Heading into their August 25 match against the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Portland Timbers wanted to build on their recent strong play, a surge helped by two recent acquisitions. 2010 Goalkeeper of the Year Donovan Ricketts would make his home debut against the Whitecaps, while Japan-born defender Kosuke Kimura has shown the championship form that helped his former team, the Colorado Rapids, win the 2010 Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup. In an exciting victory that continued the Timbers’ growth, Kimura joined Jun Marques Davidson and Young-Pyo Lee of the Whitecaps in the second MLS game ever to feature three Asia-born players.

In their second MLS season, the Timbers have struggled, winning just one regular-season home game each month from March through July. In those first 21 games, they scored just 19 goals while allowing 36. The deficit became worse on the road, where the team surrendered 20 goals in 10 matches while mustering only two.

The Timbers started to turn things around on their recent road trip. Four days after scoring two goals in a draw against Toronto, they scored two quick goals against the New York Red Bulls. New York scored three straight to win the match, but the overall trend was positive, as the team had scored in four consecutive matches for the first time since April.

In the same Red Bulls match, Kimura sustained a concussion and broken nose, typical of the his gritty play, the first Japan-born player in MLS history. Since his 2007 debut, Kimura has been joined by several other Asian MLS players, two of whom now play for Vancouver.

Young-Pyo Lee, a legendary South Korean player, ranks third among his countrymen in international appearances and has played with top international clubs in England, Germany, and Holland. An excellent fullback, he’s also durable, leading his team this season in minutes played. Lee’s teammate, Japanese-American midfielder Jun Marques Davidson, played for eight seasons with first- and second-division Japanese pro teams and one season with the second-division Carolina RailHawks in the U.S.

Lee, Davidson, and Kimura met once before, on June 16, when Kimura played with the Rapids, in the first MLS game to feature three Asia-born players. On August 25, the second such match, Kimura wore a mask to protect his broken nose and lined up in his usual position as a right fullback, the same position Lee occupied for the Whitecaps. Davidson, a defensive center midfielder, would try to contain the Portland’s dynamic attackers Bright Dike, Sal Zizzo, and Franck Songo’o.

Despite their identical positions, Lee and Kimura played different roles for their teams in the match. Though both players carried the ball forward, Kimura was far more integral to the Timbers’ ball-control offense; his speed and technical skill allowed him to both join the offensive flow and help contain Vancouver’s attack. Davidson, for his part, seemed peripheral to his team’s strategy, unsurprising for a defensive first-year player without an assist or goal all season.

As the match began, the difference in strategies and team chemistry became quickly evident. Vancouver’s long-ball offense didn’t allow them to build a consistent attack, while Portland’s crisp, short passing gave them several strong forays into enemy territory. After several near misses, Portland finally converted in the 41st minute when Darlington Nagbe took a Jack Jewsbury pass into the middle of the penalty area, slipped around Lee, and drove the ball past a diving Joe Cannon. Nagbe became the first Timbers player to score in three consecutive games, but the team’s jubilance — and its lead — would be short-lived.

Minutes later, a Whitecaps corner kick led to a flurry of action on Vancouver’s right side, drawing Kimura and Alexander into the middle of the penalty area. Vancouver’s Jay DeMerit spotted an unmarked Kenny Miller on the opposite side of the pitch and delivered him a low liner, which Miller collected and drove into the net, equalizing the score moments before the referee’s halftime whistle.

Despite this discouraging turn of events, Portland came out strong in the second half, forcing Vancouver to slow them with fouls. In the 55th minute, Whitecaps fullback Andy O’Brien hindered

Dike, leading to a free kick by the Timbers just outside the penalty box. Songo’o took the kick, hooking the ball around the defensive wall and underneath the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Cannon for the go-ahead score and his first career MLS goal.

While both teams had unsuccessful chances down the stretch, none was more dramatic than a furious exchange in the 74th minute. Entering the penalty area, Vancouver’s Dane Richards nutmegged Kimura, and Ricketts came off his line to help. Ricketts’ tackle, however, placed the ball directly at the feet of Camilo Sanvezzo, who hooked the ball toward the now-open goal. Steven Smith leapt toward his own net, twisting around to head the ball away and prevent a sure Whitecaps goal.

Exhibiting excellent control of both their emotions and the ball, Portland held back an increasingly desperate, and increasingly physical, Vancouver squad. The Whitecaps drew their second yellow card of the match in the 65th minute, and Whitecap Darren Mattocks was sent off in the 84th minute for elbowing David Horst in the face.

Portland emerged with its sixth home victory of the season, one that showed the resilience of the team and the toughness of Kimura. Davidson seems to still be searching for his role with the Whitecaps, while Kimura made Lee look like the weaker, less versatile player. As the Timbers grow stronger, they will continue to rely on Kimura’s strength and experience, just as MLS will continue to look east for new Asian talent.

This past Friday, the Timbers beat Kimura’s former team, the Colorado Rapids, 1-0 at JELD-WEN Field. The team plays the Rapids again on Wednesday, September 5 at 6:00pm in Colorado. The match will be televised on NBC Sports. Their next home game is Saturday, September 15 against local rival the Seattle Sounders. Kickoff is 12:30pm. For fans unable to obtain tickets, the battle between the two teams will be broadcast on NBC. To learn more, visit <www.portlandtimbers.com>.