Dairon Asprilla scored in his third consecutive game after assisting Yimmi Chara's opening goal, as the streaking Portland Timbers damaged LAFC's postseason hopes with a 2-1 victory Wednesday night at Banc of California Stadium.
Asprilla's 59th-minute winner – and eighth goal of the season – secured fourth-place Portland's third straight win and sixth in seven matches, while sending LAFC to a third consecutive defeat. With a win, LAFC could've pulled within a point of the seventh and final Western Conference place in the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The Timbers completed a three-match season sweep of LAFC with the triumph, which amounts to their nine-point cushion in their quest to secure a playoff spot.
Halftime sub Danny Musovski leveled the match 10 minutes after the break for LAFC, who lost at home for just the third time this season.
The hosts briefly believed they had a chance to level the match once more after Asprilla put Portland back on top, as referee Joseph Dickerson thought he spotted a handball on Chara. But the call was correctly overturned following Video Review.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: As Portland creep closer to the playoffs, their chances in the second season may hinge on injury news surrounding 2020 MLS is Back Tournament MVP Sebastian Blanco. Recently fully recovered from an ACL tear he suffered in September 2020, Blanco exited in the 53rd minute with an apparent leg injury. As for LAFC, the best news is that they face an El Trafico fixture this weekend against an LA Galaxy side that may be in even worse form, in what is another playoff six-pointer.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: All signs pointed to LAFC being the more likely team to score a winning goal after pulling level 10 minutes after the break. But on what began as an innocent-looking ball, Felipe Mora craftily turned defender Jesus Murillo to set the Timbers off to the races. Mora struck the right post, but Asprilla's hustle put him in position to smash in an absolute cracker of a rebound attempt.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Dairon Asprilla. While the return to health of Blanco and more recently Jaroslaw Niezgoda have given the Timbers more confidence, it's Asprilla's form that has set them a-light over the last seven matches, including here. As well as two scoring involvements, Asprilla was an enormous source of energy for the Timbers, contesting a game-high 17 duels. It was his persistence that helped set up Chara's opener:
Up Next
- LAFC: Sunday, October 3 at LA Galaxy | 8 pm ET (ESPN, ESPN Deportes)
- POR: Sunday, October 3 vs. Inter Miami CF | 5:30 pm ET (FS1, FOX Deportes)
