Timbers Drop Home Opener to Rival Sounders, 1-0
Published on May 1, 2003 under U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 (USSF D-2)
Portland Timbers News Release
PORTLAND, Ore. - Portland Timbers head coach Bobby Howe hopes that Thursday's season opening match is not an omen of things to come.
For the second time in as many seasons, the rival Seattle Sounders came into PGE Park and stole the thunder in a 1-0 victory in front of 5,993 Thirsty Thursday fans on a crystal clear Portland night.
The Timbers, playing without the injured forward McKinley Tennyson and seeing limited minutes from forward Fadi Afash, found themselves unable to mount much of an offensive charge all evening as the Sounders outshot the Timbers 7-5.
Seattle's Kyle Smith scored the only goal of the evening in the 35th minute with his direct shot off the right corner of the penalty box. Smith was set up perfectly for Alex Bengard's left-to-right pass from 35 yards out.
The Timbers' best chance came in stoppage time when Lee Morrison was able to collect a missed save from Sounders' back-up goalkeeper Rich Cullen no more than five yards in front of the goal. Morrison's kick, however, went high and over the net.
Portland had two more quality chances in the waning minutes of the match. Just after entering the match late in the second half, Afash found a direct line pass from Dan Antoniak right at the top of the box, only to see his strike sail right into the hands of Cullen.
The Seattle 'keeper stole another Timbers' goal in the 86th minute when Jason Melendez's shot from eight yards out also made a bee-line into Cullen's hands.
Despite the victory, the Sounders may have lost a critical part of their team in a match that saw five yellow cards between the two sides. Starting goalkeeper Preston Burpo was taken to a Portland hospital after he collided with Antoniak and Sounder Danny Jackson in a scramble for a loose ball in the Seattle box in the 15th minute. Initial reports indicate Burpo suffered a disclocated jaw and fractured some teeth in the crash.
Timbers' rookie goalkeeper Curtis Spiteri took the loss in his first game. Spiteri registered three saves on the evening.
Both teams will finish up the home-and-home series tomorrow night with an 8:00 p.m. match-up at Seattle's Seahawks Stadium.
TIMBERS' TIDBITS: Tonight's match was the first of two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualifying matches. Portland will play their final qualifier tomorrow in Seattle and are 0-3-0 in Open Cup matches against the Sounders...The national champion University of Portland women's soccer team was honored in a halftime ceremony. Two of the Pilots' coaches, head coach Clive Charles and assistant coach Bill Irwin played for the original Timbers in the early 1980s.
U.S. Soccer Federation D-2 Stories from May 1, 2003
- Timbers Drop Home Opener to Rival Sounders, 1-0 - Portland Timbers
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