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Portland Timbers

Timbers Reserves Earn 1-1 Draw at Whitecaps FC Reserves

May 19, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Portland Timbers News Release


VANCOUVER, B.C. - A free-kick goal in the closing minutes of the match by forward Sal Zizzo helped the Portland Timbers Reserves earn a 1-1 draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Reserves in MLS Reserve League play at UBC Thunderbird Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Down a goal and with less than 10 minutes remaining, the Timbers Reserves (3-1-1, 10pts) found the equalizer in the 82nd minute as Zizzo drove in a free kick from just outside the box. The draw extends the Timbers Reserves unbeaten streak to three games.

The Whitecaps FC Reserves (2-0-1, 7pts) claimed the initial lead in the first half on a goal by forward Tom Heinemann in the 26th minute. Off a cross into the box, forward Corey Hertzog had a shot from inside the box deflected, but Heinemann picked up the free ball and slipped a shot from close range inside the left post.

A handball called on Hertzog just outside the box set up the Timbers Reserves free kick that led to the equalizer. Zizzo lined up over the ball and hit a low drive that snuck by the Whitecaps FC Reserves wall and into the bottom right corner of the goal for his first strike of the season.

The Timbers Reserves generated six of their 10 shots in the match during the second half and had multiple chances at the equalizer. In the 58th minute, defender Dylan Tucker-Gangnes had sharply hit header off a corner kick cleared off the line by Vancouver's Sam Adekugbe in position on the left post. Forward Jose Valencia had a header knick the crossbar in the 72nd minute.

Whitecaps FC goalkeeper Simon Thomas made both of his saves in the second half and prevented an own goal in the 53rd minute on a play off a Portland free kick.

The Whitecaps FC Reserves attempted seven shots in the first half, forcing Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson into two saves. Gleeson turned in a diving stop early in the match to deny a scoring chance on a header by Hertzog and then turned away a shot from midfielder Park Kang-Jo as he charged into the box in the 28th minute. Hertzog also had a volley strike the goal post in the 30th minute.

The hard-fought match between the Cascadia rivals produced a combined 19 shots and 22 fouls, with the Timbers Reserves edging the Whitecaps FC Reserves in shots 10-9. Timbers midfielder Ben Zemanski was issued his second caution of the second half in stoppage time and the Timbers Reserves played out the last minutes of the contest with 10 players.

The Timbers Reserves travel to Florida to play USL PRO side VSI Tampa Bay FC in their next match on Saturday, June 1, at VSI Tampa Bay Stadium at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific). The Timbers Reserves defeated VSI Tampa Bay FC 2-1 in their previous meeting April 7 at JELD-WEN Field.

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