Timbers Play League-Leaders Real Salt Lake to 3-3 Draw

Discussion in 'Portland Timbers' started by truebluefan, Aug 22, 2013.

  1. truebluefan

    truebluefan Administrator Staff Member Administrator

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    Midfielder Diego Valeri recorded an assist in a fourth straight match and scored a goal, and forward Rodney Wallace and midfielder Kalif Alhassan each found the back of the net as the Portland Timbers played league-leaders Real Salt Lake to a 3-3 draw before a sellout crowd of 20,674 at JELD-WEN Field on Wednesday night.

    The Timbers (9-3-12, 39pts) move into second place in the Western Conference, tied with the Colorado Rapids, and sit just three points back of Real Salt Lake (12-8-6, 42pts) in first place in the conference and in the lead for the race for the Supporters' Shield. Portland has two games in hand on Real Salt Lake and Colorado.

    The Timbers extended their home unbeaten streak at JELD-WEN Field to 10 matches, one of the longest, home unbeaten streaks in MLS this season.

    Two of the top clubs in the Western Conference, the Timbers and Real Salt Lake met for the first time in league play this season. Wallace staked the Timbers to a lead in the 24th minute, but Real Salt Lake scored twice six minutes apart, including the go-ahead goal on a penalty kick by midfielder Javier Morales late in the first half, to take a 2-1 lead into halftime.

    Valeri converted a penalty kick early in the second half to pull the Timbers level, 2-2, with Real Salt Lake in the 57th minute. Following a straight red card issued to Real Salt Lake's Yordany Alvarez, Portland re-gained the lead, 3-2, four minutes from time as midfielder Kalif Alhassan struck from inside the area. In a wild finish, Real Salt Lake found the equalizer late in the contest with just 10 players as substitute Cole Grossman tallied his first goal of the season three minutes into second-half stoppage time.

    After a few quality looks on goal early in the match, the Timbers claimed the initial lead in the 24th minute. Wallace was fouled to set up a free kick for Portland on the left side on the edge of the attacking third. On the re-start, Valeri served a well-placed ball into the box, where Wallace met it in stride and headed in his fifth goal of the season from near the top of the six-yard box.

    Real Salt Lake leveled the score, 1-1, in the 38th minute. The Timbers were able to clear out a free kick into the box by Real Salt Lake, but Morales was able to send in another cross into the box. Portland goalkeeper Donovan Rickets made the initial kick save on a header by Alvarez, but Borchers was first to the rebound and tapped in his first goal of the season.

    Six minutes later, Real Salt Lake tallied the go-ahead goal on a penalty-kick goal by Morales. Timbers defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste was called for the foul inside the area as Morales went down easily upon contact and referee Ricardo Salazar awarded a penalty kick. Morales took the kick and converted down the left side of the goal in 43rd minute.

    Portland was awarded a penalty kick in the 56th minute when Real Salt Lake defender Brandon McDonald was called for a handball inside the box. Valeri stepped up to take the kick from the spot and converted down the right side of the goal, tying the match at 2-2.

    Alvarez was issued a straight red card by Salazar in the 79th minute following a challenge on Portland's Diego Chara in the midfield circle, forcing Real Salt Lake to finish out the match with 10 players.

    The Timbers took the lead, 3-2, in the 86th minute on Alhassan's second career MLS goal. The ball was whipped into the box from the right side, and forward Jose Valencia, under pressure, was able to guide the ball to Alhassan in space in the top right corner of the box. Alhassan hammered a shot past Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Jeff Attinella and inside the left post.

    Three minutes into the six minutes of second-half stoppage time, Real Salt Lake was able to find the game's final goal. A ball crossed in from the right side was cleared out by the Timbers, but the ball went right to Grossman near the top of the box. Grossman one-timed a shot back on frame that snuck past Ricketts, who finished with four saves on the night, inside the near post for the late equalizer.

    The Timbers cap a stretch of three matches in nine days Sunday as they visit Cascadia-rival Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field in a nationally televised match on ESPN2; kickoff is 7 p.m. (Pacific). The Cascadia Cup matchup will feature live radio broadcasts on 750 The Game and in Spanish on La Pantera 940AM.

    Notes:

    - The Timbers move into second place in the Western Conference, tied with the Colorado Rapids. The Timbers have two games in hand on Colorado and conference-leader Real Salt Lake.

    - Portland extended its home unbeaten streak at JELD-WEN Field to 10 games (7-0-3), tied for the second-longest in MLS this season. The club's streak is also the second-longest active streak behind San Jose's current 12-game home unbeaten run.

    - Overall, the Timbers are 11-1-4 at JELD-WEN Field across all competitions in 2013.

    - Portland improves to 6-1-8 against Western Conference clubs in 2013, including an unbeaten record of 6-0-2 at JELD-WEN Field.

    - The Timbers and Real Salt Lake combined for 796 passes during the match.

    - With two goals in the second half against Real Salt Lake, the Timbers have scored 25 second-half goals this season, second-most in MLS. Portland's second-half goal scoring average of 1.04 is tied with Real Salt Lake for the league lead.

    - The Timbers are 7-0-5 in matches in which they score the opening goal.

    - Portland owns the third-best record in MLS (0-2-5) when trailing at halftime; the Timbers trailed Real Salt Lake 2-1 at the break.

    - The Timbers have conceded 11 second-half goals, tied with Seattle Sounders FC for the fewest in MLS.

    - Real Salt Lake's penalty-kick goal in the 43rd minute was the first goal allowed by the Timbers inside the final 15 minutes (30-45) of a first half this season.

    - Midfielder Diego Valeri's assist on the opening goal by Rodney Wallace marked his fourth straight match with an assist, tying a Timbers MLS record for consecutive games with an assist first set by Jack Jewsbury from April 30-May 21, 2011. It was the seventh consecutive goal for the Timbers in which he assisted on.

    - Including his penalty kick goal in the second half, Valeri had factored into nine straight goals - either scoring or assisting on - for the Timbers - scoring two, assisting on seven.

    - Valeri tied a season-high with six shots, a mark he had achieved on two previous occasions - March 3 vs. New York and March 9 vs. Montreal.

    - Midfielder/forward Darlington Nagbe made his 38th consecutive regular-season start for the Timbers. He is the only Timbers player this season to start all 24 league games.

    - Wallace tallied his fifth goal of the season, a new career-high; it was his first-career goal vs. RSL.

    - Midfielder Kalif Alhassan scored his second career MLS goal in the 86th minute against RSL.

    - Forward Ryan Johnson made his 175th MLS regular-season appearance on Wednesday night.
     
  2. ehizzy3

    ehizzy3 RIP mgb

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    I can't believe we wasted Kalifs one goal per season. It felt like a loss when they scored the tying goal, especially with only 10 men...chara got such a stupid yellow. for a second i thought he was going to make it through without one. Zemanski and who starting against seattle?
     
  3. Wheels

    Wheels Is That A Challenge?!?!1! Staff Member Global Moderator

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    Hopefully Johnson is back for the match. If not.. either formation switch with like a 4-4-2 Diamond with Zemanski at the base, and Valeri at point of diamond. Kalif and Wallace on Wings, and Nagbe, and Johnson/Valencia as Strikers?
     
  4. tlongII

    tlongII Legendary Poster

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    Porter screwed up when he subbed Valeri out IMO.
     
  5. ehizzy3

    ehizzy3 RIP mgb

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    yeah we need johnson. if we play a diamond with just zemanski in the center, they will score 4+ on us. what about jewsbury? if he's healthy he could play in the midfield even tho we all hate him there.

    lol had nothing to do with their goal tho.
     
  6. Wheels

    Wheels Is That A Challenge?!?!1! Staff Member Global Moderator

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    ugh if Jewsbury is in midfield we will have no attack at all with him and Zemanski. Best case scenario would be 1-0 on a counter attack with that lineup.. but more realistically 0-0 or us losing and getting shut out. That was not fun last time I was up in that smelly fishing village
     
  7. ehizzy3

    ehizzy3 RIP mgb

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    Jewsbury is training with the team, he should be ready to go. Haha captain jack back in the midfield! *puke*
     
  8. ehizzy3

    ehizzy3 RIP mgb

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    Merritt tweeted 4 midfielders out for sunday. which means zemanski is out too, wtf!
     

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