PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Birthday boy Diego Valeri had a goal and an assist during a match filled with theater on Sunday at Providence Park. Will Johnson returned as an enemy and left his mark in several ways.
But the man taking bows at the end of the drama was Timbers goalkeeper Jake Gleeson. Gleeson’s three second-half saves, and a bit of luck, allowed Portland to survive a late push from Toronto FC for a 2-1 win.
“Jake stood on his head today. Let’s be honest. He had a fantastic game,” defender Nat Borchers said.
At the final whistle, Borchers ran to his goalkeeper and gave him a celebratory hug.
“I told him ‘That was all you bud.’ He stepped up for us today,” Borchers said. “If it wasn’t for his performance we probably don’t get out of here with three points.”
Three of Gleeson’s four stops were highlight material as he denied Jozy Altidore and Johnson from close range and parried away a swerving 20-yard effort from Michael Bradley.
Gleeson, starting his second consecutive match for injured Adam Kwarasey, said he was only doing his job, a sentiment head coach Caleb Porter echoed.
Also working was Valeri. The Argentine designated player turned 30 on Sunday, and delivered a memorable free kick from about 30 yards that curled just inside the left post for the Timbers second goal.
But Valeri was more pleased with the first goal, a quick series of passes at the top of the penalty area that resulted in Darren Mattocks finding Valeri behind the defense and Valeri delivering the ball to Fanendo Adi for a tap-in finish in the 17th minute.
“I think it’s much better than the second one,” Valeri said. “It was very good movements and passes. It was almost a futsal goal. I like that style of goal. That means the team is playing well.”
With most of its regular starters together for the first time in weeks, Portland did play well at the start of Sunday’s match. The Timbers found early success getting the ball wide to Mattocks on the left and Lucas Melano on the right to pressure Toronto with speed. Porter called it the best start to a match this season.
But all that added up to was a 1-1 draw at halftime. In the 40th minute, Johnson tied the game with his first goal of the season. Sebastian Giovinco made a run toward the penalty area. He was knocked down but the ball found the path of Johnson who beat Gleeson from 18 yards away.
“He did very well,” Liam Ridgewell said of his former teamamte. “I’m sure everyone didn’t expect him to shoot with his left foot, but it was a great finish.”
Johnson made his presence felt earlier in the half when he caught Valeri – his roommate on the road for two seasons – with a two-footed slide tackle.
“We know that he’s an aggressive type player,” Valeri said. “He wanted to get the ball and he got my foot and my ankle, but it’s OK.”
It was all OK, thanks to Gleeson — whose final reaction stop blocked Johnson’s 91st-minute header as Giovinco delivered a cross to Johnson 5 yards from goal – secured a hard-fought win Timbers at the end of achallenging day on the hot artificial turf .
It was a day that Liam Ridgewell admitted pushed him to the limit in his first game back from a hamstring
injury.
“I think I’ve got a blister on every single one of my toes, which is very sore,” Ridgewell said, noting that he poured water on his shoes whenever he could to keep his feet from burning.
Late in the game the team captain made several defensive headers – and blocked a shot with his face.
“I was gasping for air and then the ball hit me straight in the bugle,” Ridgewell said with a smile. “It was a good day all around.”
Match notes
Records: Timbers 3-3-3, 12 points, seventh in West; Toronto 3-2-3, 11 points, third in East.
Next match: Timbers at Vancouver, 2 p.m. Saturday.
Lineup notes: Portland had its core back together with the return of Ridgewell. Porter opened with Diego Chara as a single defensive midfielder with Valeri and Darlington Nagbe in front of him, Mattocks on the left wing and Lucas Melano on the right with Adi as a loan striker. Midway through the second half, Porter inserted midfielder Ben Zemanski for Mattocks to bring more numbers into the midfield. Porter said he made the move because to help the Timbers win and keep possession, a challenge throughout the second half.
Missed opportunity: Adi is known for his habit of scoring twice in a game, but on Sunday he shanked a point-blank counter-attack chance off a Melano feed in the 55th minute.
Birthday magic: Valeri said he’d never before scored a goal on his birthday, then credited Melano with the positive result. “Melano put the ball down (for the free kick) and said: Hey you will score in this moment,” a smiling Valeri said.
Friendly crossbar: Toronto defender Drew Moor’s open header from a corner kick in the 51st minute bounced off the turf and the crossbar. Ridgewell and Borchers both said an unseen foul – Altidore screening Ridgewell in traffic — got Moor wide open in front. UPDATE: Replays showed Gleeson actually got a foot on the ball to direct it onto the crossbar, but he was not credited with a save on the play.
Best save? Gleeson couldn’t pick out his best save. But his lunging punch of Michael Bradley’s shot might have been the most challenging. Explained Gleeson: “It was through a little bit of traffic and I couldn’t see if he was going to drive it or flick it. He hit it with the outside of his foot. When I saw (the ball) it was flying away from me so I was just trying to get it away, make sure it didn’t go in.”
Johnson’s reaction: “Bittersweet. Obviously, (it is) fun to play against those guys, fun to bring my guys here to compete against an organization I have a lot of respect for. Disappointed that we didn’t leave with points but the experience was good.”
