Football
2021 Major League Soccer, Regular Season
POR 
3
FT
 RSL
2
Reuters 3y

Dairon Asprilla inspires Portland Timbers past Real Salt Lake

Dairon Asprilla had a goal and an assist as the Portland Timbers defeated visiting Real Salt Lake 3-2 Saturday night.

Yimmi Chara and Felipe Mora also scored for the Timbers, who snapped a three-match winless streak and moved past RSL and into the seventh and final playoff position in the Western Conference at midseason.

Albert Rusnak and Damir Kreilach scored for Salt Lake, which went 0-2-1 on its three-game, eight-day trip.

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Timbers goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic made seven saves, including a diving stop on a shot by Rusnak late in second-half stoppage time.

Portland took a 2-0 lead in the opening half-hour of play.

Asprilla scored on a penalty kick in the 10th minute after Salt Lake's Toni Datkovic was called for a handball in the 18-yard box following a video review.

The Timbers doubled their advantage in the 29th minute. Josecarlos Van Rankin drove the ball down the right wing before making a pass to Marvin Loria, who fed Asprilla across the top of the 18-yard box. Asprilla made a back-heel pass to move the ball along to Chara, whose left-footed shot from the top of the penalty area went into the upper left corner of the net, leaving RSL goalkeeper Zac MacMath no chance.

Rusnak pulled Salt Lake within a goal in the 40th minute. Jonathan Menendez made a drop pass for Rusnak in the penalty area and he moved back toward the top of the box before putting a low, left-footed shot just inside the right post.

The Timbers restored their two-goal advantage in the 62nd minute as Sebastian Blanco, who came on as a substitute in the second half, lobbed a pass over the RSL back line for Mora. He took the ball at the top left of the 6-yard box, spun and put a shot just inside the right post.

Kreilach scored in the 80th minute to make it 3-2, taking a pass from Pablo Ruiz at the top of the penalty area and hammering a shot from 12 yards out over Ivavic.

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