Jonathan Rodriguez scored two minutes into second-half stoppage time to give the Portland Timbers a 3-2 comeback win over visiting Minnesota United on Saturday.
Goals from Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Sang-Bin Jeong gave Minnesota (8-7-5, 29 points) a 2-0 lead through most of the first half, but Evander’s penalty-kick goal eight minutes into first-half stoppage time put Portland on the board. Santiago Moreno then recorded the equalizer for the Timbers in the 73rd minute.
That set the stage for Rodriguez’s late winner. Playing in his final match with the Timbers (8-7-6, 30 points), Dairon Asprilla sent a perfect cross in front, which Rodriguez converted for his ninth goal of the season.
Portland is on a seven-match (5-0-2) unbeaten streak, while the heartbreaking defeat extended Minnesota United’s losing streak to four straight matches.
The Minnesota United were missing players Saturday due to injuries, suspensions, and international absences. The list of missing players included Wil Trapp, who was a late scratch from the lineup after suffering a leg injury during warmups.
The Timbers held 66.6 percent of the possession and outshot the Loons by a 25-6 margin, including an 11-4 edge in shots on target. Despite this dominance, Minnesota goalkeeper Clint Irwin was excellent in an eight-save performance, and Portland misfired on several quality chances.
Rodriguez took poor touches on a pair of seemingly easy scoring opportunities in each half, and also committed a handball foul that erased Antony’s would-be go-ahead score in the 87th minute.
After 10 seasons with the Timbers, Asprilla is set to leave the team to join Atletico Nacional in his native Colombia. Entering Saturday’s match as a 74th-minute substitute, Asprilla received multiple loud ovations from the Portland fans, and delivered the storybook ending with the match-winning assist.
Eleven minutes of extra time was added to the first half due to multiple stoppages, including an injury checkup on Zac McGraw and Miguel Tapias in the 43rd minute after the pair collided during a header. A bloodied McGraw had to leave the field for the remainder of the extended first half, and was replaced by Eric Miller at halftime.
–Field Level Media
