The Portland Timbers needed a win in the worst way and with the pressure of fighting for their playoff lives looming, the Timbers delivered a first-class performance that has fans in the Rose City dreaming of the post-season.
The Timbers rolled right through the visiting New England Revolution, scoring early and taking control of a match the Revs never seemed to have much of a chance in, as Diego Chara, Kenny Cooper and Darlington Nagbe scored goals in a 3-0 romp at Jeld-Wen Field on Friday night.
Missing starting striker Jorge Perlaza, the Timbers dominated play in putting together one of their best performances of the season.
"I thought it was some of the best football I've seen in Major League Soccer this year for 45 minutes," said Timbers head coach John Spencer. "I don't think anyone could deny us. The way we were moving side-to-side, back and wide - I thought we were a very difficult team to play against in the first 45 (minutes)."
Chara opened the scoring just nine minutes into the match when he ran onto a Lovel Palmer cross, dribbled through the Revs defense, and flicked a shot past Matt Reis to make the score 1-0.
Cooper made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute when he re-directed a Mike Chabala cross with his body for just his second goal in 21 matches.
Nagbe closed the scoring in the 66th minute when Alhassan floated a cross into the area that Nagbe headed home for his second goal of the season.
The goal capped a stellar performance from the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 MLS Draft, who started at forward in place of Perlaza. The Akron product played very well up top alongside Cooper.
"He keeps telling me that his best position is up front and I don't think he's far from wrong, to be honest," Spencer said of Nagbe. "His hold-up play, link-up play was superb. His movement was dynamic, lightening quick.
"From the first minute, you could tell the back four were very wary of his pace," Spencer said. "He was head and shoulders above anyone walking on that field tonight."
The victory moved the Timbers past D.C. United and into position for the 10th and final MLS playoff spot. D.C. has three games in hand and takes on the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.
The night was a terrible one on multiple levels for the Revs, which saw their faint playoff hopes smothered with the loss, and also saw key players A.J. Soares and Rajko Lekic leave the match due to injuries. Almost as disturbing as the injuries was the flat effort the Revs showed in a first-half dominated by Portland.
"I think it took us 40 minutes before we actually had a decent line," Nicol said of his defense. "You can't play away from home and give teams two goals to start and then try and chase the game. Our back four in the first half, that's why we lost the game tonight."
