The Portland Timbers have dropped to sixth place in the West after a hard-fought draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
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While the announced sellout crowd of 21,144 guzzled beer and water to try to combat the 90-plus degree weather, Portland and Vancouver played a fast, entertaining brand of soccer, with both sides attacking and pushing the pace.
Melano becomes Portland’s fifth Argentine player, and second Argentine DP after Diego Valeri.
Matías Laba scored on a screamer from distance in the second half to help the Vancouver Whitecaps earn a single point with a 1-1 tie against the Timbers.
The Timbers finished with. I shot the ball with confidence and it was nice to score.
It was an important goal in a rivalry match, but it was more than just vanity on the line.
Portland Timbers defender Alvas Powell, right, controls the ball against Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Kekuta Manneh during the first half of an MLS soccer game in Portland, Ore., Saturday, July 18, 2015. Portland goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey appeared to be screened by players between him and Labas’ shot. It was heading for the net before Kwarasey made an exquisite, lunging, kick save and kept the Whitecaps off the scoreboard.
Johnson’s blast from out front of the penalty box for the Timbers went just inches wide in the 15th minute. Kwarasey came off his line once again, but Manneh had learned from his previous experience. We’d like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about.
“We’ve got to get back to basics”, Ridgewell said. “Manneh was able to get Adam 1-v-1, and we got lucky not to get scored on”. A Christian Dean pass up the middle left Laba exposed and he had the ball taken off his foot. Adi then found Diego Valeri streaking down the left flank. “Adi was very good with the ball”.
Real Salt Lake 2, Dynamo 0: Joao Plata set up a goal, added a second-half score and Real Salt Lake snapped a four-game winless streak with a victory over Houston. He had a pair of chances to put Vancouver in an early goal advantage.
Other than a brief ten minute spell at the beginning of the second half the Whitecpas didn’t buckle however and they got their equalizer in spectacular fashion as Matias Laba scorched a low missile from outside the area into the tightest corner of the net. He took a touch, then another, and from 38 yards sent a rocket at goal.
Ridgewell was left all alone to sneak in towards the far back post. The match became a back-and-forth affair, with both sides pushing the ball up the pitch and playing off that offensive aggression with counterattacks.
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Tempers continued to boil over after the final whistle. Pushing and shoving ensued, but they were broken up before anything more happened. Chara expressed displeasure with his treatment to several Whitecaps as the game ended, and Johnson wound up seeing a red card from referee Juan Guzman. “I was on the sideline”. It was tough. You don’t usually see that (a red card after the match). You rarely see a ref red card a guy for saying something and it seemed to me that he was walking away when he was carded.
