Forward Obafemi Martins provided the offensive spark with an early goal, and earned a penalty after the Portland keeper impeded his progress in the 18-yard-box. Brad Evans converted the penalty kick to account for the other Seattle goal.
Martins’ forward counterpart Nelson Valdez experienced first-hand the physical play in MLS. Valdez played the entire match, but his stamina appeared to wane in the second half.
Keeper Stefan Frei faced 20 shots and needed to make several fabulous stops to counter some sloppy defensive play. Midfielder Jack Jewsbury scored Portland’s lone tally in the 58th minute.
Midfielders Marco Pappa and Erik Friberg were energetic on both sides of the ball. Brad Evans had his moments, but his crosses too often were off the mark. Lamar Neagle was absent as the Sounders’ attacking midfielder. Osvaldo Alonso made his first appearance since early August.
On defense, Chad Marshall had his usual steady game in front of Frei. Tyrone Mears and Roman Torres were not on the same page, while rookie Oniel Fisher may have found a permanent spot in the lineup.
Below are the individual ratings for the victorious Sounders FC:
Stefan Frei 7.5 (Man of the Match): The Seattle keeper faced 20 shots and made two outstanding first-half saves to hold off the relentless Portland attack. Frei gave up one goal but prevented several more to lead Seattle to an important Western Conference win.
Tyrone Mears 5.0: Mears appeared to be out of synch with central defender Roman Torres. The lack of communication between the two led to several scoring threats. Mears had the second worst pass completion percentage (66.7). He and the rest of the defense were lucky to have Frei in goal.
Chad Marshall 6.5: The veteran defender makes all the right decisions and never panicked. Marshall’s sweeping tackles, deflections and clearances during the match showcased why he’s a multiple Defender of the Year award winner.
Roman Torres 5.0: Torres showed off his strength when he outmuscled Portland’s attackers in tight places. He’s still adjusting to playing with Mears on the backline. The two Seattle defenders struggled to communicate when faced with multiple attacking players in the box area. Time will improve Torres’ effectiveness and consistency.
Oniel Fisher 6.0: Fisher continued to impress as a rookie defender. Besides making timely runs down the flank, he fought for every ball and made good decisions under pressure. Fisher led the defense with 10 tackles.
Marco Pappa (off in 63′) 5.5: Pappa missed several games due to personal issues with alcohol. His return proved why the Sounders needed him back on the pitch. Pappa’s abilities on offense, combined with Erik Friberg’s pace, energized what was a tepid midfield during Seattle’s recent losing streak.
Brad Evans 5.0: Evans converted the penalty kick late in the first half. His determination kept the ball alive on Martins’ first goal of the match. On the negative side, too many of his passes and crosses were off target.
Erik Friberg (off in 79′) 6.5: The vibrant midfielder recorded the most touches in 79 minutes of play. He was a presence all over the pitch, but ran out of gas in the second half. As his stamina improves, Friberg could become Seattle’s most valuable and important late-season acquisition.
Lamar Neagle (off in 66′) 4.0: Neagle never got into the game mentally or physically. He recorded a team-low 62.5% passing accuracy rating. Head coach Sigi Schmid took him off the pitch with 24 minutes left in the match.
Nelson Valdez 5.5: Seattle’s newest designated player proved his ability to hold off defenders on the Sounders’ first goal. Valdez took a number of hard knocks that wore him down in the latter stages of the match. Schmid will have to figure out how to use Valdez once Clint Dempsey returns to the lineup.
Obafemi Martins 7.0: Martins outmaneuvered two Portland defenders to gain the space needed to score. On Seattle’s second tally, the striker controlled a long pass before running into the Timbers’ keeper, who was called for a foul inside the 18-yard box. Martins outstanding first half highlighted why he needs the ball more often.
Substitutes
Cristian Roldan (on in 63′) 5.0: Roldan played 27 minutes as a substitute and completed more than 90% of his passes. Early on he struggled and lost possession several times against the more physical Portland players. Roldan’s confidence grew in the waning minutes of the match.
Osvaldo Alonso (on in 66′) 5.0: Alonso received a rousing ovation when he entered the pitch after missing the last three league games. Seattle needed Alonso’s leadership to hold off the Timbers in the dying minutes of the match.
Gonzalo Pineda (on in 79′) 5.0: Incomplete.
