Forward Lucas Melano logged his first goal for the Timbers in a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dynamo, August 21, 2015.
There are lots of stats out there that tell us important things like if the Timbers are down a goal or two at the half, they never ever, maybe once or twice in the distant past, but mostly never ever get any sort of result ever.
And then things like tonight happen and we start to wonder why we pay attention to stats at all. Soccer is a strange game and, as has been said by approximately a bazillion people, any game can be won by either side depending on the way the wind blows.
The Timbers were down by two at the half and, let’s be honest, it didn’t look good.
“The first half, that five minute period where we gave up two goals? That can’t happen,” Timbers coach Caleb Porter said after the match. “We started out very well. We were sharp…then we gave up a goal against the run. That happens in football. Sometimes you give up a goal against the run but what can’t happen is the response, giving up the next goal. That’s happened a couple of times this year.
“We’ll learn from that. We haven’t been able to learn from that prior to this game.”
Portland did manage to pull two back on the strength of a left-footed shot from Darlington Nagbe in the 76th, his second of the year. Less than ten minutes later, new signing Lucas Melano logged his first goal in Timbers green.
Darlington Nagbe picked up his second goal of the year.
“We’ll build on this,” Porter said. “It’s not three points, but Houston’s a team that’s in the playoff hunt. Instead of them getting closer, the points hold. We leave the game having grown and been lifted and they leave a little bit gutted.”
The Timbers also left the game short-handed. A stoppage time red card to Diego Chara for an elbow thrown at Erick Torres will mean the Timbers will face Seattle next week without him.
Scoring Summary
HOU: Garcia (Bruin), 40
HOU: Bruin (Davis), 45
POR: Nagbe (Melano), 76
POR: Melano (Valeri), 86
Misconduct Summary
HOU: Garcia (Caution), 32
HOU: Garrido (Caution), 73
POR: Chara (Ejection), 90+1
Lineups & Stats
POR: GK Kwarasey, D Powell, D Borchers, D Ridgewell, D Villafaña (Asprilla, 82), M Johnson ©, M Chara, M Nagbe, M Valeri, M Wallace (Adi, 57), F Melano
Substitutes Not Used: GK Gleeson, D Paparatto, D Peay, M Jewsbury, F Urruti
TOTAL SHOTS: 17 (Johnson, Valeri, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Johnson, Melano, 2); FOULS: 15 (Chara, 4); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 10; SAVES: 1
HOU: GK Deric, D Williams, D Horst, D Rodriguez, D Sarkodie, M Alex, M Garrido, M Garcia, M Olabiyi (Sturgis, 61), M Davis © (Miranda, 89), F Bruin (Torres, 72)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Willis, D Cochran, M Lopez, F Manotas
TOTAL SHOTS: 11 (Bruin, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Bruin, 2); FOULS: 20 (Garrido, 6); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 5
Referee: Ricardo Salazar
Assistant Referees: Mike Kampmeinert, Eduardo Mariscal
4th Official: Alejandro Mariscal
Attendance: 21,144
