Jeremy Ebobisse’s left jab put the Portland Timbers on the scoreboard in the first half, and Diego Valeri added a sure-footed goal in the second half to lead the Timbers to a 2-1 victory against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday by the night in the MLS. Tournament back in Florida.
With the win, the Timbers stayed on top of Group F in the tournament and clinched a place in the knockout round of 16. The Timbers still have a remaining group stage game, against Los Angeles FC, but with 6 points. The Timbers can’t end worse than the second in their group. The top two teams from the six groups will advance to the round of 16, along with the next four best teams from either group.
Houston received a penalty kick for a handball in the Jorge Villafana box by the Timbers, and Alberth Elis of the Dynamo capitalized in the 86th minute to serve within 2-1. But that was all Dynamo could muster.
Here is a summary of how the Timbers-Dynamo match played out:
Full time: The Timbers beat the Houston Dynamo 2-1. With 6 points, the Timbers extend their leadership to the top of the Group F standings and take a place in the knockout round of 16.
Minute 90 +1: There are 6 minutes of extra time. The Timbers are trying to contain the short-handed Dynamo and escape with victory. Woods 2, Dynamo 1.
Minute 88: Alberth Elis is shown a red card (his second yellow) after taking down Bill Tuiloma in a run down the right side of the field. So now the Dynamo are playing with 10 men. That follows a Houston substitution, with Tommy McNamara replacing Boniek Garcia. Woods 2, Dynamo 1.
Minute 86: Goal Dynamo. Alberth Elis scores the penalty kick, sending him to the right side of the goal beyond Steve Clark. Woods 2, Dynamo 1.
Minute 85: After a VAR review, the officer awards the Dynamo a penalty for handball in the area a few minutes ago by Jorge Villafana on a detour just after a header.
Minute 84: Sebastian Blanco sends a nice cross to the center of the box to Jaroslaw Niezgoda, but he sends it too high.
Minute 78: Sebastian Blanco hits a rhythm shot from the left side of the box, but Marko Maric hits it for a corner kick by the Timbers. Outside the corner, Valeri retrieves it, tries to curl up in one shot, but is far from the target. Woods 2, Dynamo 0.
Minute 72: Marvin Loria with a solid shot but his shot is saved by Maric. A minute later, it’s a hydration break. Woods 2, Dynamo 0.
Minute 69: Striker Jaroslaw Niezgoda enters as a substitute for Ebobisse. Also, the Timbers bring in Marvin Loria to replace Eryk Williamson. Woods 2, Dynamo 0.
Minute 67: Bill Tuiloma blocks Tomás Martínez’s shot, leading to a corner by Dynamo. However, the Timbers clear the corner. Woods 2, Dynamo 0.
61 minutes: Goal Timbers. Diego Valeri puts Portland up 2-0. Eryk Williamson passes Valeri from the right side of the box. Valeri picks up, makes a move, takes a shot, and bounces it off the right post. Maric had no chance. Valeri now needs one more goal to join the elite company in MLS’s 80 goals and the club’s 80 assists. Woods 2, Dynamo 0.
Minute 60: The game’s first substitution, when Portland’s Andy Polo replaces Yimmi Chara. Woods 1, Dynamo 0.
Minute 59: Sebastian Blanco runs off, picks up Diego Valeri’s pass and shoots Maric, but he goes just to the right of the goal. Woods 1, Dynamo 0.
48 minutes: The Dynamo sends a dangerous corner, but it is finally cleared. Woods 1, Dynamo 0.
Halftime: In the middle, the Portland Timbers led 1-0 thanks to Jeremy Ebobisse’s strong goal in the 36th minute.
45 minutes +1: Memo Rodríguez receives a yellow card for taking down Portland’s Eryk Williamson.
Minute 45: Steve Clark runs out of his line to challenge Mauro Manotas as he runs to the box. It turns out a good move, even though it leads to a corner kick from Houston. The Dynamo can’t turn into a corner, and Clark pounces on it. Woods 1, Dynamo 0.
43rd minute: Alberth Elis with a shot from the right side of the box, but it’s a routine save for Steve Clark. Woods 1, Dynamo 0.
Minute 38: A good shot for Houston, but Alberth Elis’s shot is wide on the right. Woods 1, Dynamo 0.
Minute 36: Goal Timbers. Jeremy Ebobisse with a great left-footed shot that Maric flies and gives the Timbers the initial lead. It is Ebobisse’s second goal of the tournament. Woods 1, Dynamo 0.
Minute 35: The Timbers look good, but they still don’t have a goal. Yimmi Chara’s shot is kicked by Maric, and then Chara can’t put his foot on Sebastián Blanco’s pretty cross. Woods 0, Dynamo 0.
31 minutes: Diego Chara commits a foul on Matias Vera, and the Dynamo receives a free kick just outside the box. Darwin Quintero curls the free kick, but is far to the right of the goal. Woods 0, Dynamo 0.
24 minutes: The Timbers’ Eryk Williamson takes a yellow card for a tackle on Memo Rodriguez. And soon after, it’s a hydration break. Woods 0, Dynamo 0.
Minute 21: Sebastián Blanco’s shot on the ground has a lot of rhythm, but he is on the left. Woods 0, Dynamo 0.
Minute 17: Yimmi Chara gets a good look from the center of the box after a pass from Jeremy Ebobisse, but is saved by Marko Maric of Houston. Woods 0, Dynamo 0.
Minute 16: The Dynamo receives a free kick just outside the area after Bill Tuiloma fouls Mauro Manotas. The free attempt bounces off the wall and reaches Steve Clark’s arms. Not yet scored.
Tenth minute: Mauro Manotas of Houston tries a shot from a distance, but Steve Clark easily saves it.
7th minute: Pablo Bonilla falls after a collision with Maynor Figueroa of Houston. Bonilla is moving away for the moment. It leads to a free kick for Portland and a yellow card for Figueroa.
Opening minutes: The match is underway after both teams take a moment to kneel before the kickoff. The Timbers are seen early with a header from Bill Tuiloma after a cross by Diego Valeri, but is saved.
Live scoreboard
And here are details on how to watch on TV and live online:
Portland Timbers vs. Houston Dynamo
Than: Group F match in MLS is the Back tournament
When: 5 pm PDT / 8 pm EDT Saturday, July 18
Where: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex | Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Television channel: ESPN
How to watch the live stream online: You can watch this match live on Watch ESPN / Watch ESPN apps with your cable or satellite provider login, or you can Watch this game live FREE with Hulu + Live (free trial) or Sling TV (free trial, promotional offers), if you prefer those platforms.
Latest odds: Wood +125 | Draw +280 | Dynamo +190
Pregame information: Jeremy Ebobisse and Sebastian Blanco scored the Timbers’ goals in their first game, a 2-1 victory against the LA Galaxy on Monday. With a victory on Saturday night, Portland would secure a place in the knockout round of the knockout stages.
The Timbers are at the top of Group F, and they expressed their confidence this week. But goalkeeper Steve Clark also acknowledged that there is a lot of soccer left in group play.
“Anyone can beat anyone at any time,” said Clark. “When you enter this rather unique tournament, you will be in chaos. Which is a lot of fun for everyone involved. We feel good about our first game, but that doesn’t mean we’re close to leaving our group. “
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