Timbers top Whitecaps to keep playoff hopes alive

By JOSE M. ROMERO

The Portland Timbers have become known as the MLS team that doesn't know how to hold leads, that lets advantages on the scoreboard slip away as its defense falters and its offense stagnates. 

It has happened too many times already in this inaugural season for fans of the Timbers. So one can imagine the joy they and the team felt Saturday night at Jeld-Wen Field, being able to hang onto a two-goal lead and pick up three important points. 

The Timbers got goals from Colombian pals Diego Chara and Jorge Perlaza, then closed out a 2-1 win over Cascadia rival Vancouver that gave at least a little more life to Portland's postseason hopes. 

Portland was on the board within two minutes of the start of the match. It was Jack Jewsbury to Perlaza to Chara for the finish, and the Timbers were off to a very fast start.

The Whitecaps' Gershon Koffie tried a shot from 28 yards that went wide in the 16th minute as Vancouver found some opportunities to get shots. But in the 33rd minute, Perlaza was hanging around in the box to knock in a ball off teammate Futty Danso's head and make it 2-0.

The match wasn't without some rough play. Timbers midfielder Kalif Alhassan charged into Koffie's left ankle in the 37th minute. Whitecaps defender Jordan Harvey came in late on Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins in the 48th minute after Harvey couldn't get off a shot following a pass from Eric Hassli. 

Those moments and a couple of others fanned the flames of a regional rivalry that brought a full house to Jeld-Wen Field (18,627), including a few 'Caps supporters, despite temperatures in the low 90s in Oregon. 

Hassli, undoubtedly the most dangerous striker on the field, was held largely in check. Camilo Sanvezzo made it 2-1 in the 88th minute when he gathered in a pass from Harvey and scored after turning defender David Horst around and curling a shot past Perkins. 

A palpable anxiety gripped the home crowd as the Whitecaps looked to steal two points. But the Timbers made their lead stand despite losing Danso to a right hamstring injury in the 75th minute.

The Timbers, despite plenty of frustrating results of matches, find themselves at 29 points and just three points out of a wild-card spot in the MLS playoff chase. Vancouver fell to 3-13-9 (18 points).