Felipe Mora and Nathan Fogaça tally goals, Portland goes unbeaten in three-game week
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers concluded a three-game week with another result, picking up a 2-2 draw against Houston Dynamo FC on Saturday night at Providence Park. The Timbers came from behind twice to earn a point as Felipe Mora scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season and Nathan Fogaça leveled the match with his first goal of 2024. Evander notched two assists this evening while Jonathan Rodríguez earned one, marking a six straight match with a goal contribution for the striker.
A Productive Week
With Saturday’s result, the Timbers finished a three-game week with seven points (W2, D1). It was the first time this season that the club finished a three-game week with a result in each game, after beating Sporting Kansas City by a score of 2-1 on May 25 and winning in Austin 2-0 on May 29. Portland has now picked up a result in four of its last five home matches, scoring 18 goals at home this season. Notably, the match marked the midway point of the club’s 2024 season. With 32 goals scored, the Timbers have scored seven more goals than they did at this point in 2023.
A Strong Connection
Felipe Mora tallied his team-leading eighth goal in tonight’s match, assisted by Jonathan Rodríguez and Evander. His eight goals have him tied for 10th most in MLS. Additionally, Mora has scored in each of Portland’s last five home matches, tallying five goals and an assist in that span. Rodríguez earned his fourth assist of the 2024 campaign, tallying a goal contribution for a sixth straight match, which is the second longest contribution streak in club history. Three of Rodríguez’s four assists have gone to Mora. Evander notched two assists tonight, his sixth multi-goal contribution performance of the season. With eight assists this year, Evander is tied for sixth most in the league, and is just one of just four players in the league with at least seven goals and seven assists. Notably, the three Timbers players have registered 10 or more goal contributions each this year (Evander - 15), (Rodríguez - 10), (Mora - 10).
Matchcenter
Goal-Scoring Plays
HOU – Sebastian Kowalczyk, 8th minute: Off a corner kick, the ball deflected off Ethan Bartlow and into the path of Sebastian Kowalczyk, who reacted first to get his right foot to the ball and fire it into the bottom-left corner of the net.
POR –– Felipe Mora (Jonathan Rodríguez, Evander), 37th minute: From midfield, Evander threaded a through ball to Jonathan Rodríguez running down the left channel. Holding the ball up, Rodríguez used his right foot to send a low cross into the path of Felipe Mora, who slotted the ball into the back of the net.
HOU –– Adalberto Carrasquilla (Héctor Herrera), 50th minute: Hector Herrera and Adalberto Carrasquilla played a one-two at the top of the box, with the Mexican midfielder finding the winger down the right half-space with a slotted ball for Carrasquilla, who used his right foot to shoot across the face of goal and into the bottom-left corner of the goal.
POR –– Nathan Fogaça (Evander), 76th minute: On a set piece taken from deep outside the right side of the box, Evander delivered a ball to the head of Nathan Fogaça, who directed the ball into the left side of the net.
Notes
- The Timbers finished a stretch of three games in seven days, picking up seven points (W2, D1).
- Tonight’s match marked the midway point of Portland’s 2024 regular-season schedule.
- Portland is unbeaten in its last three matches overall (W2, D1) and three matches at Providence Park (W2, D1).
- With his goal in the 37th minute, Felipe Mora scored his team-leading eighth goal of the season.
- Mora’s eight goals have him tied for 10th most in MLS.
- Mora has now scored a goal in each of the Timbers last five home matches (5G, 1A).
- Now with 33 goals, Mora is tied with Dairon Asprilla for the fourth-highest goal total in club history.
- Mora’s goal marked the Timbers’ 400th goal scored at Providence Park (excluding neutral-site games). The Timbers are the second-fastest club in MLS history to hit the 400-goal mark, doing so in 223 matches.
- Jonathan Rodríguez recorded his fourth assist of the 2024 campaign.
- Rodríguez has contributed to a goal in six straight matches for Portland, tallying four goals and three assists, which is the second-longest streak with a goal contribution in club history.
- Three of Rodríguez’s four assists this season have resulted in goals scored by Mora (at SKC, 4/7; vs. SEA, 5/12).
- With his two-assist night, Evander now has 15 goal contributions (7G, 8A) in 13 games.
- Evander’s eight assists lead team and is tied for sixth most in MLS.
- Additionally, Evander has contributed to goals in Portland’s last three home matches (2G, 4A).
- The Brazilian midfielder has recorded three goals and four assists in Portland’s last five games.
- With his headed goal in the 76th minute, Nathan Fogaça netted his first goal of the 2024 season.
- The goal stands as Fogaça’s fourth-career MLS goal.
- Portland has now scored 18 goals through eight home matches so far this season.
- The match was Phil Neville’s 100th as a head coach in MLS.
- Diego Chara will miss the Timbers’ match against St. Louis City SC on June 8 due to yellow card accumulation.
Next Game
Up next, the Timbers hit the road for a match against St. Louis City SC on Saturday, June 8, at CITYPARK. Kickoff is set for 5:30pm PT with a stream available on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app in English and Spanish. Local radio broadcasts are available on 750 The Game (English) and La GranD 1150AM/93.5 FM (Spanish).
Portland Timbers (5-7-5, 20pts) vs. Houston Dynamo FC (6-6-4, 22pts)
June 1, 2024 – Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)
Scoring Summary:
HOU: Kowalczyk, 9
POR: Mora (Rodríguez, Evander), 37
HOU: Carrasquilla (Herrera), 50
POR: Fogaça (Evander), 76
Misconduct Summary:
HOU: Escobar (caution), 27
HOU: Bassi (caution), 52
HOU: Herrera (caution), 53
POR: Zuparic (caution), 67
POR: Evander (caution), 71
POR: Chara (caution), 73
HOU: Micael (caution), 76
POR: Williamson (caution), 82
HOU: Dorsey (caution), 90+5
HOU: Raines (caution), 90+7
Lineups:
POR: GK Crépeau, D Mosquera, D Zuparic, D K. Miller, D Bravo (Araujo, 62), M Chara © (Fogaça, 75), M Paredes (Ayala, 62), M Evander, F Moreno (Williamson, 81), F Mora (Antony, 46), F Rodríguez
Substitutes Not Used: GK Pantemis, D McGraw, D E. Miller, F Asprilla
TOTAL SHOTS: 15 (Rodríguez, 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 4 (four players tied, 1); FOULS: 19 Chara, 3); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 1
HOU: GK Tarbell, D Steres, D Micael, D Bartlow, D Escobar (Dorsey, 87), M Artur, M Herrera, M Carrasquilla, F Bassi (Raines, 87), F Kowalczyk (Sviatchenko, 90+4), F Blessing (Aliyu, 57)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Valdez, D Smith, D Schmitt, M Valverde, F Ferreira
TOTAL SHOTS: 7 (Bassi, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (three players tied, 1); FOULS: 12 (Micael, Escobar, 2); OFFSIDES: 5; CORNER KICKS: 8, SAVES: 1
Referee: Guido Gonzales Jr.
Assistant Referees: Nick Uranga, Jeffrey Greeson
Fourth Official: Calin Radosav
VAR: Michael Radchuk
Weather: Cloudy, 65 degrees
Attendance: 21,214
All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial.
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