Leonardo Campana and Robert Taylor scored goals, and Inter Miami CF stretched their unbeaten streak to four games with a solid 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers on Saturday night at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Bill Tuiloma scored a goal for the Timbers, who lost their third straight match.
Portland (3-6-6, 15 points) had a chance to tie the score in the 90th minute but a short-range right-footed blast by Cristhian Paredes caromed off the left goal post.
Inter Miami (5-6-3, 18 points) are 2-0-2 during the undefeated stretch. The club also improved to 4-0-1 over its last five MLS home matches.
Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender made four saves in his sixth career MLS start. Portland’s Aljaz Ivacic also made four saves.
Portland had a 16-15 edge in shots and placed five on target to Inter Miami’s six.
Miami moved ahead in the 27th minute while on the attack. Christopher McVey delivered a stellar left-footed pass to Campana, who sent a one-hopping header past Ivacic into the net for his seventh goal of the campaign.
The Herons added on in the 59th minute. Ariel Lassiter took a hard left-footed shot that hit the right goal post and bounced out in front of the goal.
Taylor pounced on the rebound and ripped a left-footer into the right corner of the net. It was Taylor’s second goal of the season.
Portland finally got on the board in the 78th minute when Santiago Moreno sent a cross toward the net. Tuiloma spotted it and sent a diving header past Callender for his fifth goal of the season.
Portland didn’t get its first shot on target until the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Callender thwarted the opportunity by saving Justin Rasmussen’s right-footed shot.
The Timbers are having issues creating scoring chances as their first shot on goal in their previous game didn’t come until the 86th minute. Portland lost that match 2-0 to the Philadelphia Union.
Campana had a chance for a second goal four minutes after his first but Ivacic saved his header.
–Field Level Media