TIMBERS: Portland plays host to Seattle in next U.S. Open Cup match

The Portland Tribune, Jun 17, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

It'll be a Northwest showdown in the next round of the U.S. Open Cup soccer tournament.

With a 3-0 win over the Sonoma County Sol on Tuesday, the Portland Timbers advance to the third round of the 2009 U.S. Open Cup and will play host to Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC, 7 p.m. July 1 at PGE Park.

The third-round matchup between the Timbers and Sounders FC will be the first official meeting between the Northwest rivals since Seattle joined MLS in 2009. The deep and spirited Portland-Seattle rivalry dates back to 1975 as members of the North American Soccer League. As opponents in the USL First Division, the Timbers were 11-16-5 against Seattle and squared off multiple times in postseason and U.S. Open Cup battles.

Forward Mandjou Keita logged two goals and an assist to lead the Timbers past the Sol, who compete in the U.S. Adult Soccer Association, in the second round of the tournament at Santa Rosa High School in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Forward George Josten put the Timbers ahead in the seventh minute. Keita then sealed the 3-0 victory late in the match with a pair of goals in the final 10 minutes of play. Goalkeeper Steve Cronin kept Sonoma County off the board for his second straight shutout in U.S. Open Cup play.

With the win, Portland advances to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup for the first time since 2005. In the third round of the 2005 U.S. Open Cup, the Timbers played host to the Sounders, then of the USL First Division, at PGE Park.

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