x
Breaking News
More () »

Atlanta United rally for draw vs. Timbers; Eastern lead shrinks to 3 points

Atlanta currently leads the MLS in points (34), victories (10) and divisional lead (five-point separation from the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference).

ATLANTA—One point goes a long way sometimes.

On Sunday, Atlanta United experienced a large handful of nerve-jangling highs and lows in their match with the Portland Timbers; and fitting for the occasion, the club walked away with a 1-1 draw at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

At 10-3-4, Atlanta still leads the MLS in points (34) and victories (10). What's more, United hasn't incurred a home loss in MLS play in more than a month (May 20 vs. the Red Bulls).

The divisional lead, however, shrunk to three points, in the wake of New York City FC's victory over Toronto FC.

For Sunday's match, Portland's Larrys Mabiala opened the scoring at the 33rd minute. The Timbers had a free kick from point-blank range, and Mabiala executed a picture-perfect header after United goalkeeper Brad Guzan initially deflected a shot on goal.

Atlanta countered with a goal at the 56th minute. Julian Gressel was the benefactor of a frenetic series of events near the Portland goal area.

Upon taking initial possession of the ball, Gressel stealthily evaded three Timbers defenders before firing off a shot. Franco Escobar then had a solid chance off the deflection on the right side, but the ball was thwarted by Portland at the last second.

As a fortuitous bounce, though, Gressel subsequently adjusted to a high bouncer and cleanly kicked the ball into the net, knotting the score at 1.

A few minutes earlier, Gressel almost scored on a deflected scoring chance that waded through the Timbers defense before clanging off the left post.

There was an interesting sidebar of drama with United midfielder Josef Martinez. Throughout the match, he was experimenting with a black protective face mask.

However, the mask may have hindered a scoring opportunity in the first half, causing Martinez (MLS leader in goals—14) to momentarily lose his cool and take out some frustrations with a corporate placard along the baseline.

For the match, Atlanta enjoyed the advantages with duels won (47-35), overall shots (20-12) and on-target shots (9-4).

But alas, both clubs were good enough to exit with a point in tow; and that's especially crucial in Portland's case: If the Western Conference playoffs started today, the Timbers (23 points) would be safely in the six-team postseason field.

Atlanta has now crossed the halfway point of its schedule. Up next on the docket: A June 30 home match with Orlando City SC and a July 4 road encounter with FC Dallas.

Before You Leave, Check This Out