Portland Timbers, Seattle Sunders score early to fight a tie

The Portland Timbers reacted six minutes after they had fallen back in the first half, with a goal and played with the Seattle Sunders in the 123rd edition of the American rivalry on Saturday evening in the Providence Park of American Soccer.

Santiago Moreno scored his fourth goal in the 36th minute and earned the ninth time in her last 10 against her Cascadia neighbor.

In 41 mls meetings, the teams are even dead with 15 wins and 11 draws.

Portland (6-3-5, 23 points) remained fourth in the Western Conference, three points in front of Seattle in sixth place (5-4-5). The Timbers are well positioned more than a third of the season in order to qualify directly for the playoff clip of the eight team for the first time since reaching the league championship game in 2021.

However, Timber's coach Phil Neville was dissatisfied, especially in the second half, when the SUNDER crowded hard for a winning goal, especially in the second half. Portland seemed disorganized at times in the last few minutes, while Seattle repeatedly put balls into dangerous areas in which the Timbers -Back line was repelled.

“We didn't hold the ball in the second half,” said Neville. “We were sloppy and we were careless. I thought that made us a bit nervous and we went to survival mode what we were not about.”

Neville continued to hit the same chord in other comments and found that he was “frustrated” and that “a draw was probably the best result we could have.”

“I told them that my expectation of them was better than what I saw this evening,” he added. “We are a young team and (Seattle) is an experienced team and we were naive and careless.”

Shortly before the kick -off, the Timbers Army raised a banner with the inscription “We are here to bring you misery”, with the pictures nodding “misery” before Stephen King's film adaptation.

Juan Mosquera tried to put the visitors into desperate streets early on, and only shot a shot in the eighth minute just a few centimeters away. Instead, it was the sounders who hit the first blow and took the lead 30 minutes after the game. Albert Rusnak sent a well -placed shot from 20 meters through the legs of Portland's Finn Surman and beyond the fingertips of the Maxime Crepeau of the diving coast. The goal ended a shutout series of 212 minutes for the woods.

Moreno's answer ended a chic end-to-end structure of the Timbers. David da Costa and Juan Mosquera carried out a given-and-go on the right wing, which there was enough space near the goal line to cut a pass back into the front of the network, where Moreno smashed it on his first touch after Sounders keeper Stefan Frei from the proximity of the penalty.

The SUNDER had the chances from there. Cristian Roldan shot a shot in the 65th minute from 25 meters just above the crossbar, and eight minutes later Surman had to block a clear shot up close from Paul Rothrock, who was hit past Mosquera. Surman made another lubricant in the penalty area in the half -time in the second half when the Hölzer hold on for one point. Seattle put six of his 14 shot attempts in the goal and forced five parades of Crepeau.

Neville praised the center back Surman and co -follow -up Jimer Fory for her work to keep the SUORDER down from the scoreboard from the route.

“We know that we can defend in these moments,” said Surman, a 21-year-old from New Zealand in his first year with the woods. “It's about concentrating on what our work is in these times. It would have been good if we had some of these in counterattacks and could have a little better.”

The Felipe Mora der Hölzer brought two dangerous crosses to two dangerous crosses in the second half, but could not control enough to threaten freely. Portland's only shot on Target was Mosquera's destination.

After a series of four games in 12 days, the schedule does not decrease the woods. The team travels to San Jose to face the earthquake on Tuesday evening in the round of 16 of the US Open Cup. Then they will pass through the country to Orlando City on May 24th. A three-game home stand against Colorado on May 28th.

“It was a difficult week, but if they are 20, 21, 22 years old, fatigue does not come in,” said Neville. “They are all where the tank is a bit half full, but I still thought it was a really nice atmosphere and the crowd was sensational tonight.”