Match 2: Portland Timbers 0-0 Carolina RailHawks

By: Bob Kellett | April 30th, 2009

Bottom Line:For the third straight year the Carolina RailHawks and the Portland Timbers played to a scoreless draw at PGE Park. In front of 8,549 fans at their 2009 home opener (0-1-1, 1pts), the Timbers outshot the RailHawks (3-0-1, 10pts) 7-2 in the second half but failed to find the goal for the second straight game. Forward Mandjou Keita finished with six shots on the evening. Keeper Chris Seitz, on loan from Real Salt Lake and filling in for injured starter Steve Cronin, made six saves. The two teams will square off again in Portland on Saturday. The Timbers are 1-2-3 against Carolina all time.

Timbers Lineup
POR: GK Seitz, D Nishimura (Thompson, 45), D Knowles, D Keel, D Hayes, M Savage (Farber, 45), M Claesson, M McManus, M Pore (McLaughlin, 84), F Keita (Josten, 84), F Suzuki

Did you notice….
USL Live has let me down. The archive of the game isn’t up. For those who saw the game, give me a couple of reasons to watch it if/when it becomes available. The best nil-nil draw ever? The emphasis on the attack is evident and we just need to be patient? All 11 of the Timbers’ fouls led to carnage? Scott Benedetti played the second half? Watching soccer makes beer taste better?

Damn, where is that game!

Opening Night Attendance History
2001, Friday, 12,295
2008, Thursday, 10,977
2002, Saturday, 8,775
2009, Thursday, 8,549
2007, Saturday, 7,805
2006, Friday, 5,448
2005, Saturday, 5,275
2004, Saturday, 6,891
2003, Thursday, 5,993

“Surprisingly large,” exclaims the The Oregonian’s fill in writer. Blazers effect?

Match Reports:

• Timbers, Carolina battle to 0-0 draw at PGE Park (Portland Timbers)
• Official Game Stats (USL Soccer)
• RailHawks Tie Timbers 0-0 (Carolina RailHawks)
• Portland 0, Carolina 0: Timbers play to scoreless draw (The Oregonian)
• Assorted Fan Reactions (Talk Timbers)
• TIMBERS: 0-0 draw gives Portland its first point (Portland Tribune)
• Various photos (Flickr)
• Sports night in Stumptown (The Oregonian)

Photo

Category: Match Reports

Tags: Carolina RailHawks, Match Reports, Portland Timbers

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Comments  

• Ian |  April 30th, 2009 at 11:23 pm

  
  
  

  I’d stop well short of calling it the best nil-nil draw ever (though soccer’s effect on the taste of beer is well documented, so on that, I agree with you). If you need a reason to watch, I’ll give you two – the almost-perfect free kick in the first half and the shot stopping from Seitz. He looked a little nervy in the first five minutes, but he manned up quick.

  I really like having one half each for Nishimura and Scot. Right back was always a strong position tonight. Sucks not to have gotten a goal out of all that possession, but it’s a point and a clean sheet.

  Posted from United States

  

• Zaggy |  May 1st, 2009 at 8:03 am

  
  
  

  Actually I’d REALLY like to Nishi play left or right mid….we aren’t getting much width, and even less passing out of those positions (when Savage was replaced at half for Faber it got better, but then it looked like Pore moved upfront with Suzuki playing left mid, which didn’t really work to well)…our right backs are playing awesome, but there just isn’t enough linking outside, and Carolina looked to clog the middle, making it tough for McManus and Claesson to get anything going…hopefully for Sat we see something like:

  Seitz
  Scot Keel Knowles Hayes
  McManus
  Nishi Claesson Pore/Nimo?
  Suzuki Faber/Keita

  Posted from United States

  

• Stearling |  May 1st, 2009 at 9:36 am

  
  
  

  A shame we couldn’t punch one in, they deserved a goal, but we lack that final quality going forward…to many wasted balls and we lack that killer cutting run…too much standing around sadly…crowd was noisy for the number and the weather was fantastic, hopefully Saturday shows more people in the stands…

  Posted from United States

  

• shrek |  May 1st, 2009 at 9:49 am

  
  
  

  Were we playing a 4-4-2 or 4-5-1?

  Posted from United States

  

• wheels |  May 1st, 2009 at 11:10 am

  
  
  

  4-4-2, if you consider Suzuki to be a striker.

  Nishimura handles the ball better than anyone else on the team and should be allowed to play the entire game — and I concur with Zaggy — in the midfield. He was a bright spot on an otherwise lackluster side.

  Suzuki proved last night that either a) he is unteachable, b) Gavin cannot teach, or c) all of the above. He (intentionally ambiguous) should be let go immediately. Suzuki’s passes are too soft and nearly always are either intercepted or put his teammates in terrible positions, his ball handling is atrocious, his composure in front of goal is simply maddening, and his continuing obsession with the back pass defies all rational explanation.

  Posted from United States

  

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