PORTLAND — It was a mismatch.
But it was not the 20 minutes the Los Angeles Galaxy dominated after halftime that had Portland Timbers shaking their heads at the end of Sunday’s match at Providence Park.
It was the one moment when Alan Gordon’s 6-inch height advantage on Jorge Villafana became the difference between an uplifting win and a tough-to-swallow draw.
Gordon’s goal in the second minute of added time earned the Galaxy a 2-2 tie and took some of the luster off a two-goal afternoon for the Timbers Fanendo Adi. Adi’s second goal came just two minutes earlier and had the crowd of 21,144 in celebration mode.
But on a corner kick in the dying seconds, the 6-foot-3 Gordon was able to rise above the 5-9 Villafana and direct a looping header into the goal.
“If we could go back we’d probably make an adjustment there, and probably put a bigger guy on Alan Gordan,” Timbers center back Nat Borchers said. “That’s really tough to ask Jorge to match up against a guy like Alan Gordan. That’s what (Gordan) does. That’s why he’s made such a good career because he scores goals like that.”
Gordan’s pro career started with the Timbers in 2004, when the former Oregon State forward scored 17 goals in 27 games and was the A-League Rookie of the Year. Gyasi Zardes also scored for the Galaxy, who twice answered Adi goals that put Portland in front.
Adi gave the Timbers a 2-1 lead in the 90th minute with his second composed finish of the game. A long up-field pass from Liam Ridgewell found Darlington Nagbe, who beat Todd Dunivant and sent a low ball across the front of goal where Adi collected it and scored.
Adi’s first-half goal was a beautiful transition play that started after goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey grabbed a cross off of Zardes’ head. Nagbe made a back-heel pass that gave Rodney Wallace room to run and Wallace’s pass put Adi in space on the left side of the penalty area.
After a back and forth first half, the first 20 minutes of the second half were dominated by the Galaxy.
“Maybe that’s them. Maybe that’s us (or) a little bit of both,” Timbers coach Caleb Porter said.
Los Angeles kept the Timbers pinned back, and missed badly on a couple of prime chances before Zardes scored in the 65th minute, beating Kwarasey to a cross from Jose Villarreal.
“It’s a good cross. It’s a 50-50 ball,” Kwarasey said of the play.
“I had (Zardes) in my eyesight when the cross was coming, but he pulled out his foot. It happens. That’s football.”
That goal could have been the third of the half with the pressure the Galaxy was creating.
“They obviously went into halftime and made some adjustments and they came at us,” Borchers said of that stretch. “And we defended really low. We really couldn’t get out. We couldn’t establish the possession game, which is what we needed to push them back.”
Porter said his players were down after the game, but the coach saw plenty of reasons to be encouraged despite settling for draws in two home matches to start the season.
“I think it’s important that we have perspective,” Porter said. “We just played toe to toe with the MLS Cup champions and we played very well.”
One of the positives for Porter was that the Timbers were on par with two of the league’s more successful clubs despite the absence of injured midfielders Diego Valeri and Will Johnson.
“If you think about the fact that we’ve played without two of our MLS All-Stars and played two very good teams level, it’s a real positive,” Porter said.
The result: Timbers 2, Galaxy 2.
The significance: If the Timbers are in a tight playoff battle late in the season, this draw will be an unsettling memory, but getting two goals from striker Fanendo Adi could build momentum for the attack.
The goals: Fanendo Adi, 31st minute, assist to Rodney Wallace (1-0 Portland); Gyasi Zardes, 65th minute, assist Jose Villarreal (1-1); Adi, 90th minute, assist Darlington Nagbe and Liam Ridgewell (Portland 2-1); Alan Gordan, 92nd minute, Stefan Ishizaki corner kick (2-2)
Lineup notes: Diego Chara returned to the lineup and played alongside Jack Jewsbury at defensive midfield. Dairon Asprilla started his second consecutive game on the right wing. He played 56 minutes before Gaston Fernandez replaced him. Fernandez played a more central position, moving Darlington Nagbe to the right.
Notable number: The Galaxy had a 56 percent to 44 percent possession edge, 58-42 in the second half.
Porter’s view: “I think we look effective. We look organized and I think we’re creating chances. I think if we play like we played the last two games game in and game out we’re going to get points.”
Mirror miracles: The last time the Galaxy was in Portland – May 11 of last year — L.A.’s Robbie Keane scored in the 92nd minute to put the Galaxy ahead and Diego Valeri countered for Portland in the 95th minute for a 1-1 draw.
Up next: The Timbers visit Sporting Kansas City at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, the first of two consecutive road matches.
