Timbers Man of the Match: Shutting Down the Sounders Edition [Poll]

UPDATE: The polls have closed and Diego Chara was voted the Stumptown Footy Man of the Match with 33% of the vote. Steven Smith came in second with 24% and David Horst was third with 18%.

The Timbers' win over the Seattle Sounders yesterday was an epic one. There were goals, there were fights, there was an epic tifo, and in the midst of all that there were some fantastic performances put in by the players. With that in mind, the editors here at Stumptown Footy thought we should recognize those performances by each declaring our man of the match.

Andy - Steven Smith

If Sunday's game is any guide, married Steven Smith appears to be an improvement on the single version. He had by far his best game as a Timber (which was also the case for several of his teammates, most notably Franck Songo'o), getting an assist and shutting down the right side of Seattle's attack. The latter was no easy task, with Mauro Rosales periodically trading spots with nominal right wing Brad Evans during the course of the game. But regardless of who was pushing down Smith's side, they were both routinely punished for the attempt.

Shutting down Seattle's best playmaker and combining effectively with Songo'o on the attack -- that's MOTM-worthy stuff.

Honorable mentions: Futty Danso, Diego Chara

Check out the rest of our Man of the Match picks and vote on your own after the jump.

Ryan - Steven Smith

There is a huge difference between Smith and the other candidates at Left Back. He was able to create so many opportunities down the left side with Songo'o and defensively he can handle his man and Songo'o's. His crosses are precise and that is what the Timbers were lacking for the first part of the season.

Geoff - Diego Chara

Right, it's clear that Seattle's best player is, by far, Osvaldo Alonso. He got the tackles, the shots, and the runs that few other Seattle players were getting. But there was one obstacle in the midfield that was pressing him, stressing him, and generally making everything difficult for him the entire game... that man was Diego Chara. Without him in our midfield, this game looks completely different and the team, as a whole, would be far worse for it.

Will - David Horst

The moment David Horst stepped on the field against Seattle, he just looked like he came to play. The big guy played his game, which is scrappy, risky, and oh so rewarding when things go right. Knocking the ball off the crossbar early in the match then coming back and putting one into the back of the net twenty minutes later was fantastic and anyone who can get Fredy Montaro sent off is an instant legend to me. Sure, he got beaten by Eddie Johnson on the goal, but without Horst out there I just don't see thisone going the way it did.

There are our picks for Man of the Match, but what are yours? Be sure to cast your vote and let us know why in the comments.