[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Portland Timbers scored at least four goals for the third consecutive time, posting a 6-0 victory over Alpha United in the CONCACAF Champions League at rainy Providence Park on Tuesday night.
The Timbers (3-0-0, 9 points) took sole possession of first place in Group 5. They travel to Honduras for an October 21 meeting with second-place Olimpia (2-0-1, 6 points) with a place in the quarterfinals at stake. A tie, a win or even a one-goal defeat would give Portland the group title. Alpha United (0-0-4, 0 points) had previously been eliminated from contention.
Jack Jewsbury (11’), Gaston Fernandez (36’), Michael Nanchoff (49’) and Norberto Paparatto (61’, 88’) recorded their first CCL goals for the Timbers, who also had another from second-half substitute Fanendo Adi (75th minute).
Portland’s Jake Gleeson, who made his first appearance in goal since April 2011, preserved the shutout, coming off his line to stop a brilliant individual effort by Aldair Paredes in the 58th minute.
Jewsbury started the onslaught in the 11th minute. Michael Harrington sent Jewsbury a feed from the left flank and the midfielder ran through three defenders, before slipping the ball into the lower right corner past goalkeeper Ronson Williams for a 1-0 lead. It was Jewsbury’s first goal since tallying against the Vancouver Whitecaps in an MLS match in October 2012.
The host doubled its lead in the 36th minute as Fernandez worked his way past two defenders and converted a seven-yard shot off a bouncing right-wing pass from Maximiliano Urruti.
Nanchoff increased the lead to 3-0 three minutes after the break off a short corner kick that he originated. Following a give-and-go with Ben Zemanski, Nanchoff unleashed a 19-yard shot from the right side that found its way through traffic.
Paparatto struck for his first in the 61st minute, heading home a Nanchoff corner kick for his first goal since April 2009.
Adi increased the margin to 5-0 in the 75th minute with his second career CCL goal and Paparatto headed in another Nanchoff corner to close out the scoring with two minutes left in normal time.
The Timbers established a new mark for the most goals scored by a single team in its first three CCL outings with 14, breaking the record Cruz Azul set with 12 in 2008. (CONCACAF Official site)
