Photo: Ziro Castellanos.
FC Dallas 2 : 2 Portland Timbers
(Portland win 5-3 on aggregate)
Portland Timbers secured passage to their first ever MLS Cup final after protecting their two goal lead from the first leg. Lucas Melano helped the Timbers salvage a 2-2 tie to win on a 5-3 aggregate and become the first Cascadian club to reach a MLS Cup final.
Still, even before that late goal, they were ahead and only a very late Dallas double had put the tie in doubt.
The game started off at a fast and furious pace with counters from both teams off of corner kicks.
Both teams had their chances in the first half to get that crucial opening goal, with Dallas’s David Texeira having the best chance, only to be saved by Portland goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey.
Nonetheless, the half time score of 0-0 suited Caleb Porter’s men and they had largely nullified the Dallas counter attack threat that has secured the Texans a plethora of convincing wins in the regular season.
The second half began with Dallas finding plenty of possession and they looked the more likely to find that first goal.
However, it was Diego Valeri who found Fanendo Adi on a short pass. Adi took a left footed shot to give the Timbers the 1-0 lead in Dallas and put them up 4-1 on aggregate.
Max Urruti admires the Western Conference trophy
But the dark green shirts would rue taking their foot off the pedal as Dallas quickly responded with two goals.
First playmaker Mauro Diaz worked his magic and placed a perfect diagonal ball to the feet of Ryan Holllingshead, who then calmly placed the shot into the far post and putting Dallas back into the tie.
It was a sublime piece of finishing by the Sacramento native.
Minutes later, Dallas was given a free kick and Mauro Diaz found Blas Perez, who headed it home amid poor marking.
The aggregate was now 4-3 and the intensity in the stadium picked up dramatically.
The home side needed one more goal to take the tie to extra time.
An outstanding sliding block by Nat Borchers will make any season’s highlight reel but the well drilled visitors admirably held their discipline and Portland’s defense wasn’t willing to give up that goal and let the game go into extra time.
Instead, the visitors found Lucas Melano, who took on the Dallas defense and gave Portland their second goal of the night from the narrowest of angles, effectively ending the tie.
Portland now go to either Columbus or New York Red Bull in the MLS Cup final on December 6th.
More coverage to follow.
