Blues apply second half pressure but fall short to MLS Bound Portland Timbers. Miami FC dropped the first of a two game road trip late Saturday night by a 2-0 score. Although the Blues controlled possession for most of the second half, they lost their fifth game of the season.

Miami will now travel to Vancouver to face another MLS bound team, this time playing the leaders of the NASL conference, the Vancouver Whitecaps. Miami FC will return home next Saturday, July 17th when they square off against the Puerto Rico Islanders. Kick off is set for 7.30pm.

“This is the toughest loss so far this season. This is a season where everything is costing us a whole lot. How we react to bad moments is what’s going to make us or break us. We will regroup and concentrate for our game in Vancouver,” Miami FC Head Coach Victor Pastora said.

Portland created numerous opportunities in the first half. Ryan Pore, the league’s leading goal scorer, rifled a shot from the left flank, only to be denied by the post.

The Timbers continued to push on Blues goalkeeper Caleb Patterson in the first half. In the 36th minute, Derek Gaudet saw Patterson off of his line and tried to chip the ball over his head, but Patterson quickly tracked back and pushed the ball over the crossbar.

Towards the end of the first half, Euzebio Neto pushed forward and unleashed a violent shot only to be denied by an acrobatic save from Portland keeper Steve Cronin.

Although it was Miami who maintained possession for most of the second half, it was the Timbers who got on the scoreboard first. Portland was awarded a free kick on the far sideline and Smith got a head on the free kick, thus scoring his first goal of the season. Soon after, Miami created its best chances of the match.

After the Blues won a ball in the mid field, Brian Shriver started a counter attack on the right side of the pitch. He delivered a great cross to the far post towards Gomez, but the Timbers defense quickly neutralized the threat. Only seven minutes later, Cronin was pushed to the limit once again. Paulo Jr. trapped a cross inside the box and got a shot off at point-blank range. After Cronin deflected the shot towards the right side of the goal, Shriver had a clear shot in front of the goal, but Cronin jumped in front of the second shot, preserving the Timbers lead.

Edward Santeliz, coming off his goal against the Tampa Bay Rowdies nearly a week earlier, gathered a deflection of his own and fired a shot that seemed destined for the back of the net, but Smith came across the box and headed the shot away, once again denying Miami FC an equalizer.

The Timbers secured a victory with a late goal from Ryan Pore. Pore split two Miami defenders and finished his one on one opportunity giving the Timbers a 2-0 victory.