Timbers, Whitecaps play out scoreless draw in 1st leg

The Portland Timbers' victory over Sporting Kansas City was undeniably one of the greatest fixtures in the history of Major League Soccer, featuring a 22-player penalty shootout that was the longest in league history.

Having survived that wild ride, the Timbers' didn't exactly provide the same level of excitement in their subsequent match.

On Sunday, in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals, the Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps played out a scoreless draw at Providence Park that lacked in gripping entertainment but left everything to play for in the second leg.

There were some golden opportunities for the Timbers to go ahead. Most notably, Maximiliano Urruti - who produced an equaliser in the second half of extra time in the win over Sporting KC - saw his shot bounce off the far post in the 89th minute.

It seems fair to assume the posts at Providence Park have a mind of their own. Remember Saad Abdul, with a chance to eliminate the Timbers in the Western Knockout Round's shootout, watched his penalty kick deflect off both posts before rolling out.

Since Urruti's attempt didn't find the back of the net, the Timbers were once again forced to exit the pitch without a goal to their name, providing further evidence they do indeed play better on the road.

The Whitecaps, on the other hand, will be optimistic going into the second leg of the tie, particularly if Kendall Waston can continue to prove he's among the best defenders in MLS. He was largely responsible for keeping the Timbers off the scoreboard, commanding the Whitecaps' backline and keeping it organised.

The second leg goes Nov. 8 at BC Place.