The Portland Timbers would put on one of their best performances of the season on Saturday night at JELD-WEN Field, dominating ChivasUSA 19-8 in shots, 11-2 in corners, and producing many good chances, especially for forward Kris Boyd. But the Timbers never managed to convert a single chance, and allowed Chivas to score on one of their few chances at steal a 1-0 win for the visitors in front of another sold out crowd on a beautiful night in Portland.
Though the match would have a lot of chances, the first 15 minutes were lacking in any good chances, and it wasn’t until Paolo Cordozo had an open look for Chivas from 20 yards out that either team would have a shot on net, though the shot was right at Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins.
In the 20th minute, a header from Portland’s Brent Richards set up forward Kris Boyd with an open chance as he did well to control the ball off his heel, but his shot blasted well over the crossbar. One minute later, Chivas forward Juan Pablo Angel got a good chance on a failed Timbers clearance, but slipped as he shot and put the shot wide right.
In the 25th minute, Timbers fans thought they had taken the lead when Boyd slipped in behind the defense and slotted the shot past Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy, but Boyd had strayed offside and the goal was disallowed.
In the 26th minute, it was Portland’s Franck Songo’o making a nice run down the left side, chipping a pass into the run of Richards, who one-timed a curling shot just wide left. Four minutes later, it was Portland’s Diego Chara leading a 3 on 2 attack, sliding a pass to Boyd who attempted a shot at a tight angle that was saved by Kennedy.
It was Richards producing another good scoring chance in the 39th minute when he ran a nice give and go along the sideline with Chara, and hit a low shot from just outside the corner of the box that was smothered well by Kennedy. Shortly afterwards, Chivas had their own good chance when Angel’s cross required a last second clearance from Timbers defender Hanyer Mosquera.
A 42nd minute chance for the Timbers was indicative of how this night would go for the home side, when Chara made a nice run down the right side, and played a low cross across the box that Kennedy got a touch on, but it fell to the foot of Boyd who had an open net to turn on from only a few yards out, but scuffed the open shot and it would harmlessly fall to Kennedy, and the match would go into the half in a scoreless tie.
Boyd would have another good look for the Timbers in the 53rd minute as he put the ball on his left foot from 20 yards out, but curled the shot a few yards over the crossbar. Boyd had another open look a few minutes later as he was open near the corner of the Chivas box, but blasted well high and wide right.
In the 61st minute it would be Chivas’s Cordozo with an open look from near the top of the Timbers box, but slipped the shot just wide right. Portland’s Darlington Nagbe would respond with a good look only a few minutes later, doing well to get the ball on his left foot near the top of the Chivas box but couldn’t get enough on the shot and it went wide left.
The Timbers would end up paying for a silly foul in the 69th minute when Songo’o tugged on the jersey of Cordozo and got a foul and a yellow card, and on the ensuing corner kick by Ben Zemanski, Danny Califf would get to the ball just before Perkins who was charging off his line, and though the players collided after the ball left, the Califf header was into the net and Chivas had the 1-0 lead.
In the 77th minute, Timbers second half substitution Kalif Alhassan nearly tied the score when he attempted to chip Kennedy from inside the box but Kennedy was not followed and saved easily.
Portland’s Boyd would have a chance to level in the 81st minute when he again put the ball on his left foot from 20 yards out, but Kennedy did well to tip the high blast just over the crossbar.
The Timbers had a few late chances to level, the best being in the 88th minute when a nice one-touch pass from Alhassan had Nagbe with a good look inside the box, but the shot was blasted high and Chivas killed off four minutes of stoppage time and sent the Timbers to their fifth straight defeat.
http://www.portlandtimbers.com/news/2012/07/recap-califf-chivas-finish-sweep-timbers
