MLS Portland Timbers

Timbers' U.S. Open Cup Run Ends After Forcing Extra Time at Seattle

Published on July 10, 2014 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Portland Timbers News Release


TUKWILA, Wash. - Overcoming a late deficit to send the match into extra time, the Portland Timbers were eliminated from the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament in a hard-fought, 3-1 loss against Cascadia-rival Seattle Sounders FC after playing the final 21 minutes down a man in front of 4,233 fans at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash.

Deep into second-half stoppage time, midfielder/forward Darlington Nagbe combined with Steve Zakuani on the right edge of the penalty box for a quick, one-two passing combination that ended with Nagbe delivering the game-tying goal past Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei in the dying seconds.

The goal, Nagbe's first of the year in all competitions, sent the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match into two, 15-minute halves of extra time.

Carrying the momentum into extra time, the Timbers were forced to play with 10 men for the final 21 minutes following a straight red card to midfielder Diego Chara in the 99th minute. After gaining the man advantage, Sounders FC tallied two goals in the last 10 minutes as forward Kenny Cooper scored on a header in the 110th minute and midfielder Marco Pappa netted a goal in the 115th minute on a low drive from the top of the penalty box.

The Timbers forced Frei to make eight saves as Portland attempted 15 total shots, including nine on goal. Midfielder GastÃ"n Fernández attempted a game-high seven shots, including six on goal. Fernández saw two quality efforts saved in the opening 20 minutes of the match and saw a chance at the game-tying goal saved moments before Nagbe's equalizer.

After a scoreless first half, Sounders FC opened the scoring in the 69th minute as midfielder Osvaldo Alonso converted a cross from midfielder Lamar Neagle from a difficult angle, depositing the ball inside the left post despite goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts getting a hand to the shot.

Notes:

- Wednesday's match marked the second consecutive year the Timbers have played in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup.

- For the second time this season, Portland will play back-to-back matches against the same team in U.S. Open Cup and regular-season action, traveling to face Seattle on Sunday in a nationally televised regular-season game. The Timbers played host to Sporting Kansas City in league play on June 27, just three days after defeating Sporting Kansas City in the fifth round of the U.S. Open Cup on June 24.

- Midfielder/forward Darlington Nagbe tallied second career U.S. Open Cup goal.

- The loss snapped Portland's four-match unbeaten streak against Seattle in all competitions.

- Wednesday's quarterfinal match marked the second straight time Portland and Seattle have gone to extra time in a U.S. Open Cup game. The last Open Cup meeting between the two sides ended in a penalty-kick win for Seattle in 2010 when the Timbers were a second-division team.

- By playing all 120 minutes on Wednesday, defender Danny O'Rourke became the only Timbers player to appear in every minute in each of Portland's three U.S. Open Cup matches in 2014.

- Midfielder Steve Zakuani made his first U.S. Open Cup appearance as a member of the Timbers on Wednesday night, playing 43 minutes and factoring in on Nagbe's game-tying goal.

- Timbers assistant coach Cameron Knowles was ejected following the first half of extra time.

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Major League Soccer Stories from July 10, 2014


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