Tesho Akindele and Maxi Urruti find the back of the net for still unbeaten FC Dallas side
• Maxi Urruti scores his fourth goal of the MLS season.
• FC Dallas unbeaten in 13 straight MLS matches dating back to Sept. 17, 2016
• Hernan Grana nets second MLS assist in consecutive weeks
• At 4-0-3, FC Dallas remains the only unbeaten team in MLS.
FRISCO, Texas – (Saturday, April 29) – FC Dallas fell behind twice but battled back to earn a 2-2 draw with the Portland Timbers tonight at Toyota Stadium.
Portland hemmed Dallas in its own half for the opening 25 minutes of the match but despite the possession, the Timbers could not force a shot on goal.
The first one came in the 30th minute, after referee Baldomero Toledo awarded Portland a free kick just outside the area. Fanendo Adi buried the set-piece serve from David Guzman with a snap header from the top of the six-yard box, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.
FC Dallas began the second half with the same 11, but head coach Oscar Pareja opted for Michael Barrios just nine minutes in, at the 54-minute mark.
Four minutes later, Tesho Akindele broke away from his defender down the left flank and centered a pass for Kellyn Acosta, who began playing in a more offensive role after the addition of Barrios. Acosta expertly first-timed a right-footed shot on target, but Portland goalkeeper Jeff Attinella dove to his right side and made a save to preserve the visitors’ lead.
Maxi Urruti and Acosta combined to dispossess Portland’s Darlington Nagbe in Dallas’ offensive third of the field. Once Urruti grabbed control of the ball, he willed it into the back of the net. The Argentine skipped past one defender, went to his right, past two more would be defenders, and ripped a shot into the far upper-90 to make it a 1-1 game in the 61st minute.
Sebastian Blanco gave Portland a 2-1 lead in the 71st minute after Alvas Powell broke free down the Timber’s right side. Powell got to the end line before centering a pass to the top of the box. There, Adi tapped the ball to Sebastian Blano, who went the other direction and slammed a ball, low and just inside the near post to Jesse Gonzalez’s left side.
Dallas fought back and tied the match, 2-2, in the 80th minute. The play began with Urruti on the right flank. The forward put right back Hernan Grana through with a short pass played in behind the Portland back line. Grana picked up his second MLS assist in consecutive matches by lobbing a ball from the endline to Tesho Akindele, who buried an easy shot from inside the six-yard box.
Acosta forced a diving save out of Attinella on a set piece chance from 20-yards out in the 85thminute. Acosta curled a hard shot over the wall and under the bar, but the goalkeeper locked onto the shot and made a nice diving save to his right side to preserve the 2-2 deadlock.
Scoring Summary:
POR – Fanendo Adi (David Guzman) 30
DAL – Maxi Urruti 61
POR – Sebastian Blanco (Fanendo Adi, Alvas Powell) 71
DAL – Tesho Akindele (Hernan Grana, Maxi Urruti) 80
Lineups:
FC Dallas – Jesse Gonzalez, Maynor Figueroa, Matt Hedges, Walker Zimmerman, Hernan Grana (Atiba Harris 83), Carlos Gruezo, Kellyn Acosta, Tesho Akindele, Javier Morales (Michael Barrios 54), Roland Lamah (Cristian Colman 75), Maxi Urruti.
Substitutes Not Used: Chris Seitz, Carlos Cermeño, Ryan Hollingshead, Atiba Harris, Victor Ulloa.
Portland Timbers – Jeff Attinella, Alvas Powell, Lawrence Olum, Vytautas Andriuskevicius, Darlington Nagbe, David Guzman, Diego Chara, Dairon Asprilla (Darren Mattocks 67), Sebastian Blanco (Amobi Okugo 90+4), Fanendo Adi.
Substitutes Not Used: Victor Arboleda, Kendall McIntosh, Zarek Valentin, Jack Barmby, Roy Miller.
Misconduct Summary:
POR – Vytautas Andriuskevicius (caution) 34
DAL – Maynor Figueroa (caution) 37
DAL – Hernan Grana (caution) 73
Referee: Baldomero Toledo
Assistant Referees: Corey Parker, Cameron Blanchard
4th Official: Marcos DeOliveira
Weather: Rain, 62
Attendance: 16,014
