Thirty minutes were enough for the Portland Timbers to concede the game against Austin FC. With the hosts scoring three unanswered goals from Cecilio Dominguez, Diego Fagundez, and Sebastian Driusi; that was enough to deliver their second straight win over the Rose City side.
With Austin FC opening the score with a penalty kick awarded after a foul on the edge of the area by Timbers defender Josecarlos Van Rankin against Cecilio Dominguez. As the play was going to continue, the game official decided to consult with VAR and awarded the penalty kick in favor of the locals.
Not three minutes passed when Nick Lima crossed the ball to Diego Fagundez and beat Steve Clark with a header for the game’s second goal and extending Austin’s lead with just 14 minutes played.
Things were not looking favorable for the Rose City side, not being able to react and start to mount a rally, it was the opposite before the 29th minute when a ricochet shot from Jon Gallagher for Sebastian Druisi extended the lead to 3-0.
Still, the game wasn’t over and Sebastian Blanco came up in the second half and immediately made an impact for the visitors. It was until the 55th minute when the Timbers got on the scoreboard with a nice shot from Dairon Aspirilla beyond the 18-yard box with a beauty of a shot.
My conclusion of the Portland Timbers performances lately is something is going on in the dressing room and nobody divulges. The team mood and overall execution in the field do not reflect a team that has any desire to compete.
Before this game, Austin FC had been struggling to score, but in tonight’s match, they almost had a carbon copy of that July 1st game when they defeated the Portland Timbers to a score of 4-1. Overall, the expansion side Austin has outscored the Timbers 7-2 and dominated the series 2-0.
Now, what awaits the Timbers with a match next Sunday, August 29th against the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field, making it another tough test on the road.
Goals
Cecilio Dominguez 11’ PK ATX, Diego Fagundez 14’ ATX, Sebastian Druisi 29’ ATX,
Dairon Aspirilla 55’ PTFC
Men of the Match
Dairon Aspirilla and Sebastian Blanco
Portland Timbers
Austin FC
