ST. PAUL, Minn. – In a wild, back and forth, goal-filled match, the Portland Timbers came back from a two-goal halftime deficit to extend their unbeaten streak to eight matches with a 4-4 draw against Minnesota United FC Saturday afternoon at Allianz Field in St. Paul.
- MATCHCENTER: Stats and Boxscore
Portland midfielder Sebastián Blanco tallied a brace and also set up an own goal benefiting Portland while Jaroslaw Niezgoda scored in his second straight match. Santiago Moreno earned two assists on the day as well.
Match Moments
1' - GOAL (POR) - Portland took a 1-0 lead with the earliest goal scored in club history and fourth fastest in MLS history as the team, right off the opening kick, raced down the left channel with Santiago Moreno, Jaroslaw Niezgoda and Sebastián Blanco combining. Moreno tapped the ball to his left for Niezgoda who quickly slipped it back into Blanco in the box for him to chip Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair only :13 seconds into the match. Minnesota never touched the ball.
9' - GOAL (MIN) - Minnesota equalized nine minutes later on a corner kick. The ball was whipped in from Emanuel Reynoso for Luis Amarilla on the near post to flick to Franco Fragapane on the back post who headed it in, leveling the score at 1-1.
12' - CHANCE (POR) - Diego Chara chipped a great ball forward that Moreno ran onto in the box. He fired a shot on goal that St. Clair got down to block away.
21' - GOAL (MIN) - The Loons took the lead when a cross into the middle found Fragapane who flicked it towards goal but off the left post. Bongokuhle Hlongwane then knocked in the rebound to put Portland down 2-1.
41' - GOAL (MIN) - After a turnover near midfield, Minnesota's Amarilla went down the left side before cutting the ball back and scoring inside the far post to put the Timbers behind 3-1.
45' - CHANCE (POR) - Blanco, with the ball on the left side, sent a ball forward to Niezgoda near the edge of the area. He popped it up for David Ayala with the midfielder quickly shooting but St. Clair made the save.
50' - GOAL (POR) - The Timbers pulled a goal back early in the second half when Yimmi Chara changed the point of attack with a diagonal ball over the top to Moreno on the far side. Moreno settled it before squaring it for Blanco at the penalty spot for the Argentine to one-time it into the back of the net and make it 3-2.
53' - GOAL (POR) - Portland then equalized when Claudio Bravo curled a free kick into the mixer that Niezgoda deftly headed into the left side to even the score at 3-3.
64' - SAVE (POR) - Goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic made a nice reaction save on a close-in header from Fragapane.
65' - OWN GOAL (MIN) - Blanco helped give Portland a 4-3 lead when his shot towards goal was deflected off of Minnesota defender Kemar Lawrence resulting in an own goal to the Timbers benefit.
69' - GOAL (MIN) - But then four minutes later, the Loons equalized when Amarilla earned his second goal of the game with a header to make it 4-4.
74' - CHANCE (POR) - Moreno chipped a ball toward Niezgoda to chest down inside the box. Josecarlos Van Rankin darted in to shoot on goal only to have St. Clair make a one-handed save.
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Notes
- Portland extended its undefeated streak to eight games (4-0-4) and is unbeaten in its last four matches on the road (1-0-3).
- The Timbers have scored 29 goals in the second half of matches this season, which is tied for the most in MLS with LAFC.
- Portland has scored in nine consecutive matches, tallying 19 goals during that stretch.
- The Timbers have scored 12 goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half, more than any other team in MLS.
- Portland is one of three teams (LAFC, Austin FC) with 25 or more goals in the second half of matches in 2022.
- The Timbers have recorded 39 goals scored in 2022, which is fourth-most in the league.
- The Timbers have scored in nine consecutive matches, including nine scored on the road.
- Portland is the third-highest scoring team in the Western Conference as only Austin FC (45) and LAFC (44) have scored more goals.
- Jaroslaw Niezgoda recorded his team-leading ninth goal of the season.
- Niezgoda has scored six goals in his last eight matches, including four goals in his last five games.
- Niezgoda also tallied his second assist of the season today.
- Niezgoda is the eighth player to record multiple assists for Portland this campaign.
- Sebastián Blanco recorded his fifth goal of the season today.
- Blanco’s goal after 13 seconds is the fifth-fastest goal in MLS history, including playoffs, and the fastest since Justin Meram’s goal after nine seconds in the 2015 playoffs.
- The brace was the sixth of Blanco’s career, including playoffs, and his second of the 2022 season.
- Blanco is the first player in club history to score multiple goals in consecutive MLS matches against a single opponent (including playoffs). He is also the first player to do so against Minnesota.
- Santiago Moreno registered his first career multi-assist game.
- Moreno also became the fourth different player to record a multi-assist game for the Timbers in 2022 along with Eryk Williamson, Cristhian Paredes and Blanco.
- Moreno has scored three goals and tallied four assists during the Timbers unbeaten run.
- Moreno is one of three players with seven or more assists this season along with Sebastián Blanco (7), Yimmi Chara (8).
- Yimmi Chara recorded his team-leading eighth assist of the season.
- Claudio Bravo recorded his first assist of the season today.
- Bravo is the 10th player to record an assist for the Timbers this season.
- Diego Chara made his 350th MLS appearance (regular season and playoffs) today. He is the seventh player to make 350 appearances for a single club in MLS history.
- D. Chara will not be available for the next match due to yellow card accumulation.
Portland Timbers (7-6-10, 31pts) vs. Minnesota United FC (10-8-5, 35pts)
July 30, 2022 – Allianz Field (Saint Paul, Minn.)
Scoring Summary:
POR: Blanco (Niezgoda, Moreno), 1
MIN: Fragapane (Amarilla, Reynoso), 9
MIN: Hlongwane, 21
MIN: Amarilla (Fragapane), 41
POR: Blanco (Moreno, Y. Chara), 50
POR: Niezgoda (Bravo), 53
POR: Own goal (Lawrence), 65
MIN: Amarilla, 69
Misconduct Summary:
POR: D. Chara (caution), 18
MIN: Boxall (caution), 52
POR: Y. Chara (caution), 62
MIN: Arriaga (caution), 72
POR: Ayala (caution), 73
MIN: Benítez (caution), 75
POR: Asprilla (caution), 83
MIN: Reynoso (caution), 90
MIN: Lod (caution), 90+2
Lineups:
POR: GK Ivacic, D Van Rankin, D Mabiala, D Zuparic, D Bravo, M D. Chara ©, M Ayala, M Moreno, M Blanco (Loría, 88), M Y. Chara (Asprilla, 74), F Niezgoda (Mora, 90)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Bingham, D Bonilla, D McGraw, D Tuiloma, F Fogaça
TOTAL SHOTS: 17 (Blanco, 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Blanco, 2); FOULS: 16 (D. Chara); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 2
MIN: GK St. Clair, D Boxall ©, D Dibassy, D Lawrence, M Fragapane, M Lod, M Taylor (Benítez, 71), M Arriaga (Rosales, 76), F Amarilla, F Hlongwane
Substitutes Not Used: GK Miller, D Fisher, D Montgomery, D Kallman, M Hansen, F Danladi, F Kibunguchy
TOTAL SHOTS: 13 (Hlongwane, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 6 (Amarilla, 3); FOULS: 17 (Lod, Reynoso, 3); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 4
Referee: Victor Rivas
Assistant Referees: Jeffrey Greeson, Jeffrey Swartzel
Fourth Official: Lukasz Szpala
VAR: Sorin Stoica
Attendance: 19,792
Weather: Sunny, 75 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
