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Timbers put out Fire, 1-0

By Paul Danzer, Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published: August 7, 2015, 5:00pm
7 Photos
Timbers' forward Fanendo Adi, right, celebrates after scoring the first goal of the game with Diego Valeri, who assisted in the goal, during the second half at the Portland Timbers' match against the Chicago Fire on Friday Aug. 7, 2015, at Providence Park.
Timbers' forward Fanendo Adi, right, celebrates after scoring the first goal of the game with Diego Valeri, who assisted in the goal, during the second half at the Portland Timbers' match against the Chicago Fire on Friday Aug. 7, 2015, at Providence Park. (Christopher Onstott/for The Columbian) Photo Gallery

PORTLAND — The Portland Timbers defense stood strong for a second consecutive contest on Friday. This time, the shutout also added up to a needed win.

Fanendo Adi scored his team-leading 10th goal early in the second half and the Timbers beat the Chicago Fire 1-0 at Providence Park.

The victory, Portland’s seventh at home this season and first in more than a month overall, puts the Timbers third in the Western Conference standings — at least until the rest of Major League Soccer plays games over the weekend.

While admitting that their attack needs to be better, the Timbers were plenty happy that one goal was enough.

“If we win every game 1-0, no one’s going to remember the scoreline,” Timbers coach Caleb Porter said. “They’re going to remember the points and where we finished in the table.”

After not having a shot on goal in the first half, the Timbers made their first one count shortly after halftime. A Diego Valeri shot from an angle to the right bounced off of Chicago goalkeeper Sean Johnson and Adi was on the doorstep for the 48th minute finish and his 10th goal of the season.

A long cross-field pass from Will Johnson found Valeri, who controlled the ball on the right side of the penalty area, dribbled at a defender and drove a low ball toward the goal.

Johnson credited Porter for getting on the team at halftime and urging the Timbers to force Chicago defenders to turn around by playing quicker into space behind the Fire back four.

“We were over playing through the back six and it just wasn’t working, so we changed things up in the second half and it got the win for us,” Johnson said.

After the goal, Portland quickly created a couple more chances, including a sharp-angle shot from close range by Jorge Villafana that Johnson fought off for a corner kick.

But the best chances to put away the game fall to new designated player Lucas Melano. The Argentine made his home debut for the Timbers in the 68th minute, coming on for Wallace. His speed created multiple scoring chances, though his first impact was to earn a yellow card for a slide tackle from behind on former Timber Lovell Palmer as Melano tried to help defensively.

In the 78th minute, Melano’s low shot from an interchange with Valeri curved just outside of the left post. In the 85th minute, Melano was free behind the defense but his tough-angled shot spun just wide right. And in the 88th minute he had a counter-attack chance that went wide.

“He needs to clean some things up still, but that’s to be expected,” Porter said, noting that Melano is working his way into shape and into a new environment. “But, I thought impact-wise he was very unfortunate not to score. He had four clear chances.”

Chicago’s best chance came in the 86th minute when Shaun Maloney found space near the top of the penalty area for a shot that went narrowly off target.

The only scoring chance for either team in the first half was giveaway by Timbers goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey that bounced to Chicago’s Jason Johnson. Johnson, though, seemed surprised by the ball and deflected it weakly toward goal allowing Kwarasey to recover.

“I changed my mind at the last second,” Kwarasey said. “I was supposed to play it to (Liam) Ridgewell and the last second I changed my mind and was in between. I’m happy I got away with it.”

The Timbers were plenty happy to walk away winners.

Match notes

Where they stand: Portland (10-8-6, 36) moved, at least temporarily, into third place in the Western Conference. Sporting Kansas City has 34 points but has played four fewer games than the Timbers. Chicago (6-12-4, 22 points) remains last in the Eastern Conference.

This and that: Former Timber Lovell Palmer made his 15th appearance (14th start) of the season for the Fire, playing right back. … Fire forward David Accam left the match with an injury late in the first half, continuing a run of tough injury luck for the Fire.

Chicago fields strong team: Chicago will play its next two matches at Philadelphia. On Wednesday the Fire and Union play in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal before meeting on Aug. 16 in MLS play. Despite that, coach Frank Yallop fielded a first-choice lineup in Portland. But newly signed Gilberto was not among the 18 who dressed for the Fire.

Next match: Aug. 15 at Real Salt Lake. The Timbers play five of their remaining 10 games at home. The next home match is Aug. 21, against Houston. Like this match, that is also a Friday night nationally-televised match on the Spanish-language UniMas network.

T2 at home: Portland Timbers 2 plays host to OKC Energy at 7 p.m. Saturday at the University of Portland’s Merlo Field. T2 (8-11-2, 26 points) enters the weekend five points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference of the United Soccer League. The Energy (9-5-7, 34 points) is fourth in the Western Conference following a Tuesday win over L.A. Galaxy II. OKC defeated Portland 2-0 on June 5 in Oklahoma. A live webcast of the match is available at www.timbers2.com. Tickets are available online through the Timbers.com website, or at Merlo Field prior to the match.

SCORING SUMMARY: TIMBERS 1, FIRE 0

Chicago 0 0–0

Portland 0 1–1

First half–None.

Second half–1, Portland, Adi 10 (Valeri), 48th minute.

Goalies–Chicago, Sean Johnson; Portland, Adam Kwarasey.

Yellow Cards–Polster, Chicago, 44th; Melano, Portland, 72nd.

Referee–Armando Villarreal. Assistant Referees–Jeremy Hanson. Paul Scott. 4th Official–Alex Chilowicz.

A–21,144 (20,000)

Lineups

Chicago–Sean Johnson, Lovel Palmer, Jeff Larentowicz, Eric Gehrig, Joevin Jones, Matt Polster, Harry Shipp, Shaun Maloney, Razvan Cocis, David Accam (Patrick Nyarko, 43rd), Jason Johnson (Kennedy Igboananike, 68th).

Portland–Adam Kwarasey, Alvas Powell, Nat Borchers, Liam Ridgewell, Jorge Villafana, Rodney Wallace (Lucas Melano, 68th), Diego Chara, Diego Valeri (Jack Jewsbury, 90th), Darlington Nagbe, Will Johnson, Fanendo Adi (Dairon Asprilla, 86th).

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Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter