Kenny Cooper had one of three goals as the New York Red Bulls overcame a 2-0 deficit to drop the Portland Timbers 3-2 in MLS action Sunday at Red Bull Arena.
The Timbers looked like they might have finally squashed their reputation as one of the worst MLS teams on the road when forward Bright Dike scored in the eighth minute. Midfielder Darlington Nagbe added another goal in the 32nd minute, but then the Red Bulls ended the Timbers hope of ending their winless road streak.
Cooper put the Red Bulls on the scoreboard with a goal in the 42nd minute against his former employers. Tim Cahill scored the equalizer right before half time, and Heath Pearce brought it all home in the 83rd minute with a goal.
The win helps the Red Bulls keep pace with Sporting Kansas City for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Kansas City shut out Toronto FC 1-0 on Saturday. The Red Bulls remain two points behind of Kansas City.
Statistically it seemed like a pretty even match. Both teams had 12 attempts on goal, five shots on target. Both teams had six corner kicks and the Timbers had one more foul than the Red Bulls, nine and eight respectively. The Red Bulls dominated possession though; holding the ball for 66.8 percent of the game.
Cooper was traded to the Red Bulls in January for a 2013 first-round draft pick and allocation money. Cooper was the Timbers' leading scorer and scored the Timbers' first-ever MLS regular-season goal.
For more on the Red Bulls 2012 season, stay tuned to our StoryStream. See SB Nation's Once A Metro for more discussion of the Red Bulls.