Timbers settle for scoreless tie vs. FC Dallas
The Portland Timbers missed a chance to improve their playoff positioning after they had to settle for a scoreless draw against visiting FC Dallas on Sunday.
James Pantemis, making his first start since July 20, stopped six shots to earn his sixth clean sheet of the season for Portland. Dallas' Jimmy Maurer (making his second straight start and third in the past month) made seven saves to record his third shutout of the year.
The Timbers (12-11-10, 46 points) already clinched a spot in the postseason - albeit the final wild-card position - after the matches on Saturday but could have jumped into eighth place with a win on Sunday.
Dallas - with an interim coach - was eliminated from the postseason before the weekend's matches and can now only improve its position among the teams that will finish below the playoff line.
Portland produced the match's first three scoring chances. Santiago Moreno's right-footed attempt was saved in the fourth minute, and Felipe Mora and then Jonathan Rodríguez had shots on goal in the 18th minute that were stopped by Maurer.
Dallas (10-15-8, 38 points) responded in the 28th minute when Bernard Kamungo tested Pantemis with a shot from outside the box but the Timbers' keeper was up to the task. Mora had another shot in the 39th minute but Maurer was quick to make the save, assuring that the match went to halftime still scoreless.
The Toros pressed to break the deadlock early in the second half. Sebastian Lletget's shot in the 51st minute forced Pantemis to make a save. Lletget, Manuel Cafumana and Kamungo added shots on goal in the 65th, 66th and 67th minute, respectively, but all three were low-percentage attempts that were stopped by the Portland keeper.
Evander got in on the action for the Timbers with a shot on goal in the 78th minute. Mora then found the target but failed to convert in the 88th minute before Cristhian Paredes had the match's final decent scoring attempt four minutes later, trying Maurer with a right-footed shot from outside the box that was turned away.
