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FC Cincinnati beats Portland Timbers for first MLS win

By Alex Butler

March 18 (UPI) -- FC Cincinnati snagged a shutout for the franchise's first win in Major League Soccer, beating the Portland Timbers 3-0.

The victory came in FC Cincinnati's first home match Sunday at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. Kendall Waston drew first blood in the 15th minute for the only goal of the first half. FC Cincinnati got scores from Allan Cruz and Mathieu Deplagne in the second half.

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Larrys Mabiala drew a red card in the 70th minute for Portland, forcing the squad to play with 10 men for the final 20 minutes.

Portland beat FC Cincinnati 4-1 in in the franchise's first regular season game on March 2 in Seattle. FC Cincinnati had a drew with Atlanta United in its second clash on March 10, before Sunday's rematch against Portland.

"It was a great experience ... hopefully we can continue winning, especially here at home, making this place very difficult for other teams," Waston told reporters.

More than 32,000 fans attended the club's first home match.

"If you would have told me 10 years, five years, three years ago that there would be a stadium was that loud, cheering for soccer, I would have called you crazy," FC Cincinnati defender Nick Hagglund told the team website.

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FC Cincinnati goes on the road again for its next match against the New England Revolution at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 24 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

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