October 21, 2012
MLS ROUNDUP
Timbers win on road, Whitecaps advance to postseason

Jack Jewsbury’s 35-yard goal gave the Portland Timbers their first road win of the season, and the Cascadia Cup, Sunday at BC Place. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images

PORTLAND TIMBERS 1, VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC 0
VANCOUVER, BC—The Portland Timbers might not be heading to the playoffs, but they have a couple of things to be happy about after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place.

Not only did they break a season-long jinx and win a game on the road, they also took the 2012 Cascadia Cup over their playoff-bound regional rivals Vancouver and Seattle.

Even the defeated Whitecaps (12-12-9, 45 pts) had reason to celebrate after Sunday’s match, as FC Dallas’s 3-1 loss to Seattle gave them fifth place in the MLS West and assured that they would be the first Canadian team ever to advance to the MLS postseason.

Jack Jewsbury delivered the win to Portland (7-17-9, 30 pts) in impressive fashion, slamming a 35-yard volley past goalkeeper Brad Knighton in the 39th minute for the only goal of the game. Frank Songo’o got the assist, tapping the ball back to Jewsbury from the top of the penalty area.

The Whitecaps put only one shot on goal, but Timbers netminder Donovan Ricketts short-circuited several attacking forays before Vancouver could organize their attack.

LA GALAXY 2, SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES 2
SANTA CLARA, Calif.-- After a relatively quiet first hour, the LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes exploded for four goals in a 14-minute span on their way to a 2-2 draw Sunday at Buck Shaw Stadium.

The Earthquakes already had clinched the Supporters’ Shield, thanks to Sporting Kansas City's Saturday night tie with the New York Red Bulls, but Sunday’s draw further solidified their league best 19-6-8, 65 points record. Gaining only one point, coupled with Seattle’s 3-1 win over FC Dallas later in the evening, assured that the Galaxy (15-12-6, 51 pts) will finish no higher than fourth in the MLS West, setting up a one-game wild-card playoff against Vancouver.

Robbie Keane broke the ice for LA in the 59th minute. Edson Buddle made a run down the edge of the penalty area, almost to the end line and sent the ball back into the center of the penalty area. Keane beat a defender and sliced the ball into the net.

It took the Quakes only two minutes to get the equalizer, after Omar Gonzalez fouled Steven Lenhart, setting up a 25 yard free kick. Ramiro Corrales faked taking a touch, and Marvin Chavez ripped a shot past the wall and into the net.

The Galaxy broke through again in the 69th minute. Sean Franklin made a run down the right side and curled the ball into the penalty area. Buddle went up between two Quakes defenders and headed the ball past netminder Jon Busch.

The Galaxy lead didn’t last long. Following a corner kick in the 73rd minute, Chavez sent a cross into a crowd in the area. Somehow, Chris Wondolowski managed to get a head on the ball and send it between a Galaxy defender on the near post and Saunders. The goal was his 26th of the season, one short of the league-record 27 held by Roy Lassiter and set in the league's first season, 1996.
Full story from LA Soccer News

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 3, FC DALLAS 1
SEATTLE—Brad Evans scored two goals and Fredy Montero had two assists as Seattle Sounders FC bounced FC Dallas out of the Western Conference playoff chase – and assured themselves of a top-three conference finish – with a 3-1 win Sunday at CenturyLink Field.

Evans broke the ice for Seattle from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute. At the half-hour mark, Eddie Johnson used his head to relay a pass from the far side of midfield to the top of the penalty area for Montero, who was closely marked by Hernan Partuz. Montero spun away from the Dallas defender, who grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him down from behind. Evans drove a low spot kick into the right side of the net as netminder Kevin Hartman dove the other way.

The Hoops leveled the score in the 40th minute, with some help from a confused Seattle defense. Ricardo Villar teed up a free kick toward the far post from the left side. Blas Perez easily slipped defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and was lurking unmarked off the right post and poised for the easy finish when the ball bounced off Eddie Johnson’s shoulder and back across the goalmouth. It was Perez’s fourth goal in his last three games.

In the 60th minute, Evans caught the Dallas defense napping to restore Seattle’s two-goal lead. Pertuz shoved Montero near the left sideline, and instead of getting into position to defend the ensuing free kick, opted to argue the call with referee Baldomero Toledo while Montero quickly sent the restart up the flank to Christian Tiffert. The German midfielder alertly squared the ball into the center of the box for Evans, who finished from point-blank range.

Montero set the stage for Seattle’s third strike by bringing the ball deep into the left side of the penalty area, then squaring it toward the far post for Rosales, who slid in unencumbered by a defender to poke the ball home in the 79th.

The loss leaves the Hoops (9-13-11, 38 points) four points behind Vancouver and out of the running for the fifth and final playoff spot in the MLS West with only one game to play. Seattle (15-7-11, 56) leapfrog Real Salt Lake into second place in the conference and, more importantly, open up a five-point cushion over the fourth-place LA Galaxy to ensure that they will avoid the wild card round regardless of the outcome of next weekend’s regular season finale against LA at the Home Depot Center.
Full story from Dallas Soccer News