US Open Cup match before sellout crowd sees MLS side victorious

Roger Levesque scored a diving header just 49 seconds into the match as Seattle Sounders FC defeated the Portland Timbers 2-1 in their U.S. Open Cup third-round match Wednesday at a sold-out PGE Park.

An outstanding display of attacking soccer from the opening whistle, capped by Levesque's stunner, staked the visitors to a 2-0 lead after 26 minutes. Despite conceding a goal just before halftime to Mandjou Keita, the Major League Soccer side made the lead stand up against the USL-1 Timbers.

With the victory, Seattle advances to the quarterfinals of the Open Cup, where they will play the Kansas City Wizards in Seattle.

The first goal came as the record crowd of 16,382 had barely settled in their seats. After a switching ball off a free kick, Seattle's Sanna Nyassi exchanged passes nicely with Stephen King, with King's pass putting Nyassi through the back line. Levesque met Nyassi's driven cross at the near post with a diving header from less than six yards out.

The early goal gave life to the sizable contingent of Sounders FC fans who had made the three-hour trip south. Sitting in the southwest corner of the stadium, the rave-green clad horde made their presence known with a series of chants and drumbeats.

The visiting supporters were overjoyed early, as Seattle's direct approach on offense nearly netted another early goal. Nyassi got free for an attempt in the fourth minute but Portland's Steve Cronin was able to make the save, diving to his left.

Portland nearly made it level in the eighth minute, but Keita's header off a cross just barely rolled by the far post. But Keita had shown his danger -- Seattle's Jhon Kennedy Hurtado had his hands full with the Guinean striker for the entire game.

For the visitors, Nyassi was a constant threat in right midfield. In the 18th minute, he deftly cut inside his marker and unleashed a bouncing shot that Cronin struggled to palm away. In the 25th minute, he found his way into the penalty area again, only to shoot high of the Portland goal. By this point, the chances were coming fast and furious for the MLS side.

Seattle's second goal came in the 27th minute. After Nate Jaqua was dispossessed dribbling towards the Portland penalty area, King ran onto the loose ball and took a first-time shot. The expertly-placed effort struck the inside of the far post and trickled in, leaving Cronin helpless. Jaqua was credited with an assist on the play.

The home team was reeling now and Seattle continued to push. Pete Vagenas, playing a deep-lying midfield role, often orchestrated the attack and found a great deal of luck playing balls forward to the striker tandem of Sebastien Le Toux and Nate Jaqua.

If Portland was going to score in the first half, it was going to come through Keita as Portland constantly funneled the ball to him.

Sure enough, Keita came through just before halftime. In the 43rd minute, Portland defender David Hayes lofted what seemed to be an innocuous ball into the penalty area. The Seattle defense let the ball bounce, and in the ensuing chaos, which saw Brian Farber run through the area but fail to make contact, Keita latched onto the ball and sent it home from close range. Buoyed by the goal, the Timbers fans in the north end of the stadium came alive as the two sides went into halftime.

Seeking more offensive punch, Portland brought on Tony McManus at halftime. Portland got going early, with Takayuki Suzuki making a run down the left side that resulted in an unsuccessful shot. But it was Seattle who had the best chance to score, as King once again found himself in a fortuitous position. His promising shot, however, also went wide of goal.

Jaqua had a goal in the 52nd minute called back due to offside. In the muggy Portland twilight, the game started to heat up in the second half. Keita managed to evade Hurtado in the heart of the penalty area. With the goal at his mercy, the striker headed wide.

After this initial period of action, the game slowed to a crawl. For the next 20 minutes, neither side managed to generate any real goal-scoring opportunities. The closest chance came when Nyassi's cross in the 74th minute pinballed off two defenders before finding Cronin's gloves.

In the 66th minute, Fredy Montero came on for Le Toux. For Seattle coach Sigi Schmid to risk one of his crown jewels showed the importance Sounders FC put on this game.

In search of the equalizer, Portland pushed the ball forward but was not rewarded with any real chances. Keita controlled the ball in the 82nd minute, but his effort on the turn rolled weakly wide. In all, though, the Timbers failed to trouble Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller in the final 30 minutes.