Portland Timbers 3 : 3 Vancouver Whitecaps – Whitecaps Win 5-4 on Aggregate

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Canada Soccer_logo The Vancouver Whitecaps have advanced to the USL Final to play Montreal Impact after goals from Marcus Haber, Martin Nash and Marlon James steered them to a narrow 5-4 aggregate victory over the Portland Timbers in the 61st meeting of the clubs. Montreal repeated their first leg 2-1 win over the Puerto Rico Islanders to advance 4-2 on aggregate.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg, the Vancouver Whitecaps nearly got off to the best of starts when Wes Knight found himself clean through on the Portland goal after just 110 seconds, Charles Gbeke providing the through ball. Timbers keeper Steve Cronin advanced to meet him and foiled his effort, doing just enough to divert the ball wide.

Portland didn’t heed the warnings and found themselves 1-0 down two minutes later. Anso Toure absolutely lit up the left flank and provided a swinging cross pinpointed on the head of Marcus Haber who scored his second headed goal of the two legged final. The Canadians didn’t hold the lead long however. Mandjou Keita found Brian Farber standing unmarked and onside in the Caps penalty area. His finish left Jay Nolly helpless for the equaliser with just ten minutes gone, though Portland still trailed 2-3 on aggregate.

Toure hit the bar in 12 minutes with a drive as he continued to torment Portland, although Timbers themselves still carried a significant goal threat. The game then quietened down a little with Keita threatening next after he met a superb David Hayes cross just after the half hour mark but couldn’t quite get the direction he needed.

Main Vancouver threat, Toure had to come off after a crunching tackle by Scott Thompson to be replaced by Justin Moose whose first activity was to remove Stephen Keel’s studs from the back of his neck as Portland kept up their physical approach. It seemed like a bad blow for the Caps to lose their most effective player, and the subsequent reorganisation allowed Portland a window of opportunity, which they took almost immediately.

Brian Farber was the beneficiary as he put the Timbers ahead just before half time after Keita flicked on a David Hayes right foot cross. This brought the tie to 3-3 and a smart investor would have put his money on the home side at that point. The Caps nearly paid again for their poor concentration again just before half time and were relieved to see Jay Nolly collect sharply on the ground as they finished the half in disarray.

Having used the interval to reorganise, Vancouver were forced to make another substitution four minutes into the second half, when Charles Gbeke went off injured and was replaced by Marlon James. The second unwanted upheaval threw the Caps again and Portland began to dominate the play with only sporadic outbreaks threatening their goal for a while. Set pieces seemed to be Vancouver’s most likely avenue. And so it proved. On exactly the hour mark, Martin Nash lashed a free kick beyond Cronin after Marcus Haber had won a soft free kick under pressure from Scot Thompson. The goal put the Canadians 4-3 ahead on aggregate and the Timbers had good cause to argue the initial award.

Haber actually seemed to have been fouled more two minutes later as Mamadou Dansou held him back in the penalty area. However he received a yellow card for embellishment rather than a penalty, and although impeded, could well have chosen to stay on his feet.

Takashi Hirano hit the Portland bar after 70 minutes as set pieces continued to prove Vancouver’s best threat. Portland cleared the subsequent melee for a corner. From that right wing corner, after Jerome Versailles had challenged Cronin, Marlon James pounced on a scrappy loose ball, and stabbed it over the line for Vancouver’s third goal, putting them them two goals ahead for the first time in the tie. Takayuki Suzuki replaced George Josten as coach Gavin Wilkinson started to take risks to retrieve the situation.

It paid off when substitute Alex Nimo rifled in a 25 yard left footed strike with his first possession. Jay Nolly then saved Vancouver from extra time after diving low to his right to grab a fine Suzuki drive. Cronin was the next goalkeeper to perform heroics after James was clean through and he rushed out to foil the substitute. Four minutes of injury were added but were insufficient for Portland and it is now Vancouver who join Montreal in an all Canadian Cup Final.

For the Timbers, it was an end to a wonderful season. They finished last in the 2008 USL table and rebounded to win this one, setting all sorts of records for their unbeaten streak. Some even thought this the best Timbers side ever. Yet, the season ended, as it began with a defeat by the defending champions, Vancouver Whitecaps after they were caught asleep at one set piece too many. However, this match was a fine advertisement for the USL, for the Pacific Northwest and for both clubs. For the victorious Caps, they can feel great pleasure about overcoming the adversity of injuries forcing unwanted substitutions too early. Now they get to exact revenge on Montreal Impact for that capitulation to Toronto FC, which cost the Caps a place in the CONCACAF tournament.

For Canada, it’s some excellent news to soften the blow of their country’s less than stellar World Cup Campaign.