PORTLAND, Ore. – In a physical, back-and-forth match at Merlo Field, the Portland Pilots took down the Sacramento State Hornets 1-0. The win was the third in a row for the Pilots and puts them at 4-2 on the season.
"This game was always going to be a big challenge coming off a massive result against UCLA," Portland head coach Nick Carlin-Voigt said. "It had the narrative of a trap game, and credit to Sac(ramento) State for playing well. While it wasn't a comprehensive performance, we got the result and will file it away and move on."
Sophomore midfielder Brandon Cambridge scored the goal for the Pilots that proved to be the game-winner. It was the first goal of the season for Cambridge and also the first goal for Portland off a penalty kick.
Portland was aggressive early on, and paid dividends in the fourth minute. Cambridge took the ball into the box and drew a foul right near the goal. The foul gave Portland the penalty kick, which Cambridge took himself. He put it right past the keeper to make it 1-0 Pilots early.
The early goal for the Pilots allowed them to play for possession for most of the half. They would build up from the back waiting for their opportunity. When the opening would present itself, Portland would pounce. Portland found a lot of early chances off those quick strikes towards the goal, but eventually the Hornets caught and started intercepting those easy passes.
"We played fantastic and dominated the first 15 minutes," Carlin-Voigt said. "But you could see we hit a huge wall and started making tired decisions with the ball which allowed the control we established to go away."
Things got more physical as the half progressed. Sacramento State got more aggressive in their press and was able to use that as an avenue for shot creation. Portland even got chippy with the Hornets, accruing two yellow cards of their own. The aggression didn't lead to any goals for either side, with the score remaining 1-0 at the half.
The second half started as physical as the first half ended. The Hornets drew a yellow card in the first 10 minutes and the Pilots drew another not long after that. Both teams hoped to use their physicality as a way to take advantage of any sloppy play.
The Pilots' passing wasn't quite as methodical as in the first half, but they still generated good opportunities. They took advantage of an overeager Sacramento State backline at times and were able to sneak behind the Hornets defenders.
The Hornets made a strong push towards the end as they searched for an equalizer, spending most of the final 10 minutes in the attacking third. But the Pilots' managed the barrage of shots well, eventually coming out on top 1-0.
"Overall, very proud of the grit and posting another shutout," Carlin Voigt said. "Full credit to the boys ... We will grow from this and prepare for a very good Seattle U team on Friday."
Next up, the Portland Pilots will stay right here at Merlo Field for their match against the Seattle Redhawks. Kickoff is set for Friday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options as well as tickets.
