PORTLAND, Ore.— Darlington Nagbe scored two second-half goals to help the Portland Timbers Reserves earn a 3-3 draw with the LA Galaxy Reserves in an MLS Reserve League match on Thursday night in front of 4,882 fans at JELD-WEN Field.
Nagbe netted the equalizer for Portland one minute into second-half stoppage time when he tapped in a rebound off of a save. Forward Bright Dike’s initial shot from the right side was saved well by Galaxy Reserves goalkeeper Brian Perk, but the rebound fell right to Nagbe for the game-tying goal.
Earlier in the second half, Nagbe brought the Timbers Reserves to a one-goal deficit after LA had built a 3-1 advantage. The midfielder headed home a cross from Rodrigo Lopez in the 78th minute after Lopez had done well to create space on the wing.
The draw helps the Timbers Reserves (4-2-2, 14pts) extend their unbeaten streak to five matches.
The Galaxy Reserves (1-5-2, 5pts) opened the scoring in the 42nd minute when forward Miguel Lopez fired a strong shot past Timbers goalkeeper Adin Brown.
The play started on the left touchline as Jack McBean flicked a Ryan Thomas throw into Lopez’s path. Lopez collected near the left edge of the box and scored on a well-struck shot from about 20 yards out.
Dike, who had a game-high nine shots, tied the match early in the second half for Portland with a low drive in the 50th minute. Nagbe carried the ball down the left wing and cut it back to the top of the box for midfielder Eric Alexander. Alexander slipped the ball to Dike on the right side of the box for the goal.
Portland’s unbeaten streak looked in trouble when the Galaxy Reserves scored two goals six minutes apart to grab a 3-1 lead with 18 minutes remaining in the game.
Thomas beat Brown with a 35-yard strike to the upper right corner of the goal in the 66th minute after Jovan Kirovski set up the shot. Soon after Thomas’s goal, Paolo Cardozo put his own rebound into the back of the net for LA.
Cardozo’s well-struck first shot was saved by Brown, but the rebound unluckily fell directly into Cardozo’s path and he quickly gave LA a two-goal lead in the 72nd minute.
Brown made five saves for the Timbers Reserves and Perk matched that number with five saves for LA.
The Timbers Reserves look to continue their unbeaten run on Sept. 27 with an 11 a.m. match against Chivas USA at JELD-WEN Field.
Notes:
- Unbeaten in five games (3-0-2), the Timbers Reserves have not lost a match since May 30. For a second straight game, the team had to overcome two-goal deficits to earn points.
- With 4,882 on hand at JELD-WEN Field, the Timbers Reserves drew nearly 15,000 fans over their last two home matches. The team has a total home attendance of 19,721.
- Nagbe’s two goals marked the second straight match in which a Timbers Reserves player recorded a brace. Midfielder Peter Lowry scored two in the Timbers Reserves’ 3-2 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Reserves on Aug. 21. In total, four different Timbers Reserves players have had two-goal performances this season – Spencer Thompson, Eddie Johnson and Lowry.
- With the draw, the Timbers Reserves maintain second place in the MLS Reserves League’s West Division with a record of 4-2-2 (14pts).
- Lowry wore the captain’s armband for a second straight match for the Timbers Reserves. As captain, Lowry wore the club’s new fan-created, custom “Rose City” armband, created by Timbers fan Brent Diskin. Diskin’s design was submitted through a contest held by the Timbers.
- Forward Bright Dike scored his second goal in three games for the Timbers Reserves, moving into a tie with Lowry, Nagbe, Spencer Thompson and Brian Umony for second on the team in goals scored at two.
- The Timbers Reserves’ lineup included five guest players, including three on the backline in defenders Mark Lee, Taylor Mueller and Douglas Nyame. Mueller was an MLS Supplemental Draft pick of the Timbers back in January.
- Mark Lee helped the Kitsap Pumas capture the 2011 Premier Development League championship, appearing in 12 regular-season games for Kitsap this season.
- Nagbe and midfielder Eric Alexander and logged their first assists for the Timbers Reserves, setting up Dike’s goal early in the second half.
- The Timbers Reserves wore their “Rose City red” kits for the first time at home and for just the second time during the 2011 MLS Reserve League season. The previous occasion was against the Seattle Sounders FC Reserves on the road May 15.
- Thursday’s match marked the Timbers Reserves’ first match this season played at night; the others have been morning or afternoon kickoffs.
- Midfielder Rodrigo Lopez and defender Chris Taylor, who both started against the Galaxy Reserves, have played in all eight Timbers Reserves matches. Taylor paces the Timbers Reserves in minutes played at 675, while Lopez notched his team-leading fourth assist.
- At JELD-WEN Field, the Timbers Reserves are 2-1-1 in home MLS Reserves League fixtures.
- Galaxy defender Bryan Jordan played parts of two seasons for the second-division Timbers from 2007-08. He started and played all 90 minutes for LA against the Timbers Reserves.
- Making a second consecutive appearance for the Timbers Reserves was midfielder Tracy Hasson, who played for the Timbers’ development team, the Timbers U-23s, in 2011. Hasson came on as a late sub and played five minutes.
Portland Timbers (4-2-2, 14pts) vs. LA Galaxy (1-5-2, 5pts) – MLS Reserve League
Sept. 1, 2011 – JELD-WEN Field
Scoring Summary
LA - Lopez (McBean, Thomas), 42
POR - Dike (Alexander, Nagbe), 50
LA - Thomas (Kirovski), 66
LA - Cardozo (unassisted), 72
POR - Nagbe (Lopez), 78
POR - Nagbe (unassisted), 90+2
Misconduct Summary
LA - Stephens (caution, reckless tackle), 43
POR - Braun (caution, reckless tackle), 65
Lineups & Stats:
POR: GK Adin Brown; D Chris Taylor, D Mark Lee (Tracy Hasson, 85), D Douglas Nyame (Alex Nimo, 89), D Taylor Mueller; M Rodrigo Lopez, M Freddie Braun, M Peter Lowry, M Eric Alexander; F Bright Dike, F Darlington Nagbe
Subs Not Used: GK Jake Gleeson, D Mike Chabala
Statistics: Shots: 23; Saves: 5; Fouls: 11; Offsides: 6; Corners: 2
LA: GK Brian Perk; D Bryan Jordan, D Dustin McCarty, D Kyle Davies (Javan Toure, 61), D Ryan Thomas; M Hector Jimenez, M Jovan Kirovski, M Michael Stephens, M Paolo Cardozo (Jose Villareal, 88); F Miguel Lopez, F Jack McBean (Mario Rodriguez, 90)
Subs Not Used: GK Kevin Guppy, M Jeffrey Payeras
Statistics: Shots: 12; Saves: 5; Fouls: 11; Offsides: 0; Corners: 4
Referee: Artem Sher
Asst. Referees: Oscar Rivas, Desmond Miller
Fourth Official: Cesar Tercero
Attendance: 4,882
Weather: 75 degrees, sunny
