Timbers draw even late, earn draw with Real Salt Lake

Field Level Media|published: Sun 22nd September, 24:37 2024

Sep 21, 2024; Sandy, Utah, USA; Real Salt Lake midfielder Andres Gomez (11) battles Portland Timbers defender Claudio Bravo (5) for the ball in the first half at America First Field. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images

Jonathan Rodriguez leveled the match with a header in second-half stoppage time and the Portland Timbers escaped a trip to Sandy, Utah, with a 3-3 draw with Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.

Rodriguez and Evander each scored their 15th goals of the season for Portland, which halted a three-match road losing streak.

Antony also scored and made a play to keep the attack alive ahead of Rodriguez's dramatic, late equalizer, which came only two minutes after Diogo Goncalves thought his 90th-minute goal was going to serve as the match-winner for Salt Lake.

The Timbers (12-10-8, 44 points) sit in eighth in the Western Conference, while Salt Lake (14-7-9, 51 points) is in second. The top nine teams land a spot in the playoffs.

Goncalves and Dominik Marczuk each scored their first MLS goals for RSL. Diego Luna added his sixth tally of the season during a dominant first half that ended with the hosts holding a 2-0 lead.

But that advantage disappeared in the 76th minute, as Salt Lake conceded multiple goals for the fifth time in six matches.

First, Antony guided home a low finish in the 62nd minute from about 8 yards out after RSL failed to clear a corner kick.

Then, in the 76th, Evander rattled the underside of the crossbar with a brilliant 30-yard free kick for a goal that gave him either a goal or an assist in 11 straight league matches.

Goncalves looked to have rescued all three points on an attack that began when RSL's Andrew Brody won a 50-50 ball that he quickly fed to Cristian Arango.

From there, Arango played another pass to his right to find Goncalves at the penalty arc, where Goncalves drove a low finish into the back of the net.

But on Portland's next foray forward, Antony tracked down a ball near the attacking byline and dropped a pass back to Miguel Araujo, who curled a hopeful diagonal ball to the back left post.

That's where Rodriguez met it after losing his marker, powering a header past Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Gavin Beavers.

--Field Level Media