Timbers fall 2-0 to Philadelphia Union

Timbers fall 2-0 to Philadelphia Union

The Portland Timbers could never find the back of the net on Sunday night, though they did have a goal called back after video review, but the Philadelphia Union scored in each half and defeated the Timbers by a 2-0 score.  Dániel Gazdag and Sérgio Santos would have the goals for the visitors.

It did not take long for the Union to take the lead, when in just the fifth minute, a long throw-in was headed well by Alejandro Bedoya, to Dániel Gazdag who made a spectacular bicycle kick from just in front goal, and past goalkeeper Aljaž Ivačič, and the Union had the 1-0 lead.   In the 11th minute, the Union would have another great chance when Bedoya was able to run unto a Union free kick deep inside the box, but Ivačič made a great reaction save on his close-in shot. 

Just before halftime, the Timbers had a great chance of their own when Santiago Moreno turned on the ball at the top of the Union box and let go with a powerful shot that slipped just a foot or so over the bar.  At the half the Union had the 1-0 lead.

But just as in the first half, it would not take long for the Union to be on the board again.  Union defender Kai Wagner sent in a nice curling cross that Sérgio Santos would get his head to before any Timbers defender, and the shot slipped inside the left post past a motionless Ivačič, and the lead was suddenly 2-0.

Being down 2-0, the Timbers started to push forward more and had more of the control of the run of play, and thought they had pulled a goal back in the 69th minute when Sebastián Blanco jumped on a loose ball in the Union box and scored, but the goal was disallowed on video review, the referee having determined that Josecarlos Van Rankin touched a cross with his head which put Moreno offside during the run-up to the goal.

The Timbers would have good chances later, with Yimmi Chará‘s tight-angle shot being blocked by Andre Blake in the 86th minute, and again in stoppage time when Bill Tuiloma made a run deep into the Union box but his shot was also blocked by Blake, and in the end the Timbers would be on the short end of the 2-0 loss to the Union.

Aljaž Ivačič and Andre Blake would have two saves each on the night.

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