CARSON, Calif. – The Portland Timbers 2, the lowest-scoring team in the Western Conference heading into the weekend, scored a whopping four unanswered goals in the second half to rally for a 4-3 victory against the LA Galaxy II. LA enjoyed a 3-0 lead, but had to play shorthanded when Adonis Amaya was sent off midway through the second half. Portland took full advantage as Blake Bodily tallied, followed by back-to-back scores from Villyan Bijev and a stoppage-time winner from Neco Brett. For the Galaxy II, they gained a lead after Portland newcomer Steven Taylor’s own goal in the ninth minute. Lassiter tallied in the 15th minute and then notched another in first-half stoppage time. Portland ended an eight-game winless streak (0-5-3), improving to 6-11-4 (22 points) overall and 2-6-1 on the road. LA missed a big opportunity to leap into first place in the Western Conference as Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 had drawn its earlier match against Seattle Sounders FC 2. The Galaxy II are now 9-4-8 (35 points) overall and 6-2-4 at home.

Scoring:
9’ – LA – Steven Taylor (own goal)
15’ – LA – Ariel Lassiter (Oscar Sorto)
45’+ – LA – Ariel Lassiter (Adonis Amaya)
66’ – POR – Blake Bodily
68’ – POR – Villyan Bijev (penalty)
87’ – POR – Villyan Bijev
90’+ – POR – Neco Brett (Villyan Bijev)

Three Things That Mattered:

• 1. The second half of the match presented a bit of hope for Portland as it held a man advantage for the final 26 minutes. Adonis Amaya was sent off in the 64th minute as the Galaxy II were down to 10 men. While a comeback from that type of lead appeared to be unfathomable, Portland was up to the task to work its way back. T2 immediately put a dent into LA’s lead with Blake Bodily breaking away from the defense and slotting it home in the 66th minute to make it 3-1. Villyan Bijev kept things going when he converted a penalty kick, booting it into the upper right corner. Then in the 87th minute, Bijev powered a right-footed rebound into the net to tie the score at 3-3 as what had looked like an insurmountable deficit was erased. In stoppage time, Neco Brett cut to his right and whipped his shot into the back of the net as T2 finished off its biggest win of the season.

• 2. Ariel Lassiter has only seen sporadic time with Los Dos as he has spent a good portion of the year with the MLS side. But when Lassiter has been called upon for the Galaxy II, he has delivered. Lassiter snuck his first goal inside the left post, capitalizing on a deep setup from defender Oscar Sorto to push LA’s lead to 2-0 in the 15th minute. Then in first-half stoppage time, as Amaya was falling to the ground, he poked the ball to Lassiter who darted to the net on the breakaway and garnered his brace and a 3-0 lead heading into halftime. Lassiter now has five goals in eight games this season.

• 3. The Portland Timbers organization signed former Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor early last week, and he made his USL debut Saturday night. The 30-year-old defender’s foray into his new digs did not go as planned, however. In just the ninth minute, Taylor conceded an own goal to give the Galaxy II a 1-0 lead. Los Dos’ attack had more than enough space to work with from the right side and the ball was crossed in. With Lassiter ready to receive at the edge of the six, Taylor was in between to disrupt the cross, but it deflected inside the right post.

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match:
Villyan Bijev, Portland Timbers 2 – Bijev recorded a second-half brace and set up Neco Brett's winner as he was instrumental during the club’s astonishing rally on the road.

Upcoming Games:
LA Galaxy II at OKC Energy FC – Aug. 13, 8:30 p.m. ET, Taft Stadium
Portland Timbers 2 vs. Orange County Blues FC – Aug. 14, 5 p.m. ET, Merlo Field