Sounders axe Timbers

There was a lot of head-shaking and gesturing going on in Saturday's United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division match between the Seattle Sounders and their archrivals, the Portland Timbers.

So it was fitting that the first 1,000 fans through the gates at Qwest Field received a bobblehead doll of Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer.

But in the end, the Sounders (7-8-4 league, 8-10-5 overall) looked like a more stable team than the one that struggled earlier in the season.

Forward Cam Weaver moved closer to the club's rookie-scoring record as the Sounders overpowered the Timbers 3-1 in a rough-and-tumble, card-filled match.

Seattle dominated from start to finish, outshooting the Timbers (5-10-5) 15-3 to stay alive in the playoff chase.

"Since Day 1, we've thought we were a good team," Schmetzer said. "It was a matter of finding that good team. We've had to find a few pieces after injuries and suspensions. With C.J. [Klaas] back and [Maykel] Galindo back, we have a very powerful team."

Weaver scored his league-best 13th goal of the season in the 10th minute off a free kick by midfielder Leighton O'Brien from 40 yards away. Weaver headed the ball over Portland goalkeeper Martin Hutton and into the right corner.

Portland tied the score at 1-1 in the 17th minute. Midfielder Luke Kreamalmeyer converted a penalty kick after Sounders defender Noah Merl was called for a foul of Mike Randolph in the penalty area. The two players got tangled just outside the penalty area and the Sounders questioned the call.

Seattle regained the lead 2-1 when forward Roger Levesque headed in a bouncing ball at the left post in the 25th minute. The goal came after teammate Jake Besagno headed a corner kick by O'Brien off of Hutton's hands and off the left post before Levesque knocked it in.

Galindo, who returned three matches ago after recovering from a broken nose and facial bones, tallied a goal in the 59th minute to boost Seattle's lead to 3-1. He drilled a 16-yard shot from the top right of the penalty area into the left corner of the net on a back pass from midfielder Ben Somoza.

The hotly contested match saw eight yellow cards and one red. In the second half, Portland defender Josh Brown shoved Galindo over the end line and onto the turf, causing Schmetzer to yell at the referees when no call was made.

"I was worried about the safety of my players," Schmetzer said. "I didn't want to see them get hurt. It's not a wrestling match."