The Portland Timbers secured another three points in the MLS standings with a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rapids this weekend. With the win, the Timbers are now 11-11-9 on the season and are on a six-game point streak. In September, the Timbers have gone 4-0-1. Portland has moved up in the Western Conference standings, into the sixth seed. Their 42 points put them one point ahead of Vancouver and San Jose, and one point behind Houston and Salt Lake.
The Portland Timbers were determined to keep their hot streak going at Providence Park. The first goal of the match came at 18:55 in the first half. The play started with Timbers midfielder Noel Caliskan stepping up and attempting a shot from outside the box. The rebound would ricochet to Dairon Asprilla on the outer edge of the box. Asprilla would then make a move towards the goal line and send a service across the box. Retreating to catch up to the ball was Portland forward Antony. At the far post, Antony would connect on a header that would bounce inside the post, and out of reach of Colorado goalkeeper Marko Ilic. With Antony’s header, the Timbers would take a 1-0 lead.
Then, ten minutes later, the Timbers would strike again. Antony would receive a pass outside the box in the attacking third. After faking a handful of moves around the ball, Antony would pass the ball to Santiago Moreno. Moreno would chip the ball to Noel Caliskan inside the box, and Caliskan would give the ball right back to Moreno on an outside lane. Moreno would bury his right-footed shot into the far side of the net, and the Timbers would take a 2-0 lead at 29:01 in the first half.
Colorado needed to respond quickly, and they did. Just 1:45 later, Cole Bassett would receive a pass along the sidelines in the attacking half. Bassett would play patient, then send a ball into the box from deep. From just left of the penalty dot, Diego Rubio would connect with the ball on a header that directed the ball back towards the far post. Portland goalkeeper David Bingham had momentum to his right, following the action. Unfortunately, the header back towards the opposite post was just out of reach, and the Rapids would cut the lead to 2-1.
Late in the first half, Colorado would find a stroke of luck to even out the game. Andrew Gutman for the Rapids fired a shot towards the goal from well outside the box. Juan Mosquera had dragged his foot back in an attempt to block Gutman’s shot. However, the ball would change directions off Mosquera’s shin, and David Bingham was once again caught with too much momentum in the wrong direction. The ball would bounce just past Bingham’s glove, and Colorado would tie the game at 42:58.
The second half was highly contested, but the breaking point came at 70:24. The Timbers were looking to break out of their own defensive end. In order to do so, Moreno would send the ball high towards the midfield. Andreas Maxsø would have space to head the ball, but his header would pop up and back towards his teammate. Darion Asprilla was in the area, and won the battle for the header, sending the ball past Maxsø. Felipe Mora would win the race to the ball, and be alone on a breakaway. Ilic would come out to cut down the angle, but Mora would deke around him, and fire the ball into the back of the net. The Timbers would take a 3-2 lead and it would hold for the remainder of the game.
Portland has three regular season matches remaining. Their next match is an away game on Saturday, September 30th at 7:30 p.m. against the LA Galaxy.
Northwest Sports Desk 