Timbers fall 2-1 at home in a stoppage-time goal by visiting Austin FC (Image Gallery).

There have been epic stoppage-time goals to secure wins at Providence Park in Portland, OR. Drama-filled nights when the locals have snatched goals from corners, uncleared rebounds, and late penalties, all the thrills of a team making a last heroic push to rescue a point or win three outright. Yesterday was partly true, but not on the side of the Timbers FC; it was Austin FC who reacted to a late penalty goal by Anthony to score in the 89th minute, and via Oleksandr Svatok, who found the loose ball in Pantemi’s area, and dealt a painful loss to the men led by Martí Cifuentes, marking his first defeat at home as a Timbers head coach. 

Austin had opened the scoring in the 25th minute with a goal by Facundo Torres and successfully snared the Timbers’ attack in their dragnet of pressing and defensive discipline. A frustrated Timbers looked like they didn’t have answers to overcome Austin’s wall, but found their lifeline at the tail end of the game when match referee Guido Gonzales Jr. judged a penalty after VAR review, ruling a clear handball by Brendan Hines-Ike. 

Timbers kept pressing and almost found their second goal when Kristoff Velde hit the post already in stoppage time. Ultimately, Timbers couldn’t maintain their defensive cohesion as they pushed for the win and conceded in the dying moments of the game. 

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