In an electric and spirited atmosphere, the Portland Timbers marched into a packed Qwest Field and pulled out a gutty 1-0 victory against the Seattle Sounders FC. Over 18,600 fans endured a cold evening filled with steady rain fall to watch what will soon perhaps become the premiere soccer rivalry in the entire nation. Although only a preseason charity exhibition, the play on the field was competitive and aggressive as both teams continue to ready themselves for their upcoming regular seasons. Of course, the Sounders are about to begin their second year in the MLS, America’s top soccer division, and the Timbers will be spending their last season in soccer’s minor leagues before making the jump in 2011, a fact that only further enriches the victory.

Over four busloads of enthusiastic Timber fans got a chance to see their new-look team in action. Highly anticipated off-season acquisitions Quavas Kirk, Ross Smith, Ian Joy, James Marcelin, Derek Gaudet, and Doug DeMartin all got an opportunity to show-off their skills, but it was perhaps pre-season camp invite, Gabriel Obatola, who made the most of the occasion, scoring the game’s only goal in the 44th minute. Despite the Sounders controlling possession and earning numerous scoring threats, it was the Timbers who finally broke through late in the first half. A quick striking play, forward George Josten found his way into the box and snuck a pass around the Sounders backline to find a streaking Obatola who blasted the shot past keeper Kasey Keller.

The real story of the game was the Timber’s defense. Although they had some communication problems early on, allowing the Sounders to slip past their backline on a handful of occasions, they were able to recovery quickly and showed great skill at breaking up plays when it mattered the most. As expected with a roster full of new players, the Timbers will have to work out a few kinks and build up chemistry, something that won’t simply happen overnight. But so far so good. Ross Smith seemed comfortable directing the backline and Quavas Kirk looked fast even on the wet field. Keeper Steve Cronin earned himself another shutout and the team leaned on him heavily, as he was forced to make many big saves on a busy night. The Sounders went into a 3-4-3 formation during the final minutes of play, trying to force the action up front, which made for a hectic conclusion to the match. In what seemed like a long three minutes of stoppage time, the Sounders turned up the pressure, nearly scoring in the closing moments, but ultimately failing to come through in the final third.

Overall, the Timbers defense looked very solid, a trait that carried this team to success last season. Even with the announced return of midfielder Alex Nimo, play in the middle third of field left much to be desired. The Sounders were more active, winning 50/50 balls, and keeping possession with craftier and more patient play. Surely, Manager Gavin Wilkinson will be looking for better play out of his midfield in order to relieve pressure from the defense and avoid wearing them down. The return back into the lineup of Taka Suzuki, Brian Farber, Keith Savage and other stalwarts from last year’s rotation will certainly help as well.

It should also be noted that the final score could have just as easily been 2-0. In the 85th minute, forward George Josten found himself isolated on the left side of the box against Keller, juking around him and firing a shot that ricocheted off the far goal post.

The Timbers next match takes place Saturday, March 20th, in a preseason matchup against the MLS’s San Jose Earthquake in Santa Clara, Ca. Kick off is set for 7pm.

Extra Bits
Timbers Defeat MLS’s Sounders FC 1-0 in Preseason (Portlandtimbers.com)
Sounders Dominate All But The Score (SoundersFC.com)

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