HOUSTON – Despite overcoming an early deficit on the road, the Portland Timbers couldn’t overcome a late second-half surge by host Houston Dynamo, conceding two goals inside the final 15 minutes in a 3-1 loss at BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday night.
Will Bruin scored twice to help the Dynamo to victory. Bruin opened the scoring in the ninth minute. After Giles Barnes earned a free kick on the left sideline, returning captain Brad Davis sent the set piece across the box to the edge of the six-yard box. The Dynamo striker ran in and headed down a goal for his third of the season and an early 1-0 lead.
The 6-foot-2 forward capped the night with a chip after a hopeful long ball from Jermaine Taylor found him running on goal. With goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey off his line, Bruin floated his shot over the ‘keeper’s outstretched arms and into goal to cap the night’s scoring.
Fanendo Adi provided the Timbers lone goal of the night just three minutes after the half. After a collision at midfield between Diego Chara and Luis Garrido, playmaker Diego Valeri picked the ball up and played a well-weighted ball into the path of the big forward. He held off DaMarcus Beasley and deflected a shot off Tyler Deric’s boot and into goal to tie the score at 1-1 in the 48th minute. It was Adi's team-leading fourth goal of the season.
Bruin’s brace bookended a goal from Barnes who also scored in the second half. Moments after coming into the game, Alexander Lopez found himself with space on the right side of the box. Instead of a shot through a crowd, Lopez laid it off to Barnes and the forward hit it with pace from 12 yards out to take the lead.
Houston (4-4-4) improves to 16 points while the loss keeps the Timbers (3-4-4) on 13.
The game was played at a methodical pace early as neither team looked to break though Portland dominated possession throughout.
Both teams are on the road next week with the Dynamo facing the LA Galaxy and Timbers traveling to face Toronto FC.
Portland Timbers (3-4-4, 13pts) at Houston Dynamo (4-4-4, 16pts)
May 16, 2015 – BBVA Compass Stadium (Houston, Texas)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Portland Timbers 0 1 1
Houston Dynamo 1 2 3
Scoring Summary
HOU: Bruin (Davis), 9
POR: Adi (Valeri), 48
HOU: Barnes (Lopez), 75
HOU: Bruin (Taylor), 83
Misconduct Summary
POR: Jewsbury (Caution), 12
POR: Adi (Caution), 14
POR: Chara (Caution), 42
HOU: Barnes (Caution), 45+1
POR: Powell (Caution), 84
Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Kwarasey, D Powell (Fernández, 85), D Borchers, D Ridgewell ©, D Villafaña, M Chara, M Jewsbury, M Nagbe (Asprilla, 76), M Valeri (Urruti, 84), M Wallace, F Adi
Substitutes Not Used: GK Weber, D Paparatto, M Fochive, M Yartey
TOTAL SHOTS: 6 (Adi, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 1 (Adi, 1); FOULS: 13 (Chara, 4); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 3
MTL: GK Deric, D Rodriguez, D Horst, D Taylor, D Beasley, M Garcia (Lopez, 74), M Barnes, M Garrido, M Clark, M Davis, F Bruin (Lovejoy, 90+3)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Willis, D Sarkodie, M Miranda, M Steinberger, F Hoffman
TOTAL SHOTS: 12 (Bruin, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Barnes, Bruin, 2); FOULS: 13 (Barnes, 4); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 0
Referee: Edvin Jurisevic
Assistant Referees: James Conlee, Kyle Longville
4th Official: Daniel Fitzgerald
Attendance: 20,844
Time of Game: 1:53
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 80 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
