PORTLAND — The dreams of so many area soccer fans were realized on Thursday in downtown Portland.
Of course, in those dreams the Timbers Major League Soccer home opener was played under dry skies, not continuous rain. But the 18,627 partisans were hardly bothered by the steady rain that fell Thursday evening on Jeld-Wen Field.
Scoring more goals than they did in their first three league matches combined, the opportunistic Timbers beat the Chicago Fire 4-2, scoring twice in each half for their first Major League Soccer victory.
The night was pure joy for the Portland faithful. A night not seen in American soccer in the opinion of Timbers coach John Spencer.
“I don’t think you’ve seen an atmosphere like that in American soccer — ever,” Spencer said. “No offense to the U.S., but it felt like the European Champions League.”
It was also an evening of vindication for two young Timbers (1-2-1).
Jorge Perlaza, a Colombian forward who had failed to convert several promising chances early this season, scored two goals. Left back Rodney Wallace, who was acquired in a significant trade on expansion draft day for midfielder Dax McCarty, scored one goal and helped set up another.
The historic first goal was scored in the 29th minute by Perlaza, who ran behind the defense to latch onto a long ball from Kalif Alhassan and calmly beat Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson by curling the ball just inside the right post.
The goal was Perlaza’s first in MLS. The rookie forward had failed to convert several chances in Portland’s first three MLS matches, and while the fans celebrated an historic moment for their team, Perlaza and coach John Spencer embraced in front of the Timbers’ bench.
“It was a very fast pace,” Perlaza said through a translator. “We were able to finish very well.”
In the 38th minute, left defender Wallace connected with a loose ball and drove a low shot from 24 yards that skipped through the penalty area and into the right side of the netting. That play started with a Jack Jewsbury free kick that was headed out of the penalty area by the Fire, but not clear of Wallace.
In the 47th minute, Perlaza and Wallace teamed up for another bit of magic. When goalkeeper Johnson mishandled a low cross that Wallace drove into the 6-yard box, Perlaza was right there to direct the rebound home for the 3-0 advantage.
Rookie goalkeeper Jake Gleeson’s one save denied Chicago’s Dominic Oduro in the 68th minute. Gleeson had no chance to stop a clearing effort by Portland’s Eric Brunner that resulted in an own goal in the 65th minute. Nor could he knock away Marco Pappa’s left-footed strike in the 81st minute that found the left upper-V to pull the Fire within 3-2.
For a moment, it seemed the memory might be spoiled for Portland.
But order was restored in the 84th minute when the ball ended up in the Chicago goal at the end of a mad scramble. Portland defender Mamadou “Futty” Danso initially was credited with the goal, but it was officially changed to a Fire own goal.
Either way, there was plenty of energy left for another celebration.
“They’re just unbelievable, right up there with some of the crazy experiences I’ve had,” Timbers forward Kenny Cooper said of the crowd. “Their energy was incredible.”
As might be expected given the occasion and the conditions, the match was played with more spirit than savvy. As the six goals indicate, it was a night the fans could appreciate more than the defenders.
Chicago’s speed forced Portland to scramble on defense several times. The Fire earned 13 corner kicks to only four for Portland, evidence of the Fire’s offensive ability.
The match provided enough highlights to out-do pregame ceremonies, during which Timbers owner Merritt Paulson, MLS commissioner Don Garber and Portland mayor Sam Adams made brief remarks.
The pregame pageantry included fireworks off the stadium’s rooftops as the teams walked out from the player entrance at the north end of the stadium below the Timbers Army. Banners for all 18 MLS clubs carried onto the pitch by youth soccer players, a field-length Portland Timbers banner carried by fans, and the Timbers Army singing the national anthem.
Then, their team gave them four goals to sing about in what will long be remembered as a dream debut.
Notes
At halftime, the Timbers added two former players, John Bain and Jimmy Conway, to the club’s ring of honor. They join former Timber player and University of Portland coach Clive Charles, and the franchise’s original chainsaw-wielding cheerleader, Timber Jim Serrill. The ring of honor names hang under the stadium roof in the northeast corner. Bain and Conway joined the NASL Timbers in 1978 and have both been instrumental in the Oregon soccer community. Among Bain’s accomplishments was coaching Vancouver’s Mountain View High School to two boys soccer Washington state titles. … Four of the Timbers’ starting 11 on opening night at Jeld-Wen Field played for the Division 2 Timbers last season, Danso, Kalif Alhassan, Steve Purdy and James Marcelin.
