Game 30: Vancouver 2 – Timbers 2

By: mao | October 4th, 2010

Portland Timbers concluded their 2010 regular season without a loss in their final ten games with a 2-2 draw away to Vancouver Whitecaps at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. Bright Dike scored his tenth goal of the season and young Khalif Alhassan struck for his second to give the Timbers a brief lead in the second half. Shared points were not the ideal result, but the Timbers did finish this season without a loss to Vancouver with two wins and two draws. Portland finished this season with the third-highest point total and will occupy the league’s fourth position in the playoffs.

Vancouver had the better chances early and late while the Timbers did their work through the middle of the match. Davide Chiumiento in particular had a chance in the first half, but it was Terry Dunfield who scored from a header on a corner after a flicked header from Martin Nash gave him space at the back post. The defending from the Timbers was poor and will no doubt be a focus in the coming days’ training sessions. The score stood at 1-0 at half-time as the Whitecaps picked up several yellow cards for ill-timed tackles and poor play of their own.

The Timbers earned their share of the points in the first eleven minutes of the second half. Alhassan scored a fine goal to equalize just one minute into the half. His second goal gives even more hope that his great skill is not limited to his match-winner against Puerto Rico two weeks ago. Dike then followed with a goal of his own, giving the Timbers the advantage and reaching double digits in league goals. With Ryan Pore winning both the league’s scoring title and golden boot, Portland had two players score at least ten league goals in 2010.

A second Timbers’ victory in Burnaby was not to be however, as Cody Arnoux headed in Vancouver’s second on 68 minutes after shocking defending left no less than three Whitecaps available to head in the equalizer. Again, the Timbers will be working on defending set-pieces and crosses this week.

Finishing in fourth place means Portland will return to Burnaby on Thursday for the first of a two-legged affair with fifth-place finishers Vancouver. By dropping below their top spot on the NASL table, the Whitecaps’ point total brings them only to fifth. Last season the Whitecaps eliminated the Timbers, despite the latter winning the Commissioner’s Cup, only to lose themselves in the championship round. While both clubs are obviously eyeing Major League Soccer in the rapidly approaching future, the playoff round will undoubtedly be a fantastic closing to the second division rivalry between Portland and Vancouver.