A hurtful shootout for the Portland Timbers on the road

 

No miracle and no victory on the road as the Portland Timbers once again fell short of their objective to secure a spot in the postseason, finishing their last home match against San Diego F.C. with disappointment.

An early goal by Argentine Pedro De la Rosa proved to be the only score of the contest as the Timbers struggled to create any opportunities to find the net. Seattle Sounders’ goalkeeper Stefan Frei ended the match with a clean sheet, which has become a growing concern for coach Phil Neville, who is desperately searching for solutions to help his team score at least a goal or two.

Unfortunately, they fell short once again. Frei finished the night with four saves, compared to Timbers’ goalkeeper Crepeau, who made just two. De La Vega, benefiting from assists by Alex Roldan and Jesus Ferreira, scored the only goal of the match in the 16th minute. This marked Roldan’s fifth assist of the season, while Ferreira recorded his seventh.

Pedro De La Vega’s goal was his fourth in 24 appearances, highlighting his value for the Seattle Sounders as they seek to strengthen their midfield for the remaining matches in the season. The only downside of the match was a red card issued to Seattle’s Albert Rusnak in the 90+6 minute.

Despite the loss, the Timbers have secured a spot in the postseason following San Jose’s loss to Vancouver on Sunday, with a game upcoming against San Diego F.C. at home at Providence Park.