Full-time: New York City FC 0-1 Portland Timbers
Well that was ... something. In the end, Portland got better performances out of their subs and three points on the road after getting outplayed throughout the first half.
90 min+5: NYC FC has a free-kick opportunity ... this will most likely be the final kick of the game. It’s played forward on the ground and Poku’s cross sails out of bounds.
90 min+5: NYC FC dispossessed in midfield and Portland has a 4 v 2. The shot is blocked.
90 min+3: Final sub for Portland: Jeanderson on for Asprilla.
90 min+2: Shelton taken down in the area but a perfectly timed tackle by Borchers!
90 min: Five minutes of stoppage time.
89 min: Another golden opportunity for Shelton who tries to slot it past Kwarasey, but the Timbers keeper makes a wonderful save with his feet. NYC FC has put 18 shots on goal, five on target, with nothing to show for it.
87 min: NYC FC really pushing for the equalizer now. The ball in played into the area and there’s a scramble 12 yards from the goal and Shelton manages to pound it on goal ... directly into the hands of the Portland keeper.
84 min: Another substitution for Portland: Maximiliano Urruti on for Adi. For New York, Pablo Alvarez on for Jeb Brovsky.
Updated
82 min: A cross into the box is very nearly an own goal as the Portland defender sends it back out of bounds.
GOAL! New York City FC 0-1 Portland Timbers (Asprilla, 79 min)
And it’s the Timbers who break through when Asprilla puts a shot from 18 yards on goal that’s deflected off a defender backward into the net. A lucky goal, no doubt about it, but a stroke of good fortune made possible by Portland’s high pressure throughout the past half hour.
Updated
78 min: And New York answers back. A great chance there, but Mullins’ header off a speculative ball into the box sails over the crossbar.
75 min: Two dangerous chances for Portland on top of one another. First it’s NYC FC’s Brovsky whose desperation tackle – perfectly timed! – diffuses a clear goal-scoring opportunity for Adi. Then moments later it’s Adi again, whose effort off a beautiful through ball just rolls wide of the post.
73 min: A substitution for Portland: Gaston Fernandez in for Yartey. For NYC FC: Kwadwo Poku in for Ballouchy.
71 min: Ballouchy’s effort is cradled safely in the Portland keeper’s arms. Subsitutions afoot.
69 min: An excellent chance for Portland is squandered when Saunders makes the initial save but Adi’s first touch off the deflection is too heavy. Result: goal kick for NYC FC.
67 min: Powell pushes Grabavoy to the ground and is shown yellow by the referee. First booking of the game for either side.
Updated
64 min: Watson-Siriboe muscles his way through three Portland defenders and dishes to Grabavoy, but his shot is sliced over the crossbar.
60 min: We’ve reached the hour mark and the pace of the match suggests a scoreless draw is not in our future. End-to-end attacking at the moment.
59 min: Another opportunity for NYC FC as Grabavoy runs onto a through ball played into the box, runs with it down to the goal line and crosses it. The ball skids across the mouth of the net but no New York City player is there to meet it!
Updated
58 min: Another shot from Mullins forces a diving save from the Portland keeper! A perfectly timed diagonal run by Mullins to set up the opportunity.
56 min: After a listless 10 minutes, NYC FC has settled into the half. They’re ratcheting up the pressure while Portland has not relented. More pace from both sides here.
53 min: Velasquez with the first shot for NYC FC this half but his attempt is blocked.
Updated
51 min: Nagbe beats three or four NYC FC defenders on a mazy run into the box, swinging a cross to a team-mate, but the shot misses the mark. More positive stuff from the Timbers.
49 min: Portland looking considerably more incisive in attack here in the early going.
48 min: Ani’s offering is deflected off Kwame Watson-Siriboe out of bounds and it’s a corner to Portland.
Updated
47 min: An indirect free kick has been awarded to Portland after Saunders picks up a backpass. A major opportunity for the Timbers here.
46 min: The second half is underway!
Half-time: New York City FC 0-0 Portland Timbers
Only one shot on target between the two sides – the Mullins attempt in the 15th – but a reasonably entertaining opening nonetheless. While possession ended up close to 50-50, New York City FC seemed to get the best of the action. More to come from Yankee Stadium after the break.
45 min: There will be two minutes of stoppage time.
42 min: Yet another corner for NYC FC – their sixth of the match so far – is taken by Velasquez. It’s way low to the near post, but deflected back to Velasquez, who manages it lob it into the box before it’s cleared by Portland.
40 min: A rapid-fire counterattack off a flick from Adi lands to Asprilla, but his – Was it a cross? Was it a shot? – is sent with far too much power into the box and sails way past the mark.
37 min: Another corner opportunity for Portland. Jewsbury to take it again, but it’s short and easily cleared.
35 min: Fox Sports 2 sideline reporter reports NYC FC head athletic trainer saying Taylor will have his knee examined and this it could be an ACL injury.
34 min: A stretcher is out for NYC FC’s Tony Taylor, who is injured. The Colombian Sebastian Velasquez is warming up, getting final instructions from Jason Kreis. First substitution of the match.
Updated
31 min: More mistakes at the back for Portland. Confusion among Borchers and Ridgewell leads to a point-blank opportunity for NYC’s Ballouchy, but it’s deflected out of bounds for the home team’s fifth corner of the match.
30 min: Brovsky’s moustache game is on 100.
Jeb Brovsky and his 'stache are ready for #NYCvPOR. #MLS #SoccerSunday pic.twitter.com/MF5TNT5ld3
— Inside MLS (@InsideMLS) April 19, 2015
27 min: Mullins with the ball in the Portland area. Working hard to fight off the defender, keep possession and create something. He wins a corner, which is sent into a scrum directly in front of the Portland net. Chaos, but it’s ultimately cleared.
23 min: Portland wins their first corner of the match. Jewsbury, making his 250th MLS start tonight, to take it. He sends it toward Ridgewell on the near post but it’s cleared.
22 min: Villafana makes a run up the left side but what seems to be Portland’s first sustained attack of the match is snuffed out by Calle.
18 min: NYC FC keeps knocking on the door, now it’s Shelton making a marauding run followed by a shot on goal by Calle that’s deflected out of bounds for a New York corner. Portland’s attack has been non-existent.
15 min: A change of possession in midfield and the ball is sent forward to Mullins, who takes one touch then blasts a left-footed shot on goal. Portland’s Kwarasey makes the diving save. Best opportunity of the game for either side.
Updated
12 min: NYC FC wins its first corner of the game. Calle’s offering falls directly at the foot of Shelton but it bounces past him and he can’t direct it on goal.
11 min: Grabavoy sends a ball through to Mullins who makes a diagonal run into the area, but he’s ruled offsides.
8 min: NYC FC dominating possession with a nose for the attack early. Not too many opportunities you’d qualify as dangerous, but they’re working the ball around the final third and keeping the Portland back four on their heels.
4 min: First set piece of the game is an NYC FC free-kick opportunity. Calle takes it but it’s easily brought in by Kwarasey. Charles from Portland emails to ask about David Villa and why he’s not playing. The Spanish star and team captain is nursing a sore hamstring that prompted him to exit Thursday’s draw against the Philadelphia Union at halftime.
2 min: Yartey makes a run up the right flank and plays a ball into the area but it’s easily corralled by Saunders. The pitch here at Yankee Stadium is a skinny one, but the low camera angle from it being a baseball stadium makes it look far more narrow than it is.
1 min: And we’re underway! New York City FC going from right to left in traditional sky blue home kits, with Portland in dark green attacking from left to right.
Anthem time
The players are making their way out of the tunnel and we should be underway shortly.
#NYCFC walk out https://t.co/ghRy9LYxoa
— New York City FC (@NYCFC) April 19, 2015
Updated
The teams!
New York City FC: Saunders; Brovsky, Watson-Siriboe, Wingert, Calle; Ballouchy, Grabavoy, Shelton; Mullins, Taylor
Portland Timbers: Kwarasey; Powell, Borchers, Ridgewell, Villafaña; Chara, Jewsbury, Yartey, Nagbe; Asprilla, Adi
Preamble
Greetings from Yankee Stadium where NYC FC and Portland are desperate to snap out of their respective funks. New York City is coming off a 1-1 draw against Philadelphia on Thursday that saw their winless streak extended to four games, while the Timbers, who have won only once this season, are coming off a 2-0 loss to Orlando City. Stand by for news on the teams.
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime why not check out Richard Whittall’s assessment of the overdue Timbers:
Portland are due for a win (statistically speaking)
Despite the imminent returns of Diego Valeri (torn ACL) and Will Johnson (broken leg) to a Portland team which is dead last in the Western Conference with a single win to their credit, there is evidence that the Timbers are due, and not simply because of the otherwise impressive form of Fanendo Adi, Diego Chara and Dairon Asprilla, who all looked dangerous despite a 2-0 loss at home last weekend to Orlando City. There are statistical reasons as well.
For example Portland’s save percentage, a notoriously volatile number from game to game for any team, is sitting at an absurdly low 58.82%. Adam Larsen Kwarasey has had his issues in goal for the Timbers, not least conceding a dumb penalty which Kaka took twice last weekend, but he hasn’t exactly stuck out as a weak link. Opposition teams aren’t going to score at the same rate as the season progresses, and the Timbers may nick a few more of their own. Meanwhile Caleb Porter’s team are generally managing to take more shots than they concede. While that tends not to be as indicative of final table finish in MLS as it is in other leagues, it is certainly a healthy sign. Though away from home this weekend against New York City FC, aggrieved Timbers fans may not have to wait for the return of two of their most dangerous starters in Valeri and Johnson in a couple weeks’ time to see their team win.
