Saturday was the only meeting of these two teams in the 2015 season and, after much pre-match hype, the game lived up to expectations. Union has never defeated the Timbers and there were plenty of fireworks in this game to set the tone of the match.
Photos provided by Philadelphia Union
The Union kicked off and rushed to the fast start Coach Jim Curtin wanted. With hard play on both sides off the ball, the Union pressed the attack high, winning a transition corner in the first four minutes.
The play was tight and at times a bit nasty. With 16 minutes passing, both teams settled down, each trying to control the pace.
As the game progressed two things became obvious: C.J. Sapong had the speed to beat Timbers defenders and Fanendo Adi was camped out up top seeking any opportunity to poach that presented itself.
There is no question that throughout the match Sapong made himself a very dangerous man and opened space for his teammates.
Wenger showed his intensity winning several early corner kicks for the Union and Sebastion Le Toux appeared to be healthy returning from his back injury.
At the 30 minute mark, the intensity of Portland picked up and the Union looked sloppy on protection, barely preventing a Timbers goal.
At the 39th minute Maurice Edu picked up a questionable yellow card and will miss the next game against Toronto FC.
With ownership of the ball in Portland’s favo,r they couldn’t capitalize and the half ended scoreless.
Portland took the kickoff to start the second half and came out to reclaim the intensity with which they had ended the first 45. But the half continued going back and forth with neither team winning any clear difference.
Andrew Wenger continued to work hard and win corners and was rewarded for his efforts in the 69th minute, snapping a 19-match MLS scoreless streak with a great unchallenged run and a beauty of a side net goal. Chaco Maidana got the assist, his third of the match.
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Just two minutes later, Vincent Nogueira found the back of the net, and in the 82nd minute, Nogueira tacked on another for Philadelphia (6-10-4, 22 points). This was the Union’s first victory over Portland in club history. The Union had gone 0-3-2 in their five previous meetings with the Timbers.
Goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre got the clean sheet stopping four shots to pick up his fifth shutout in 10 league matches. This extended the Union’s unbeaten streak to three matches and put them into seventh place in the Eastern Conference and a solid playoff opportunity.
The loss also signaled an end to Portland’s hot streak, as the Timbers entered the match winners of six of their last seven league matches dating back to May 27, but they remain in a tie for third place in the Western Conference with the idle LA Galaxy.
The Union travel to Toronto on the 18th to play Toronto FC and have a chance to move up into playoff status.
Scoring Summary
PHI: Wenger (Maidana), 69
PHI: Nogueira (Maidana), 71
PHI: Nogueira (Maidana), 82
Misconduct Summary
PHI: Edu (Caution), 35
PHI: Le Toux (Caution), 64
POR: Valeri (Caution), 86
Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Weber, D Peay, D Borchers, D Ridgewell, D Jeanderson, M Johnson ©, M Jewsbury (Nanchoff, 83), M Valeri, M Fernández, M Wallace (Asprilla, 73), F Adi
Substitutes Not Used: GK Gleeson, D Manning, D Thoma, M Besler, M Fochive
TOTAL SHOTS: 8 (Three players tied, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Adi, 2); FOULS: 7 (Jeanderson, Jewsbury, 2); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 4
PHI: GK Sylvestre, D Gaddis, D Edu ©, D Marquez, D Fabinho, M Nogueira, M Carroll, M Le Toux (Williams, 85), M Maidana (Fred, 89), M Wenger (Pfeffer, 79), F Sapong
Substitutes Not Used: GK McCarthy, D White, F Casey, F Hoppenot
TOTAL SHOTS: 17 (Nogueira, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Wenger, 3); FOULS: 8 (Edu, Marquez, 2); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 4
Referee: Jose Carlos Rivero
Assistant Referees: Peter Balciunas, Kevin Klinger
4th Official: Alex Chilowicz
Attendance: 18,722
Time of Game: 1:49
Weather: Sunny, 87 degrees
