Dwayne De Rosario’s 96th minute penalty kick conversion helped give the New York Red Bulls a 3-3 tie against the Portland Timbers in a wild encounter. New York’s Austin da Luz recorded his first ever MLS goal and assist, while Thierry Henry also found the back of the net, as the Red Bulls rallied from a two-goal deficit to earn a point in front of 18,627 spectators at a sold out JELD-WEN Field. With the result, New York took the outright lead in the Eastern Conference, improving to 23 points off a 5-2-8 record and extending its MLS unbeaten run to six.
The Red Bulls were energetic to start the game and their efforts paid off in the sixth minute. Henry one-timed a da Luz pass from the center of the park to find a streaking Dwayne De Rosario on the left wing. De Rosario slid it towards the top of the box to an open da Luz, who took a touch past a Portland defender and slotted it in with his right foot from near the penalty spot.
The Timbers came back into the match by finding the back of the net twice within the opening five minutes of the second half. First, in the 48th minute, Jack Jewsbury collected a Red Bulls clearance outside of the box and ripped it past New York goalkeeper Greg Sutton and into the back of the net. A minute later, the hosts took the lead and Jewsbury this time was the provider. The midfielder swung in a free kick from the left side that Eric Brunner nodded down to Kevin Goldthwaite, who used his heel to knock it home from close range
Portland nearly notched a third as a Brunner’s header was bound for goal, but New York midfielder Teemu Tainio acrobatically volleyed it off the line. Jewsbury later forced Sutton to dive to his left to parry his attempt away.
The Timbers doubled their advantage in the 68th minute. Forward Jorge Perlaza raced down the right wing and knocked it into the six-yard box. New York defender Stephen Keel tried to clear it but slid it into his own net.
Henry brought the Red Bulls within one again five minutes later. The Frenchman started the play with a run with the ball from the center of the park. He eventually dished it to da Luz, who gave it right back to him in the box. Henry rifled it in with his left foot for his eighth goal of the season.
Portland had a chance moments later to score their forth when Sutton was adjudged to have taken down Perlaza in the box off a breakaway. However, Jewsbury’s ensuing spot kick clanged off the right upright.
With the visitors looking for the game-tying goal, they went down a man in second half stoppage time when Henry was shown a red card for an alleged altercation with a Timbers player. Despite playing with 10 men, the Red Bulls found a last gasp equalizer in the last play of the game. A failed Timbers clearance fell to De Rosario, who rushed to the endline and swung in a cross that hit the arm of Portland’s Rodney Wallace. De Rosario stepped up and powerfully struck it past a correctly-guessing Perkins to give New York the point.
The Red Bulls continue their four-game road trip when they take on Seattle Sounders FC on Thursday night at 10:00 PM ET (TV: ESPN2; Radio: WADO 1280 AM). New York’s next home match is on June 6 when it hosts Toronto FC at 8:00 PM at Red Bull Arena (TV: MSG Plus; Radio: WQBU 92.7 FM).