The Portland Timbers earned a 2-2 draw against the Austin FC Saturday night. With this draw, Portland has now gone three games straight without suffering a loss. This draw comes off the back of a 3-1 win at home over Orange County in the US Open Cup, and a 2-1 road victory over St. Louis.
The first half at Providence Park saw plenty of back-and-forth action. However, it was the Timbers who were getting the higher quality of chances. In the 33rd minute, Evander would corral possession of the ball just along the sidelines after a clear from inside the goalie box. Evander would then move back in and send a ball toward the far post. Dario Zuparic would be there to redirect the ball back towards the opposite post, catching the Austin FC defense off-guard. Zuparic would pick up his first regular-season goal as a Portland Timber, and the 1-0 score would hold through halftime.
The second half is where Austin FC started to find some momentum. In the 59th minute, Owen Wolff received a pass as they moved to the top of the penalty box. Then, Wolff would move the ball outside to Emiliano Rigoni as they approached the goal line. Rigoni would cross the ball past three players inside the box, to find Jon Gallagher unmarked at the far post. Gallagher’s tap-in header would tie the game up at 1-1.
With a goal under their belt, Austin FC continued to control the match’s pace. By the end of regulation, Austin FC was leading in time of possession, shot total, shots blocked, and total passes. Luckily for Portland, Evander had a great game. In the 71st minute, Evander controlled a pass just inside the box with his back facing the net. Evander, would shift towards the center of the field, and pass to Claudio Bravo just outside the penalty arch. Bravo would take one step, and fire a low rolling shot off his left foot. The shot would worm through two defenders, and sneak inside the far post to give Bravo his first goal of the regular season.
Portland would hold a 2-1 past the 90th minute. Unfortunately for the Timbers, there were four minutes of stoppage time for Austin FC to work with. In the 92nd minute, Wolff would get a pass along the sideline and send a deep pass inside the box. Will Bruin would win a battle for a header on the center of the goal area line. His header would bounce towards the near post, and score to tie the game. With short time remaining, no one could break the tie and the game would end in a 2-2 draw.
The Timbers’ next match is a Round of 32 matchup in the US Open Cup. Portland travels to Real Salt Lake Wednesday, May 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Northwest Sports Desk 