Nick Rimando clears a cross in front of Fanendo Adi, who eventually put two past him to tie the score.
The Portland Timbers played host to Real Salt Lake Saturday night at Providence Park, both teams looking for their second win of the season.
Neither team got what they came for as they earned only a point each, a wild 2-2 draw highlighted by a brace from Fanendo Adi to bring Portland level late on after trailing by two to Salt Lake, who finished the game with nine men after receiving two red cards.
Portland looked set to open the scoring when Adi headed home past Nick Rimando minutes into the encounter, but the Nigerian was rightly judged offside as a disappointed Timbers Army tried to quell premature celebrations.
The early excitement subsided as the quarter hour mark neared, and a foul outside the penalty area offered the visitors their first serious opportunity, and they did not squander the chance.
A stepover by Javier Morales shielded Joao Plata’s approach, and the Ecuadorean neatly nicked the ball over the wall and under the crossbar as Adam Kwarasey looked on hopelessly. The goal marked Plata’s third of the 2016 campaign, tying him for tops in the league while extending his lead amongst his RSL clubmates.
Real Salt Lake striker Joao Plata celebrates the opening goal.
Ten minutes on Adi thought he’d done enough to earn a penalty as he spun two defenders in the box, but when upended he appeared distraught to learn the whistle was aimed in his direction instead.
Minutes later Adi earned some vindication when a late cleats up challenge from RSL captain Kyle Beckerman left him in a heap. The Portland striker was able to walk off the tackle, but Beckerman’s walk was much longer as he headed for the locker room tunnel after the referee issued him a straight red card just past the half hour mark.
Brutal tackle from Kyle Beckerman on Fanendo Adi results in a straight red card
RSL were sure to feel a sense of deja vu after an early dismissal in their last league encounter in the fall in Utah, but even with ten men managed to keep Kwarasey busy only moments later as they forced the netminder to parry away a dangerous looking headed chance.
For the second match running Portland found themselves trailing at the interval, but perhaps feeling more confident of a comeback with a man advantage and only a goal deficit this time around.
The Timbers wasted no time exerting their numerical dominance in the first minute after intermission, a cross from Alvas Powell to Adi for a layoff back to Darlington Nagbe resulting in a testing shot for Rimando.
Salt Lake midfielder Morales appeared to suffer a head injury and was replaced by Luke Mulholland in the 55th minute, a much more defensive minded option for RSL head coach Jeff Cassar than the departing Argentinian playmaker.
Yura Movsisyan proved a handful for Nat Borchers all night.
Portland dominance soon turned to dismay as Yura Movsisyan looked more mobile than many would expect when he capitalized on a poor clearance from Nat Borchers, outhustling and outmuscling the one time RSL defender to coolly slot between Kwarasey’s legs to double the visitors’ lead in the 58th minute.
Movsisyan moves into position to extend RSL’s lead over Portland.
Timbers manager Caleb Porter responded with a double substitution in the 61st minute to try to change the home side’s fortunes as Lucas Melano and Zarek Valentin exited in favor of Ned Grabavoy and Jack McInerney, respectively.
Portland were in desperation mode but looking mostly devoid of ideas offensively, and Salt Lake was content to soak up pressure and counter on the break.
Before despondency could set in Portland pulled one back through Adi, the forward putting back the rebound of Dairon Asprilla’s chipped shot that came back off the crossbar in the 79th minute.
Jamison Olave dangerous play with Fanendo Adi earns him a red card and concedes a penalty
Moments later Adi’s persistent pressure paid off again as RSL centerback Jamison Olave elbowed the striker in the head to concede a penalty kick and earn the opposition their second red card of the match. As RSL’s personnel dwindled, Adi stepped up to the spot to wrongfoot the impeccable Rimando and level the score at two apiece in the 84th minute.
Diego Valeri picked out McInerney in the box minutes later, but this time Rimando sent the shot wide for a corner.
The Timbers tried to find a winner with similar efforts throughout six minutes of injury time, but a stalwart performance from the now nine man Salt Lake side meant the two teams shared the spoils as the final whistle blew.
Box Score & Statistics
Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake
March 19, 2016 – Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Real Salt Lake 1 1 2
Portland Timbers 0 2 2
Scoring Summary:
RSL: Plata, 16
RSL: Yura, 58
POR: Adi, 79
POR: Adi (penalty kick), 84
Misconduct Summary:
RSL: Beckerman (Ejection), 31
POR: Adi (Caution), 68
POR: Powell (Caution), 76
RSL: Olave (Ejection), 83
RSL: Sunny (Caution), 87
RSL: Martinez (Caution), 90+5
Lineups & Stats:
POR: GK Kwarasey, D Powell, D Borchers, D Taylor, D Valentin (McInerney, 61), M Chara, M Valeri, M Nagbe, F Melano (Grabavoy, 61), F Adi, F Asprilla (Mattocks, 89)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Gleeson, D Barmby, M Jewsbury, M Zemanski
TOTAL SHOTS: 26 (Adi, 5) ; SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Adi, McInerney, 2); FOULS: 14 (Chara, 3) ; OFFSIDES: 6 ; CORNER KICKS: 17 ; SAVES: 2
RSL: GK Rimando, D Beltran, D Olave, D Maund, D Wingert, M Sunny, M Beckerman, M Morales (Mulholland, 55), F Martinez, F Yura (Sandoval, 64), F Plata (Glad, 85)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Attinella, D Phillips, M Stertzer, F Allen
TOTAL SHOTS: 7 (Sunny, 2) ; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Four players tied, 1) ; FOULS: 15 (Beckerman, 3) ; OFFSIDES: 1 ; CORNER KICKS: 4 ; SAVES: 4
Referee: Hilario Grajeda
Assistant Referees: Ian Anderson and Mike Rottersman
4th Official: Baboucarr Jallow
Attendance: 21,144
Weather: Cloudy, 62 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
