Portland Timbers Advance to U.S. Open Cup Round of 16
Portland Timbers advance to the next round of the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup following a 2-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes at Providence Park. Portland advances to the Round of 16 for the fourth straight year as the club prepares for a league match on Saturday versus Real Salt Lake.
Soccer News: The Portland Timbers advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 2-0 win against the San Jose Earthquakes before 16,834 fans at Providence Park on Tuesday night, recording their second straight shutout.
With the win, Portland advanced to the Round of 16 for the fourth consecutive year and will face an opponent yet to be determined. The Timbers will learn their Round of 16 opponent on Thursday, June 16.
Midfielder Dairon Asprilla recorded his second goal in all competitions for Portland in 2016, while forward Jack McInerney notched his fifth goal in all competitions, as the Timbers recorded their third win in their last four matches across all competitions (3-0-1) and their third win against San Jose in 2016 (3-1-0).
The Timbers broke through with 10 minutes remaining in the first half when Asprilla opened his Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup account, recording his first career goal in the tournament. The goal occurred after midfielder Jack Barmby whipped a well-placed cross into the box, finding McInerney on the edge of the six-yard box. With McInerney’s initial effort deflected by the San Jose defense, Asprilla pounced on the loose ball, slotting it into the back of the net to give the Timbers a 1-0 advantage.
Four minutes later, Portland doubled its lead when McInerney stuck a powerful free kick from just outside the 18-yard box, bending it over the wall and past the outstretched arms of San Jose goalkeeper Bryan Meredith. The finish marked McInerney’s fourth career goal in U.S. Open Cup play.
Completing 81 percent of their passes and recording seven shots on target, Portland created numerous chances to add to its tally throughout the match. In the sixth minute of play, Portland came close to finding its first goal early in the match when a mistimed clearance from the San Jose defense released Barmby in behind, deep inside the 18-yard box. Barmby’s final cross found Asprilla, but the San Jose defense managed to recover quickly and clear the danger away.
In the 18th minute, midfielder Diego Valeri curled a dangerous cross into the box, narrowly missing McInerney, while a powerful effort from Barmby from the edge of the box forced Meredith to make a strong save just two minutes later.
Three minutes into the second half, defender Zarek Valentin released Valeri in behind the San Jose defense with a quick restart into the box. Valeri drove toward the near post, cutting inside on his right foot before placing an effort that narrowly missed the target. Continuing to apply pressure late in the game, the Timbers threatened to add a third goal to their tally when midfielder Ben Zemanski’s first-time effort from just inside the box forced Meredith to make another save.
Tuesday’s fourth-round match marked the third meeting between the two teams in U.S. Open Cup play, dating back to their first tournament match in 2004, and the first Open Cup match between the two teams as MLS clubs. Overall, Tuesday’s game signified the 39th meeting in all competitions across all eras (since 1975) between the Timbers and the Earthquakes, with Portland leading the all-time series, 20-11-7.
Next up, the Timbers return to league play on Saturday, June 18, against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium; kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Source: Portland Timbers. Photo Credit: Eric Cech/Portland Timbers
