With Seattle’s Raul Ruidiaz, delivering with a brace in the second half and later his teammate Kelvin Leerdam adding the insurance goal, Seattle routed the Portland Timbers, 3-0, at home in Providence Park.
For a game lacking excitement, the first half proved to be the better ones for the Portland Timbers, after displaying a defensive gem and just allowing the visitors to only a single shot at goal.
However, in the second half things suddenly went downhill when the visitor’s goalie Stefan Frei stopped all the Timbers’ chances at goal, rising to the occasion.
It was Portland side that was very inactive, lacking consistency, and not playing with the drive and heart these showed in this past tournament that raised them above others in Orlando.
In the 5th minute, defender Chris Duvall’s beauty of a goal was disallowed after Video Review found Eryk Williamson offside. The game official didn’t hesitate to invalidate the play.
As they had a defensive gem in the first half, they started surrendering to Seattle’s push Raul Ruidiaz took advantage by scoring twice in the 72nd and later in the 83rd minute.
Suddenly, Portland melted down defensively and lacked an offensive strategy to trouble the entire Rave Greens’ defensive backfield.
The team’s big playmakers, Sebastian Blanco and Diego Valeri, could not carry the team on this night against the defending MLS Cup Champions.
In addition to seeing a pristine defensive game that lauded the Timbers backfield in the first half after just allowing the visitors just a single shot on target, the second half saw the Timbers capitulate.
Raul Ruidiaz exposed several players in the Timbers defensive backfield.
Still, not everything was a total disaster but disappointing one for many of its followers surrendering to this team archrivals in the Cascadia Derby and today’s win for Seattle was the third consecutive over the Portland Timbers.
A regroup is needed in this team in its upcoming matches and for manager Giovanni Savarese to step up the competition again in training camp to send a message that anyone can be substituted at any time.
Goals
SEA: Raul Ruidiaz 72’, Raul Ruidiaz 83’, Kelvin Leerdam 85’
Highlights
The defensive game had its moments, but after the second half it started going downhill.
Chris Duvall as a comeback player.
Marvin Loria efforts going unnoticed but needs to step up his game a little more
No offensive attack and lack of communication between Jeremy Ebobisse and Diego Valeri
Time to implement a more dynamic formation adding Niezgoda and Mora, their talents are being overlooked
Man, of the Match
Chris Duvall
Portland Timbers
Seattle Sounders FC
