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Timbers get rough-and-tumble win over Earthquakes

McInerney, Adi score second-half goals in 3-1 win

By Paul Danzer, Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter
Published: April 16, 2016, 10:37pm

PORTLAND — A rough and tumble second half on Saturday saw more Timbers players head to the infirmary. But Portland left Providence Park feeling somewhat better at the end of a wild and crazy second half.

Jack McInerney and Fanendo Adi scored second-half goals as the Timbers beat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 in a game with drama right down to the 100th minute, When Adi sealed things with a tap-in goal at the end of a counter-attack.

The Timbers (2-3-2, 8 points) won for the first time since their season opener. After playing three games over seven days, Portland is idle for 10 days before traveling to New England on April 27 then returning home to host Toronto four days later. San Jose (3-2-2, 11 points), saw a three-game unbeaten string end.

Chris Wondolowski converted a penalty kick in the first minute of stoppage time to pull San Jose within 2-1 and after the Quakes created chaos in front of Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson in search of a second goal.

Gleeson came on early in the second half for Adam Kwarasey, who injured a finger. Adi was also a second-half substitute when Darren Mattocks was knocked out of the game.

Oh, and the Timbers finished with 10 men after Diego Valeri picked up a pair of late yellow cards, the second as part of a stoppage time sequence that saw San Jose goalkeeper David Bigham chase down Valeri, upset that a Valeri shot taken after a whistle hit a San Jose player in the head.

It was a wild finish to a physical second half.

McInerney broke through early in the second half on a play that developed from a counter-attack. Despite several less-than-clean touches along the way from several Timbers, McInerney was able to win a slide tackle from Kip Colvey in the 18-yard box, pop to his feet and place the shot inside the left post from the right side of the penalty area.

That goal came moments after Kwarasey left the match with a finger injury to his right hand, forcing backup Jake Gleeson into the match.

Adi’s first goal also came at the end of a counter-attack. A shot from the top of the penalty area by Diego Valeri was deflected and landed at Adi’s feet. The striker was able to step around Victor Bernardez and finish the play in the 66th minute.

That goal also followed a Portland injury, as Adi entered as a substitute for Mattocks in the 63rd minute. Mattocks was knocked flat when he caught Bernardez’s shoulder in the head near midfield, and Mattocks needed help from two people to walk to the locker room.

The second-half fireworks came after a pretty quiet first half from the home team. The Timbers started only four of the six field players who started the MLS Cup final in December, and seemed focused on avoiding the mistakes that have led to deficits in five of the first six matches this season.

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Columbian Soccer, hockey and Community Sports Reporter