ST. PAUL
, Minn.
–
Second-half substitute
Lawrence Olum
scored a goal in the 63rd minute to help the Portland Timbers earn a 1-1 draw against the Minnesota Thunder at James Griffin Stadium on Saturday evening. Olum’s equalizer snapped the Timbers’ scoreless streak which had stretched over three matches.
With the draw, Portland (11-4-5, 38pts) maintains its first-place position in the USL First Division and gains a three-point lead over the second-place Seattle Sounders. The Thunder (3-8-7, 16pts) earned their first point since July 18 but extend their winless streak to four matches.
Portland goalkeeper
Josh Wicks
recorded a season-high seven saves including a stop on a point-blank shot by Minnesota’s
Darren Spicer
in the 86th minute. The Timbers played without leading scorer
Andrew Gregor
who began a league-imposed, two-match suspension for yellow card accumulation.
Down 1-0, Olum scored his third goal of the season in the 63rd minute to tie the match at 1-1. Midfielder
Luke Kreamalmeyer
sent a corner kick into the box where Olum, who entered the match in the 60th minute, got his head on the ball and drilled it past Thunder goalkeeper
Nick Platter
. Olum’s goal was the team’s first strike in 357 minutes. Portland’s last goal was July 21 in Atlanta.
After a scoreless first half, Spicer gave the Thunder a 1-0 lead less than a minute into the second half. From the opening whistle, the ball was played up field to forward
Brian Farber
who found Spicer coming down the right flank. Spicer worked the ball inside the box and pulled the trigger from 12 yards out inside the right post for the lead.
In the final minutes of the match, the Timbers had two chances to take the lead on shots by
Bryan Jordan
and
Matt Taylor
but Platter, who made 10 saves throughout the match, denied both attempts to keep the score even.
The Timbers had a goal in the first half waived off due to a foul called by referee Rizal Millikan.
The Timbers return home for two matches next week at PGE Park starting on Thursday against the Thunder. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. On Saturday, the Timbers face the Vancouver Whitecaps at PGE Park on Nike Night at 7 p.m. The first 1,000 kids on Saturday receive a mini Nike soccer ball courtesy of Tursi’s Soccer Store.
Notes:
Gregor wraps up his two-match suspension for yellow card accumulation on Thursday and will miss the game against Minnesota at PGE Park … Timbers forward
Chris Bagley
missed his second consecutive match due to injury … The draw in Minnesota marks the Timbers’ first draw on the road this season … Timbers midfielder
Kiki Lara
played three seasons for the Thunder from 2004-2006.
Lineups
POR: GK Wicks, D Griffin, D J. Thompson, D S. Thompson, D Knowles, M Poltl, M Higgins (Lara, 87), M Hague (Olum, 60), M Kreamalmeyer (Ready, 83), F Jordan, F M. Taylor
MIN: GK Platter, D Taylor, D Sanneh, D Greenfield, M Juarez, M Farber (Friedland, 50), M Tenoff, M Zenoni (Toure, 82), M Bass, F Spicer, F Gibson (Gotsmanov, 75)
Scoring Summary
MIN: Spicer (Taylor), 46
POR: Olum (Kreamalmeyer), 63
