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The Portland Timbers rallied from a 2-1 halftime deficit for a 4-2 victory at Providence Park on Saturday night on second half goals from Diego Valeri (who also scored on a PK in the first half), David Guzmán, and Fanendo Adi. Erick Torres and Romell Quioto had the goals for the visitors.
The Timbers went up 1-0 in the 11th minute after Houston Dynamo defender DaMarcus Beasley had been ruled to have committed a handball on a shot from Sebastián Blanco, though it appeared to have been inadvertent. Diego Valeri put the PK high and right down the middle to put the Timbers up 1-0. In the 21st minute the visitors came very close to leveling the score when a low shot from Houston midfielder Alex deflected twice and appeared headed inside the right post but Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson tipped the shot just wide.
In the 38th minute the Dynamo would level the score when a free kick from just outside the Timbers box by Erick Torres was ruled to have been deflected by a handball by Timbers midfielder Diego Chara, though it appeared he was just protecting his face. Torres would power the penalty inside the left post and leveled the score at 1-1.
Just before the half Houston would take the lead when Alberth Elis led a 3-on-6 break and found Romell Quioto wide open with a perfect pass, and the Dynamo forward would slip a quick shot behind Gleeson and give the visitors a 2-1 halftime lead.
It would take until the 58th minute for the Timbers to level the score, when Zarek Valentin, who had been finding space up the left side all night, placed a perfect cross to the head of Valeri, whose diving header beat Tyler Deric and leveled the score at 2-2. Just eight minutes later the Timbers would re-take the lead when after a failed attempt to clear by the Dynamo, David Guzmán started a give-and-go with a pass off his thigh to Darlington Nagbe, who went to the ground to scissor a pass back to Guzmán. The Timbers midfielder would fake Deric to the ground before slotting the shot just inside the right post giving the Timbers a 3-2 lead.
The Timbers would seal the win in the 88th minute when Guzmán found Fanendo Adi on the counter attack, and Adi was able to get past a charging Deric before regaining control of the ball then slipping a shot off the left post and into the net for the final goal in a 4-2 Timbers win.
Jake Gleeson recorded four saves in the winning effort while Tyler Deric recorded three for Houston.
Timbers Match Report | Video Highlights
