The Portland Timbers advance to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16, having beaten San Jose Earthquakes 2-0, on Wednesday, eliminating San Jose from the tournament.
Manager Giovanni Savarese fielded a side mixed with youth and experience. The well-loved Diego Chara, unavailable for Saturday’s Major League Soccer match against Sporting Kansas City, started in center midfield and captained the side. Renzo Zambrano and Marvin Loria, two Portland Timbers 2 players on loan for the match, started alongside Chara in the middle of the pitch. This trio commanded the midfield for Portland.
Despite some continuity and chemistry issues, the Timbers were keen to attack early. Only a minute into the match, winger Jack Barmby played a cross into the box that forward Jeremy Ebobisse could not get to, despite an acrobatic effort.
In the 10th minute, Barmby shook a defender before laying the ball off to Ebobisse, whose cross found Loria. Loria hesitated before shooting. The show was saved by San Jose goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell.
Portland would open the scoring in the 28th minute, after Ebobisse stripped a San Jose defender of the ball, made a run into the box and shook a recovering defender with a simple cut back. Ebobisse scored with a curling left-footed shot. The goal was Ebobisse’s first of the year for the Timbers.
Because you know you want to watch every angle of it.#RCTID #PORvSJ #USOC2018 pic.twitter.com/WfSoCkLdwJ
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) June 7, 2018
Now trailing by a goal, the Quakes attempted to claw their way back in to the match. San Jose found more possession and attacking opportunities late in second half, but little came of them.
Eryk Williamson replaced Jack Barmby to start the second half, and from there it was all Portland, despite San Jose desperately seeking an equalizer. The midfield triad of Chara, Loria, and Zambrano grew into the match, eventually bullying San Jose. Loria and Zambrano even found ample opportunities to showcase their skill on the ball.
???#RCTID #PORvSJ #USOC2018 pic.twitter.com/aIEAO9wVSM
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) June 7, 2018
In the 62nd minute, San Jose nearly got one back, when Tommy Thompson’s headed effort when barely over the crossbar.
The Timbers put the match away four minutes later. Chara picked up the ball in midfield, made a surging run on the counter, and played the ball to an unmarked Dairon Asprilla at the top of the San Jose 18-yeard-box. Asprilla hit a low driven shot past Tarbell, doubling Portland’s lead.
Perfectly executed counter-attack.#RCTID #PORvSJ #USOC2018 pic.twitter.com/VNUKCLSiW8
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) June 7, 2018
San Jose sent numbers forward, searching for a way back into the match. In the 83rd minute, Portland struggled to clear the ball after a free kick. After a second ball in and a flick on header, forward Danny Hoesen narrowly missed from just outside the 6-yard-box. Hoesen would have another opportunity five minutes later. Jackson Yueill knocked the ball away from centerback Bill Tuiloma and it fell to Hoesen. Hoesen’s shot was blocked by left back Vytas.
Modou Jadama, Marvin Loria, Renzo Zambrano, Eryk Williamson, Foster Langsdorf, and Darixon Vuelto all made their first team debuts for Portland.
Portland will host the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Round of 16. A date and time has yet to be announced.
Portland Timbers
San Jose Earthquakes
