After a narrow escape against FC Cincinnati on Tuesday, the Portland Timbers looked set for another nail-biting match in the MLS is Back Tournament quarterfinals after going down 1-0 early. After shaking off their early struggles, however, the Timbers took the game to New York, smothering the Eastern Conference side’s attempts at getting forward and ultimately winning 3-1 to advance to the semifinals.
Despite a gilded chance for Jeremy Ebobisse in the 8th minute that the Timbers forward put over the bar from inside the box, the match did not get interesting until 27 minutes in when Larrys Mabiala was judged to have fouled Jesus Medina inside the Timbers box near the touchline. While the foul itself seemed harsh, referee Robert Sibiga was unrepentant and pointed to the spot for the fourth penalty of the tournament conceded by the Timbers. Medina stepped up and sent Steve Clark the wrong way en route to burying his spot-kick in the back of the net and giving NYCFC the 1-0 lead.
Now down a goal, the Timbers came to life and, in the 43rd minute, quickly drew level. Finding space on the left flank, Sebastian Blanco played a rolling ball down the wing for Jorge Villafana to run onto and send a low cross whizzing into the box. The ball was blocked away by an NYCFC defender, but it only got as far as Blanco who had made a beeline for the top of the box. With the backline still turning in search of the ball, Blanco had enough space and a soft enough touch to settle the ball and pick out the inside of the far post with a curling, side-footed shot.
Having pulled even just before the end of the first half, the Timbers turned up the pressure to start the second, bringing on Diego Valeri after the Maestro started the match resting on the bench. Valeri made an immediate impact for the Timbers, helping the side by coolly combining with his teammates to work the ball down the pitch rather than just booting it into space and allowing New York to reset.
In the 65th minute, Valeri put the Timbers up 2-1. After some quick interplay with fellow substitute Jaroslaw Niezgoda at the top of the New York box, Valeri found himself in on goal with a tantalizingly weighted ball from Niezgoda settling in front of him. As he had done 90 times before, Valeri stepped forward and lashed the ball past the opposition keeper — this time Sean Johnson — to give the Timbers the lead.
Finally, with New York growing increasingly desperate, it was yet another sub who finished them off. In the 76th minute, Andy Polo ran onto a long ball down pitch out wide on the Timbers’ left. Outside the New York box, Polo took a dribble inside, side-stepped a defender, and crushed a shot toward goal from twenty-two yards out that Johnson waved at, but could not keep from hitting the back of the net as it bent inside the far corner.
With this win, the Portland Timbers will move on to face the Philadelphia Union in the MLSIBT semifinals on Wednesday, August 5th.