ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC interim coach John Hackworth speaks to the media after the team's win over the Portland Timbers on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Video by Beth O'Malley
For the second game in a row, City SC scored first and then minutes later surrendered the goal. Against Juarez on Sunday, it took four minutes for the Mexican club to tie the game. On Friday against Portland, it took just three minutes for City SC to give away its lead.
This time, City SC was able to recover. Marcel Hartel scored in the 83rd minute off a short corner kick as City SC moved ahead and Simon Becher clinched it with a goal in the 87th minute as City SC advanced to the round of 16 of the Leagues Cup with a 3-1 win over the Portland Timbers before a small crowd at CityPark on Friday night. City SC will face Mexican heavyweight Club America, which beat Atlas 2-1 on Friday, on Tuesday in Carson, California. The teams met last season in Leagues Cup, with Club America winning 4-0 at CityPark.
City SC’s first goal was scored by Cedric Teuchert, as the team’s three offensive acquisitions all scored. City SC has a four-game unbeaten streak and has won two of its past three games, an unprecedented event this season.
The go-ahead goal started on a steal by Jayden Reid that led to a shot by Teuchert being deflected out of play by Portland. On the ensuing corner, Eduard Lowen got the ball to Hartel for the goal. Then in the 87th minute, Becher got his toe on a ball in the box and drove it into the top of the net. It was the second goal with City SC for each of the three players.
City SC took the lead in the 51st minute. Hartel stole a Portland clearance attempt and dribbled it into the box, where his shot was blocked but the ball caromed to Teuchert. He took his time, slightly repositioned himself to improve his angle with a defender and goalkeeper in front of him and put it out of everyone’s reach to the far side. It was the second goal for Teuchert, coming in his fourth game with the team.
Three minutes later, the lead was gone. Portland got a corner kick that Josh Yaro headed away. After a shot by Jonathan Rodriguez was blocked, the ball came to Claudio Bravo, who drilled a shot in from outside the box that goalkeeper Roman Burki barely had time to move on.
Kyle Hiebert left the game after getting looked at by trainers in the 62nd minute and Jake Girdwood-Reich came on, the earliest the young Australian acquisition had come into a game yet.
Burki, who missed the Juarez game on Sunday with a sore back, was back in the starting lineup, as was right back Tomas Totland, who was given the Juarez game off after playing every game since May 18, the longest run on the team.
Portland midfielder Evander left the game in the 12th minute after dropping to the ground near his team’s goal. Referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere called for the stretcher to be brought out, but it took a while for them to get there and by the time they did arrive, Evander got up and walked off the field on his own power. Evander is second on Portland in goals with 11 and second in the league in assists with 13.
Neither team scored in the first half, though City SC didn’t lack for opportunities, with nine shots and six corner kicks. The first corner came in the first minute, and Simon Becher’s shot hit the post and Eduard Lowen’s effort a moment later was high. Becher would hit the post later in the half and Nokkvi Thorisson couldn’t make good contact on a ball played into the box by Jayden Reid and he volleyed it straight to the goalkeeper.
The team’s new left back, Jannes Horn, has arrived in ºüÀêÊÓƵ and was introduced to the crowd at halftime.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC interim coach John Hackworth speaks to the media after the team's win over the Portland Timbers on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Vid…
ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC midfielder Chris Durkin gets taken down by Portland Timbers midfielder Diego Chará in the first half during a game between ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC and the Portland Timbers at CityPark in ºüÀêÊÓƵ on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Photo by David Carson, dcarson@post-dispatch.com