Didn't keep any real detailed notes on this match, I was too busy hanging out, so this is basically gonna be my impressions on this one. Really, there was no pity in the Rose City, and the Fire were MIA for about the first 60 minutes. By the time they showed up, it was too little, too late.
First off, it's been a bad week for MLS refs. Toledo allowed a controversial winning goal for RSL against Colorado last night. Beckham was given his six yellow in five matches, and there were two questionable calls on goals in this match. Early on, PDX looked to have opened the scoring off of a corner kick, but the official ruled that the kick went out of bounds, so the goal was disallowed. My friend and I at first thought it was because of some shirt tugging in the box, but then ESPN explained the actual call and showed the replay. I dunno. The replay didn't convince me either way.
At any rate, it didn't slow the Timbers down. They put two on the board and went into the break up 2-0. The Fire were nowhere in sight. Granted the Fire had a ton of turnover this season, and they are in the middle of a major rebuild, but they looked awful except for the last 25 minutes or so.
Portland came out of the half and put another beauty of a goal up, and we thought it was over. After all, Chicago had given us no reason to think otherwise. However, they did come back and put two up in a row that made it 3-2 with about ten minutes to go. It looked like we had a match after all.
It wasn't to be, and this is where the other controversial call came in. Portland put a ball in the box off of a set piece, and it ended up getting booted around the line for a few seconds before finally going in to restore the two goal advantage for Portland. However, looking at the replay, Kenny Cooper obviously handled the ball not once, but twice before it went in. It was just a bad no call. At any rate, the goal counted and the Timbers went on to win 4-2.
Portland was obviously the better team, but they're gonna have to hold on to the ball a lot more against the better teams in MLS. They looked pretty good, but not real crisp, and I would question if they could break down a defense that actually bothered to get off the bus. I can't take anything away from them tonight though, great match and a great atmosphere. The Timbers supporters were awesome and "Timber Joey" with his chainsaw is surely one of the most awesome mascots in sports. Let's hope nobody freaks out over sawing that log!
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