Timbers continue rise up standings, edge Rapids

Felipe Mora scored on a breakaway in the 71st minute as the Portland Timbers continued their climb up the Western Conference standings with a 3-2 victory against the visiting Colorado Rapids on a rainy Saturday night.

Antony and Santiago Moreno also scored and Dairon Asprilla had two assists for the Timbers (11-11-9, 42 points), who have won four consecutive games to move into sixth place in the West. Portland improved to 5-1-1 under interim coach Miles Joseph.

Diego Rubio and Andrew Gutman tallied for Colorado (4-15-10, 22 points), which is tied with Toronto for the fewest points in the league.

The Timbers blew a two-goal lead before Mora saved them with his fourth goal in the past seven matches. The play started with a Portland throw-in deep in its own end. A Rapids miscue sent the ball toward Asprilla near midfield, and his header set Mora free about 40 yards from the net. He dribbled around Colorado goalkeeper Marko Ilic in the penalty area and slipped a shot into the open net from six yards out.

Antony, making his first start after five appearances off the bench, opened the scoring in the 19th minute with his first MLS goal. Moreno picked off a pass about 30 yards away from the Colorado net and passed to Noel Caliskan, whose 18-yard shot was blocked by a defender. The ball fell to Asprilla, who dribbled to the end line on the left wing before sending a cross to Antony at the top of the 6-yard box. Antony's header took one bounce off the turf and snuck just inside the right post.

The Timbers doubled their advantage in the 30th minute. Antony stepped over the ball multiple times on the left wing to fake out a defender before sending a pass to Moreno at the top of the 18-yard box. Moreno played a give-and-go with Caliskan in the penalty area before blasting a 10-yard shot past Ilic.

The Rapids responded just one minute later as Cole Bassett's cross from far out on the right wing found Rubio for a 12-yard header that eluded the reach of Portland goalie David Bingham and settled just inside the right post.

Colorado tied the score in the 43rd minute as Gutman's 25-yard shot clipped the heel of Timbers defender Juan Mosquera and trickled inside the left post.

--Field Level Media