Felipe Mora scored the tiebreaking goal on a 90th-minute penalty kick as the host Portland Timbers rallied from a late two-goal deficit to defeat the 10-man San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 on Wednesday and snap a nine-match MLS winless streak (0-6-3).
Evander scored on a penalty kick in the 74th minute and assisted on Jonathan Rodriguez’s goal in the 80th for the Timbers (3-6-4, 13 points), who won for the first time since March 9. Rodriguez added an insurance goal in the final minute of second-half stoppage time.
Amahl Pellegrino and Hernan Lopez scored three minutes apart in the first half for San Jose (3-9-1, 10 points), which had a three-match unbeaten streak (2-0-1) come to an end.
It was quite a show for two teams that entered the match tied for last place in the Western Conference.
With the Earthquakes up 2-0, the complexion of the match changed in the 72nd minute.
San Jose defender Bruno Wilson appeared to block a shot by Mora at the goal line, but referee Pierre-Luc Lauziere ruled it a handball and issued Wilson a red card. Evander blasted the ensuing penalty kick into the left side of the net to make it 2-1.
The Timbers tied it as Rodriguez, who came on as a substitute at halftime, took a pass from Evander, dribbled to the center of the 18-yard box and put a shot into the lower left corner of the net.
The deciding penalty came via video review after Rodriguez collided with Earthquakes goalkeeper William Yarbrough in the middle of the 18-yard box. Mora put his penalty kick high down the middle as Yarbrough dove to his right.
Pellegrino opened the scoring in the 31st minute. Cristian Espinoza’s corner kick from the right wing found former Timber Jeremy Ebobisse for a diving header from the top of the 6-yard box. Portland goalie Maxime Crepeau went down to his right to make the save, but the rebound bounced off the turf and Pellegrino was there to nod the ball just inside the left post.
In the 34th minute, Timbers defender Larrys Mabiala was unable to handle a pass near midfield. Lopez stole the ball and chipped a shot from about 40 yards over Crepeau and just inside the right post. Lopez scored for the second straight match after also tallying in his first MLS start Saturday at Colorado.
–Field Level Media
