Ariel Lassiter Scores Twice to Lead Portland Timbers Past Charlotte FC
Portland Timbers Defeat Charlotte FC in Five-Goal Thriller
Costarican forward Ariel Lassiter scored two goals to lead the Portland Timbers to a 3-2 victory over Charlotte FC in Major League Soccer action, everardoherrera.com reported.
The visiting side struck first within the opening minutes. Pep Biel found the back of the net for Charlotte FC at the 3′ mark, silencing the home crowd early.
Lassiter erased the early deficit quickly. At the 11′ mark, he connected with a left-footed shot from inside the penalty area, converting an assist from Eric Izoita to tie the match 1-1.
Before the halftime whistle, Lassiter struck again. He completed his brace in the 40′ minute, once more utilizing a setup pass from Izoita to give the Portland Timbers a 2-1 lead heading into the locker room.
Sofascore awarded Lassiter a 9.0 match rating, the highest score recorded for any player on the pitch. With this multi-goal performance, Lassiter brought his total season tally to 10 goals, split between 7 in regular MLS matches and 3 in the Leagues Cup.
Alexander Aravena Scores Late Winner for Portland
Charlotte FC mounted a second-half response. Idan Toklomati leveled the score at 2-2 in the 69′ minute, pressuring the home side as regulation time wound down.
The decisive breakthrough arrived deep into stoppage time. Chilean player Alexander Aravena secured the win for Portland with a goal at the 90+6′ mark, following an assist from Cole Bassett.
Standings Impact on Western and Eastern Conferences
The 3-2 defeat disrupted Charlotte FC’s push for a direct playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. For Portland, the three points brought their season total to 37, placing them 12th in the Western Conference and still outside the qualification zone as the regular season enters its final stretch.