PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers fell 2-1 to the Houston Dynamo in the second leg of their two-leg, aggregate-goal series in the Western Conference Semifinals of the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs before a sold-out crowd of 21,144 fans at Providence Park on Sunday night. With two goals in the match, the Dynamo defeated the Timbers 2-1 on aggregate to advance into the Western Conference Championship after the two teams played to a 0-0 draw in Houston on Monday.
- MATCHCENTER: Stats
- MATCHCENTER: Boxscore and Chalkboard
Portland midfielder Dairon Asprilla scored for the Timbers in the first half but goals from Houston's Dylan Remick and Mauro Manotas gave the Dynamo the win.
Portland concludes the 2017 campaign after qualifying for the postseason for the third time in its last five MLS seasons, scoring the second-most regular-season goals (60) in its MLS era, while also recording 53 regular-season points, which ranks tied as the second-most in the team’s MLS era.
Match Moments
17' - SAVE (POR): Houston pushed forward in the attack with Tomás Martinez passing a ball to Cubo Torres in the box. Torres' took a hard shot from the right that Timbers goalkeeper Jeff Attinella tipped up and over the bar.
24 - CHANCE (POR): Timbers midfielder Dairon Asprilla snapped a perfectly placed header on frame following a corner only to have Houston goalkeeper Joe Willis make a fingertip save to knock it away.
39' - GOAL (POR): Carefully working the ball down the left side, Portland defender Vytas lofted a cross to the far post that found Asprilla near the six. Asprilla trapped the ball, took a touch and then hammered it into the top of the net for a 1-0 Timbers lead.
Heck of a finish from @daironasprilla for his third goal of the season. #RCTID#MLSCupPlayoffspic.twitter.com/Tv4eKacRU0
— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) November 6, 2017
43' - GOAL (HOU): The Dynamo tied the score at 1-1 when Dylan Remick collected a loose ball in the box and hit it past a diving Attinella. The score put Houston ahead in the two-game series via the away goal tiebreaker rule.
45' - CHANCE (POR): Portland almost jumped back ahead following a corner into the box. Midfielder Amobi Okugo spotted the ball in the air and hit a bicycle kick that skipped just wide of the left post.
59' - CHANCE (POR):Darlington Nagbe led a counter forward for Portland. He found Asprilla to his left who then passed outside to Vytas. Vytas skimmed a cross towards the six yard box that forward Jeremy Ebobisse raced to but Willis managed to cover.
78' - GOAL (HOU): Houston's Mauro Manotas hit a shot from distance that skipped and went into the Portland net to give the Dynamo a 2-1 lead.
Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs | Western Conference Semifinals – Second Leg
Portland Timbers (1) vs. Houston Dynamo (4)
Nov. 5, 2017 – Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Houston Dynamo 1 1 2
Portland Timbers 1 0 1
Scoring Summary
POR: Asprilla (Vytas, Valeri), 38
HOU: Remick (Anibaba, Martinez), 43
HOU: Manotas (Alexander), 77
Misconduct Summary
POR: Ridgewell (Caution), 57
HOU: Alex (Caution), 70
POR: Guzmán (Caution), 85
HOU: Garcia (Caution), 90+4
POR: Blanco (Caution), 90+5
Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Attinella, D Powell, D Olum, D Ridgewell ©, D Vytas (Barmby, 81), M Okugo (Blanco, 54), M Guzmán, M Asprilla, M Valeri, Nagbe, F Mattocks (Ebobisse, 12)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Gleeson, D Valentin, D Farfan, D/M Tuiloma
TOTAL SHOTS: 12 (Asprilla, 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Asprilla, Valeri, 2); FOULS: 10 (Asprilla, Ebobisse, 2); OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 2
HOU: GK Willis, D Anibaba, D Machado, D Senderos, D Remick, M Alexander, M Martinez (Garcia, 83), M Cabezas, F Elis, F Torres (Manotas, 73), F Alex (Quioto, 86)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Brown, D Garcia, M Clark, M Sanchez, F Quioto
TOTAL SHOTS: 12 (Elis, Torres, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (Four players tied, 1); FOULS: 19; (Elis, 5); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 2
Referee: Ismail Elfath
Assistant Referees: Kathryn Nesbitt, Apolinar Mariscal
4th Official: Jose Carlos Rivero
VAR: Edvin Jurisevic
Attendance: 21,144
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 50 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
