It took 3 years and 21 matches for the Tide to finally lose again at Curtis HS Stadium. Due to this impressive win streak, it was shocking to watch the Tide lose a match that they controlled in possession and created more chances. That said, the biggest shock of Saturday night's loss to the Portland Timbers U-23 was the way the Timbers got their decisive goal. The Timbers scored in less than 30 seconds from the opening whistle.
A bad pass amongst the Tide defense resulted in a quick Matt VanHowton shot from the back post into Jordan Jennings' net. Before the match had gotten going, the Tide found themselves down a goal. It seemed to shock both teams for the next fifteen minutes or so until the Tide settled down and began creating chances. The best chances of the match came to Adam West, who was playing on the left wing. In the 14th minute the ball found its way to West in front of net. His forehead redirection missed a gaping net. Instead, the ball glanced off and passed the post for a suprising miss.
More chances fell the Tide way. Again it was Adam West who had the chance. Off a nice pass from Leighton O'brien, in the 39th minute, West drilled a shot off the left upright and back into the field. Just 3 minutes later, the Tide would hit the post again without earning a tally. The 1st half ended with a barage of chances, but the Tide had no goals to show.
As the sun set on Curtis HS Stadium, so did the chances. With 12 corner kicks and countless long throw-in opportunities it seemed like the goal was immenant, but it never came. With the loss, the Tide are knocked out of the run for a US Open Cup berth. They also drop crucial league points and now stand with 5 points out of 4 games. Portland is now in a 3 way tie for 1st place in the NorthWest Division with 10 points from 5 games. CLICK HERE FOR STANDINGS
The Tide's next 5 games are on the road before returning home to take on the Seattle Wolves on June 23 at 7:05pm.
To watch Saturday's game, go to Channel 1 on Comcast. Then click Get Local, Local Sports, and finally Tacoma Tide. Watch the game for FREE!
