Match Recap: Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake Scoreless Draw

Match Recap: Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake Scoreless Draw  

For two very different and crucial reasons, the Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake went into Friday's game frantic for the total 3 points but in the end, they had to make do with a point each after a disappointing goalless draw on a showery night at Providence Park, MLS Soccer reported.

The great saves throughout the night from both Timbers and RSL's goalkeepers were to thank for the deadlock as both teams desperately sought for a winner.

Since July 13, when Timbers' first had a barren game, it's hurting them more as they pursue the fifth-place Vancouver Whitecaps for the final Western Conference playoff position. Vancouver and Portland are now level with 46 points, but Vancouver could likely take a 3 point lead into the final games this weekend with a win at San Jose who are by now eliminated.

RSL had already sealed a playoff position, but they now hold just a 2 point lead over FCD for third place in the West, with FC Dallas still to play at Colorado on Saturday.

The first half was characterized by rough play because of the rain but still the highlights belonged to the goalkeepers of both teams.

The best chance between the two teams before halftime was turned away by Ricketts' diving fingertip saves of Robbie Findley's header.

Stopping a very daring cross by Diego Valeri to an advancing Fanendo Adi in the eighteenth minute, Rimando also flew his own kite with some amazing saves of his own in goal. Rimando (who came off a ninety-minute shift in the US' one all draw against Honduras on Tuesday) then hustled back to his line to save a shot off Rodney Wallace rebound.

Things got even rougher after the halftime break. Valeri and defender Liam Ridgewell were both shown a yellow card early in the half following some belligerent interactions with Real Salt players. Kyle Beckerman was also shown a card.

Valeri and Darlington Nagbe each had great chances at goal but just couldn't convert any. Rimando rose up to duty again in the sixty-first minute, alongside Tony Beltran to stop a shot from Valeri, before following it up with a superb denial of what could have been a Nagbe's goal, followed by yet another rebound from Adi's shot which went into the side netting.

Some great defending from RSL deprived the Timbers yet another goal in the 67^th minute of the game when a corner kick from Valeri was headed in by Norberto Paparatto but was saved off the line by Luis Gil.

One more tremendous save from Rimando, his sixth save of the night, toned Paparatto again on his corner-kick header in the 76th minute of the game. RSL got the scare by a stoppage-time Maximiliano Urruti volley off a recycled corner kick, but it just went wide.

Ultimately, the Timbers showered RSL's goal with 16 shots on target in the second half and twenty-one in the entire game to no benefit.

Tuesday is Timbers' next game against CD Olimpia in Honduras in the CONCACAF Champions' League group stage finale, while Portland's final regular season game holds at FC Dallas on Oct. 25, according to Washington Post.

However, PSL will be wrapping up their regular season against Chivas by Wednesday at home.

 

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