The Portland Timbers recorded their second straight win on the road, and their first win in Toronto, registering a 2-1 victory against Toronto FC at BMO Field in front of 24,832 fans on Saturday afternoon. Bill Tuiloma scored his first goal of the season and Jeremy Ebobisse tallied the game-winner, his fourth goal of the campaign. Diego Valeri finished the match with two assists, while Sebastián Blanco recorded an assist for a third consecutive match.
Goal-scorers
Opening the scoring for Portland in the 22nd minute, Tuiloma recorded his first goal of the season, and the second of his career with Portland. He is the third defender to tally a goal for the Timbers this season, after Larrys Mabiala and Jorge Moreira recorded goals against Columbus Crew SC on April 20. In total, seven players have scored a goal for the Timbers in 2019. Ebobisse scored for a second consecutive match, recording his team-leading fourth goal of the season.
Assist men
Valeri recorded two assists in the match, increasing his season total to six assists, which ranks tied for the most in MLS this season. Blanco added the assist on Ebobisse’s game-winning goal, registering his fourth assist of 2019. Blanco has four assists in his last three matches, recording an assist in three straight matches for the first time in his MLS career, while Valeri has three assists in his last two matches.
Against Toronto FC
Portland handed Toronto FC its first home loss of the 2019 season. Sunday’s match marked the 10th meeting all-time between Portland and Toronto FC, with the Timbers earning their first win in six trips to BMO Field. The Timbers have now won three of their last four games against Toronto FC.
Limiting chances
Toronto FC came into the game averaging three goals per game and 18.3 shots per game. Portland held Toronto to just six shots in the match, which is tied for the fewest shots allowed in a road match by the Timbers in nine MLS seasons.
Key plays
In the 19th minute, Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark dealt with a dipping free kick delivered by Alejandro Pozuelo, pushing the attempt out for a corner kick. On the ensuing corner, Toronto FC claimed a 1-0 lead as Jonathan Osorio pounced on a loose ball near the goal line and converted.
Less than two minutes later, Portland responded to level the match on a goal by Tuiloma. Valeri sent a corner kick into the center of the box, and Tuiloma unleashed a powerful, one-time volley from near the penalty spot into the upper left corner of the goal for his first goal of the season.
Receiving the ball just outside the box from Andrés Flores, Blanco made a quick move to get the ball onto his right foot and fired a shot from the edge of the box toward the left post that went just wide of the target in the 27th minute.
Ebobisse gave the Timbers a 2-1 lead, recording his team-leading fourth goal of the season, in the 70th minute. Valeri played the ball out wide on the left side to Blanco, who delivered a pinpoint cross to Ebobisse inside the box for the finish with a diving header from close range.
Portland nearly increased its lead to 3-1 in the 90th minute. On the counter-attack, Cristhian Paredes found Diego Chara running into space down the left flank and played a perfectly weighted pass into space for Chara, who dribbled into the box and sent a low, hard shot toward the bottom, right corner of the goal that went just wide of the right post.
Notes:
- The win marked the first time the Timbers won in Toronto, and marked the first time in the all-time series between the two teams that the road team emerged victorious.
- Portland recorded back-to-back road wins for the first time since Oct. 14-18, 2015.
- Bill Tuiloma tallied his first goal of the season and the second of his MLS career.
- Tuiloma is the third defender to score for the Timbers this season, which is the most among MLS teams.
- Tuiloma became the seventh player to score a goal for Portland in 2019.
- Tuiloma’s goal came just two minutes after Toronto’s goal. It was the quickest response by the Timbers in a match since Aug. 12, 2017, which was also against Toronto.
- Diego Valeri recorded two assists in the match bringing his season total to six assists. His six assists are tied for the most in MLS this season.
- Jeremy Ebobisse scored his team-leading fourth goal of the season, scoring in consecutive matches for the first time in his MLS career.
- Valeri now has 71 assists for his MLS career, which moves him into 17th place all-time in MLS history.
- Sebastián Blanco notched his fourth assist of the season – all of which have come in the last three matches.
- For the first time in his MLS career, Blanco has delivered an assist in three consecutive matches.
Next game
The Timbers travel for a road match against Real Salt Lake on Saturday, May 4, at Rio Tinto Stadium. Beginning at 6 p.m. (Pacific), the match will feature a local television broadcast on ROOT SPORTS with local radio broadcasts on 1029 and 750 The Game (English) and La GranD 1150AM/93.5 FM (Spanish).
Postgame quote sheet
Quotes with reaction to the match from coaches and players from both clubs can be accessed when ready by clicking here.
Video Highlights
Highlights of the match can be viewed by clicking here.
Portland Timbers (2-5-1, 7pts) vs. Toronto FC (4-2-1, 13pts)
April 27, 2019 – BMO Field (Toronto, Ont., Canada)
Goals by Half 1 2 F
Portland Timbers 1 1 2
Toronto FC 1 0 1
Scoring Summary:
TOR: Osorio, 20
POR: Tuiloma (Valeri), 22
POR: Ebobisse (Blanco, Valeri), 70
Misconduct Summary:
TOR: Mavinga (caution), 64
POR: Moreira (caution), 66
POR: Chara (caution), 87
Lineups:
POR: GK Clark, D Moreira, D Mabiala, D Tuiloma, D Valentin, M Flores (Villafaña, 90+5), M Paredes, M Chara, M Blanco (Cascante, 86), F Valeri © (Polo, 90), F Ebobisse
Substitutes Not Used: GK Attinella, M Guzmán, M Conechny, F Melano
TOTAL SHOTS: 11 (Blanco, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Three players tied, 1); FOULS: 12 (Chara, Tuiloma, 3); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 2
TOR: GK Westberg, D Auro, D Zavaleta, D Mavinga, D Morrow, M DeLeon (Boyd, 73), M Bradley ©, M Delgado (Chapman, 78), M Osorio, M Pozuelo, F Hamilton (Akinola, 68)
Substitutes Not Used: GK Bono, D Morgan, D Ciman, M Fraser
TOTAL SHOTS: 6 (Pozuelo, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Pozuelo, 2); FOULS: 8 (Bradley, Hamilton, 2); OFFSIDES: 2; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 1
Referee: Alex Chilowicz
Assistant Referees: Brian Dunn, Cory Richardson
4th Official: Robert Sibiga
VAR: Kevin Terry Jr.
Attendance: 24,832
Weather: Cloudy, 45 degrees
