(DUDLEY FIELD, El Paso, TX) -- Like the city of El Paso did the previous
day, the Patriots weathered an ugly storm that threatened their property.
And though the storm threatened to win out more than once, the Patriots --
much like the city itself -- dealt with their...inadequate drainage to
emerge standing on high ground: A dramatic 4-3 comeback win over a
hard-charging Portland team and second place in the Pacific Division stored
safely away, along with an eight point lead in the standings.
To say the Patriots' defense was sand-bagging would be wrong -- El Paso
was simply deluged by a Timbers' offense intent on sinking the Patriots in
their own home with second place and the last automatic berth in the
A-League playoffs still very much up for grabs.
Portland's McKinly Tennyson proved his ability to blow holes in the dam
with a 14th-minute cannonshot in the run of play.
With three Timbers players running abreast and at full-tilt, Hugo
Alcaraz kept the ball away from the Patriots attacking midfield and,
alongside Fadi Afash, hit Tennyson on a dead run.
The lanky forward had only to point and shoot. El Paso native Alfredo
Estrada in goal was washed out of the play before he had a chance to make
one.
But this was not to be a night for great defense. For either team.
El Paso began to chip away at Portland's wings with fleet-footed El
Pasoan Matt Stewart getting his first start in awhile. Timbers' defender
Keith Costigan had his hands full, but handled things well.
In one situation, a long ball from midfield in the 26th appeared
destined for Stewart on right wing. Though a step behind Stewart and
sprinting to keep pace, Costigan high-stepped it with a raised left foot,
kicking the ball back over his head and out of trouble.
However, the same could not be said for Portland two minutes later.
After goalie Matt Napoleon successfully challenged a Patriots' possession at
the top of the Timbers' 18-yard box, his pass up field was deflected to El
Paso's Omar Mora, who took the ball with his back to the net near left wing.
A quick check revealed Napoleon was still way off his line and Mora
pivoted to punch a 50-yard left-footed shot from just inside the center
stripe. The ball floated seemingly in slow motion as it dawned on everyone
exactly where it was headed -- over the Timbers and over Napoleon and into
the right upper 90, and the match was tied, 1-1.
Then, just after the giveaway frisbees and defibrillators had been
tossed to the crowd, El Paso struck again.
Cleared by a Portland defense under siege, the ball fell to Patriots
defender Sidnei dos Santos. The Brazilian Shadow made the most of the open
space in front of him, challenging the Timbers with a hard, straight run
into the box. Portland midfielder Jesus Ochoa was dos Santos' huckleberry,
cutting him down from behind with a slide challenge aimed at the ball but
finding only dos Santos.
Referee Kevin Terry pointed straight at the spot for the penalty kick
and midfielder Edu Silva drove the shot left and low past Napoleon to give
El Paso a 2-1 lead.
Again, though, Portland opened the flood gates, taking and creating
chances right alongside the Patriots, both teams playing attractive,
attacking soccer.
But just before the half the Timbers showed just how deep the waters
ran, as from the right wing Costigan nestled a perfect free kick from 40
yards into the box for a waiting Tennyson.
Using his decided height advantage, Tennyson got his head above the
waterline. His aim was perfect, catching Estrada still coming in from the
near post with the diving header, tying the game and leaving the Patriots
struggling to find flotation devices.
This unbelievable goal seconds before the halftime whistle kept El Paso
searching for some waterwings well into the second frame. And these
water-treading ways probably cost them one of the weakest goals allowed in
Dudley this season.
With the Patriots looking to substitute Jose Lomeli after Silva went
hobbling off the field in the 51st minute, the result of a nasty collision,
Portland got the ball to last season's USL D3 Player of the Year, Fadi
Afash.
Afash found himself with an open lane on the left inside the El Paso 18,
and his shot nutmegged a defender and bounced over Estrada's outstretched
leg to give the Timbers a rug-yanking 3-2 lead in the 54th minute.
The Patriots were despondent and continued to play like it, conceding
possession after possession to the taller, more physical and more confident
Portland team.
Enter Danny Frias. Finally.
El Paso's playmaking forward finally snapped out of a multi-game scoring
slump, perhaps spurred on by a suddenly resurgent Patriots' defense.
Upset by the third goal and pressured by Portland, Estrada finally found
himself in position to make some sterling saves. It was one of those that
got the ball rolling for the Patriots' offense.
Stopping an Alcaraz shot cold in the 71st, Estrada got the counterattack
moving, quickly charging to the edge of his box to throw the ball to Mora up
the left wing. Mora outraced a Timbers' midfield up for the attack and
pinged the ball to Frias at the top of the box. Frias made a move to clear
space and with Napoleon charging scored on a seeing-eye shot that bounced
off the left post and in to tie it, 3-3.
Not to be outdone, Ochoa ripped a bomb from 25 yards out just three
minutes later for the visitors.
But Estrada was finished with giving anything less than everything. In
perfect position, he tipped the ball over the crossbar, and Portland
couldn't make the resulting corner kick pay off.
The Patriots could now see above water, and the hopefulness was felt by
all 2,986 in attendance.
Buoyed by second-half subs Jose Lomeli and Renato da Gama, back after
missing three weeks with a hyper-extended knee, slowly, surely, El Paso made
its way forward.
The Pats had begun to make meat of Gavin Wilkinson on the Timbers' right
side, as evidenced by his being subbed out in favor of Bryn Ritchie in the
84th minute.
By then, though, it was too late.
In the 80th minute, sprung by a long Jose Abarca pass on that tender
Portland wing, Frias outraced the Portland defense to the ball. Frias faked
a cut inside and Napoleon bit, sprawling helplessly on the grass when he
realized his error. Frias continued his run and let fly a hard-angle roller
to the far post for the winning goal.
The Patriots held on over the final 10 minutes, Estrada not about to
give up El Paso's second, more hard-won lead.
Credit the Timbers -- Bobby Howe's squad played exceptionally well on
the road and scored more goals at Dudley than any other team this season. El
Paso's only two defeats on their home pitch were both 2-1 losses in
overtime.
But the gut-check was issued to a Patriots' team that has overcome doubt
-- from both outside their locker room and inside it -- and the team
responded Saturday night in a way unseen in its previous nine professional
seasons.
They also did this without two of their more outstanding defenders in
Fabio Terra (red card suspension) and Federico Juarez (accumulated yellow
cards).
As the city of El Paso excavates its streets and homes from the sudden
deluge last Friday, there are more than a few flooded basements to dry out.
We'll forgive the El Paso Patriots for not noticing -- they live a few
floors further up these days and they'd like to keep it that way.
EL PASO 4, PORTLAND 3
PORTLAND 2-1--3
EL PASO 2-2--4
Scoring: POR, Tennyson (14, Alcaraz). ELP, Mora (20). ELP, Silva (31, PK).
POR, Tennyson (45, Costigan). POR, Afash (54). ELP, Frias (71, Mora). ELP,
Frias (80).
PORTLAND (3): GK Matt Napoleon, D Brent Sancho, D Gavin Wilkinson (84, D
Bryn Ritchie), D Keith Costigan, M Jesus Ochoa (89, F Chugger Adair), M Jake
Sagare, M Brian Winters, M Sean McAuley (45, Vadim Tostalutski), M Hugo
Alcaraz, F McKinly Tennyson, F Fadi Afash.
EL PASO (4): GK Alfredo Estrada, D Guillermo McFarlane (54, F Renato da
Gama), D Carlos Martinez, D Sidnei dos Santos, D Dominic Schell, M Edu Silva
(54, Jose Lomeli), M Pablo Cabrera (65, M Alex Pinto), M Jose Abarca, M Matt
Stewart (45, M Ahmed Figueroa), F Omar Mora, F Daniel Frias.
Shots: POR 3-5--8, ELP 4-3--7. Saves: POR, Napoleon 2-1--3; ELP, Estrada
3-2--5. Fouls: POR 3-2--5, ELP 3-3--6. Offsides: POR 0-1--1, ELP 4-0--0.
Corner Kicks: POR 1-5--6, ELP 4-1--5. Cautions: ELP, dos Santos (DT).
Penalty Kicks: ELP, Silva (G).
Referee: Kevin Terry. Assistants: Jason Ahno, Eduardo Grogulhe. Fourth
Official: Sergio Vega.
Attendance: 2,986.
