The Portland Timbers scored a pair of second-half goals in a span of five minutes to equalize with host Nashville SC, and then they held on for a 2-2 draw.
Portland (5-6-8, 23 points) is unbeaten in its last four league matches.
Nashville (7-5-6, 27 points) jumped ahead early on a goal from Sean Davis in the 18th minute, then increased the lead to 2-0 in the 57th minute when Hany Mukhtar whipped in a right-footed shot for his ninth goal of the season. It was Davis’ first goal of the season.
But Portland kept pressing and attacking. And when Nashville goalkeeper Elliot Panicco was whistled for a foul in the penalty area, Portland’s Dairon Asprilla stepped up and slotted home a penalty kick to give the Timbers their first score of the game in the 64th minute. The goal was his third of the year.
Then, in the 69th minute, Portland’s Jaroslaw Niezgoda brought the score line even on a fast break chance. Eryk Williamson brought the ball into the final third, then threaded a pass to Niezgoda as he sprinted into the box. With a deft move, Niezgoda created space between himself and a Nashville defender and fired a left-footed shot from the center of the box over Panicco and into the back of the net.
It was the sixth goal of the season for the Polish forward.
Portland nearly had go-ahead goals twice in the latter portions of the match, but David Ayala’s attempt sailed high and wide-left, and Marvin Loria’s attempt bounced off the crossbar.
Portland controlled 53 percent of possession and put five of its 16 shots on-target, while Nashville put nine of its 13 shots on-frame. Portland keeper David Bingham — starting his first league match since May 7 — had seven saves.
–Field Level Media
