PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Jayden Nelson had a aim and three assists in his Vancouver debut and the Whitecaps opened the season with a 4-1 victory over the Portland Timbers in a gentle rain on Sunday.
Ryan Gauld, Pedro Vite and Sam Adekugbe additionally scored for Vancouver, which led 2-0 on the break in Jesper Sorensen’s first recreation because the membership’s coach.
The loss within the Cascadia Cup rivalry match dampened the beginning of Portland’s fiftieth anniversary season. The Timbers hint their roots again to 1975 and the North American Soccer League.
There was drama from the beginning when Timbers defender Kamal Miller was despatched off with a pink card within the eleventh minute, leaving Portland with 10 gamers.
Vancouver opened the scoring with Gauld’s aim within the twenty fourth minute. Vite’s aim made it 2-0. Adekugbe and Nelson scored some eight minutes aside within the second half to push the result in 4-0 lead.
Antony scored for the Timbers within the 73rd minute.
Sorensen changed coach Vanni Sartini, who was let go final November after the Whitecaps have been eradicated within the first spherical of the Main League Soccer playoffs by LAFC.
Portland not too long ago reduce ties with Brazilian playmaker Evander, who was dealt to FC Cincinnati in a $12 million player-for-cash commerce final week. Evander, who had 15 objectives and 19 assists final season, had expressed his unhappiness in Portland on social media.
The Timbers added Portuguese midfielder David Da Costa as a delegated participant. He entered within the second half Sunday.
Portland midfielder Diego Chara began in his four-hundredth MLS look with the Timbers. He set the league document for matches performed with a single membership final season when he surpassed Chris Wondolowski’s 376 for the San Jose Earthquakes. Three different present MLS gamers have performed in 400 matches or extra.
The final time these groups met was in a wild-card match forward of the playoffs final season, a 5-0 win for Vancouver.
The Cascadia Cup is a three-way competitors between the Timbers, Whitecaps and Seattle Sounders.
