D.C. United rally to earn tie vs. Timbers

Mateusz Klich scored on a penalty kick and Kristian Fletcher scored in the 82nd minute as visiting D.C. United rallied from a two-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 tie with the Portland Timbers on Saturday night.

Alex Bono finished with one save for D.C. United (1-0-1, 4 points). They played without star striker Christian Benteke, who was a late scratch after picking up an injury during pregame warm-ups.

Santiago Moreno had a goal and an assist and Dairon Asprilla also scored for Portland (1-0-1, 4 points). Maxime Crepeau made six saves in his Timbers debut.

Portland, which scored four first-half goals in a season-opening 4-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids, jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute on Asprilla's swinging right-footed shot from the middle of the box off a crossing pass from the left wing by Moreno.

D.C. United nearly tied it in the 31st minute when Cristian Dajome, who replaced Benteke in the starting lineup, snapped a header from the edge of the six-yard box that Crepeau deflected over the crossbar.

Dajome had another good chance to tie it in the 51st minute when he blasted a right-footed shot from the edge of the box past Crepeau that ricocheted off the far left post.

Moreno then extended Portland's lead to 2-0 in the 61st minute when he picked up a loose ball that was ping-ponging around in the box and slotted a right-footed shot inside the near right post.

Klich cut it to 2-1 in the 72nd minute when he rolled a right-footed penalty kick in the bottom right corner. The score was set up when Timbers midfielder Diego Chara was called for a hand ball in the six-yard box. Chara had raised his arm trying to get an offside call when the ball hit it.

D.C. then tied it in the 82nd minute when Fletcher, alone on the left side of the six-yard box, tapped in a crossing pass with a right-footed shot into an open net.