The Portland Timbers and Colorado Rapids played to a 2-2 draw in a wild game at Providence Park Saturday night.
Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark made four sprawling saves in the first half, but the Timbers went down a man in the second half and in the end, couldn't hold two leads against the Rapids.
The Timbers played the final 35-plus minutes with 10 men after defender Julio Cascante was sent off for a hard foul on the Rapids' Kei Kamara. But an aerial elbow in the box from the Rapids' Lalas Abubakar in the 63rd minute led to Diego Valeri slotting home his fifth goal of the season.
Sam Nicholson's 76th-minute goal kept the Rapids from leaving without a point. Colorado hasn't beaten the Timbers in more than two years.
A badly-timed Tommy Smith header off a corner kick resulted in an own goal in the 27th minute, giving Portland a 1-0 lead. But Jonathan Lewis, back from the CONCACAFC Gold Cup and the US national team, answered with a strike off a failed Timbers clearance in the 28th minute.
The Timbers were playing their third game in seven days. Portland lost defender Marco Farfan in the 10th minute to an apparent knee injury, forcing the Timbers to go to the bench early.
Goals
- 27' – POR – Tommy Smith (OG)
- 28' – COL – Jonathan Lewis | WATCH
- 63' – POR – Diego Valeri (PK)
- 76' – COL – Sam Nicholson | WATCH
Up next
- COL: Monday, July 15 vs Arsenal (7:00 PM MT | Altitude)
- COL: Saturday, July 20 vs New York City FC (7:00 PM MT | MLS LIVE on ESPN in US, on DAZN in Canada)
