Timbers shut out in Colorado

COMMERCE, Colo. — Jaime Castrillon and Conor Casey scored four minutes apart in the first half and the Colorado Rapids defeated the Portland Timbers 3-0 Saturday.

It was Casey’s first goal of the year. Colorado (7-8-1) snapped a two-game losing streak with the win.

Jamie Smith scored in the 89th minute to cap the scoring.

Goalkeeper Matt Pickens earned his fifth shutout of the season. Pickens is the franchise leader with 27 shutouts and has 37 in his career.

Portland (4-7-4) had few chances against Pickens in falling to 0-5-2 on the road this year. The Timbers were shut out for the sixth time this year.

The second-year team has lost all three meetings to Colorado. The Timbers have scored only once in those three games.

Portland was without midfielder Kalif Alhassan, who suffered a strained left hamstring in the Timbers’ game against Seattle on June 24.

Colorado missed two scoring chances in the first 15 minutes. Castrillon’s header from close range was swatted away by Portland goalkeeper Troy Perkins and Casey sent a header over the crossbar.

Castrillon didn’t miss the next time he saw the ball in the scoring zone. He scored his fifth goal of the season after receiving Hunter Freeman’s pass in the 18th minute.

Four minutes later the Rapids struck again. Brian Mullan lobbed a ball over a Portland defender onto Casey’s head where he could handle and smoothly direct a header into the net in the 22nd minute to make it 2-0.

The Timbers had two chances to get back into the game. Kris Boyd deflected a cross from Jack Jewsbury just wide of the right post in the 32nd minute.

Pickens went to his left to block Boyd’s free kick in the 37th minute.

RAPIDS 3, TIMBERS 0

Portland 0 0–0

Colorado 2 1–3

First half–1, Colorado, Castrillon 5 (Freeman), 18th minute. 2, Colorado, Casey 1 (Mullan), 22nd.

Second half–3, Colorado, Smith 1 (Cascio), 90th.

Goalies–Portland, Troy Perkins; Colorado, Matt Pickens.

Yellow Cards–Chara, Portland, 73rd; Larentowicz, Colorado, 90th+.

Referee–Chris Penso. Assistant Referees–Ian Anderson. Mike Rottersman. 4th Official–Alejandro Mariscal.

Lineups

Portland–Troy Perkins, David Horst, Mamadou Danso, Steven Smith (Rodney Wallace, 70th), Darlington Nagbe, Franck Songo’o (Eric Alexander, 38th), Jack Jewsbury, Sal Zizzo, Diego Chara, Kris Boyd (Danny Mwanga, 60th), Michael Fucito.

Colorado–Matt Pickens, Marvell Wynne, Luis Zapata, Hunter Freeman, Drew Moor, Martin Rivero, Jaime Castrillon (Wells Thompson, 80th), Jeff Larentowicz, Brian Mullan, Omar Cummings (Tony Cascio, 74th), Conor Casey (Jamie Smith, 74th).