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Harjeet Johal ,

May 23, 2015 Twitter

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VANCOUVER, B.C - The Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers met for the second time in two weeks with the latest Cascadia Cup taking place at Providence Park, in Portland. The Whitecaps had been rolling with a three-match winning streak, while Portland was on the other end with a three-match losing skid. The Timbers opened the scoring in the 4' minute and never looked back as they claimed a wild 4-2 victory over the Whitecaps in front of 21,144 supporters. Referee Ted Unkel awarded three penalties and Kendall Waston was issued a straight red card after the final whistle. Vancouver now falls to 6-6-2 on the season. Carl Robinson wasn't mincing his words on what happened and why the Whitecaps failed to earn a result from home. "I think we've given them the game in the first half by conceding two sloppy goals." Pa-Modou Kah had a shambles of a match and was involved in giving up both penalties that Portland were awarded. The veteran defender admitted his mistakes and wasn't hiding from his poor match. Carl Robinson gave Kah credit for taking responsibility. "He put his hand up in the locker-room, you give him credit for that." The Opening 45

Pa-Modou Kah earned himself inclusion in Carl Robinson's lineup with the suspended Fraser Aird not available. Kah and Kendall Waston started at centre-back and Tim Parker moved over to play at right-back. With Fanendo Adi and Darren Mattocks out with injury, Caleb Parker started with journeyman striker Jack McInerney in his 4-2-3-1 formation. A defensive mistake helped Portland earn an early penalty decision. Pa-Modou Kah was chasing the ball and tripped up Jack McInerney in the process. Since the foul occurred just inside the Vancouver box, referee Ted Unkel pointed to the spot. Diego Valeri stepped up and sent his penalty to the right of David Ousted to give Portland a 1-0 advantage. The Whitecaps centre-backs did not have an admirably first half. Portland second tally was the result of another unfortunate error from the back-line. Lucas Melano sent in a ball from the right flank into the Whitecaps box. Kendall Waston looked to be in prime position to clear the pass from danger. However, the Costa Rican international slipped and fell. Jack McInerney was in the right place at the right time and he hammered a shot past David Ousted to double the Timbers lead 2-0 in the 29' minute. It just wasn't happening for the Whitecaps in the first half and you could see a bit of frustration settling in. Oregon, native Erik Hurtado was in 1v1 with Timber goalkeeper Jake Gleeson, but picked up a needless yellow card for a deliberate handball as he was trying to control the ball. Portland headed into the half up 2-0 on Vancouver and held a 54% - 46% possession advantage. Waston red aside, phantom 2nd Kah penal, phantom Harvey foul that led to Nagbe goal. Unkel played for Portland today. #WhitecapsFC #VWFC — Vancouver Armada (@VancouverArmada) May 23, 2016 @ProvinceWeber Cannot believe Kah and Waston's errors. Are these guys really professional footballers? Embarrassing stuff. #vwfc #whitecaps — Whitecapsfanblog (@Footynut10) May 23, 2016

The Second Half

It didn't take long for the Whitecaps to get back into the match as they were quickly able to cut the Timbers lead in half. A loose ball in the Portland box was picked up by reigning MLS Player of the Week, Kekuta Manneh. He was able to turn and fire a shot on target that was deflected off a sliding Nat Borchers. The ball looped over Jake Gleeson's hand and found the back of the net in the 49' minute. For Manneh that was his third goal in the last two Whitecaps matches. Looking to secure an equalizing goal, Carl Robinson went with a double substitution in the 67' minute. Blas Perez and Octavio Rivero entered the match for Cristian Techera and Erik Hurtado. The Caps had a pair of consecutive corners, but could not convert find another goal. Portland on the other hand were receiving all sorts of gifts on the day as they earned a bogus penalty in the 78' minute. The ball clearly hit the chest of Pa-Modou Kah, but referee Ted Unkel whistled for a Portland Timbers penalty thinking the ball struck Kah's arm. Darion Asprilla stepped up and smashed the ball into the net for a 3-0 Portland advantage. Upon reflection at this point of the match, Carl Robinson had to pull back what he really thought of how things unfolded. "We were, yeah. Well I’ve got to be careful, probably, what I say. But 100% it was taken out of our hands. We didn’t play well. I can’t sit here and say we played well the first half. We were not at the races. Second half, we were at the races. We had good momentum, we were playing well, we were creating chances. Then a key decision at a key moment and if you’re not sure, I’ve been told a thousand times, if you’re not sure, you can’t give it. And it was given. I think our penalty at the end as well. Is that one? I don’t think so. Two wrongs don’t make a right I’ve been told, in life.” The Whitecaps were on the end of a mistake call and acted out with some rash challenges that earned yellow cards to Jordan Harvey and skipper Pedro Morales. Portland was awarded a free kick and they made the Whitecaps pay. U.S. international Darlington Nagbe delivered a sublime free kick from distance that found the top left corner to make it 4-1. Sensing that his decisions may have incorrectly impacted the match, it was Vancouver's turn to receive a questionable penalty call. Octavio Rivero was taken down in the Portland box, by Liam Ridgewell. It appeared that a tug and twist on Rivero's shoulder sent him to ground a little too easy. Nevertheless, Ted Unkel awarded his third penalty of the match and first to the Whitecaps. Pedro Morales stepped up and scores his sixth goal of the season to cut the lead back down to 4-2 Portland. Pathetic display of reffing in the Whitecaps game... Congrats to him for deciding the game for the teams. #Whitecaps #Timbers #MLS — Spencer Reid (@SpencReid) May 22, 2016

Tensions boiled over at the final whistle after Kendall Waston committed a dangerous tackle that could see the towering Tico earn himself a lengthy suspension. Waston came in running and delivered a from behind scissor tackle on Darion Asprilla. The ball went out of bounds and an irate Asprilla got in the face of Waston as both teams came rushing over to the far sideline. Waston put his hands up as if to say, he did not hear the final whistle blow. Nevertheless it was a surprise challenge that Portland did not like. Robinson's take on the play: “I’ve just asked him what happened and he said he tackled. He didn’t hear the whistle. I don’t know what’s gone on. That’s why I’ve run onto the field and got my players away. He said he won the ball, he took a throw in or something and they all surrounded him. I’m not sure whether [the referee] sent him off for the tackle or the throw in or the elbow. [Waston] said he didn’t hear the whistle, so we’ll see because they haven’t told me what they sent him off for. The fourth official, David, told me he’s not sure and the linesman said he’s not sure and the referee… [Waston] does, without a doubt, need emotional control. In games like this, 20,000 great fans putting you under pressure, putting everyone under pressure, big game, you need big personalities. You need big people to be involved in it. He needs to show more emotional control. I don’t condone that. I can’t.” On paper you would think that an inform Whitecaps team would have no doubt earning three points away to Portland. Instead, we saw penalty, after penalty alter the match. Portland was definitely the better team on this occasion, and deserved all the points as costly gaffes from the back-line put the visitors in a tough position from the get go. Vancouver will look to regroup next week with a home match again Owen Coyle and the floundering Houston Dynamo. Man of the Match Clinical finish from Jack Mac to double the @TimbersFC lead. #PORvVAN https://t.co/SdthPqNdT0 — Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 22, 2016

Jack McInerney

McInerney was instrumental in Portland's big win over Vancouver. He was able to draw an early penalty by chasing down a ball that forced Pa-Modou Kah into committing a foul inside the Whitecaps box. Jack Mac also scored a goal of his own after a Kendall Waston fall int he Vancouver box. While Portland deals with an abundance of injuries at the forward position. McInerney has stepped up and shown that he can fill the void of a striker while Portland looks to regain the form that helped them win the MLS Cup last season. Caleb Porter will have plenty options in the long run once everyone regains full health if McInerney continues to show that he is a goal-scoring threat for the Timbers Who was your Whitecaps Man of the Match?

Vancouver Whitecaps Starting XI: David Ousted; Tim Parker, Kendall Waston, Pa-Modou Kah 90 (Nicolas Mezquida), Jordan Harvey; Pedro Morales(C), Matias Laba; Christian Bolaños, Kekuta Manneh, Cristian Techera 67 (Blas Perez); Erik Hurtado 67 (Octavio Rivero). 4-2-3-1. Portland Timbers Starting XI: Jake Gleeson; Jermaine Taylor, Liam Ridgewell(C), Nat Borchers, Zarek Valentin; Ben Zemanski, Diego Chara; Darlington Nagbe, Diego Valeri 86 (Jack Jewsbury), Lucas Melano 62 (Dairon Asprilla); Jack McInerney 90+2 (Neco Brett). 4-2-3-1