The Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers played to a 1-1 draw in a heated rivalry match on Sunday night. The Sounders had taken the lead in the first half, but the Timbers equalized late in the second half in a man-down situation.
The Sounders opened the scoring in the 24th minute when forward Raul Ruidiaz found the back of the net after some great build-up play from midfielder Cristian Roldan. The Sounders looked to be in control of the game for much of the first half, but the Timbers had their chances and were unlucky not to equalize before the break.
The second half saw the Timbers come out with renewed energy and they were rewarded for their efforts when they equalized in the 85th minute. Portland was down to 10 men after defender Larrys Mabiala was sent off for a second yellow card just minutes earlier, but they were still able to find an equalizer through forward Jeremy Ebobisse.
The draw was a fair result in the end, as both teams had their chances and were unlucky not to come away with all three points. The Sounders will be disappointed not to have held on for the win, but they can take some solace in the fact that they were able to get a point away from home against their bitter rivals.
The result leaves both teams level on points in the Western Conference standings, with the Sounders sitting in third place and the Timbers in fourth. Both teams will be looking to improve their position in the coming weeks, and Sunday night’s draw will be a valuable point for both sides.
