The Portland Timbers would score four times on Saturday night against the Vancouver Whitecaps, three of them counting for the home side, with one counting for the visitors, in a 3-1 victory. Franck Boli would score with Evander adding two goals himself, while the Whitecaps were credited with a Timbers own goal.
It would not take long for the Timbers to take the lead, when in just the second minute, Claudio Bravo intercepted a pass deep in the Whitecaps side of the field, and played a quick pass to Franck Boli, who made a few quick dribbles, then blasted a shot past Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, and just that quickly, the Timbers had a 1-0 lead.
A minute or so later the visitors had a great chance on a header from an unmarked Pedro Vite right in front of the Timbers net, but it was saved easily by Aljaž Ivačič. In the 14th minute Ivačič had to make a few quick saves on close-in shots but it’s also possible any goal from that run of play might have come back as offside.
But in the 18th minute the Timbers would have one of their best team goals of the season. A series of quick passes between Diego Chará, Santiago Moreno, and Evander and then back and forth again a few more times ended up with Juan David Mosquera chipping a pass across the goal mouth which was met with a side-volley by Evander that was behind Takaoka and into the net, and the lead was now 2-0.
Then in the 24th minute, the Timbers would give a goal back. Whitecaps defender Julian Gressel made a nice overlapping run down the right side, and his cross was intended for an attacking Sergio Córdova at the far post, but was instead redirected into the net by Timbers defender Zac McGraw, and the Timbers lead was now 2-1.
In the 43rd minute only a brilliant diving save from Takaoka kept out a curling shot from the top of the box by Moreno, which kept the score at 2-1 Timbers at the break.
It only took until the 54th minute for the Timbers to re-gain their two goal lead, when Yimmi Chará played a pass to Evander, who turned on his defender to get an open look from 20 yards out, and his blast was low and just inside the left post, and the Timbers lead was now 3-1.
In the 79th minute the Whitecaps nearly benefitted from another own goal as Diego Chará’s attempted header back to Ivačič required a scrambling save from the Timbers keeper.
But the Timbers would hold on for the 3-1 victory.
Aljaž Ivačič would record five saves in the victory, while Yohei Takaoka would register four saves for the Whitecaps.
Timbers earn 3-1 victory against Cascadia rival Vancouver Whitecaps FC | Timbers website
