After dominating the Galaxy earlier in the week, Portland draws with San Jose
Much like the Portland Timber’s inaugural season thus far, this past week was a bit of an up-and-down affair. After routing the Los Angeles Galaxy, the top team in Major League Soccer, in a 3-0 blowout at Jeld-Wen Field last Wednesday, the Timbers only managed a draw against San Jose on the road, a team that sits one point behind them in the Western Conference standings. With this past week’s results, Portland is now 7-10-5 with 26 points overall this season.
Despite playing at San Jose’s HP Pavilion, the Timbers benefited from a raucous crowd of traveling supporters who nearly drowned out the larger home audience. Portland carried the momentum from the Timber’s Army into the start of the match, as the team looked sharp and aggressive offensively.
Forward Kenny Cooper broke open the scoring in the 23rd minute after a well-played long ball by midfielder Jeremy Hall found a streaking Jorge Perlaza down the right sideline. Perlaza sent a cross inside the box to an unmarked Cooper, who knocked the ball into the back of the net on his first touch. The goal is Cooper’s fourth of the year.
Although the Timbers were without two of their starting midfielders, all-star Jack Jewsbury and Designated Player Diego Chara, the team was still able to find production offensively, starting midfielders Sal Zizzo and Lovel Palmer in their place. Jewsbury is still recovering from a strained hamstring, while Chara was serving a mandatory one-game suspension for yellow-card accumulation throughout the season.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the locker room, the Timbers were forced to deal with a much more determined San Jose side in the second half. The Eathquakes controlled much of the possession and began accumulating shots against a packed-in Portland defense.
In the 67th minute, San Jose found their equalizer in spectacular fashion. Quake forward Alan Gordan cut back across the box to receive a looping cross from teammate Steven Beitashour, then redirected the ball with a header into the far left post before Portland keeper Troy Perkins could react.
The pressure from San Jose wouldn’t stop with the goal, as the Timbers dealt with a barrage a shots in the remaining moments of the match. To make matters more difficult, the Timbers played the final minutes with only 10 men, as Hall was ejected after receiving his second caution of the match. Still, it was Portland that nearly pulled out a game-winner down the stretch when Hall found an open Palmer on the far post in the 88th minute. Palmer blasted two shots on frame, but was blocked on both occasions. Midfielder Kalif Alhassan picked up the final deflection in the box, but his shotwasstopped wide as well.
San Jose won the possession battle 61 percent to 39 percent and was also more efficient with their passing (78 percent to 65 percent). However, Portland took more overall shots (12-11) and put more shots on frame (4-3).
With 12 games left in the regular season, the Timbers still have a chance to qualify for the postseason in their first year as a MLS team. Portland is currently in seventh place in the Western Conference, but will need wins the rest of the way to make up ground as draws will likely not be enough.
Kick off for the Timbers next match is set for 6 p.m. Sunday when Portland takes on the Houston Dynamo on the road.
