Portland secured the third-best first half in club history with a 2-1 win over St. Louis.

Craig Mitchelldyer photo/Portland Timbers

PORTLAND — For 97 minutes, James Pantemis played with ice in his veins.

Yet, once the final whistle had sounded on the Portland Timbers’ 2-1 win over St. Louis on Sunday and he saluted the home crowd after making his first start in more than a month, the Portland keeper arrived in the press room of Providence Park looking drained. He had bags under his eyes, a vein popping from his forehead and his usual coiffed hair sat at a slightly ruffled 9 out of 10.

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Tyson Alger covered the Ducks for The Oregonian and The Athletic before branching out on his own to create and run The I-5 Corridor. He brings more than a decade of experience on the University of Oregon sports beat. He has covered everything from Marcus Mariota’s Heisman Trophy-winning season to the Ducks’ first year in the Big 10.