VANCOUVER, B.C - Vancouver Whitecaps FC came up against a Cascadia rival, Portland Timbers FC at Providence Park. It was a tale of halves, as Portland buried their first half opportunities in a 2-1 victory over Whitecaps FC in front of 21,144 spectators.
Darren Mattocks came back to haunt his former club as he scored the game winning goal to help Portland earn all three points. Darlington Nagbe opened the scoring and also added a first half assist. Fredy Montero scored for Vancouver, his fourth of the season.
Portland climbs top of the table in MLS with a 5-2-1 record. Vancouver falls to 2-4-1.
Whitecaps FC Coach, Carl Robinson lamented missed opportunities for his club.
"Unfortunately we weren't sharp enough in their boxes. If you don't take your chances, it comes back to bite you on the backside."
The Opening 45
Vancouver started the match in a defensive 4-1-4-1 formation featuring three holding midfielders, Matias Laba, Andrew Jacobson, and Tony Tchani.
Portland was minus keeper, Jake Gleeson, and a suspended Fanendo Adi, but that didn't stop coach, Caleb Porter from starting a high-powered offence. Diego Chara, Diego Valeri, Darlington Nagbe, and Darren Mattocks all earned starts.
A masterclass display of talent resulted in the opening goal of the match in the 18' minute. Darlington Nagbe picked off an errant Christian Bolanos pass. He cut around Techera, Laba, and skipper Kendall Waston. Nagbe curled a brilliant strike from outside the box, off the bar, and behind goalkeeper, David Ousted.
Vancouver's defensive struggles were on display again, in the 40' minute. Diego Valeri sent a ball into the Caps box. Mattocks got in behind a slowly reacting Waston to slot the ball in.
Portland held a 52% - 48% possession advantage, and a coveted 2-0 lead at the half.
The Second Half
While Portland had punished Vancouver in the opening half, the Whitecaps were still very much alive as they attempted a second half come back.
Vancouver earned a penalty in the 58' minute after Christian Bolanos was hip nudged by full-back Alvas Powell. Despite some posturing from Powell, referee Chris Penso awarded Vancouver an opportunity to cut the deficit in half.
Fredy Montero stepped up, and promptly had his penalty attempted stopped by, Jeff Attinella. Montero was alert, and he pounced on the rebound to find the back of the net.
The visitors pushed the pace in the second half and out shot Portland 16 - 11 on the afternoon. Vancouver's finial finish let them down as they could not find the equalizer. Portland did well to bunker in and hold firm a 2-1 advantage to the final whistle.
Man of the Match
Darlington Nagbe
Nagbe was worth the price of admission in the first half. He scored a cracker of a goal from distance and helped setup the winning goal by Darren Mattocks. With all of Portland's firepower, Nagbe is sometimes often overlooked. He was the top performer on the day with co-leading scorer, Fanendo Adi serving a suspension.
Vancouver Whitecaps Starting XI: David Ousted; Jordan Harvey, Tim Parker, Kendall Waston(C), Sheanon Williams; Matias Laba; Christian Bolanos, Andrew Jacobson, 76 (Nicolas Mezquida), Tony Tchani, 88 (Kyle Greig), Cristian Techera, 74 (Alphonso Davies); Fredy Montero. 4-1-4-1.
Portland Timbers FC Starting XI: Jeff Attinella; Alvas Powell, Lawrence Olum, Liam Ridgewell, Vytautas Andriuskevicius; David Guzman, Diego Chara; Dairon Asprilla,76 (Sebastian Blanco), Diego Valeri, 80 (Jack Barmby), Darlington Nagbe; Darren Mattocks. 4-2-3-1
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