Timbers 2, Minnesota 2: Timbers play to a tie in front of MLS coach (original) (raw)
By
The
were not only playing for sole possession of third place and solidifying their playoff position, but they also were playing for their jobs Wednesday night.
With
, the team's coach when the Timbers join Major League Soccer in 2011, looking on from one of the suite boxes, the players' season-long audition for 2011 took on a greater sense of urgency.
What could have been a decent audition eventually turned into a disappointment after the Timbers couldn' t hold a lead and had to settle for a 2-2 tie against Minnesota before a sold-out crowd of 15,418 fans at PGE Park.
The draw kept the Timbers (7-7-7, 28 points) in a tie with the Stars (7-9-7, 28 points) for third place in the USL Conference. The Timbers got a point, but the tie extended Portland's winless streak to four games.
The Timbers had a 2-1 lead after Ryan Pore's league-leading 12th goal of the season in the 63rd minute. The lead didn't last long, as the Timbers gave up the equalizing goal in the 73rd minute, just nine minutes after defender Ian Joy was sent off with a red card in the 64th minute. Joy's ejection came after what referee Yader Reyes determined was a hard tackle on Minnesota midfielder Geison Moura.
Joy couldn't believe he received a red card.
"He got the ball and he flicked (the ball) around me and I tapped him. Very minimum. At most, it was a talking to and maybe a yellow card at most," a visibly upset Joy said after the game. "He went down screaming like a little baby and obviously the referee was influenced by the way he sounded and was holding himself."
Portland coach Gavin Wilkinson was even more upset with the call.
"The good thing it's on TV and I'd be surprised if (the referee's) family is still talking to him," Wilkinson said. "I think he made a mistake and after he watches the game on television, if he's man enough, he would admit to it."
The Timbers had to play a man down for the final 26 minutes of regulation time, in addition to four minutes of extra time. The Timbers paid the price for Joy's departure when Minnesota midfielder Simone Bracalello's header after a corner kick by Moura found the back of the net for the equalizer.
"When you give up a goal on a set piece, there's no excuses," Wilkinson said. "That's lack of discipline and lack of organization and lack of leadership. For a player to have a free header around the six-yard box, (that) shouldn't happen."
Even with being a man down, defender Stephen Keel said the players should not allow a goal on a set piece.
"Anytime you go down a man, it's tough. But we should be able to hold a 2-1 lead," Keel said. "Set pieces are when you have to individually mark and you have to compensate being a man down. That's a lack of concentration for that split second and we got punished for it."
Pore's penalty kick goal occurred after Reyes called a penalty on Minnesota defender Scott Lorenz after he tripped Pore inside the box.
RECOMMENDED•oregonlive.com
The Stars got on the scoreboard first in the 24th minute. Portland midfielder James Marcelin's header to attempt to clear the ball in the Timbers' zone was cut off by Minnesota midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov just outside the Timbers' 18-yard box. Gotsmanov floated a pass over the Portland defense and Minnesota midfielder Ely Allen, timing his advance perfectly and avoiding an offside call, blasted a shot past Portland goalkeeper Steve Cronin for the score.
The Timbers tied the score 1-1 after a goal by forward Bright Dike in the 44th minute. Pore headed a pass to Dike about five yards inside the 18-yard box. Dike took the pass with a touch off his chest and as the ball hit the turf, his left-footed shot to the far post rolled past Minnesota goalkeeper Joe Warren. The goal was Dike 's third league goal and his eighth goal overall this season.
Notes: Portland forward Mandjou Keita was a no-show for the game. Keita also missed the team's practices Monday and Tuesday. Portland coach Gavin Wilkinson declined to comment about Keita. Keita, the team's leading scorer last season with 11 goals and the league's scoring champion with 29 points, has endured a horrible season this year. He has scored just one goal this season and was benched June 19 in favor of Dike and has played sparingly since the demotion.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.