The Portland Timbers entered their match on a hot and humid Sunday afternoon against FC Dallas knowing they needed a good result to break their five game losing streak, and though the Timbers would have a rare late rally to tie the score on a Jack Jewsbury goal, the Timbers couldn’t find the winning score and would settle for the 1-1 draw with Dallas in front of another sold out crowd of 20,438 at Portland’s JELD-WEN Field.
The first 15 minutes of this match would be tight, with neither team threatening the goal until the sixteenth minute, when a deflection of a failed Timbers clearance would fall to Brek Shea, whose shot from a tight angle was blocked wide by Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins. Two minutes later it was Portland’s Diego Chara making a dangerous cross from the right side that bounced around inside the Dallas box, with Darlington Nagbe and Jack Jewbury both having chances that were blocked by the Dallas defense.
In the 26th minute, a Dallas corner kick would result in a few good chances and several headers inside the box before Perkins was able to swat it out of danger.
In the 33rd minute, the Timbers would nearly take advantage of a quick attack off a Perkins throw as Nagbe had a good look from 30 yards out but slipped a shot wide left, though Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman appeared to have the shot covered. One minute later it was Portland’s Franck Songo’o making a nice run into the box to the keeper’s right, but his low cross was cleared out from in front of the Dallas net.
Two minutes later, the Timbers nearly look advantage of a free kick from just outside the Dallas box as Kris Boyd’s shot would be tipped just wide by Hartman.
In the 41st minute, Dallas would have a great chance to take the lead just before the break as Julian de Guzman made a nice run into the Timbers box and had an open look but his shot was weak and easily collected by Perkins. With out a minute left in the half, Dallas would have another great chance as Shea made a run down the left side and into the Timbers box but his tight angle shot would slip a yard wide of the right post, but the first half would end as a scoreless one.
Less than a minute into the second half the Timbers nearly broke through as Songo’o made a nice run to the top of the Dallas box, but his low shot was easily stopped by Hartman. Less than a minute later it was Dalas with the chance as Shea’s defected cross trickled all the way to the run of de Guzman, who had an open chance from seven yards out but the shot was scuffed high and wide.
But in the 51st minute, Dallas would make another close-in chance pay of when Shea once again made a run down the let side, and his pass found a wide open Scott Sealy who had slipped clear of defender David Horst, and the Dallas forward easily one-timed the shot into the net and gave the visitors the 1-0 lead.
Then less than two minutes later after Dallas took the lead, the visitors would make their job of holding the lead more difficult when defender Zach Loyd was ejected for his second yellow card, and the Timbers would play the remainder of the match a man up.
The Timbers would replace both of their forwards around the 60 minute mark, with Bright Dike and Danny Mwanga entering the match, and shortly afterwards it was Songo’o with another good look as his blast from near the corner of the box had to be punched clear by Hartman.
In the 67th minute, it was Dallas with a chance to widen their lead as Shea made a nice diagonal run towards the Timbers goal but his shot was off the left post. One minute later it was Portland’s Dike who had a great one-on-one chance after intercepting a back pass by Jair Benitez, but Hartman was able to charge off his line and block the point blank shot.
Then in the 78th minute, the Timbers would make their second half pressure pay off when after a shot by Songo’o had been blocked by a defender, then a follow-up shot by Mwanga was pushed off the post by Hartman. But the Timbers maintained their pressure and after a chip pass from Kalif Alhassan was punched out by Hartman, it fell right to the foot of Jewsbury at the top of the Dallas box, who full volleyed the shot past Hartman and into the net, and the Timbers had leveled the score at 1-1.
The Timbers one good chance to steal the win late when Horst would make a rare attack through midfield and found the ball on his feet charging into the box but blasted the shot wide right, and neither team would threaten in four minutes of stoppage time and both teams had to settle for the 1-1 draw.
