MLS: Ruidiaz brace guides Seattle to 3-0 win over Portland

After a scoreless first half, Ruidiaz’s shot hit the cross bar and went into the goal in the 72nd minute. He added a second goal in the 83rd minute.

Raul Ruidiaz (right) Seattle to its third straight win in Portland.

Raul Ruidiaz scored twice and the Seattle Sounders defeated the Portland Timbers 3-0 in an eerily fanless Cascadia Cup match on Sunday night.

After a scoreless first half that included what looked like an early Portland goal negated by video review, Ruidiaz’s shot hit the cross bar and went into the goal in the 72nd minute. He added a second goal in the 83rd.

Less than two minutes later, Seattle’s Kelvin Leerdam added a third goal, Ruidiaz getting the assist. It was Seattle’s third straight win in Portland.

The Timbers was coming off a victory in the recent MLS is Back tournament in Florida. The Timbers went undefeated in seven matches, and defeated Orlando City 2-1 on August 11 in the championship game.

The Sounders, the defending MLS Cup champion, was eliminated by LAFC in the round of 16.

It was the first game back for both teams since the league announced it was resuming the season in local markets. Only a few teams are playing before fans, and only in markets where it is allowed.

Even with crowd noise pumped into Providence Park, it was noticeably quieter than when the Timbers Army supporters group fills the stadium with songs and chants.

Tarps with photos of fans were stretched across seats in the north end of the stadium and a banner hung that read- “Next time you see us we will be smiling.”

The Cascadia Cup is a supporter-created trophy for the winner of the three-way rivalry between the Sounders, Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps each season. The Sounders is the defending Cascadia Cup champions.

Chris Duvall appeared to put Portland up in the first five minutes but the goal was called back after video review.

The Timbers had another chance in the 58th minute when Marvin Loria’s attempt from close range was saved by Seattle goalkeeper Stephen Frei.

Sebastian Blanco, who was named the MLS is Back tournament MVP, made his 100th appearance for the Timbers.

-REAL SALT LAKE SINKS RAPIDS-

Substitute Maikel Chang scored his first MLS goal in the 76th minute, and visiting Real Salt Lake overcame a halftime deficit to complete a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night.

Chang also assisted insurance goals by Corey Baird and Justin Meram for Salt Lake (2-1-3, nine points) in its second consecutive win over Colorado after a 2-0 victory in last month's MLS is Back Tournament, and Baird and Meram each added an assist.

Damir Kreilach added his third goal of the season early after halftime on an exceptional shot from distance for Salt Lake. Andrew Putna made two saves in the victory.

#RSL account opened @JustinMeram making it look that easy pic.twitter.com/IpBXcqSOKm

— Real Salt Lake (@realsaltlake) August 24, 2020

 

Diego Rubio and Younes Namli were involved when Colorado (2-3-1, seven points) opened the scoring on a play that was ultimately ruled an own goal by RSL's Aaron Herrera.

Namli also nearly matched Kreilach with his own spectacular, long-range strike in the second half that would've tied things at the time, but instead saw it clang off the left post and redirect across the goal mouth before rolling harmlessly away.

Kreilach leveled the match 12 minutes after halftime. Meram spun away from his defender, then played a pass to his right in front of the penalty arc. Kreilach stepped into it and struck it first time with a right-footed shot that barreled past goalkeeper William Yarbrough and into the top right corner.

Nearly 20 minutes after that, Yarbrough's mistake let RSL move in front. Meram tried to find Albert Rusnak inside the penalty area, and though Yarbrough charged and reached the pass first, he failed to corral it. Chang was first to the loose ball, and finished it easily into an empty net.

In the 85th minute, Chang made a long run down the right flank before crossing to Baird for a low finish that made it 3-1, and Meram added the fourth four minutes later.

Colorado took the lead in the 38th minute. Namli sliced a diagonal pass between several defenders to pick out Rubio inside the penalty area. Rubio eluded the lunge of defender Justen Glad and then attempted to pass the ball across the goal from the left. Instead, it caromed off the arm of the retreating Herrera and across the goal line.

 

( With inputs from Reuters and AP)