Two quick goals. Three short minutes. One critical stretch.

Byron Alvarez scored a goal and added an assist as the Portland Timbers put a damper on the Seattle Sounders' season opener with a 2-1 United Soccer Leagues First Division victory last night.

It came in front of the Sounders' biggest regular-season crowd at Qwest Field (6,351).

The Sounders (0-1-0) dropped their second opener in a row to the Timbers (2-0-1). Seattle fell behind 2-0 on two quick goals early in the second half and never recovered.

"The positive was that we outplayed them, but we just couldn't finish," said Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer, whose club outshot Portland 16-4. "We had good play on set pieces. We just couldn't score.

"I can't fault the team for their effort. I'm not mad about effort. I'm upset we lost in front of the biggest regular-season crowd we've had."

Welton slid a hooking 12-yard shot under Portland goalkeeper Josh Saunders' arms at the right post on a breakaway down the left side as Seattle cut the lead to 2-1 in the 73rd minute.

C.J. Klaas, the UW product making his pro debut, was credited with the assist on Welton's 13th goal as a Sounder, one that averted a shutout.

"It was definitely a positive game for us, even though we didn't get the result we wanted," said Sounders forward Roger Levesque, on loan for the third season from the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer. "We'll bounce back. We've got Vancouver next weekend, so that's a good time to bounce back. We're solid all over the field."

Alvarez scored on a running 12-yard chip shot into the right corner after taking a long pass from Aaran Lines to give Portland a 1-0 lead in the 51st minute.

Three minutes later, the Timbers went up 2-0 as Alvarez then found Tom Poltl, who cracked an 18-yard shot into the upper left corner. It was Poltl's first Timbers goal.

Seattle dominated the scoreless first half at its offensive end of the field, outshooting the Timbers 8-1.

Notes

• The Sounders were without ninth-year goalkeeper Preston Burpo (hamstring injury) last night. Robby Fulton, on loan for one game from the MLS Earthquakes, made his first pro start in goal for Seattle, and SPU product James Ward was the backup. Fulton, the backup in San Jose, faced just three shots on goal and saved one. Burpo could miss another week or two with his injury.

• Seattle has six consecutive home matches, including a May 11 exhibition against Real Salt Lake of MLS and ex-Sounder Leighton O'Brien.

• Scott Jenkins, a ninth-year Sounder, started last night and extended his team record to 205 games played. Jenkins was named team captain for the season because Danny Jackson relinquished the captain's band after tearing a knee ligament the second day of preseason training.

• It took just six minutes for Seattle defender Billy Sleeth to collect the first yellow card of the match. The two rivals played six foul-filled contests last season.

PORTLAND TIMBERS 2, SEATTLE SOUNDERS 1

Portland Timbers	0 2 — 2
Seattle Sounders	0 1 — 1

Goals — Por: 1, Byron Alvarez (Aaran Lines) 51:00; 2, Tom Poltl (Alvarez) 54:00. Sea: 1, Welton (C.J. Klaas) 73:00. Shots — Por 4, Sea 16. Saves — Por (Josh Saunders) 8, Sea (Robby Fulton) 1. Fouls — Por 14, Sea 16. Offsides — Por 1, Sea 6. Corner kicks — Por 1, Sea 6. Cautions — Por (Shaun Higgins 24:00, Alvarez 89:00), Sea (Billy Sleeth 6:00, Ryan Edwards 20:00, Zach Scott 52:00, Chad Brown 84:00, Brown 90:00). Ejections — Por (None), Sea (Brown 90:00). Attendance — 6,351. Records — Por 2-0-1, 7 points; Sea 0-1-0, 0 points.