Goals less than two minutes apart from a pair of FC Dallas defenders undid a good start for the Portland Timbers on Wednesday in a 2-1 loss at Frisco, Texas.
Despite a third-minute goal from Diego Valeri giving the Timbers the lead for the fourth consecutive road game, Portland couldn’t build on the lead and fell to 3-5-3 overall and 0-4-2 on the road.
Right back Ryan Hollingshead tied the match on a broken play in the 55th minute and center back Walker Zimmerman converted off a corner kick in the 57th minute. From there, Dallas largely controlled a match that had been dictated by Portland for much of the first half.
Portland, which returns home to host New York City FC on Sunday and Vancouver one week later, was outshot 17-8. Goalkeeper Jake Gleeson, who had little chance to stop either goal, finished with four saves, three of them on one-on-one chances. One of those denied former Timber Maxi Urruti in the first half on a play that bloodied Gleeson’s kneecap in a collision with Urruti.
Timbers coach Caleb Porter said the tale of two halves will be evidence of how to play and how not to play as his team moves forward.
“I thought that first half we were excellent. I thought that was probably the best half of the year, certainly on the road. So that’s a positive,” Porter said. “But in that second half, especially the start of the second half we stopped playing the way we did in the first half.”
The first half saw Portland pressure Dallas in the attacking half consistently, an approach that allowed the Timbers to win and keep possession, and to create several quality chances.
Valeri capitalized on one of those. Darren Mattocks beat his man on the left wing and sent a cross into the box. Lucas Melano’s pressure won him possession and he slipped a pass to Valeri for the 10-yard finish.
But the two quick Dallas goals seemed to sap energy from Portland, and allowed Dallas to focus on crowding the midfield to take away passing lanes. The Timbers then resorted to playing longer passes forward with little buildup play.
“(In the first half) we played well because we kept the ball and dictated the game and we pressed. That’s why we got the goal and that’s why we played so well,” Porter said. “And at the start of the second half, the plan was never to sit back, the plan was never to go direct, but for some reason we did that to start the half.”
Porter made only one change to the starting lineup that played at Vancouver on Saturday, inserting Jermaine Taylor alongside Liam Ridgewell in central defense and giving Nat Borchers a rest. Jack Barmbe replaced Mattocks on the left wing shortly after Dallas took the lead, and Jack McInerney in the 82nd minute as Porter replaced fullback Chris Klute with a forward in search of the tying goal.
