Andrew Wenger ends drought, Union crush Timbers

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Updated: 11:25 p.m.

BOX SCORE

CHESTER, Pa. — Andrew Wenger was due.

After nine months and 21 matches without an MLS goal, the hard-luck forward found a cure for his goalless streak in the 69th minute of the Union’s dominating 3-0 win over the Portland Timbers at PPL Park on Saturday night.

“It’s been a long time,” Wenger said. “Maybe I really was cursed there for a little bit.”

Pushing the counterattack through the midfield, Wenger confidently burst up the field with C.J. Sapong and Sebastien Le Toux drawing the defensive line. The Lancaster native found a pocket of space at the top of the box, where he unleashed a strong left-footed shot that whipped past Andrew Weber for the 1-0 Union lead.

It was his first goal since Oct. 11, 2014.

“I just picked the ball up and tried to run at their back four,” Wenger said. “Seba and I got caught in two minds at one point, trying to see what was going to happen. Finally he made the run, [Timbers defender Liam] Ridgewell went with him, and I said, ‘Why not?’”

The Wenger tally began an onslaught for the Union, led by Vincent Nogueira, who piled on the Timbers with a pair of goals in the 71st and 82nd minutes.

His first happened when Cristian Maidana faked a lofty play into the box, but instead, sent a cut-back pass into the box for the Frenchman, who easily finished the play for the 2-0 Union lead.

A little over 10 minutes later, Nogueira planted another one when a give-and-go play with Maidana found him alone on goal. Nogueira placed a perfect low shot inside the left post for the 3-0 win.

"We scored, what I thought, were three very good goals," Curtin said.

Maidana, who got married over July 4 weekend, assisted on all three Union goals. He is currently tied for second in MLS with nine helpers.

“Ever since he’s been married he’s been a much better player,” Curtin joked. “I told him that when he came off the field and I think he understood me.”

Union goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre made four saves for his fifth shutout in 10 games. The Union are now 3-2-1 in their last six MLS matches and 6-10-4 on the season. The Timbers move to 9-7-4.

“It’s trending upward,” Curtin said. “But at the same time, I’ve been around this league long enough to know that the second you feel good or comfortable, that’s when you get kicked in the teeth.”

The Union ran into a bit of future trouble in the 35th minute, when Maurice Edu was flagged for a questionable yellow card for tackling Diego Valeri. The citation was Edu’s eighth of the season, earning him a suspension for yellow-card accumulation — his second of the season.

The Union captain will miss the July 18 match against Toronto FC.

“It’s a great tackle, it’s a tackle I dream of as a center back,” Curtin said. “I loved it and thought it was a clean play.”

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