Officially, nobody claimed victory after Portland and Seattle slogged around Qwest Field on Saturday night to a 1-1 draw. But between the two Cascadia Cup arch-rivals meeting for the first time as MLS clubs, it was Portland who certainly had reason to feel like winners.
The Timbers escaped a hostile environment with a point, but more than that, they again showed a degree of growth that, if continued, could lead to big things come fall: For the first time on the road this season, Portland didn't let an early defensive lapse force them into a deficit. They fell behind, sure, but the Timbers didn't quickly give up another score and confirm a "soft" reputation that's dogged them in previous matches.
And when Seattle pressed late and its fans turned up the volume, Portland held strong and earned what could turn out to be a season-changing result. Coach John Spencer put it in perspective for a scrum of reporters following the match: "This might be the point that gets you into the playoffs."
That may or may not turn out to be true, but the way Portland earned that point will almost certainly get the Timbers a bit more respect on the road. And if that keeps up, making the playoffs could be just the beginning.
So much more after the jump, including *exclusive audio interviews* from the locker room with man of the match Futty Danso, steady-as-she-goes defensive star Eric Brunner and intensely intense keeper Troy Perkins. Also, *full video* of Spencer's post-match presser and another motion picture of Timbers Army arriving at Qwest Field.
The biggest crowd to ever watch an MLS affair at the Sounders' home pitch saw a sloppy match that mirrored the playing conditions: Neither team imposed its will, and both teams struggled to incorporate their contrasting styles in a first half that was about as uneventful as it gets.
In fact, the highlight of the 8 o'clock hour might have happened prior to first kick, when Sounders fans unveiled a ridiculously huge Tifo that's sure to inspire Timbers backers into something bigger and better (if only PDX had enough underemployed artists to help out ... ) when the teams re-kindle their hatred at the House of Pane on July 10.
The second half, as they say, "had all the action." Both goals were scored in the final 45, with Seattle's coming on a won header that found Alvaro Fernandez all by his lonesome. Portland's came (gasp!) on a set-piece play that was nearly identical to last week's goal against Philly: Jack Jewsbury lofted a free kick from 45 yards and Futty did the rest, out-leaping Kasey Keller and heading it into the back of the net.
From then on, Portland held firm, and although it ceded much of the possession to Seattle for the remainder of the match, it didn't break and send the guacamole-colored-pancho-wearing fans home with anything but the sniffles. Pity.
Futty talks about his height advantage and huge goal, his history with the Portland-Seattle feud, letting his play do the talking and the atmosphere at Qwest compared to the House of Pane (Can you guess which one he prefers?):
Brunner talks about showing character coming back from a goal down, connecting as a defensive unit, and the Seattle fans: "You can tell they definitely hate us. ... I think I might get fined if I saw some of the words that they were yelling at us."
Perkins calls the draw "a huge step forward" but talks about the disappointment of not stealing three points. He also compares the atmospheres around Cascadia and says the Timbers have shed any negative labels: "I don't think we've ever been soft. I think we just had to learn a lot and we had to learn pretty quick."
Lambs? Not quite. Coach Spencer speaks to the media after the match and says his Timbers "proved we're a bit of a lion."
Timbers Army made its presence felt as soon as it poured off the 10 buses it took north to Seattle. The raucous supporters group gets some final instructions (and revels in the murder of an opposing keeper), then marches into the stadium. Be forewarned: The chant heard while TA invades Qwest may very well infect your brain.
EXTRA TIME! Links to keep you dry until Saturday's match against Columbus.
• Stephen Alexander of The Trib says the Timbers took a "giant step forward" by finding some road success and notes Capt. Jack Jewsbury's crucial role in the match.
• The fans did their part, but Seattle-Portland failed to live up to the expectations of The Examiner 's David Falk.
• The real winner on Saturday? American soccer, according to The Seattle Times' Steve Kelley.
• Uh, excuse me, sir? Yeah, you can't bring that chainsaw in here.
• Ryan Gates of Stumptown Footy calls the draw "satisfying" and says the Timbers finally showed they can play "in a hostile environment."
• O-Live blogger Kip Kesgard says Qwest Field was "the loudest atmosphere" he's witnessed.
• Stanley Holmes of SportsPress Northwest pulled out his thesaurus to label the match "desultory."
• Evidently, it was that rare bit of poor weather that hampered Seattle on Saturday. Because, you know, they're not used to it or anything.
• For Seattle, a draw was more like a loss, according to Sounder at Heart's Jeremiah Oshan.
• Highlights from the match, though certainly not a ton in the first half:
