Two goals from midfielder Will Johnson, scored just 16 minutes apart in the second half, helped the Portland Timbers overturn a two-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 draw against the Colorado Rapids on the road at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday afternoon. The Rapids built a 2-0 lead on a first-half goal from midfielder Dillon Powers and a 48th-minute, penalty-kick goal by Hendry Thomas. But as they have done twice already this season, the Timbers fought back to earn a share of the points, starting with Johnson's first goal in the 55th minute. Portland was then awarded its first penalty kick attempt since the 2011 season in the 70th minute, and Johnson converted for the equalizer to guide the Timbers to a second straight road draw. For a second time this season, the Timbers (0-1-3, 3pts) have erased a two-goal deficit to earn a draw, and the club is unbeaten in its last three road matches dating back to the 2012 campaign. Johnson recorded the first two-goal game of his MLS career, forward Ryan Johnson recorded his first assist of the season, goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made a key save in the second half and defender David Host made his season debut for Portland. Powers and Thomas each scored their first goals of the season and defender Chris Klute tallied the first assist of his MLS career as the Rapids (0-3-2, 2pts) picked up their second point on the 2013 campaign with the draw. Trailing by two goals, the Timbers cut the deficit in half in the 55th minute. Forward Ryan Johnson charged into the box from the left side before chipping a cross at the near post. The ball found Will Johnson cutting through the penalty area, and he bounced a header inside the left post for his first strike of the season. Portland was awarded a penalty kick in the 70th minute, its first since Oct. 22, 2011 - a span of 37 matches - and took advantage to pull level. Horst was pulled down in the box by Rapids forward Atiba Harris on the far side of a Portland corner kick. Johnson stepped up and converted the spot kick for his team-leading second goal of the season. Ricketts made a key save in the 64th minute to keep the match within reach, batting a shot by Rapids defender Shane O'Neill from the top of the area, targeted at the top left corner of the goal, off course with a diving effort. The Timbers defense held the Rapids to just three shots on goal. Under strong winds in the first half, Colorado staked a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute as Powers scored his first professional goal. Klute found Powers with a short pass on the left side 25 yards out from goal, and Powers unloaded a right-footed shot from distance that found its way inside the far post. The Rapids were awarded a penalty kick of their own early in the second half. Midfielder Tony Cascio worked his way into the penalty area to force a one-on-one with Ricketts. As the Timbers goalkeeper stripped Cascio of the ball, Cascio was knocked down by midfielder Diego Chara and referee Drew Fischer pointed to the spot. Colorado doubled its lead, 2-0, as Thomas converted the attempt. The Timbers escaped a couple of early Rapids chances that hit off the woodwork following a free kick in the second minute. A floating header by O'Neill deflected off the right post and Cascio put his follow-up attempt off the left post before Portland was able to relieve the pressure. Following two consecutive road matches, the Timbers return home Saturday, April 6, as they play host to the defending-Eastern Conference champion Houston Dynamo at JELD-WEN Field; kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (Pacific). The match will be televised live on ROOT SPORTS, with radio broadcasts on 750 The Game and in Spanish on La Pantera 940 AM. Notes: * Saturday's contest marked the sixth match of the MLS series between Portland and Colorado, four of which have been played at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. It was also the first day match played between the two sides. * It was the first draw played between Portland and Colorado in the all-time series. The draw snapped a trend in which the team that scored first between the Timbers and Rapids had won each of the first five games of the series. The Timbers are 1-4-1 all-time against the Rapids. * Unbeaten in its last three road matches, dating back to a 1-0 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Oct. 21, 2012, the Timbers are one road result away from matching their MLS club mark for longest road unbeaten streak - four games from Oct. 2, 2011, to March 17, 2012. * The penalty kick awarded to the Timbers in the second half was the club's first PK attempt since Oct. 22, 2011 - a span of 37 matches and 3,435 minutes. Portland's 37 games between PK attempts is the fifth-longest in MLS history. * It was just the sixth penalty kick awarded to the Timbers as an MLS club. The last PK converted by the Timbers was in a 2-2 draw against Toronto FC on July 30, 2011, at JELD-WEN Field. * Saturday marked just the second time in the Timbers MLS history in which both Portland and their opponent were awarded a penalty-kick attempt in the same match. The other was on June 19, 2011, in a 3-3 draw vs. New York at JELD-WEN Field. * Midfielder Will Johnson scored twice in the second half, recording the first two-goal performance of his MLS career (124 matches). He becomes the fifth Timbers MLS player to score multiple goals in a single match. * Johnson scored his two goals just 16 minutes apart (55th and 71st minutes), marking the shortest amount of time between two goals scored by a Timbers MLS player in a single match. The record was held by both Darlington Nagbe (March 30, 2012 - 48th and 65th minutes) and Danny Mwanga (Sept. 19, 2012 - 45th and 62nd minutes) at 17 minutes between goals in their respective two-goal performances. * Johnson also became just the second Timbers MLS player to take an official penalty kick and to score on a penalty-kick attempt. Midfielder Jack Jewsbury had taken all five of the club's previous official attempts and scored three times. * The Timbers have scored seven goals through their first four games of the 2013 season, the most scored by a Timbers MLS side through the opening four games of a campaign. Portland had scored six goals through the first four games of both the 2011 and 2012 seasons. * Six of the seven goals scored by the Timbers through their first four matches have been scored in the second half of games. * For a second time in 2013 and in their MLS history, the Timbers overcame a two-goal deficit to earn a draw. Portland also erased a two-goal lead by New York to earn a 3-3 draw in the 2013 season opener March 3. * The Timbers have trailed at halftime in each of the first four games of the season, but for the third time in four games, they were able to overturn that deficit to earn a draw. Portland had managed a point just four times in 23 occurrences during its first two MLS season when trailing at halftime. * Defender David Horst made his season debut Saturday at Colorado. He returned to the field after missing the first three matches of the season due to an injury sustained early in preseason. * Horst started in place of defender Mikael Silvestre, who did not dress Saturday due to a strained adductor. Silvestre had started each of the club's first three matches of the season. * Horst and Jewsbury are the only two Timbers players who have played in all six matches of the series against the Rapids. * Portland's defense held the Rapids to just three shots on goal - matching a season-low by an opponent. * Colorado, however, took 18 total shots on Saturday, the most by a Portland opponent this season. The Timbers had held opponents to 10 shots or fewer in each of their first three matches of 2013. * Several Portland players reached career milestones in games played on Saturday. Jewsbury appeared in his 260th career MLS regular-season match, while defender Ben Zemanski played in his 75th career match. * Midfielder Diego Chara played in his 60th match as a member of the Timbers, becoming just the third player in the club's MLS history to appear in 60 or more matches for the club. Jewsbury and midfielder/forward Darlington Nagbe are the Timbers' MLS career leaders in appearances at 65. * The Timbers Reserves (1-0-0, 3pts) continue their MLS Reserve League season Sunday against the Rapids Reserves at 1 p.m. on Field 20 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
