Ryan Raposo's late goal lifts Whitecaps over Timbers

Updated: Mar 31, 2024, 01:15 am

Ryan Raposo scored the go-ahead goal in the 87th minute to give the host Vancouver Whitecaps a 3-2 Cascadia Cup victory over the Portland Timbers on Saturday night.

Raposo knocked in a Fafa Picault pass with a right-footed shot near the goal line during a scramble inside the 6-yard box for the game-winner.

Picault had a goal and an assist and Ryan Gauld also scored for Vancouver (3-1-1, 10 points), which moved into a tie for second place in the Western Conference. Yohei Takaoka finished with two saves for the Whitecaps.

Evander had a goal and an assist and Felipe Mora also scored for Portland (2-3-1, 7 points) which lost its third straight match. Maxime Crepeau finished with one save.

Vancouver needed only 90 seconds to take a 1-0 lead on Gauld's first goal of the season. Gauld attempted a crossing pass near the left side of the six-yard box on the play but it was blocked by Portland defender Zac McGraw and caromed right back to Gauld who then blasted a right-footed shot into the top right corner of the net.

Gauld nearly scored again in the ninth minute with a left-footed shot from the middle of the box but the ball hit the crossbar and went straight down where Timbers defender Juan Mosquera cleared it before it crossed the line.

Picault then made it 2-0 in the 29th minute after intercepting McGraw's poor clearing pass at the top of the box and then booting a curling right-footed shot into the top right corner for his second goal of the season.

Portland cut it to 2-1 in the 52nd minute when Evander, left alone outside the middle top of the box, kicked a right-footed shot into the top left corner for his second goal.

The Timbers tied it in the 77th minute on a diving header by Mora in the middle of the box off a crossing pass by Evander.

After Raposo scored his second goal of the season to put Vancouver back in front, Portland had a chance to tie it in stoppage time but Kamal Miller's close-in header in the middle of the box sailed wide of the right post.

--Field Level Media