By:Aaron Campbell (Twitter:@AaCamp81)
Photos Courtesy of John & Hazel May
Up to date Cascadia Cup Standings
Whitecaps Starting XI
Timbers Starting XI
Timbers Army
Morales picks up a yellow card
Ousted with the save
Set up for Portland`s goal
Parker and Waston cant stop the cross.
Borchers with the goal to give Portland the 1-0 lead.
Lead up to Kudo first MLS goal.
Kudo beats Gleeson to the near corner.
Kudo open his MLS goal scoring account.
Gleeson mishandles the Bolanos shot
Beats him through the legs after Perez blocks the lane with a header that barely misses the ball.
Celebrating the Bolanos game winning goal.
Christian Bolanos:
On scoring three goals in three games:
“I’m happy because we win the game, it’s not because I scored three goals in three games. I’m happy because of the performance today, and we deserved to win the three points. I think we played very well today.”
On today being best possession and movement for the team this season:
“Yes, we try to keep the ball, we have the players to make problems for Portland. That’s football. We have to try sometimes, to score sometimes we have to work harder than today. Like Fraser said, we enjoyed the game today. We deserved to win the three points today.”
On what stood out from the team:
“We have to work on a lot of things. We have a strong team, a lot of young, talented players. So we have to find the right balance. In this moment, we win this derby, which is important for the fans, for the city. It’s a good step right now, so next game we have to do the same thing. I think we are in a good position right now, the players get good confidence, so that’s important in football.”
On his goal:
“I tried to play the ball for Blas. He moved very good, so he didn’t touch the ball, but I think Blas made the problem for the goalkeeper. That’s why he’s thinking, ‘maybe Blas touch the ball’. So it was lucky, but it’s good. So this goal is 95 per cent for Blas.”
Perez with a chance off a Rivero pass.
Rivero gets a header off a cross into the box.
Hurtado with a great chance but stopped by Gleeson.
Jordan Harvey
Nicolas Mezquida
Great save by Gleeson off a Mezquida shot.
GOALKEEPER JAKE GLEESON:
On moving on from tonight’s match:
“We will learn and move on. I think that’s the big thing, you know to show a turnaround before we play Dallas. You can’t dwell on it too much, it’s one of those things that happens, you don’t want it to happen but it does, it happens to everyone so it’s how you react, I think that’s the big thing. For me it’s learning from it, moving forward, being more consistent and putting it behind me before Dallas comes on Wednesday.”
On the winning goal:
“I think I was just caught leaning forward a little bit, I wasn’t seeing whether he (Perez) was going to head the ball or not. It’s just one of those ones where I’ve just got to see it and hope for the ball to come to me, not get caught moving. It’s a simple ball, a ball I’ve caught a thousand times before but you know it’s just one those things, it happens and it’s how you respond. I think that’s the big thing.”
On Portland’s defence during the match:
“I think, you know, just getting back into it, getting the back four back into it. Playing with the same back four and everything every game will help, and obviously we don’t want to give up as many chances as we do, but at the same time, you know, it’s my job to keep the ball out of the back of the net and today I didn’t do that, so.”
Another one of Gleeson`s 11 saves in the game.
Fraser Aird with a challenge on Darren Mattocks
Fraser Aird:
On what Carl Robinson said at halftime:
“Just keep doing what we’re doing. I thought we created enough chances, didn’t take them, but I thought we created a lot more than they did. Unfortunate to give a goal away, but the manager said to just keep doing what we’re doing and if we show what we did in the first half then the ball will go in the back of the net and we’ll get a result. And it did.”
On defending Darren Mattocks and any extra motivation:
“Not really. It’s like playing every week. I’ve played against another good player again today in Darren. He done his best and I felt I’d done very well against him. Eventually he got taken off, but I know he’s a really good player so I just denied him the least space that I can, and I thought I’d done my job today on him to be honest.”
On scoring two goals on 26 shots:
“Sometimes that happens in football. You create chances, create chances, and they don’t go in. Or you create two chances and end up scoring two of them. That’s just the way football goes. But I thought that if we keep creating chances – and I thought that everyone did – that eventually the ball was going to go in the back of the net. The way we scored was probably the far easiest chances that we created. We had a few in the six-yard box that just didn’t go in. I thought their keeper had a really good game, had some really good saves. But at the end of the day we’re sitting here with the three points and we’re happy. Obviously a big derby game for us and the fans and it means a lot. But we just move on now and look forward to Wednesday.”
On having fun:
“Every game I get to put on a Vancouver top I’m blessed and I’m lucky to get a chance to play again. Obviously I wasn’t playing that much at Rangers towards the end. And just the chance to play football again, that’s what everyone wants to do. Once you’re playing football, you’re happy. We get paid to do that and that’s what we want to do. I’m just enjoying it, each game as it comes. Working as hard as I can in training. Hopefully I keep myself in the team, and when I get my chance on the Saturday hopefully I can do my best for the team.”
Ousted going up high to grab a Timbers corner.
Waston with a challenge on Mattocks
FORWARD DARREN MATTOCKS:
On the team’s reaction to the loss:
“We can’t get too down about it, obviously we would have loved to pick up three points, at least a tie away. You know, it’s unfortunate, I think we deserved something out of that game. But it’s a really quick turnaround, we’ve got to move forward, travelling tomorrow, going to Dallas, you know, so it’s a bit down but I mean the team is really upbeat regardless, you know, so for us it’s right on to Dallas.”
On whether or not it was difficult playing for Portland in BC Place for the first time:
“Not really. I mean I enjoyed my four years playing in Vancouver and in general life takes you places that sometimes you don’t know. Obviously I have a lot of past teammates here and I really enjoy those guys, but for me, I am on the Timbers now and I’m happy to be here, so that’s good.”
On whether transition to Portland was easier due to college years under coach Porter:
“Most definitely, I would say. I’ve known Caleb for I want to say six, seven years and the guys from Akron, and a couple of Jamaican guys here so the transition was much easier. All those things add up. I really enjoyed my four years in Vancouver, but now I’m with the Timbers.”
Carl Robinson
Carl Robinson:
Thoughts on the match:
“I thought from the first minute to the last minute, I thought the intensity of the team, the effort, the application was spot on. And the football took care of itself today, I think we played some super stuff. We didn’t score enough from our chances. I said to them at halftime, it’s a good performance, but the result we’re on the wrong end of. Sometimes you’ve got to roll your sleeves up, pull your socks up, and get on with it. Don’t feel sorry for yourself, and the boys didn’t in the second half. We continued with the intensity and continued to create chances. I think it’s a little bit fortuitous the winning goal as it happened, but give Jake Gleeson a lot of credit. He made some wonderful saves again this week. So, I think we deserved to win.”
On luck evening out on the winning goal:
“I’m a firm believer that if you put the work in, you get the rewards, and not just in football but in any walk of life. The most successful people put in the hardest hours and the longest hours. Football teams are no different. If you put the work in, you get the rewards, and today we got our rewards.”
On the fighting spirit of the team to come out strong in second half:
“I think we showed today what we can be. I think every man from one to eleven was very very strong. That’s the standard I require from them. When they drop below that standard, me and my coaches we’ve got to be on these guys because they’re good players. They don’t mean to put in bad performances and not play to their level, but as long as they put the work in. And especially in derby games, we talked today [about the]great atmosphere, it’s a sell-out here, the MLS Cup champs who are a good team. They’re a very very good team, they’ve got a Player of the Month (Adi) in the team, and we limited him to one chance maybe. And they got their noses in front, so maybe it was just our day.”
Ousted goes up and over a Parker and McInerery challenge in the box.
Game over…
Curva Collective
Robbo all smiles after the game.
Carl Robinson:
On this being the team’s most complete performance:
“Sometimes it’s not easy sitting up here when you win or lose. When we lost to Salt Lake, prior to the Dallas game, we actually played really well. A week later I sat here and we’d beat Dallas, and I’d said that we didn’t play as well as we did in Salt Lake. But joe public probably doesn’t care about that, and you’re thinking I’m making an excuse if we win a game or lose a game. I’m not. I’m just being generally honest with our performance. Today, I think we deserved to win. I think we played very very well against a top top team. So I think we played better than we did against Dallas, today, even though the scoreline is not so lopsided. But just performance wise, that’s what I expect from the guys.”
On Masato Kudo:
“It was his birthday yesterday. We get the guys cake, and I missed the celebration because I was out talking to these group of friendly press, as I always do. So I sent him a message last night and he promised me he’d get a goal. So he did get a goal today, which was great. Nice to get your first goal. I think it showed what it meant to the group, we’re delighted to have Masato here and hopefully there’s more to come.”
On how to prioritize another three games in eight days:
“I just got asked that question and I said, I’ve got no idea at the moment. It’s a special day for me today, It’s my father’s birthday and at halftime I walked in the toilet and I’m talking to myself, and one of the coaches said ‘are you ok?’ I said yeah, I said ‘bring me some luck dad’. And it was his birthday, so he brought me some luck with a mistake from the goalkeeper, I know, but he brought me some luck. It’s Mother’s Day tomorrow, and I’ve got two kids who are looking forward to Mother’s Day and I’m scrambling around to get a present, so Happy Mother’s Day to all those special moms out there.”
