Portland Timbers 3 Houston Dynamo 2: Valeri late show seals win
Two goals and an assist from Diego Valeri saw Portland Timbers claim a thrilling 3-2 win over Houston Dynamo in MLS action.
Diego Valeri scored twice in the dying stages to guide Portland Timbers to a thrilling come-from-behind 3-2 win over Houston Dynamo on Sunday.
With Portland trailing 2-1 with less than 10 minutes to go, Valeri equalised from the spot before scoring the winner in the same circumstances in stoppage time.
The win moves the defending MLS Cup champions up to fifth in the Western Conference, nine points behind leaders Colorado Rapids.
Houston started the stronger of the two sides and took a 2-0 lead at Providence Park with two goals in the space of three minutes.
Andrew Wenger scored first with a well-taken finish in the 28th minute, before Will Bruin dispatched a DaMarcus Beasley cross in the 30th.
However, it was all Portland in the second half, and Valeri got things rolling in the 64th minute with a pass to Lucas Melano to bring it back to 2-1.
The goal also meant the Timbers scored for a 20th straight regular-season game, tying a club record.
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Portland were then given a chance to equalise in the 81st minute when David Horst was penalised for a handball in the box, with Valeri slotting the resulting spot-kick.
Things went from bad to worse for Houston in the 88th minute when Joe Willis brought down Melano in the box, with Valeri smashing home another penalty to seal the win.
Cool as you like. 3-2! June 27, 2016