SUMMARY
Timbers’ forward Dan Antoniuk scored the lone goal of the game in the 73rd minute. Midfielder Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar curved a free kick into the penalty area from just outside the box, and Antoniuk redirected the ball with his head, beating Impact goalkeeper Greg Sutton to his right.
Less than five minutes later, Antoniuk just missed doubling the Timbers’ lead, but the goal was called back as a result of an offside.
The Impact came close to tying the game in the 79th minute. After a nice run down the left flank, forward Darko Kolic fired a solid shot that was blocked by Timber’s goalkeeper Josh Saunders with a dive to his right. The rebound deflected to midfielder Antonio Ribeiro. He misfired, but the ball ended up right in front of forward Charles Gbeke, whose back was to the goal. He heel-kicked the ball towards the net, but Saunders made the save with the tip of his left foot.
Near the end of the game, Impact forward Carlos Garcia broke in alone on Saunders, with the crowd on its feet in the 89th minute, but his shot hit the post and the play was called offside.
The Impact dominated the play with a margin of 14-5 total shots.
Goalkeeper Greg Sutton is still looking for his 61st career win with the Impact to beat Paolo Ceccarelli's record.
Defender Gabriel Gervais left the game in the 50th minute due to a leg injury. He won’t be available for Sunday’s game due to a one-game suspension as a result of an accumulation of yellow cards.
Despite the loss, the Impact remain in first place in the league, with 41 points, four better than the Rochester Raging Rhinos. The Impact has two games in hand.
The Impact plays its annual game in Quebec City on Sunday, at the PEPS of the University of Laval, against the Puerto Rico Islanders (1:30 pm, CJAD, CKAC). The team will be back at Claude-Robillard Sports Complex on Wednesday, August 17, again against the Islanders (7:30 pm, CKAC).
SAMSUNG POST-GAME COMMENTS
Nevio Pizzolitto
Nick De Santis
Greg Sutton
IMPACT LINE-UP
Greg Sutton, Gabriel Gervais (Adam Braz 50), Nevio Pizzolitto, Jason DiTullio (Darko Kolic 76), Mauricio Vincello, Lars Lyssand (Mesut Mert 76), Patrick Leduc (Carlos Garcia 86), David DiPlacido (Antonio Ribeiro 59), Masahiro Fukasawa, Mauro Biello, Charles Gbeke
PORTLAND LINE-UP
Josh Saunders, Garret Markham, Gavin Wilkinson, Scot Thompson, Kevin Golthwaite, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar, Edwin Miranda, Tom Poltl, Brian Winters, Dan Antoniuk (Aaron Lines 85), Byron Alvarez (Paul Conway 65)
GOALS
POR: Dan Antoniuk (Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar) 73
SHOTS POR 5 MTL 14
SAVES POR 8 MTL 1
FOULS POR 12 MTL 13
OFFSIDES POR 2 MTL 7
CORNERS POR 3 MTL 4
CAUTIONS
POR: Byron Alvarez 55
MTL: Mauricio Vincello 68
REFEREES
Daniel Belleau, Jonathan Lavergne, Nicolas Dubuc, Mathieu Bourdeau
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Source: Patrick Vallée
Info: 514-328-3668 (ext. 27)
