The Portland Timbers reserves met the Vancouver Whitecaps reserves on Sunday afternoon at JELD-WEN Field, less than a day after the MLS clubs had drawn 1-1 at the stadium the night before, and this time the Whitecaps would come out on top on first half goals by Floyd Franks and Darren Mattocks, with the Timbers getting a single second half goal from Andrew Jean-Baptiste for the 2-1 Whitecaps win in front of 5,218 in Portland.
The first good scoring chances for either side would come in the 8th and 9th minutes, on very similar chances with Portland’s Franck Songo’o hitting a shot high from near the top of the box, then Vancouver’s Etienne Barbara getting a similar look a minute later, with Portland goalkeeper Joe Bendik doing well to tip the shot over the crossbar.
Five minutes later, it was Vancouver’s Michael Nanchoff forcing another save from Bendik, after curling a free kick from 20 yards around the Timbers wall, before Bendik was able to tip the shot past the left post.
Then in the 18th minute, the Whitecaps would take the lead when Russell Teibert found Floyd Franks open near the penalty spot, and the Whitecaps midfielder would head past Bendik for the early 1-0 lead. Ten minutes later, the visitors would double the lead when Darren Mattocks, who had scored the late tying goal the previous evening for the MLS Whitecaps, slipped in behind the Timbers defense on a pass from Nanchoff, and beat Bendik with a low shot from a tight angle to widen the lead to 2-0.
The Timbers would nearly pull a goal back just before halftime when on a free kick from just outside the Whitecaps box, Songo’o’s shot was punched wide of the near post by Whitecaps goalkeeper (and former Timbers USL goalkeeper) Brad Knighton. The Whitecaps would hold a 2-0 lead at the half.
Just seconds into the second half, a mistake by Knighton nearly gifted the Timbers a goal as the Whitecaps keeper would hit a goal kick too lightly to his defender, and Portland’s Mike Fucito managed to get to the ball at the same time, but his shot was slightly deflected and went wide of goal. Five minutes later, it was Portland’s Songo’o with a good look from 30 yards out, with his dipping shot going just a yard or two over the crossbar.
Mattocks had a good chance in the 59th minute to get his third goal in Portland in less than 24 hours, but his shot from the top of the Timbers box was kept out by a kick save by Bendik. Seconds later it was the Timbers on the attack as Freddie Braun was able to control the ball inside the Whitecaps box, but his shot from 12 yards out was stopped by a diving save by Knighton.
In the 64th minute, the Whitecaps once again had a good chance to widen the lead when after a shot by Carlyle Mitchell was stopped by Bendik, Long Tan had a good chance at an open net, through from a tight angle, but put the shot wide right.
The Timbers would finally pull one back in the 70th minute, when a corner kick by Songo’o found a wide open Andrew Jean-Baptiste open only eight yards out, and his header would slip over Knighton and into the net, and the Timbers were within a goal at 2-1.
The Timbers would have a few good chances to level the score over the next few minutes, first in the 74th minute when after a corner kick came free in the Whitecaps box, Fucito was able to turn on the ball but his shot was deflected wide. Two minutes later, it was Songo’o chipping a pass into the run of Sebastian Rincon, but the Timbers forward volleyed his shot over the crossbar.
Vancouver’s Knighton would be called on for a few late saves on great Timbers chances to secure the win, first in the 79th minute when a diving save tipped Songo’o’s shot from 20 yards out wide, then two minutes later when Lovel Palmer’s dipping shot from 25 yards out forced another diving save to tip the shot past the right post. But the Timbers were never able to find the equalizer, and the Whitecaps reserves held on for the 2-1 win.
http://www.portlandtimbers.com/news/2012/05/whitecaps-fc-reserves-defeat-timbers-reserves-2-1
