MLS Recap: Timbers Earn Fifth Straight Victory With Win Over LAFC
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — To celebrate his first MLS goal, Portland's Samuel Armenteros headed straight for the Timbers Army.
Armenteros got the deciding goal in the 81st minute for a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles FC on Saturday. It was the Timbers' fifth straight win.
The 27-year-old striker, who had entered the game as a sub, bounded up the stairs behind the goal and straight into the arms of the cheering supporters in Providence Park's north end.
''To tell you the truth I didn't even look at the ball, I just focused on the shot and it went to fast,'' said Armenteros, a native of Sweden who joined the Timbers earlier this year. ''I just reacted to what the fans were screaming.''
scored for the Timbers to open the second half.
The Timbers (5-3-2) are 4-0 at home after starting the season winless for five straight matches on the road because of construction at Providence Park.
''I think we all believe in each other,'' Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese said. ''I think we all know that anyone we stick on the field is going to do a good job because we work together and have the right mentality.''
Expansion LAFC (6-3-2) dropped just its third match on the road this year.
The Timbers broke through with Paredes' goal in the 52nd minute, which came on a rebound of Diego Valeri's free kick. It was also the first MLS goal for the Paraguayan midfielder, who just turned 20 on Friday.
Vela curled a shot over Timbers' goalkeeper Jeff Attinella for his team-leading seventh goal of the season. It snapped Portland's run of 353 minutes without conceding a goal.
''I believe a lot in that shot. And I believe when I have the chance, and the time to prepare my body, it will be a goal a lot of times,'' Vela said.
Armenteros, who was subbed in for Fanendo Adi in the 75th minute, scored some six minutes later. He got a yellow card for his celebration.
''Armenteros has all the right to jump in there,'' Savarese said. ''He's been working very hard and he scored a fantastic goal.''
Portland had three straight shutouts heading into the game, but they got hit in the ninth minute when defender Liam Ridgewell left the game with a non-contact injury. Although he was able to walk off the field unaided, he was replaced by Julio Cascante.
Adi had a clear strike that caromed off the crossbar in the ninth minute for probably the best chance in the first half.
''It was a really good experience, they have a great atmosphere and their fans are really good,'' Vela said afterward. ''They pushed all game, and they did a good job. Of course, I'm disappointed we didn't win. We have to keep working and let's see the next game and try to win it.''
Both teams are likely to see World Cup absences as early as next week. Officially, MLS teams don't have to release players until May 28, although it's likely they'll let them go sooner in the interest of good relations with the national teams and their federations.
The Timbers have two players that were on provisional World Cup rosters released earlier in the week. Midfielder David Guzman was on the roster for Costa Rica, which went ahead and named its World Cup squad, so he's likely assured a spot in Russia. Midfielder Andy Polo was named to Peru's provisional roster.
LAFC's players named to preliminary rosters included forward Vela (Mexico), forward Marco Urena (Costa Rica), Steve Beitashour (Iran) and defender/midfielder Omar Gaber (Egypt). Defender Laurent Ciman is expected to be on Belgium's provisional roster, which will be announced Monday.
Urena is recovering from facial surgery and was not available for LAFC on Saturday.
Dallas 2, Vancouver 2
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Kei Kamara scored from the spot in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time and the Vancouver Whitecaps tied FC Dallas 2-2 on Saturday.
Kamara's low, hard blast to the left went through with a deflection off goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer. Maurer was called for the penalty for a takedown of Anthony Blondell as Vancouver (4-5-4) was making a last-ditch effort to tie it.
Reggie Cannon opened the scoring for FC Dallas (4-1-5) in the 40th minute with his first MLS goal. He cut back to evade defender Brett Levis and curled a left-footed shot into the upper left corner.
Maximiliano Urruti made it 2-0 for Dallas with a right-footed shot into the left corner in the 78th minute.
FC Dallas' Maynor Figueroa gave the first one back to the Whitecaps with an own goal in the 82nd minute. Blondell forced the issue with a long run up the left side and Figueroa inadvertently blocked Blondell's cross into the net.
Philadelphia 4, Salt Lake 1
CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — Marcus Epps and Borek Dockal scored in the first half and the Philadelphia Union added two more in the second to beat Real Salt Lake 4-1 on Saturday night.
Fabrice-Jean Picault had a 40-yard run up the left channel to set up the opening goal in the 21st minute, rounding his defender and slotting a cross through several defenders to find Epps for the finish.
Dockal chipped home Alejandro Bedoya's through ball to make it 2-0 for the Union (4-5-2) in the 34th minute.
Damir Kreilach pulled Real Salt Lake (4-6-1) to 2-1 in the 65th minute. Sebastian Saucedo made a run at the end line and cut the pass back to Kreilach.
Ilsinho capped a fast break to make it 3-1 in the 74th minute, and Keegan Rosenberry drove one home from 25 yards to cap the scoring in the 81st.
Columbus 1, New England 0
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Lalas Abubakar scored in the 85th minute to give the Columbus Crew their third straight victory, 1-0 over the New England Revolution on Saturday night.
Abubakar headed home Federico Higuain's corner, overwhelming goalkeeper Matt Turner, who got his hands on the shot, for his first goal of the season.
Zack Steffen had six saves for his sixth shutout of the season for the Crew (7-3-3).
The Revolution dropped to 5-4-2.
NYCFC 4, Colorado 0
NEW YORK (AP) David Villa had two goals and an assist on ''David Villa Day'' and New York City FC beat Colorado 4-0 on Saturday, extending the Rapids' losing streak to five.
It was NYCFC's first home game after the Spanish forward scored his 400th goal in all competitions on April 29.
NYCFC (7-2-3) opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Yangel Herrera intercepted a clearance attempt and fed it back to Maximiliano Moralez, who connected with Villa for the finish.
Ronald Matarrita made it 2-0 in the 49th minute with a putback header, and Villa fed Moralez, who finished from the top of the box in the 56th. Villa capped the scoring, bending a right-footed shot inside the far post in the 74th minute.
Colorado dropped to 2-6-2.
D.C. 3, San Jose 1
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Zoltan Stieber, Darren Mattocks and Yamil Asad scored to help D.C. United beat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 on Saturday night.
Stieber opened the scoring in the 15th minute, slipping behind the defense on Luciano Acosta's long ball and slotting it past goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell.
Five minutes later, Acosta had a takeaway deep in Earthquakes territory and fed Mattocks for a narrow-angle finish to make it 2-0.
Asad added a third for United (2-5-2) in the 37th minute after Paul Arriola forced another San Jose turnover.
Danny Hoesen capped the scoring late in the first half on a left-footed putback in the 43rd minute - his sixth goal of the season for the Earthquakes (2-6-3).
