GAME RECAP
Timbers 3, FC Dallas 2
Man of the match: Kalif Alhassan. The midfielder was a pest on the left flank and assisted on two goals.
Fast start, frantic finish: Just like in the home opener on Thursday, the Timbers saw a 3-0 second-half lead trimmed to 3-2.
Up next: Timbers visit the LA Galaxy on April 23.
PORTLAND — Whether the result of the energy from the Timbers Army, or the result of more time working together, for the Portland Timbers the new FieldTurf at Jeld-Wen Field was a magic carpet for the second time in four days on Sunday.
Kalif Alhassan’s footwork set up two goals, Kenny Cooper scored against his former team, and the defense survived a late surge from the visitors as the Timbers defeated FC Dallas 3-2 before a sellout crowd of 18,627.
GAME RECAP
Timbers 3, FC Dallas 2
Man of the match: Kalif Alhassan. The midfielder was a pest on the left flank and assisted on two goals.
Fast start, frantic finish: Just like in the home opener on Thursday, the Timbers saw a 3-0 second-half lead trimmed to 3-2.
Up next: Timbers visit the LA Galaxy on April 23.
“Great game, great fight, great effort by the guys,” Portland captain Jack Jewsbury said. “(We are) excited to get back-to-back MLS victories.”
The result improves the Timbers’ Major League Soccer record to two wins, one tie and two losses, which puts Portland fifth among nine Western Conference teams.
Jewsbury scored the first goal and assisted on the second, and Rodney Wallace put Portland ahead 3-0 10 minutes into the second half.
Still, this win did not come without turbulence.
Portland was cruising, up three goals with 10 minutes to play and carrying the action. But 2010 MLS MVP David Ferreira and Dallas defender Brek Shea teamed for goals in the 83rd and 86th minutes to set up a desperate finish.
“I don’t think fatigue was a factor,” Wallace said of the hair-raising finish.” I think we had some moments where we slacked off a little bit. That can’t happen again. We’re going to work on that and fix it.”
In the three minutes of added time, FC Dallas was buzzing, earning the last of its six corner kicks and forcing Portland goalkeeper Jake Gleeson to make a couple of timely plays. For good measure, Ferreira slammed a shot off the frame.
“We need to stop conceding goals. We know that,” Portland coach John Spencer said. “The good thing is, we’re sitting with six points (in the standings) from two home games and it puts us right back in the mix.
“Everybody’s excited and we can take a lot of positives from the game.”
Among the positives was another exhilarating start. For the second time in four days, the Timbers forged a 2-0 halftime lead.
The first goal came on a restart from the left flank. Alhassan found space on the left edge of the 18-yard box and was able to chip the ball back to Jewsbury, whose shot from 14 yards caught the left post then bounced in off of goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
The second goal was a well-executed corner kick, mirroring one that was waved off on Thursday. Jewsbury’s curling service connected with Cooper who headed the ball beyond the reach of Hartman.
“It was just a great ball,” Cooper said. “Jack’s really good at set pieces. He played a good ball and fortunately it went in the back of the net.”
In the 55th minute, Alhassan’s nifty footwork near the top left of the 18-yard box set Wallace up for a close-range finish and a 3-0 Portland lead.
Spencer said the work rate of wide midfielders Alhassan and Jeremy Hall, who were relieved late by Darlington Nagbe and Sal Zizzo, was critical on Sunday.
Dallas, Hall noted, has quick midfielders who want to fly at opponents. The best way to slow down Marvin Chavez, Fabian Castillo and Ferreira is to make them work both ends of the park.
“I think our outside backs, Steve (Purdy) and Rodney (Wallace), did a great job with the pace that they had out wide,” Hall said.
Wallace, the left back, scored for the second consecutive game, an example of the end-to-end play Spencer demands of his players.
“I don’t think Chavez wanted to come back and defend so much, but he had to because Rodney runs the whole game,” Hall said. “It’s good for Rodney. He’s rewarding himself. He’s putting himself in good spots.”
Wallace’s goal on Sunday, created by a bit of Alhassan magic, put the Timbers in a good spot.
In the end, it was enough — just enough — to allow the Timbers and their fans to leave Jeld-Wen Field feeling very good about their new home.
Notes
• Portland had allowed two or more goals in four of its first five MLS matches.
• Troy Perkins, expected to be the Timbers top goalkeeper, was in uniform as the substitute goalkeeper on Sunday. Saturday’s practice was his first full one with the squad since a preseason knee injury.
• The next home match, on April 30, features a Real Salt Lake team that is representing MLS in the final of the CONCACAF Champions League.
• The rematch against FC Dallas is June 25.
• Timbers lineup: Fwd: Kenny Cooper and Joge Perlanza. MF: Kalif Alhasssan, James Marcelin, Jack Jewsbury, Jeremy Hall. Def: Rodney Wallace, Mamadou “Futty” Danso, Eric Brunner, Steve Purdy. GK: Jake Gleeson.
Available subs: GK Troy Perkins, D Kevin Godthwaite, MF Adam Moffat, MF Darlington Nagbe, MF Ryan Pore; MF Sal Zizzo, F Eddie Johnson.
