The Portland Timbers have found their form and won their third straight 2-1 match, this time over Atlanta United. Santiago Moreno and Dairon Asprilla would score for the Timbers, both on penalty kicks, while Josef Martínez would score the lone goal for Atlanta.
The first half hour of the match on this sunny Sunday afternoon did not have any great chances for either team, though Sebastián Blanco did try to sneak a free kick under the bar early, then Atlanta’s Luiz Araújo slipped in behind the Timbers defense for a breakaway attempt in the 31st minute, but Aljaž Ivačič would get a finger on the shot to deflect it away, and Ronaldo Cisneros would put the rebound wide.
Then in the 36th minute, the Timbers run of penalty kicks awarded would continue when Santiago Moreno was fouled in the box and the referee immediately pointed at the spot. Moreno would take the kick himself and put it nicely into the upper left corner of the net, and the Timbers had a 1-0 lead, which would be the score at halftime.
The second half featured long stretches of not much a goal scoring threat from either team, but the referee would end up pointing to the spot once again in the 81st minute when Diego Chará was the one taken down in the box this time. It was Dairon Asprilla who would take the spot kick this time. Asprilla would put the shot easily into the net as Raúl Gudiño guessed the wrong way this time, and the Timbers lead was now 2-0.
But the two goal lead would not last long, as in the 88th minute, off an Atlanta corner kick by Marcelino Moreno, Josef Martínez did well to get his head on the ball at the near post and it slipped just inside the post, and the Timbers lead was now 2-1.
Jarosław Niezgoda would have a good chance in the 89th minute that was cleared off the line, but the 2-1 lead would hold for the third straight Timbers win by the same score.
Aljaž Ivačič would record a single save for the Timbers, while Raúl Gudiño also recorded one save for Atlanta.
Timbers down Atlanta United 2-1, making it three wins in a row | Timbers website
HIGHLIGHTS | Portland Timbers 2, Atlanta United FC 1 | September 04, 2022 | Timbers website
