Portland Timbers II beat Austin II 2-1 in the MLS Next Pro Group Stage at Providence Park on Saturday evening. The result keeps both sides level at the top of the table, though Austin remain three points clear with 56 to Portland's 53 after 25 games each.
S. Dobrijevic gave the hosts the lead in the 14th minute, but D. Cervantes equalised from the penalty spot in the 59th. The match then descended into chaos as Austin lost two players in quick succession — B. VanVoorhis and D. Abarca both saw red cards in the 90+6th minute.
And here's the thing about the finish: Portland took advantage of having an extra man. A. Bamford scored in the 90+8th minute to turn what might have been a draw into a victory. It came after A. Gonzalez had missed a penalty in the 90+4th minute, and the pressure clearly told.
To be fair, Austin did more of the attacking work. They held 55 per cent possession and registered four shots on target compared to Portland's three. Their shooting accuracy was 50 per cent against 16 per cent for the hosts, yet Portland got the better result from fewer clear chances.
By then the game had already been decided by moments rather than sustained pressure. Portland had been tested — they picked up two bookings in the opening ten minutes — but kept their heads when Austin's defensive structure collapsed at the death.
Both sides had made changes throughout the second half. Portland brought on E. Izoita in the 46th minute and D. Barro and D. Ciesla in the 50th, while Austin introduced C. Ayala and L. Feliciano in the 63rd. The substitutions were largely reactive as the game opened up.
The statistical spread tells its own story. Portland recorded 91 attacks with 10 shots off target, while Austin managed 92 attacks but kept their shots on target. Three red cards and one missed penalty in the final minutes meant this was decided in chaos, not control.
