Now that we have all had a moment to breath and just soak in the ridiculousness of Tuesday night's 3-1 Portland Timbers win over the Seattle Sounders at Starfire Sports Complex in the U.S. Open Cup, it is time to anoint a Man of the Match. There were plenty of big performances in this one as the Timbers gutted out 120 minutes of play against a foul-tastic Sounders side, so let's get to the picks and let the voting decide.
Ryan: Adam Kwarasey
Without his three saves early in the second half, Portland may not have been in a position to win the game. However culpable he was on the goal the Sounders did score when he came out to get the ball and missed, I am still replaying the save on Aaron Kovar's point blank volley in my head and giggling like a little kid.
Kevin: Adam Kwarasey
Even though Valeri scored the first goal, it was Kwarasey who pulled off a "Rimando-esque" performance as the Sounders erupted and tried like hell to equalize following Valeri's goal. Kwarasey kept the Timbers in the match until Evans was sent off, Martins got injured, and the entire Seattle metro area imploded at the mirror opposite scoreline of last year's US Open Cup match.
Casey: Diego Valeri
Just because of his multiple back heel passes that made him look like he was trolling the Sounders. Some of his passing and dribbling were leaving Sounders players bewildered. Oh, and he did score the opening goal for the Timbers.
Will: Darlington Nagbe
While Nagbe was mostly contained in the first half, in the second half he began to find space, setting up Rodney Wallace to find Diego Valeri for the game's first goal with a simple run and pass through the center of the pitch. From there Nagbe flourished as the game opened up and his dribbling and distribution were allowed to shine.
Of course, Wallace himself should also be a contender. A goal and an assist in a match like this is pretty nice.
Vote in the poll and let us know why you made your pick in the comments below.