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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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Timbers beat Whitecaps 3-0 to move into 5th place

By , Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published:
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Portland Timbers forward Fanendo Adi (R) shoots during MLS soccer game between Portland Timbers and Vancouver (B.C.) Whitecaps.
Portland Timbers forward Fanendo Adi (R) shoots during MLS soccer game between Portland Timbers and Vancouver (B.C.) Whitecaps. (Steve Dipaola/for The Columbian) Photo Gallery

PORTLAND — It’s been a long climb, and there is still significant work to do, but on Saturday the Portland Timbers moved into playoff position — and looked like a playoff team.

Diego Valeri scored one classy goal and created another, and Fanendo Adi scored twice as the Timbers top players were at their best in beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 at Providence Park. The result lifts Portland past Vancouver and into the fifth and final playoff spot in Major league Soccer’s Western Conference.

The Timbers (9-8-12, 39 points) are two points ahead of the Whitecaps (8-8-13). Each has five matches remaining.

“I’m really pleased with our performance,” Timbers coach Caleb Porter said. “This is a pressure game. This is crunch time.”

Valeri put Portland ahead midway through the first half with a volley from 12 yards at the end of a cross from Jorge Villafana. It was the kind of shot that Valeri said often ends up in the stands.

The play started with a quickly taken free kick that got the ball to Villafana in space on the left wing. Villafana said he saw Adi posting up in the 18-yard box, but it was a delayed run out of midfield by Valeri that surprised the defense.

“I usually just hit the ball and try to put it in a dangerous spot, and Valeri got there and it was an amazing finish,” Villafana said.

That goal changed the tenor of the match. Early on Vancouver’s quick forwards were testing Portland’s defense and there were several close calls for the home team. But once Portland had the lead, Vancouver had trouble finding creative space.

It was Portland’s fourth shutout of the season — two against Vancouver — and the most complete defensive effort of 2014 according to Porter. The coach pointed to defensive midfielders Will Johnson and Diego Chara and center backs Liam Ridgewell and Pa Modou Kah turning in the best performances this season in those positions.

“It was team defending. Good, collective defending. Very organized,” Porter said. “I thought our shape was very good, we were disciplined and we were patient.”

Adi put away two counter-attack chances three minutes apart midway through the second half to secure the victory. On the first one, a Valeri steal at midfield created a two-on-one opportunity with Adi chipping the ball over charging goalkeeper David Ousted. On Adi’s second goal — his fourth two-goal game for the Timbers — he again waited for Ousted to commit after a Darlington Nagbe pass split the defense.

As big as those goals were, Adi’s ability to hold his own in a battle with Whitecaps center backs Andy O’Brien and Kendall Watson provided an outlet for Timbers defenders and midfielders.

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Before the match, Porter asked Adi to play like a man. The 23-year-old delivered.

“He played like the true target type No. 9 (forward) that you want him to be — which is bang the center backs, hold the ball, get on the end of stuff and finish the couple of plays you get,” Porter said.

“When you are playing against such a (physical) defender and you are able to win some of those long balls and keep him away from getting those balls, I think it gives a lot of confidence to myself,” Adi said.

Before the match Porter said his team was confident because it made the playoffs a year ago. In a playoff-like contest on Saturday, the Timbers delivered a performance that should only boost their belief — and gained a leg up on their closest competition.

Remaining games — Timbers: at Toronto, at San Jose, San Jose, Real Salt Lake, at FC Dallas. Whitecaps: Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas, at Seattle, at San Jose, Colorado.

TIMBERS 3, WHITECAPS 0

Vancouver 0 0–0

Portland 1 2–3

First half–1, Portland, Valeri 9 (Villafana), 28th minute.

Second half–2, Portland, Adi 7 (Valeri), 66th. 3, Portland, Adi 8 (Nagbe), 69th.

Goalies–Vancouver, David Ousted; Portland, Donovan Ricketts.

Yellow Cards–Laba, Vancouver, 16th; Waston, Vancouver, 24th; Kah, Portland, 24th.

Referee–Hilario Grajeda. Assistant Referees–Peter Balciunas. Felisha Mariscal. 4th Official–Juan Guzman.

A–20,814 (20,000)

Lineups

Vancouver–David Ousted, Andy O’Brien, Kendall Waston, Jordan Harvey, Steven Beitashour, Sebastian Fernandez (Nicolas Mezquida, 76th), Matias Laba, Russell Teibert, Mauro Rosales (Kekuta Manneh, 65th), Erik Hurtado (Darren Mattocks, 76th), Pedro Morales.

Portland–Donovan Ricketts, Alvas Powell (Michael Harrington, 82nd), Liam Ridgewell, Pa-Modou Kah, Diego Valeri, Will Johnson, Jorge Villafana, Darlington Nagbe, Diego Chara, Fanendo Adi (Maximiliano Urruti, 72nd), Rodney Wallace (Gaston Fernandez, 87th).

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Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter