Evander scored twice as the Portland Timbers defeated the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 on Saturday night.
Franck Boli also scored for Portland (4-5-3, 15 points) and goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic made five saves.
The only tally for the Whitecaps (3-3-5, 14 points) came on an own goal by Portland midway through the first half. Yohei Takaoka made four saves for Vancouver, which had an eight-match unbeaten run (3-0-5) snapped.
Boli opened the scoring in the 2nd minute.
Claudio Bravo intercepted a Vancouver pass near midfield, dribbled the ball forward for a few yards and then passed to Boli at the top of the 18-yard box. Boli drove toward the top left of the 6-yard shot and unleashed a left-footed shot that a diving Takaoka got a glove on but couldn’t prevent from reaching the back of the net.
The Timbers extended their lead in the 18th minute.
Santiago Moreno and Juan Mosquera passed back and forth on the right edge of the penalty area before Mosquera lobbed a cross to Evander at the top of the 6-yard box. Evander’s side-winding half volley snuck past a hard-charging Takaoka to make it 2-0.
An own goal by Portland defender Zac McGraw pulled the Whitecaps within 2-1 in the 24th minute.
Vancouver quickly pushed the ball down the right wing and Julian Gressel sent a cross from the end line toward Sergio Cordova at the far post. McGraw tried a leaping bicycle kick to prevent the ball from getting across the goalmouth, but the ball went off the end of his foot and into the net.
Evander tallied again in the 54th minute. He took a pass from Yimmi Chara, spun past a defender and put a 20-yard shot into the lower left corner of the net, just out of the reach of a diving Takaoka.
The Timbers avenged a 1-0 loss to their Cascadia Cup rivals on April 8 in Vancouver.
–Field Level Media
