VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Giles Barnes scored twice and the Vancouver Whitecaps beat the Portland Timbers 4-1 on Sunday to eliminate the defending MLS Cup champions from the playoffs.
Both of Barnes’ goals came in the first half at BC Place and the Timbers couldn’t catch up. The Whitecaps (10-15-9) had already been eliminated from the playoffs but they claimed the Pacific Northwest’s Cascadia Cup on goal differential with the victory.
Portland (12-14-8) finished the season without a win on the road.
Barnes’ first goal came in the 13th minute, and he slotted his second in the 32nd. The goals were his first with Vancouver after being traded from Houston in late July.
Pedro Molarles scored in the 54th minute for his ninth goal of the season. Morales doffed his jersey in celebration following the goal and was handed a yellow card.
Nicolas Mezquida followed with a goal a minute later as the Timbers’ playoff hopes nosedived. Diego Valeri scored on a penalty kick in the 71st minute to avoid the shutout.
Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted stopped what appeared to be an easy goal for Portland’s Lucas Melano in the 18th minute. Melano was subbed out for the second half.
The Timbers, one of four teams vying for three open playoff spots in the Western Conference at the start of the day, did not have starters Liam Ridgewell and Diego Chara for the match against the Whitecaps because of yellow card accumulation.
The Cascadia Cup goes to the winner of the three-way competition between the Whitecaps, Timbers and Seattle Sounders. The award was created by supporters of the three teams back in 2004. Seattle claimed the Cascadia Cup last season and fans from the Emerald City Supporters brought the trophy to BC Place.
The Timbers were eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday night when they played to a 1-1 draw with Costa Rica’s Deportivo Saprissa at Portland’s Providence Park.
It was the final match for Timbers midfielder Jack Jewsbury, who has played for 14 MLS seasons with his final six in Portland. Traveling fans at BC Place canted “Captain Jack!” in his honor after the game.
“It’s been unbelievable,” Jewsbury said after Sunday’s match. “I never knew what I was getting into when I came to this team in 2011.”
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