PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers resumed play in their sixth-annual preseason tournament, facing Minnesota United FC at Providence Park on Sunday evening, as 22 different players saw action for Portland for the fifth consecutive match.
After conceding twice to Minnesota in the opening half, Portland scored two unanswered goals between the two groups utilized in the game to erase the deficit in a 2-2 draw before 13,461 fans at Providence Park.
Following a 60-minute performance from the Timbers’ first group of players, a group that saw 30 minutes in the team’s opening match against Real Salt Lake, Portland introduced 10 new players in the 58th minute with Minnesota maintaining a 2-1 lead. Producing nine shots in the final 30 minutes of the match, Portland found the game-tying finish in the 84th minute of play when forward Fanendo Adi converted a cross from defender Alvas Powell, who combined with midfielder Sebastián Blanco to find space for the cross.
In his second preseason appearance with the club, Blanco once again played 45 minutes, recording his first preseason assist with Portland.
Attacking early in the game, Portland created a strong chance on goal in the first minute of play when midfielder Dairon Asprilla’s shot was deflected into the path of midfielder Victor Arboleda, whose first-time chance from inside the area was deflected wide for a corner. Nine minutes later, Portland continued to put Minnesota under pressure, creating its strongest chance of the half when Arboleda’s piercing cross through the six-yard box found Asprilla for a point-blank effort that forced a strong save from goalkeeper John Alvbage.
Following back-to-back goals from Minnesota in a six-minute stretch in the first half, Portland responded strongly early in the second half when forward Jack McInerney shrugged his defender off the ball deep inside the 18-yard box, before firing a powerful effort inside the near post.
With six minutes left in the game, Portland found the equalizer when Blanco’s pass released Powell down the right flank, with the defender driving the ball across the six-yard box. While holding his defender off the ball, Adi quickly back-heeled Powell’s cross into the far corner to bring the game level. With one minute remaining in the game, Adi came close to recording a brace off another precise cross from Powell, just nodding the ball over the crossbar.
Portland will conclude the preseason tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 15, against Cascadia-rival Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Providence Park; kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. (Pacific). The match will be streamed live on www.timbers.com. Real Salt Lake and Minnesota United FC will square off in Wednesday’s first match; kickoff is set for 5 p.m. (Pacific).
Notes:
- Fanendo Adi scored his third goal of the 2017 preseason. Adi now has five career preseason goals for the Timbers, which is most in club history.
- Alvas Powell and Sebastián Blanco were both credited with assists on Adi's goal. It was the first assist of the preseason for both players.
- This is the second consecutive year Minnesota United has played in the Timbers preseason tournament.
- The five goals scored by the Timbers in their last two games are the most the club has scored in any single preseason tournament since the Timbers started hosting the tournament in 2012.
Portland Timbers vs. Minnesota United FC (MLS Preseason)
Feb. 12, 2017 – Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Minnesota United FC 2 0 2
Portland Timbers 0 2 2
Scoring Summary:
MIN: Venegas, 25
MIN: Venegas (Kadri), 32
POR: McInerney, 51
POR: Adi, (Blanco, Powell), 84
Misconduct Summary:
MIN: Greenspan (Caution), 9
Lineups & Stats:
First group:
POR: GK Attinella, D Myers, D Clarke, D Valentin, D Farfan, M Zemanski, M Okugo, M Asprilla, M Barmby, M Arboleda (Blanco, 46), F McInerney
Last group:
POR: GK Gleeson, D Powell, D Olum, D Ridgewell, D Vytas, M Guzmán, M Chara, M Blanco, M Valeri, M Nagbe, F Adi
TOTAL SHOTS: 19; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS: 15; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 4
MIN: GK Alvbage, D DeVillardi, D Kallman, D Greenspan, D Venegas, M Ibson, M Martin, M Kadri (Thompson, 63), M Jome, F Molino (Starikov, 46), F Venegas (Ramirez, 46)
TOTAL SHOTS: 13; SHOTS ON GOAL: 6; FOULS: 9; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 2
* Indicates guest player/trialist; ^ indicates SuperDraft pick, + indicates T2
Attendance: 13,461
Weather: Partly cloudy, 50 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
