COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – Forward Samuel Armenteros earned a first-half brace, Diego Valeri scored a second-half goal and Sebastián Blanco contributed two assists as the Portland Timbers won their sixth straight game with a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rapids Saturday night at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. The win streak is tied for the second-longest in MLS history.
Colorado earned goals through a first half own goal and a late penalty kick from Yannick Boli.
- MATCHCENTER: Stats
- MATCHCENTER: Boxscore and Chalkboard
Match Moments
6' - CHANCE (POR) - Cristhian Paredes, pressuring Colorado deep in their own penalty area, forced a turnover near the endline. He passed the ball to Diego Valeri who took a hard-angled shot that Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard parried away.
27' - SAVE (POR) - Rapids midfielder Jack Price hit a swerving shot from distance that a leaping Jeff Attinella managed to tip over the bar.
29' - GOAL (POR) - Samuel Armenteros got the Timbers on the board first with a brilliant turn near the top of the box. He backheeled the ball to himself, spun his defender, and then deftly placed the ball into the far left corner for a 1-0 lead.
31' - OWN GOAL (COL) - Colorado quickly tied it up at 1-1 as a low cross into the box intended for Dominique Badji deflected off the foot of Timbers defender Julio Cascante and into the net for an own goal.
37' - GOAL (POR) - Only six minutes later, however, Armenteros had a brace to give Portland a 2-1 lead. After springing forward on the break and playing the ball out wide to Sebastián Blanco, Blanco returned the favor with a lofted cross into the mixer. Howard tipped the ball with his hand but right to the striker Armenteros who headed the ball into the back of the net.
56' - GOAL (POR) - The Timbers went ahead 3-1 in the second half on a blistering counter following a Colorado corner kick. Colorado's Bismarck Boateng tried to play the ball back near the top of the Portland box only to have it find an open Blanco near midfield. Blanco sprinted forward, split the defense with an incisive pass to his left for Valeri who took a touch, and then found the right side of the net.
76' - CHANCE (POR) - Armenteros narrowly missed out on a hat trick as he bore down on Howard on a breakaway. The Portland forward tried to flick it past using the outside of his left foot but Howard reacted quickly to stop the shot and smother the rebound.
88' - VAR - Colorado thought they had pulled a goal back late with a cross into Yannick Boli who tapped it in. However, as a result of the video review, the goal for the Rapids was disallowed due to Boli committing an offside offense.
90+9' - GOAL (POR) - In the final play of the game before the referee's whistle, Colorado's Boli scored a late penalty following a foul committed by Cascante in the box to cut the score to 3-2.
The Timbers return home next Saturday to host the LA Galaxy at Providence Park. Kickoff is 2pm PT for the nationally-televised game on ESPN2.
Portland Timbers (6-3-2, 20pts) vs. Colorado Rapids (2-6-2, 8pts)
May 26, 2018 – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (Portland, Ore.)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Portland Timbers 2 1 3
Colorado Rapids 1 1 2
Scoring Summary:
POR: Armenteros (Blanco), 28
COL: Own goal, 31
POR: Armenteros, 37
POR: Valeri (Blanco), 57
COL: Boli (Penalty kick), 90+8
Misconduct Summary:
COL: Gashi (Caution), 3
COL: Wilson (Caution), 23
POR: Valeri (Caution), 38
POR: Mabiala (Caution), 62
COL: Boli (Caution), 87
POR: Flores (Caution), 90
Lineups:
POR: GK Attinella, D Powell (Tuiloma, 78), D Mabiala, D Cascante, D Valentin, M Paredes (Guzmán, 83), M Chara, M Flores, M Valeri ©, M Blanco, F Armenteros (Adi, 75)
Substitutes Not Used: GK McIntosh, D Farfan, M Olum, M Arboleda
TOTAL SHOTS: 11 (Armenteros, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Armenteros, 3); FOULS: 13 (Cascante, 4); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 4
COL: GK Howard, D Wynne, D Wilson, D Smith, M Boateng (Mason, 66), M Nicholson, M Price, M Martinez, M Castillo, F Badji, M Gashi
Substitutes Not Used: GK MacMath, D Sjoberg, M Serna, M Azira, F Boli, F McBean
TOTAL SHOTS: 15 (Badji, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Badji, 2); FOULS: 13 (Nicholson, 4); OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 2
Referee: Sorin Stoica
Assistant Referees: Jeffrey Greeson, Craig Lowry
4th Official: Fotis Bazakos
VAR: Younes Marrakchi
Attendance: 17,424
Weather: Partly cloudy, 70 degrees
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial
