Portland Timbers secure first MLS Cup berth with draw at FC Dallas
As the rain pelted down and FC Dallas surged forward in search of the goal required to send the Western Conference final to extra time, the Portland Timbers entrenched themselves. This group never makes it easy, never follows the straightforward path. It took until the dying embers of the game for Lucas Melano to provide some breathing room and seal the Timbers’ first MLS Cup berth with a 2-2 draw in Frisco and a 5-3 victory on aggregate.
Portland confirmed its superiority in the opening hour when Fanendo Adi procured the opening goal early in the second half. Adi’s goal extended the Timbers’ aggregate lead to 4-1, but FCD summoned an emphatic response through Ryan Hollingshead and Blas Perez to place the home side in position to force extra time with one last goal.
Perez nearly produced it in second half stoppage time, but Nat Borchers produced a stunning block to thwart his attempt. Borchers’ intervention set the stage for Melano to confirm the triumph with a fine solo goal in the final seconds.
Melano’s goal gave the Timbers a deserved draw on the evening and a warranted place in the final. Caleb Porter and his players will travel to either Columbus or New York next weekend, while FCD will lament a chance gone on a day marred by frustration.
FCD struggled to find its balance and its footing in the early stages. The first-leg deficit prompted an energetic start, but the home side pushed too earnestly and left too much space for Portland to counter. Kellyn Acosta covered wonderfully to deny Fanendo Adi inside the opening 10 minutes to prevent the Timbers from doling out the expected punishment.
Portland posed the greater threat for the ensuing period as FCD tried to sort out their shape and the set piece frailties exposed in the first leg. Jesse Gonzalez rushed out to block Dairon Asprilla after the Timbers caught out FCD with a quick ball over the top.
Those early wobbles eventually inspired modest improvements from the home side, though FCD never quite hit top gear. Fabian Castillo and Mauro Diaz floated in and out of the game, while Michael Barrios supplied little on the right. Portland kept a tight shape with Norberto Paparatto stepping into Ridgewell’s place deftly and relied on the midfield triumvirate of Diego Chara, Darlington Nagbe and Diego Valeri to control the cadence of the affair.
Even when FCD created chances, the Timbers found a way to ward them off. Portland goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey produced a vital stop on a David Texeira header just after the half-hour, while FCD squandered other chances with errant final balls or poor touches in dangerous areas.
FCD improved a bit at the start of the second half. The increased energy placed Portland under more pressure, but the Timbers eventually pounced on poor work out of the back to procure the critical away goal after 54 minutes.
From the moment FCD conceded possession on the left, the Timbers looked a threat to punish them for it. A quick ball played Valeri into a menacing position on the end line. Adi muscled Walker Zimmerman off the ball to collect Valeri’s square ball and increase the Timbers’ aggregate lead to three goals.
Adi’s goal loomed as the potential dagger, but it instead sparked life into the previously out-of-sorts home side. FCD coach Oscar Pareja threw Tesho Akindele and Blas Perez into the fray to increase his attacking options. The introduction of the seasoned Perez and the improvement in Diaz’s final ball proved particularly important as FCD issued its belated response with two goals in five minutes.
Hollingshead offered FCD the first lifeline with ample help from his Argentine player. Diaz picked out the ideal ball and played over the static Timbers line. Hollingshead timed his run and tucked home from close range to spark hope of a revival.
Diaz caught out the Timbers defense again five minutes later to arrange a grandstand finish. His tempting free kick toward the near post placed the Timbers under considerable pressure. Perez illustrated the value of a determined run when he cut through the pile and nodded home to reduce the deficit to one.
The final quarter of an hour reflected the tension between the sides. FCD committed numbers forward and inserted set piece specialist Michel into the fray, while the Timbers tried to hit FCD on the break to secure that decisive second away goal.
Both teams rode through the drama with Nat Borchers summoning a fantastic block to prevent Perez from scoring the equalizer. The fate remained unresolved until late substitute Melano settled things in the final stages. His composure in the corner killed off precious seconds before he dashed behind the line and squeezed the decisive goal over the line to seal the Timbers’ place in MLS Cup.
