PORTLAND, Ore.
- The Portland Timbers kept their 16-game unbeaten streak alive on goals from Byron Alvarez and Aaran Lines, tying the Virginia Beach Mariners 2-2 in front of 7,048 Saturday night at PGE Park.
Despite holding a 2-0 lead in the second half, Portland could not hold on down the stretch run.
Seemingly headed for victory, the Timbers (3-0-3, 12pts) were dealt a late blow when a foul was called inside the penalty area, with a subsequent penalty kick awarded to Virginia Beach. The Mariners’ Darren Caskey made good and clinched the 2-2 draw.
The Portland side caught a break of its own early on when the Mariners’ Tim O’Neill was whistled for a hand ball in the box, resulting in the Timbers’ first penalty kick opportunity of the season. Alvarez stepped up and calmly knocked it into the left side of the net for a 1-0 advantage in the sixth minute.
Lines tallied his first goal as a Timber in the 51st, taking a low cross from Shawn Saunders, drawing the goalkeeper out of position and dialing it into the untended goal.
Virginia Beach (1-7-4, 7pts) striker David Castellanos cut the deficit in half in the 60th minute. O’Neill crossed the ball into the center of the box and Castellanos bounced it in off of his head and into the left side of the net.
Fadi Afash nearly scored the game-winner in the 88th minute, but his attempt missed its mark just right of target.
Castellanos notched several scoring chances in first-half action, most notably in the 10th minute when he cracked a shot from 15 yards out that was saved by Portland goalkeeper Josh Saunders.
Next up for the Timbers is a four-game road trip, beginning Friday, June 3 at Rochester. Kickoff is 4:35 p.m. (Pacific).
The Timbers return to PGE Park on Thursday, June 16, to take on the Puerto Rico Islanders.
TIMBERS NOTES:
The Timbers host the first Timbers Day Camp of the season on June 13-16 at PGE Park … to register or for more information, contact timberscamps@pgepark.com … Saturday night’s crowd of 7,048 was a season high for the Timbers … Saturday’s draw equals the total number of ties (3) for Portland last season.
SCORING SUMMARY:
Alvarez, 6’ (PK); Lines, 51’ (S. Saunders); Castellanos, 60’ (O’Neill), Caskey, 84’ (PK).
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY:
VBM Caskey, YC (13’), Thompson, YC (20’); POR Winters, YC (27’), Lines, YC (51’), Wilkinson, YC (84’).
LINEUPS:
VIRGINIA BEACH (1-7-4) Nelson GK, Danbusky D, Knott D, Morelli D, Thompson D, Caskey M, O’Neil M (Myers 90’), Fenger M (Nolz 78’), Shak M, Nusum F (Bennett 64’), Castellanos F (Ukah 86’); PORTLAND (3-0-3) J. Saunders GK, S. Saunders D, Wilkinson D, Thompson D, Heinzen D, Alcaraz-Cuellar M, Lines M, Miranda M, Winters M, Antoniuk F (Afash 80’), Alvarez F (Poltl 80’).
