The Town FC limited Portland’s chances down the stretch, holding on to its 2-1 lead to take three points and stay competitive in the playoff race.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Faced with a deficit just three minutes into its matchup with Portland Timbers 2, The Town FC fought back to take a 2-1 victory at Providence Park to begin the road trip.
The Town’s (9-6-8, 39 points) most recent regulation loss was against Portland (6-7-10, 32 points) on Aug. 4, when the Bay Area club gave up a stoppage-time goal, allowing Timbers 2 to ride home happy. Seeking revenge, TTFC’s offense produced at a much higher level on Sunday, something it struggled to do in the last matchup.
Portland midfielder Alexis Moreno would give his team early momentum, weaving through The Town FC’s defense and beating goalkeeper Jacob Jackson’s reach in the third minute to make it a 1-0 game.
The match was Jackson’s first MLS NEXT Pro appearance since June 11, but the 24-year-old had spent time with the first-team San Jose Earthquakes.
TTFC wouldn’t take too long to respond, as a 21st-minute promising attack found the foot of midfielder Eduardo Blancas, who sent a lobbed feed to forward Riley Lynch deep in the 18-yard box. Lynch used his head to cash in, tying the game as a substitute and giving The Town FC new life.
Both teams traded chances as the match progressed, but couldn’t fully capitalize on the opportunities. That was until midfielder Beau Leroux — who was celebrating his 21st birthday just a day before — delivered a missile from outside the box in the 69th minute to give The Town the lead.
TTFC’s defense would hold firm for the rest of the way, providing aid to Jackson and shutting down Portland’s attacks.
The win gives The Town FC valuable insurance in the Western Conference table. Now in sixth, TTFC is even with Tacoma Defiance (11-8-4, 39 points) and LAFC2 (10-7-6, 39 points) and comfortably ahead of other playoff hopefuls as the season winds down.
Next, The Town FC will continue its road stretch against Real Monarchs (6-12-5, 26 points), a team TTFC hasn’t lost to this season. Now on a four-match unbeaten streak in regulation, The Town FC hopes to pick up even more steam with only five regular season matches remaining.
TTFC will trek over to Herriman, Utah, on Sunday for a chance to rise in the table once again. The game will begin at 7 p.m. at Zions Bank Stadium and will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
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MATCH INFORMATION
2024 MLS NEXT Pro Season
Portland Timbers 2 1 – 2 The Town FC
Providence Park
Sunday, September 1, 2024
Scoring Summary:
POR (1-0) — A. Moreno 3’
TTFC (1-1) — R. Lynch 21’
TTFC (1-2) — B. Leroux 69’
Misconduct Summary:
POR — T. Clegg (Caution) 25’
TTFC — A. Cano (Caution) 35’
POR — T. Ikoba (Caution) 41’
POR — M. Eisenberg (Caution) 89’
TTFC — J. Garcia (Caution) 89’
TTFC — J. Jackson (Caution) 90 + 5’
Portland Timbers 2: T. Muse (GK), K. Rad (S. Jura – 61’), T. Clegg, K. Ferdinand (C), H. Neville (J. Jones-Riley – 72’), V. Enriquez, A. Moreno (C. Mendoza – 72’), B. Pope, K. Linhares (M. Eisenberg – 61’), T. Ikoba, J. Penn (N. Santos – 72’)
Substitutes not used: B. Taghvai-Najib, R. Bilichuk, E. Izoita
SHOTS: 12; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS: 9; CORNER KICKS: 1; SAVES: 3
The Town FC: J. Jackson (GK), R. Ibarra (S. Bilter – 65’), C. Walls, A. Cano, W. Eisner (J. Garcia – 65’), B. Leroux (R. Rajagopal – 85’), E. Mendoza (J. Donnery – 85’), C. Medina (C), W. Richmond, E. Blancas, A. Edwards (R. Lynch – 16’)
Substitutes not used: J. Spivey, D. Sweeney
SHOTS: 10; SHOTS ON GOAL: 5; FOULS: 10; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 3
