Costa Rica's
Puntarenas
Defeats Portland
Timbers
PORTLAND, Oregon
- A pair of
second-half
goals just three
minutes apart
helped Costa
Rica's Puntarenas
FC capture a 3-1
victory over the
Portland Timbers
on Saturday
night in front
of a festive
7,478 at PGE
Park.
The Timbers
controlled the
run of play for
most of the
match and
out-shot the
Costa Rican side
23-5. Rookie
forward Bright
Dike (DEE-kay)
scored his first
goal of the
season to put
Portland on top
midway through
the first half.
Puntarenas,
however, was
able to equalize
before halftime
and scored on
both of their
shots in the
second half to
steal the win.
Making a quick,
one-game visit
to the United
States,
Puntarenas
received goals
from midfielder
Pedro Leal, a
member of the
Costa Rican U-23
National Team,
and forwards
Joshua Diaz and
Daniel Pena.
Goalkeeper Bryan
Zamora logged
six saves,
including four
in the first
half, to help
seal the win.
After some early
chances for
Portland, Dike
put the home
side on the
board in the
22nd minute. He
received the
ball down the
right touch line
before working
his way towards
the box. Near
the top right
corner, roughly
20 yards out,
Dike unloaded a
hard shot inside
the far post and
into the side
netting past the
diving effort of
Zamora.
Puntarenas was
able to answer
back before the
half. In the
33rd minute,
midfielder
Gabriel Masner
chipped a pass
into the box for
Leal on an
over-lapping run
down the left
side. Open and
with a short
window of
opportunity,
Leal was able to
hook a shot
around Timbers
goalkeeper Matt
Pyzdrowski and
inside the near
post for the 1-1
equalizer.
Portland held a
10-3 advantage
in shorts in the
opening stanza,
with two coming
from forward
Doug DeMartin.
In the 15th
minute, he let a
shot fly from
the top of the
box that forced
Zamora into a
save. Then in
the 23rd minute,
DeMartin looked
to finish a
breakaway by
Alex Nimo, but
that effort also
landed in the
arms of the
Puntarenas
goalkeeper.
Defender Scot
Thompson
unleashed a shot
in the 31st
minute from the
right side that
seemed destined
for the goal.
But, Zamora
turned in
another timely
save and was
able to knock
Thompson's shot
wide of the
frame with a
diving effort.
The Timbers
opened the
second half much
the way they
finished the
first period,
dominating
possession and
creating
chances. But it
was Puntarenas
that took the
lead in the 54th
minute.
On a run down
the right side
against the run
of play,
midfielder
Ricardo Garcia
served in a long
cross to the far
side of the box
to Diaz. With
space, Diaz, a
member of the
Costa Rican U-20
National Team,
one-timed shot
into the top
right corner of
the goal to lift
the visiting
side to a 2-1
lead.
Puntarenas added
to its lead
three minutes
later in the
57th minute,
capitalizing on
an error by
Portland in the
defensive third.
Pena picked off
a back pass by
Thompson
intended for
Pyzdrowski. He
then popped the
ball over
Pyzdrowski and
finished into an
open net from
eight yards out.
The Timbers gave
Puntarenas all
they could
handle in the
second half.
Midfielder
Takayuki Suzuki
had one of his
four shots on
the night hit
off the left
post in the 52nd
minute. DeMartin
had a chance to
pull one back in
the 81st minute,
with a looping
header on a
second-chance
shot that was
cleared off the
line by a
Puntarenas
defender.
In the final
minutes of the
match, defenders
Mamadou Danso
and Quavas Kirk
each had a shot
on frame as the
Timbers looked
to chip away at
their deficit.
But, Danso's
shot from close
range missed the
mark and Kirks
dipping shot
from distance
was stopped at
the goal line.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
