Real Salt Lake beat Portland Timbers to snap a three-match losing streak

Douglas Martinez and Damir Kreilach each scored a first-half goal to help Real Salt Lake snap a three-match losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers on Wednesday in Sandy, Utah.

Salt Lake pulled above the Western Conference playoff cutoff line with the critical victory.

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Bill Tuiloma scored a second-half goal for Portland, which had its five-match winning streak and six-match unbeaten streak snapped. The Timbers missed an opportunity to overtake Seattle for first place in the West, though the Sounders now have a game in hand after their scheduled Wednesday contest against the Rapids was postponed due to Colorado's ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

The Timbers scored a goal in their 11th straight match but could not generate enough offense to overcome the early two-goal deficit.

Martinez opened the scoring in the 11th minute. The ball bounced to his feet after Portland goalie Aljaz Ivacic misjudged a long ball on a save attempt and pushed it out to Martinez. From there, Martinez used a quick dribble toward the six-yard box and blasted the ball home inside the right post once he got a clear look at an empty net.

Douglas Martinez
Douglas Martinez
Jeffrey Swinger-USA TODAY Sports

Kreilach made it 2-0 in the 26th minute. Left unmarked atop the 6-yard box on a corner kick, Kreilach latched onto the ball and blasted a right-footed shot over Ivacic and buried it in the back of the net for his eighth goal of the season.

Portland pulled a goal back in the 77th minute. Diego Valeri served up a free kick into the 6-yard box. Tuiloma leaped high to snag the ball and headed it just under the crossbar to cut the deficit in half.

RSL finished with a 13-10 advantage in total shots though Portland wound up with 52.7 percent of the ball possession. The Timbers and Salt Lake each put four shots on goal.

Game Information

America First Field
2:30 AM, 15 October 2020
Sandy, Utah, USA