After a much needed week of rest, the Portland Timbers returned home to face Austin FC, who played 9 games in August and were fresh off a cross country trip to face Toluca in New York.
Starting lineup
The Timbers rolled out a similar starting lineup to last weekend, with just one big change up top. Gage Guerra came in as the starter at striker, following Kevin Kelsey’s reported move to Rangers in Scotland and Vincent Janssen’s red card suspension last week. On the bench, Alex Bonetig returned, while Eric Izoita was called up from T2 to fill Diego Chara’s spot as he continues to recover from a minor injury.
Recap & Highlights
1’ Austin set the tone early with a quick spell of possession and shot that is easily handled by Pantemis.
9’ Timbers make their first real venture into the final third. Fory lines up a cross that is blocked, leading to the first corner of the game.
21’ Caicaido clears the ball into the Timbers Army, conceding a corner. Austin has possessed the ball with ease and been in clear control for the first 20 minutes of the game.
25’ Goal Austin FC, 0-1 – It had been coming since the first minute of the game. Facundo Torres chips Pantemis after a nice one-touch pass from Rosales, who taps it to him from the top of the box.
35’ Bassett goes down near the sideline after a bit of a shove by Biro. The visiting defender receives a yellow card for the contact.
Halftime: Portland Timbers 0 – 1 Austin FC
A slow start leads to the Timbers being punished by Austin FC, who are deserving leaders at halftime. The press lacked any sort of conviction, letting Austin possess for what felt like huge chunks of time with minimal attempts by anyone in yellow to regain the ball. Guerra seems to be running to nowhere, while the rest of the team struggle to pass the ball with any sort of fluidity to get it to him.
47’ Yellow card to Desler after some grappling with Velde. Timbers earn a free kick just outside the top of the box in a dangerous position but the low kick leads to nothing.
62’ Substitutions – Antony IN // Gage Guerra OUT
65’ Velde wins another free kick that screams by just wide of the upper right corner.
73’ A huge sliding block across the face of goal from Surman keeps the Timbers in the game at 0 – 1.
75’ Substitutions – Ian Smith, Joao Ortiz IN // Jimer Fory, Cole Bassett OUT
85’ Antony leads a quick transition up the left side after Vasquez goes down in his own box. The Brazilian winger takes a shot that is blocked by the arm of an Austin defender in a slightly outstretched position. After VAR review, Timbers are awarded a penalty.
88’ A couple of yellow cards are handed out to Svatok and Caicaido for some pushing and shoving before the penalty is taken.
89’ Goal Timbers, 1-1 – Antony steps up and drills the penalty home for his first goal in the second half of the season. After orchestrating both the shot and much of the pressure the Portland has built since the 60’ minute, he was a deserving penalty taker.
90+3’ Goal Austin FC, 1-2 – Austin ratchet up the pressure immediately after the Timbers draw level. Svatok scores off an uncleared corner that bounces around the box before the defender gets the shot off. Pantemis dives and almost makes the save but takes it off the face, which is not enough to keep the ball out adding insult to injury.
97’ Velde pings a shot off the right post in the dying moments of the game. A flurry of attacks almost save the Timbers but it’s too little too late.
Full Time: Portland Timbers 1 – 2 Austin FC
Somehow the Timbers ended this game with more shots and shots on goal than Austin, but the eye test tells a very different story. Many of the Timbers chances in the first half came from hopeful long balls over the top that went uncontrolled or soft shots from outside the box that were easily handled by Austin’s goalkeeper.
Antony brought a much needed spark off the bench in the 60’ minute. His addition allowed Da Costa to begin linking up with Velde in the attack and create some semblance of a coherent build up in possession, but it wasn’t enough to save a sinking Timbers team. A lethargic first MLS loss at home under Martí Cifuentes made this a night to forget for Portland.
