Do the Portland Timbers know the way to a road win? Saturday night in San Jose the Earthquakes rode a possession-heavy offense in their favor to a tie that was long on fouls and chippy play but short on action. The host San Jose team had not won in 9 games and the visiting Timbers were looking for only their second rode win of the year.
The scoring got started in the 21st minute on what might be the most nonchalant goal ever scored in Kenny Coopers career. Assisted by fellow forward Jorge Perlaza on a beautiful cross, the hulking forward Cooper casually stuck a foot out and tipped the ball past goalie Jon Busch for his first score in more than two months. Coming off a stunning defeat of league-leading Los Angeles on just three days rest, the Timbers never really got any attacking runs at the San Jose defense like they did last Wednesday at home.
Not much more could be said for the Quakes offense either. Other than dominating possession quite handily throughout the game (65% versus 35%), San Jose’s only distinction was that they didn’t allow much in the way of a Portland attack after halftime.
Ex-Timber and now Quakes player Alan Gordon, newly acquired in the last month from Toronto where he scored 4 goals, got the home team even on an perfectly placed cross by Steven Beitashour in the 67th minute when he got in front of defender Eric Bruner and headed the ball past a diving Troy Perkins.
The past two months has not been kind to the Timbers in the last 20 minutes of matches when they’ve been keen to giving up tying or winning goals (see Colorado and New York games) that have frustrated head coach John Spencer. Tonight would be different on the road when the “bend but don’t break” defense held on for the 1 point in the table. The boys in green had one last chance in stoppage time when various players got their foot on the ball but without a decent shot on goal.
Team notes:
- Defender Jeremy Hall was sent off in the 90th minute for arguing a supposed penalty in San Jose’s penalty box.
- Captain Jack Jewsbury missed his second game in a row with a strained hamstring. Goalie Troy Perkins wore the captains’ armband for the second game in a row.
- Midfielder Diego Chara was serving a one game suspension for yellow cards given and newly acquired Lovel Palmer was playing his more familiar central midfielder possession in the absence of Jewsbury.
(image courtesy of Getty Images)
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