It was another comeback for the Portland Timbers.
But in Portland’s 2-2 draw Saturday night against the Colorado Rapids, it wasn’t only their defense they were talking about in the aftermath. The Timbers took a 1-0 lead on a stellar, 43rd-minute goal from Diego Valeri but saw it erased on a questionable handball call on center back Liam Ridgewell that led to a Dillon Powers penalty kick goal in the 48th minute.
“I did think the PK definitely did change the landscape of the game, so I won’t comment on that,” Timbers head coach Caleb Porter told the media in his postgame comments. “You guys will watch it. It’s pretty clear what I think, but I’ll let you guys watch it.”
Porter’s comments may seem even-keeled, especially considering the implications of the game.
A win would have put the Timbers in the fifth and final MLS Cup Playoff spot in the Western Conference with the Vancouver Whitecaps' loss earlier in the night to FC Dallas. As it is, the draw keeps Portland in sixth place, a point behind Vancouver.
The decisive call came when Ridgewell stepped in front of a Deshorn Brown shot that referee Drew Fischer decided hit his arm rather than his chest, despite the protests of Ridgewell and his teammates.
“It’s pretty clear,” Porter said.
But Portland’s embattled defense wasn’t without blame. Colorado took a 2-1 lead in the 66th minute on a Brown header off a Marc Burch cross. That led to more Portland heroics, on a Gaston Fernandez goal in the 76th minute for their 14th comeback of the season to earn at least a point.
“First half, we were winning and they got a big PK and everything changed,” Valeri said.
The result sets up another big game between Portland and Vancouver on Saturday at Providence Park. The Timbers beat the ‘Caps 3-0 on Aug. 30 at BC Place to move into fifth place in the West at the time, but they couldn’t take advantage with subsequent draws against the San Jose Earthquakes and now the Rapids.
“I was really pleased,” Porter said of the comeback. “Gaston came off the bench and scored a goal for us; that’s huge. … And we’re still in a good spot. That game next week is key, so we’ll stay even keel on this and take the point. We’ll get out of here and shift gears.”
Dan Itel covers the Timbers for MLSsoccer.com.
