June 24, 2012
MLS ROUNDUP
Timbers top Sounders; Barklage, Red Bulls burn DC

Soccer News Net staff

Portland’s David Horst (no 12) scored the Timbers winning goal in Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders. Photo by: Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers

PORTLAND TIMBERS 2, SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 1
PORTLAND, Ore.—Early goals from Kris Boyd and David Horst were all the Portland Timbers needed to knock off Cascadia Cup rivals Seattle Sounders FC 2-1 Sunday at sold-out Jeld-Wen Field.

Boyd staked the Timbers to an early lead, cutting in for Steven Smith’s left side cross and beating goalkeeper Andrew Weber from the top of the six-yard box in the 17th minute. Seven minutes later, defender David Horst, who hit the woodwork in the 11th minute, bounced in a header off Franck Songo’o’s corner kick to seal the win for Portland.

Eddie Johnson took a goal back for the Sounders in the 58th, getting past his defender and left-footing a shot past Troy Perkins from the upper right side of the penalty area. But the Timbers held on for only the second win in their last seven games.

The game ended on a chippy note, including red cards to Seattle’s Fredy Montero and Portland’s Lovell Palmer after a stoppage-time dustup.

The win lifted the Timbers (4-6-4) out of the Western Conference cellar, while the Sounders (7-5-4, 25 pts) remain fourth in the conference.

NEW YORK RED BULLS 3, DC UNITED 2
HARRISON, NJ—Chris Pontius and Brandon Barklage exchanged braces, but Jan Gunnar Solli’s 55th-minute strike was the game-winner as the New York Red Bulls edged DC United 3-2 Sunday in front of a sellout crowd of 25,187 at Red Bull Arena.

The result moves New York (9-4-3, 30 pts) into a tie with United (9-5-3) at the top of the MLS East.

Pontius opened the scoring with the fastest goal in United history, darting in to head Danny Cruz’s square pass from near the right endline past goalkeeper Ryan Meara barely half a minute into the match.

Barklage, a former United midfielder let go after last season, put the Red Bulls in control with a pair of spectacular first half goals, his first in a four-year MLS career. In the 20th minute, he leaped to volley Joel Lindpere’s corner kick into the net from close range and tie the score at 1-1. In first-half stoppage time, the DC wall sent Rafa Marquez’s free kick blooping across the penalty area to Barklage, who one-timed the go-ahead shot past netminder Bill Hamid.

Soli made the score 3-1 in the 55th minute, off the rebound after his initial shot hit the right post. Pontius kept DC close after beating Meara one-on-one and poking the ball into the empty net in the 66th, but the Red Bulls held on for the win.
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