The Portland Timbers launched into the 2013 MLS season with a dramatic season opener against the Eastern Conference’s New York Red Bulls. The matchup took place at a sold-out Jeld-Wen Field and was broadcast nationally on ESPN2. The Timbers have made quite a few changes this year. They are led by a new head coach, Caleb Porter, and have begun employing a new offensive system. Portland enjoyed some success in the preseason, going 3-2-2.
Timbers season underway
The Portland Timbers launched into the 2013 MLS season with a dramatic season opener against the Eastern Conference’s New York Red Bulls. The matchup took place at a sold-out Jeld-Wen Field and was broadcast nationally on ESPN2. The Timbers have made quite a few changes this year. They are led by a new head coach, Caleb Porter, and have begun employing a new offensive system. Portland enjoyed some success in the preseason, going 3-2-2.
The Red Bulls got on the board first when Fabian Espindola capitalized on a mistake by Portland’s Mikael Silvestre in the eighth minute. Timbers goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts received a bad pass from Silvestre that he fumbled, and Espindola pounced to give New York the early lead. Five minutes later, the Timbers drove down the field and Kalif Alhassan dealt a pass to Diego Valeri, who pulled a beautiful dribbling move to lose his defender and send a shot past Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles to even the score.
New York answered in the 24th minute, as Espindola took advantage of another gap in the Timbers defense and scored an easy goal to put the Red Bulls ahead 2-1. They got another from Jamison Olave in the 28th minute, taking a two-goal lead into halftime.
Coming out after the break, the Timbers needed to rebound quickly, and found an opening in the 56th minute as the team pressed downfield. Valeri thrust a shot at Robles, who was able to block it with a diving save, but the rebound landed in front of the Timbers’ Darlington Nagbe, who placed the ball in across the line to bring the Timbers within one goal.
In an effort to level the score, Nagbe booted a heavy-footed shot on goal in the 83rd minute that Robles blocked, sending an arching rebound to Jose Valencia, who punted a shot toward the goal that deflected off Olave and found the net. The Timbers continued to push the ball to take advantage of the reeling Red Bull defenders, but were unable to add another goal and left with a hard-earned draw.
The season continues this weekend, as Portland welcomes the Montreal Impact at Jeld-Wen Field on Saturday. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
