PORTLAND, OREGON
- Despite a second-half effort that included goals from Andreas Ivanschitz and Jordan Morris, Seattle Sounders FC (9-13-4, 31 points) fell 4-2 to the Portland Timbers (9-10-8, 35 points) Sunday afternoon at Providence Park. The Timbers found the net four times before the halftime whistle, snapping Seattle's five-match unbeaten streak (3-0-2) and giving the club its first loss under Interim Head Coach Brian Schmetzer.
Portland got off the starting blocks via a set-piece goal from Vytas Andriuskevicius, with the Lithuanian getting on the end of a Jack Jewsbury corner-kick to give the home side a 1-0 lead in the 16
th
minute of play. Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei managed to get a hand to the snap-header at his near post, but Andriuskevicius got his attempt just over the goal-line to count for the first tally of the match.
Five minutes later the Timbers doubled their advantage, as Argentine playmaker Diego Valeri weaved through traffic inside Seattle's area, firing a low, driven shot that Frei was able to save. However, Portland forward Fanendo Adi was waiting to pounce on the rebound, slamming a follow-up attempt into the back of Seattle's net to make the scoreline 2-0.
Portland added two insurance tallies before the halftime whistle, first via Lucas Melano in the 29
th
minute following some one-touch passing between Diego Chara and Valeri. Melano capped the build-up play with a smooth finish following Chara's final ball. Steven Taylor added the fourth goal of the half for the home side with a header in the 44
th
minute via a Valeri free-kick.
Seattle's energy changed following the halftime break, with the Rave Green bagging two goals inside the first six minutes of the second half. First, Ivanschitz swerved a shot past Portland netminder Jake Gleeson following a deft pass from attacking midfielder Nico Loderio. Ivanschitz's shot careened into the back of Portland's net after taking a slight deflection off of Taylor in the 47
th
minute.
A second Sounders goal came in the 51
st
minute, with Ivanschitz initiating the attack before laying the ball off to Lodeiro. The Uruguayan delivered an over-the-top through ball to a streaking Morris, who buried a header for his team-leading ninth goal of his 2016 rookie campaign. Lodeiro has now scored or assisted in each of the past five games, totaling two goals and six assists since signing with Seattle on July 27.
Román Torres made his return to the pitch Sunday with a halftime substitute appearance for defender Tyrone Mears. The Panamanian international was activated from the Disabled List last week after suffering a torn ACL on September 12 of last season.
The Rave Green now head into a bye week during the upcoming FIFA window,
with six Sounders being called into their respective national teams
for international duty. Brian Schmetzer's side returns to MLS play on Saturday, September 10 with a road match at San Jose (7:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Univision-Seattle, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM). Like Sounders FC, the Earthquakes are battling to climb above the red line in the race for the 2016 MLS Cup playoffs, with San Jose currently occupying seventh place in the Western Conference table, one point above Seattle with 32 points.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 2 - Portland Timbers 4
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Venue:
Providence Park
Referee:
Hilario Grajeda
Assistants:
Frank Anderson, Jeff Hosking
Fourth Official:
Alex Chilowicz
Attendance:
21,144
Weather:
Sunny and 80 degrees
SCORING SUMMARY
POR -
Vytautas Andriuskevicius (Jack Jewsbury) 16'
POR -
Fanendo Adi 21'
POR -
Lucas Melano (Diego Chara, Diego Valeri) 29'
POR -
Steven Taylor (Diego Valeri) 44'
SEA -
Andreas Ivanschitz (Nico Lodeiro) 47'
SEA -
Jordan Morris (Nico Lodeiro, Andreas Ivanschitz) 51'
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
SEA -
Nicolás Lodeiro (caution) 26'
SEA -
Andreas Ivanschitz (caution) 45'+1'
SEA -
Joevin Jones (caution) 78'
SEA -
Nelson Valdez (caution) 90'+1'
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC -
Stefan Frei; Tyrone Mears (Román Torres HT), Brad Evans - captain, Chad Marshall, Joevin Jones; Osvaldo Alonso, Cristian Roldan, Alvaro Fernandez (Herculez Gomez HT), Nico Lodeiro, Andreas Ivanschitz (Nelson Valdez 83'); Nelson Valdez (Jordan Morris 57')
Substitutes not used:
Tyler Miller, Oniel Fisher, Zach Scott, Erik Friberg
Total shots:
16 (Morris, 5)
Shots on goal:
3 (Morris, 2)
Fouls:
16 (Ivanschitz/Jones, 3)
Offside:
1 (Morris, 1)
Corner-kicks:
1 (Lodeiro, 1)
Saves:
4 (Frei, 4)
Portland Timbers -
Jake Gleeson; Alvas Powell, Steven Taylor, Liam Ridgewell - captain, Vytautas Andriuskevicius; Diego Chara, Jack Jewsbury, Darlington Nagbe, Diego Valeri, Lucas Melano (Ned Grabavoy 83'); Fanendo Adi
Substitutes not used:
Chris Konopka, Jermaine Taylor, Ben Zemanski, Jack Barmby, Darren Mattocks
Total shots:
15 (Adi, 6)
Shots on goal:
8 (3 players, 2)
Fouls:
11 (Andriuskevicius, 3)
Offside:
1 (Adi, 1)
Corner-kicks:
3 (Jewsbury, 3)
Saves:
1 (Gleeson, 1)
MATCH NOTES
- Sounders FC is now 9-13-4 in the 2016 MLS regular season. With 31 points, Sounders FC sits in eighth place in the Western Conference, four points behind the Portland Timbers for the sixth and final postseason position.
- Interim Head Coach Brian Schmetzer lost for the first time since taking over the managerial role for the Rave Green on July 26. Sunday's defeat snapped the Rave Green's five-match unbeaten streak (3-0-2).
- Seattle is now 8-5-4 versus Portland in league action, including a 2-5-2 mark at Providence Park. Portland won the season series 2-1-0, with the host side winning each match in 2016.
- Midfielder Nico Lodeiro has recorded a goal or an assist in five consecutive matches, including two assists on Sunday. Lodeiro has two goals and six assists in six MLS matches.
- Jordan Morris scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season in the 51st minute. Midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz was credited with the assist alongside Lodeiro, giving the Austrian a team-high eight assists in 2016.
- Román Torres came on for the second half for his first action since suffering a season-ending leg injury at San Jose on September 12, 2015.
- Sounders FC allowed four goals in a league match for the first time since a 4-1 loss the Portland Timbers at Providence Park on June 28, 2015. Forward Fanendo Adi scored in the 21st minute for his seventh career goal against Sounders FC. Adi's mark ties Robbie Keane for the second-most goals against the Rave Green in league play (Chris Wondolowski, 9).
