MLS Portland Timbers

Timbers, Red Bulls Draw 3-3 at Jeld-Wen Field

Published on June 20, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Portland Timbers News Release


PORTLAND, Ore. - Behind three second-half goals, the Portland Timbers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 3-3 draw against the New York Red Bulls before a sold-out crowd of 18,627 at JELD-WEN Field on Sunday evening.

The Timbers opened an action-filled second half with goals by midfielder Jack Jewsbury and defender Kevin Goldthwaite just a minute apart to take a 2-1 lead in the 49th minute. Portland's lead was stretched to two goals at 3-1 when Red Bulls defender Stephen Keel scored an own goal midway through the second half.

New York then responded with back-to-back goals of their own to earn their share of the points as a tally from forward Thierry Henry in the 73rd minute was followed by a penalty-kick goal from Dwayne De Rosario four minutes into second-half stoppage time, bringing the contest to a close at 3-3.

Jewsbury matched a career high with his fourth goal of the season and added an assist, Goldthwaite scored his first goal since the 2008 season and defender Eric Brunner notched his first assist of the season to help the Timbers (5-6-3, 18pts) end a stretch of three straight losses and secure their first points since May 21.

Midfielder Austin da Luz, Henry and De Rosario all recorded a goal and an assist against Portland, helping the Red Bulls (5-2-8, 23pts) extend their unbeaten streak to six matches and move into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference.

Down by a goal at halftime, the Timbers responded quickly in the second half as Jewsbury leveled the score in the 48th minute. A cross by Portland was cleared about by New York and the ball fell to the feet of Jewsbury. With a defender closing in quickly, Jewsbury blasted a low, driven shot inside the left post.

A minute later, the midfielder set up the go-ahead goal for the Timbers with a free kick played into the right side of the box. The ball was flicked on by Brunner and it fell in the direction of Goldthwaite, who had entered the match as a sub at halftime. With a quick back-heel, Goldthwaite slipped a shot by New York goalkeeper Greg Sutton for a 2-1 Portland lead in the 49th minute.

The Timbers took a 3-1 lead in the 67th minute as a result of a hard-working play by forward Jorge Perlaza. Chasing down a ball played over the top, Perlaza tried to thread a pass across the top of the six yard box to forward Kenny Cooper running alongside. With Sutton off his line, Keel made an effort to intercept the pass, but knocked it into the back of his own net.

Henry delivered his eighth goal of the season in the 73rd minute to pull one back for New York. A one-two with da Luz at the top of the box set up Henry with space inside the box. From the left side, he slotted a shot through and into the back of the net for a 3-2 score line.

Four minutes into second-half stoppage time, De Rosario caught up to a ball played deep into the left corner and sent in a cross. Timbers defender Rodney Wallace tried to break it up, but the service deflected off his arm while inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot. De Rosario converted his second penalty-kick goal of the season for the Red Bulls, delivering the equalizer and knotting the score at 3-3.

Pressure by the Red Bulls early on led to a goal in the opening minutes of the match. De Rosario delivered a cross to the top of the box. Running into space, da Luz settled the ball before firing a rolling shot by Timbers goalkeeper Troy Perkins and inside the left post for his first MLS goal.

The Timbers had a chance to add to their lead in the 76th minute, when Perlaza was pulled down by Sutton in the box on a one-on-one to set up a penalty kick attempt. From the spot, Jewsbury rattled a shot off the right post.

After two consecutive home matches, the Timbers take to the road to face FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park on Saturday, June 25, at 5:30 p.m. (PT) live on KPTV FOX 12 and in Spanish on estrellaTV.

Notes:

* Assistant coach Trevor James filled in as the acting head coach for the Timbers while head coach John Spencer served a one-game, league-imposed suspension as the result of being sent off June 11.

* In the closing minutes of the match, New York's Henry was sent off with a straight red card. Henry's late goal was his eighth in his last nine appearances and he is now tied with the LA Galaxy's Landon Donovan with the league lead in goals.

* Jewsbury recorded his second game this season with both a goal and an assist. He also accomplished the feat April 17 vs. FC Dallas.

* With his fourth goals on the campaign, Jewsbury matched his career high, set in 2005 with Kansas City. Now with six assists, Jewsbury is one shy of his career high of seven that he set in 2008 with Kansas City. At 14 points in 2011, Jewsbury has surpassed his previous career best of 13 points, also set in 2008.

* The three goals in the second half marked Portland's highest scoring half this season. The five combined goals in the second half also marked a season-high for the Timbers.

* Goldthwaite's goal in the second half was his first in nearly three years to the date; his last MLS goal was June 21, 2008, while he was a member of the Red Bulls. He came on as a sub for an injured David Horst (left hip flexor) at halftime, making his first appearance since March 26.

* Defenders have now accounted for six of the Timbers' 18 goals this season.

* With three goals on the night, the Timbers share the league lead in goals scored at home with the Houston Dynamo at 15.

* The Timbers ended a 230-minute scoreless stretch on Jewsbury's goal in the 48th minute. The scoreless run included consecutive shutouts and was their longest this season.

* The 67th-minute own goal was the second own goal the Timbers have received this season. Chicago's Dasan Robinson also committed one in Portland's 4-2 win April 14.

* On Father's Day, the Timbers starting lineup featured three second-generation professional soccer players. The fathers of forward Kenny Cooper and midfielders Darlington Nagbe and Diego Chara each played professionally. In fact, Nagbe's father, Joe, played against Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry in the French first division during the 1995-96 season.

* The Timbers' 18-man match day roster featured two former Red Bulls in defenders Jeremy Hall and Goldthwaite. For New York, its Starting XI included defender Stephen Keel, who played for the second-division Timbers from 2009-10.

* Timbers defender Steve Purdy made his debut for the El Salvador National Team on Sunday, starting in the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal match against Panama at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. El Salvador lost on PKs 5-3.

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Major League Soccer Stories from June 20, 2011


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