degrees

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Major League Soccer Stories from July 17, 2016


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