Portland Timbers 1-Vancouver Whitecaps 2

Anytime a club ends a winning streak it is a difficult pill to swallow. But having a winning streak snapped by a close rival is perhaps the bitterest pill of all. After a fifteen game unbeaten run and a perfect run at home, the Portland Timbers saw both runs at the end of the hands of their Cascadia foe, the Vancouver Whitecaps, 2-1 on Saturday night at Providence Park.

Vancouver took a 1-0 lead thanks to a goal from Kei Kamara in the 13th minute, his tenth of the season. Portland nearly equalized in the 40th minute when Whitecaps defender Kendall Waston fouled Timbers forward Diego Valeri in the penalty area. Although Valeri is normally spot on from the penalty spot, the reigning MLS MVP missed wide of the mark. Having survived a scare, Vancouver went back on the attack. In the 43rd minute midfielder Cristian Techera headed home the ‘Caps second goal of the match, finishing off a cracking cross from Brek Shea for his seventh goal of the season.

In the second half, Portland did cut the lead to one after being awarded a second penalty kick chance. Valeri made didn’t waste the opportunity, burying his shot past Whitecaps goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic. His goal was his ninth of the season.

After seeing their lead cut to one and facing a heavily partisan crowd of 21,444 in the Rose City the Whitecaps defense knew that they would be tested to the end. Marinovic was more than up to the challenge, making seven saves to preserve the win.

With the three points, the Whitecaps (9-9-6, 33 points) move to within two points of sixth place Real Salt Lake, who drew 1-1 with the Montreal Impact on Saturday. As for the Timbers (10-4-7, 37 points) although the loss snaps their respective unbeaten runs they are still in third place in the Western Conference standings with multiple games in hand over the Los Angeles Galaxy and LAFC.

You can check out Fern McOstigan’s recap of the match below. But in the meantime please enjoy some of our photos from the match courtesy of Prost photographer Mark Hoffman. If you want to see more photos of the Timbers from the 2018 season please head over to our SmugMug page.