FC Cincinnati edges Portland Timbers 3:2 in five-goal thriller

By Adam Luna

At Providence Park, FC Cincinnati survived a late Portland surge to claim a 3:2 victory in a dramatic encounter.

The visitors struck first in the tenth minute when Kévin Denkey finished from close range after a clever assist by Pavel Bucha, giving Cincinnati a 1:0 lead. Just fifteen minutes later it was 2:0 as Bucha turned scorer, firing into the top corner from the right side of the box. Cincinnati looked in complete control in the 36th minute when Evander da Silva Ferreira unleashed a stunning strike from distance that beat Maxime Crépeau to make it 3:0.

Portland found a response two minutes later. Ariel Lassiter picked out Kevin Kelsy, who drove a left-footed effort low into the corner to bring the score to 3:1 before halftime.

The second half saw Portland push forward with wave after wave of attacks. Their persistence paid off in the 68th minute when Kelsy calmly converted a penalty to cut the deficit to 3:2. From there, the Timbers poured numbers forward, with Antony Alves Santos firing repeatedly at goal and Felipe Mora seeing a late attempt blocked, but Cincinnati’s defense, marshaled by Matt Miazga and Nick Hagglund, held firm.

Cincinnati also had chances to extend its lead, with Kei Kamara hitting the crossbar and Pavel Bucha forcing a strong save from Crépeau. Ultimately, though, it was Cincinnati’s first-half flurry of goals that decided the match.

Final Score: Portland Timbers 2:3 FC Cincinnati

• Goals Portland Kevin Kelsy 38’ 68’ (pen)

• Goals Cincinnati Kévin Denkey 10’ Pavel Bucha 25’ Evander da Silva Ferreira 36’