The Portland Timbers secured their third straight victory Sunday night, beating Cascadia rivals Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1-0 at Providence Park behind an early header from Felipe Mora.
The Chilean striker nodded home an Eryk Williamson free kick in the 5th minute, beating Bryan Meredith with his effort to the near post. The Whitecaps again allowed an early strike, after twice going down inside five minutes against LAFC midweek.
Vancouver nearly responded right away, though, when Andy Rose’s headed effort on a free kick struck the post in the 7th minute. They also came close in the 40th minute, but Portland goalkeeper Steve Clark parried away Fredy Montero’s header, and Lucas Cavallini missed a back-post header of his own in the 52nd minute after a picture-picture cross from Cristian Dajome.
Portland, closing their second straight two-game week, brought the likes of Diego Valeri, Yimmi Chara, Jaroslaw Niezgoda and Jeremy Ebobisse off the bench. The MLS is Back Tournament champions showcased their depth, winning their second straight 1-0 match.
Goals
- 5' – POR – Felipe Mora | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Undefeated in four and winners of three straight, Portland are surging. Head coach Giovanni Savarese rotated his squad to great effect, too, letting key players get valuable rest. On the other hand, Vancouver dropped two straight this week. It was a better showing from head coach Marc Dos Santos’ group than Wednesday’s 6-1 loss at LAFC, but still a tough setback.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: The goal gets the headlines, but Steve Clark’s save on Fredy Montero in the 40th minute was fantastic. The Timbers’ goalkeeper reacted well after Ali Adnan’s clever cross, preserving the 1-0 lead and eventual shutout.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Felipe Mora’s goal was all that separated the sides, and it was his first since scoring in three straight games from Aug. 29 to Sept. 6. On loan from from Liga MX club Pumas UNAM, Mora continues to produce in key moments.
Next Up
- VAN: Saturday, Oct. 3 at Seattle Sounders (10:00 pm ET | TSN, MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US)
- POR: Saturday, Oct. 3 vs. Colorado Rapids (11:00 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US, DAZN in Canada)
