Portland Timbers 2, D.C. United 2 - Instant Reaction

Timbers doomed by poor second half as they settle for a draw at home.

Photo Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers

The Portland Timbers battled D.C. United to a 2-2 draw on Saturday night at Providence Park. Dairon Asprilla opened the scoring and Santiago Moreno added a second for the Timbers in the second half, but D.C. United pulled back level in the second half via a PK from Mateusz Klich and an equalizer from Kristian Fletcher.

The Timbers came into the night buoyed by an explosive home opener, where they found the back of the net four times in the first half and essentially put the game to bed by the end of the first forty-five minutes.

D.C. United forecasted to be a more challenging opponent this time around for the Timbers, and presented a good test for the Phil Neville-era Timbers.

It was a test the Timbers struggled with quite a bit. D.C’s press gave the Timbers fits most of the night. The Timbers couldn’t find a way to break through D.C.’s lines after winning the ball back, and it resulted in Portland absorbing wave after wave of pressure, especially in the first half.

Dairon Asprilla was the one to beat back the tide in that first frame, with a peach of an assist from Santiago Moreno. Santi’s skill and speed was on full display on the night, highlighted by how he expertly spun around his defender into space and delivered a perfect cutback for Dairon to hammer home for the opener.

Still, it was a temporary respite, as D.C. kept coming. They whipped in seven crosses in the first half, but without their star striker Christian Benteke — who had to be replaced in the visitors’ starting XI after suffering an injury in warmups — to aim for, they were mostly dealt with by the Timbers backline in the first half.

Despite the visitor’s having the edge in possession, the Timbers dealt with D.C.’s pressure adequately in the first half, limiting their opponents to one major scoring opportunity via Christian Dajome. Maxime Crepeau, making his Timbers debut after getting his green card sorted, responded brilliantly to that first half chance, palming it away with confidence.

The Canadian proved to be huge on the night, making three gargantuan saves: the stop in the first half, and two incredible point-blank stops in the second half.

Portland went into the locker room with a 1-0 lead — but three goals in the second half turned the game on its head.

With D.C. continuing to push, and Portland continuing to struggle with playing through the press, the field felt like it started to tilt towards the Timbers’ goal in the second half. Still, the Timbers should have bought themselves enough breathing room when Santiago Moreno pounced on a loose ball in the box and slotted home the Timbers’ second goal.

It was a banner night for Santi, who had added a goal to his stellar assist in the first half.

But that second goal did not prove to be enough, as the Timbers came apart in the final 25 minutes of the second half.

Following a tactical change by Phil Neville where Portland brought on Dairo Zuparic and shifted to a back-three defensively, with Antony and Juan Mosquera as wingbacks, the Timbers looked even more disconnected when facing D.C.’s intense pressure. It resulted in Portland conceding a free kick which led to a conceded PK by the outstretched arm of Diego Chara — which was raised in an appeal for an offside call on the aforementioned free kick.

Mateusz Klich dispatched the penalty, and then D.C. truly smelled blood in the water. The Timbers never really adjusted or corrected their defensive shape, and it was only through the play of their star goalkeeper that Portland kept their noses in front.

But it would prove to be temporary, and in the moments of confusion following a Timbers substitution (and yet another personnel shift) the visitors pounced yet again.

18-year-old Kristian Fletcher was on the doorstep to slot home a cross the came from Portland’s left side, which was caught all out of sorts after (makeshift) left wingback Antony came off for forward Nathan Fogaca, forcing Dairon Asprilla to scramble back to cover the position.

The Timbers managed to eventually settle their defense by bringing a fourth centerback, Miguel Araujo, into the game. But at that point the damage was done, and Portland would never find their way close to goal again. The match ended all square at 2-2, with the Timbers letting a 2-0 lead slip away in the second half.

If the season-opener was catharsis, then this was a lesson. The Timbers still have a threadbare squad that doesn’t have the full flexibility or personnel to adjust on the fly. They can string together some very good moments, and the talent to score and win games is clearly evident. But this group still has a ways to go to build a clear identity and gain the cohesion that is needed for success this year.

Scoring Summary

POR: Asprilla (18’), Moreno (61’)

DC: Klich (72’ PK), Fletcher (82’)

Next Up:

The Timbers hit the road for the first time in 2024, as they travel to the east coast to face New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Saturday March 9. Kickoff is set for 11am Pacific.