ST. LOUIS, MO (April 22, 2010) – AC St. Louis, playing in the USSF Division 2 Pro League, began a two-game West Coast road trip in Portland on Thursday evening by dropping a 3-0 decision to the Timbers.

Head Coach Claude Anelka made several changes to the starting lineup that took the field last week against Austin. Most notably Brazilian forward Alex Titton made his first start, as did defender Dillon Barna.

The Timbers wasted no time in scoring. In fact, they needed a mere 18 seconds. Ryan Pore finished off a move that saw the Timbers sweep down field with O.J. Obatola controlling the ball at the top of the 18-yard box. Obatola’s pass to the left found Pore unmarked. Pore finished his chance past a scrambling Alec Dufty, who managed to get a hand on the shot but was unable to keep it out of the back of the net.

Despite the early goal AC St. Louis settled into the game and began to establish possession throughout the first half. Alex Titton nearly tied the game in the 29th minute after Elvir Kafedzic had played the 19-year old Brazilian into space. Titton pushed his shot just wide of the near left as both goalkeeper and defender challenged him at the last second.

Minutes later Manuel Kante almost provided the equalizer. Kante’s header from a Luke Kreamalmeyer corner was cleared off the goal line by Portland’s Tony McManus. Kante was taken down just as he took the shot, but AC St. Louis established they were in the game and moving forward.

In the 39th minute St. Louis forward Elvir Kafedzic went down with an injury after being clipped from behind by a Portland defender. Jeff Cosgriff subbed in for Kafedzic, who has a hemotoma on the back of his right knee. AC St. Louis responded by generating another quality chance on goal, this time coming from Jack Traynor who was played in by Mark Bloom. Traynor’s tight angle shot from the left side went over the crossbar, but AC St. Louis continued to carry the play towards the end of the first half.

However, just before the stroke of halftime, an errant back pass from Jeff Cosgriff was taken intercepted by George Josten. Josten rounded a stranded Alec Dufty and slid a pass to a wide-open Ryan Pore who finished off his second chance of the game. Portland went into the half leading 2-0 despite only having a good first minute and an opportune last minute of the half.

Titton nearly got the second half started off with a bang. Playing with his back to the goal Titton brought down a pass inside the Portland penalty area. Titton’s resulting juggle setup a shot that he flicked just wide. In the 54th minute Jack Traynor got free on the left wing, sending his resulting shot just wide. Alec Dufty kept the margin at two in the 60th minute when he denied George Josten a goal by making a diving stop. Josten’s header from a free kick was goal bound before Dufty laid out at full stretch to deny the Timbers a third.

One minute later Portland found their third. O.J. Obatola slammed home a left-footed shot from the top of the box. The ball did take a deflection off a St. Louis defender on the way in. Ryan Pore provided the setup, returning the favor that Obatola provided him in the games first minute.

Late in the game Anthony O’Garro, who came into the game in the 82 minute, nearly scored his second of the year when his 30-yard shot crashed off the outside of the right post.

AC St. Louis falls to 0-3-0 on the young season. AC St. Louis will continue their two-game road trip Saturday night in Vancouver for a match against the Whitecaps. AC St. Louis returns home for a May 1 match against Crystal Palace Baltimore. Tickets are still available and can be obtained by calling 1-888-STL-GOAL.

AC St. Louis at Portland Timbers – USSF Division 2 Pro League

April 22, 2010 – PGE Park, Portland, OR

SCORING SUMMARY:

POR 1st minute Pore (Obatola)

POR 45th minute Pore (Josten)

POR 62nd minute Obatola (Pore)

LINEUPS:AC-STL: Dufty; Traynor, Velten, Barna, Nzinga; Kreamalmeyer, Kante, Bloom, Moore; Kafedzic, TittonPortland: Cronin; Keel, Thompson, Purdy, Kirk; McManus, Farber, Marcelin, Pore; Obatola, Joste