"Releasing players is never easy and is always made much more difficult when the players are first-class people like Rees and Noah," said Timbers general manager Jim Taylor. "We appreciate the contributions they made to the club, both on and off the field, and wish them all the best for the future."

"PFE is thrilled to play host to such a world class soccer match featuring two of the top teams in Mexico," said Jim Taylor, general manager of the Timbers. "It's especially rewarding in that it's a World Cup year and fans will be seeing players that played with the Mexican National Team"

For immediate release: June 1, 2002
EL PASO, Texas - The Portland Timbers are on the board, thanks to a 1-1 tie with El Paso Saturday night.

Fadi Afash's goal in the 59th minute against the Patriots gave the Timbers (0-5-1, 1pt) their first lead of the season. The lead held until the 84th minute when Saul Quinones beat goalkeeper Matt Napoleon to tie the match at 1-1.

Neither team was able to score in overtime.

"A point away from home is always good," said Bobby Howe, head coach of the Timbers. "It is disappointing though, because I thought El Paso was there for the taking tonight."

It was Afash's first action of the season as he was recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery he had May 3. Afash was second on the club in the preseason with five goals scored and his presence was missed in the lineup.

"It was nice to have him back," said Howe. "He poses different sorts of problems than any of our other players."

Saturday's goal was set up by Greg Howes, who signed with the team this past week and was inserted into the game early in the second half. According to Howe, the goal was "well-created" by the newly signed Howes, who was the second-leading scorer on last year's Timbers team.

Howes hit a ball across the face of the goal, setting up Afash for Portland's lone score of the evening.

A failed clearing play resulted in El Paso's goal. Quinones picked up the ball at the edge of the box and had Napoleon guessing as he toe-poked it into the goal.

"We were six minutes away from four points," said Howe.

Both Noah Delgado and Vadim Tolstolutsky had decent scoring chances in overtime. Tolstolutsky found space on the outside edge of the box in the second overtime, but he hurried a shot past the far post.

"He scores goals like that with quite regularity in training," Howe said. "So when he got open, we all got excited. I guess he got excited too."

It was the fourth tie of the season for the Patriots (1-4-4, 9pts). It was just the fourth tie for the Timbers since their inaugural 2001 season.

Afash's goal was the first goal in play this season. McKinley Tennyson had the Timbers previous goal, but it came off a penalty kick.

Overall, Howe was pleased with the way the Timbers responded to a slow start in Saturday's match. Portland last played on May 16.

"We weren't very happy with our decision making in the first half," said Howe. "It was too slow, but we were significantly better in the second half."

TIMBERS LINEUP: Napoleon GK, Sancho D, Ritchie D, Wilkinson D, Costigan D, Winters M, McAuley M, Alcaraz-Cueller M, Benedetti M, Adair F, Afash F. Somoza (Alcaraz-Cueller), Tolstolutsky (Winters), Delgado (Afash).