Columbus, Ohio (April 20, 2019) – The Portland Timbers claim their first win of the 2019 season, beating Caleb Porter and the Columbus Crew 3-1 at Mapfre Stadium.
Portland Timbers claim first win beating Columbus Crew 3-1
The first goal came in the 31st minute. Diego Valeri floated a freekick into Columbus’ box which met Larrys Mabiala’s head. Zack Steffan probably could have done better, but a goal is a goal and the Timbers weren’t going to complain. Jeremy Ebobisse scored the second goal just four minutes later. This goal had more to do with Columbus’ inability to track runners than Portland’s creativity, leaving the young striker wide open 10 yards away from goal.
Columbus did pull one goal back through Pedro Santos capitalizing on a poor Jeff Antinella distribution. But it was Jorge Moreira for Portland who sealed the three points in the 91st minute. This result gives Portland their first win of the season, pulling them out of dead last in the league standings.
Three Takeaways
- Portland Finally Wins a Match: Timbers fans can finally relax a bit. After going six league matches without a win, Portland got the job done in Columbus. They fully deserved to win this match as well, being the more dangerous of the two teams for most of the game.
- Caleb Porter vs. the Timers: The former head coach of the Portland Timbers Caleb Porter lost in his first reunion with his former side. Porter coached the Timbers for five seasons before deciding to leave at the end of the 2017 season. He probably hoped for a happier reunion, but his former players with the Timbers will celebrate the win over their former coach.
- Columbus Defensive Surprise: The Columbus Crew have mostly been solid defensively under Caleb Porter. Today is only the second time they have given up more than one goal in a single match this season. The Crew will hope to regroup and make sure their midweek match against DC United doesn’t follow suit.
