Jean-Baptiste helps Timbers to stunning victory

PORTLAND — Andrew Jean-Baptiste was busy all night Saturday, working to keep the dangerous Los Galaxy offense from doing damage.

Then, with the game in the final moments of extra time, the second-year defender delivered a stunning goal to give his Portland Timbers an improbable 2-1 win over Los Angeles.

Jean-Baptiste drove a header into the goal off of a corner kick from Diego Valeri in the final moments to give the Timbers their eighth win of the season in a match that easily might have gone the other direction.

Ryan Johnson also scored for the Timbers, who rallied from an early 1-0 deficit to shock the Galaxy and turn Jeld-Wen Field’s 43rd-consecutive MLS sellout crowd delirious.

The win moves Portland (8 wins, 2 losses and 9 ties) into second place in the Western Conference with 33 points, trailing red-hot Real Salt Lake’s 37 points. Los Angeles (9-8-3) sits fourth in the conference.

“What it does is it continues to give our team belief,” Timbers coach Caleb Porter said. “You gain belief through success.”

The game looked like – thanks to some big-time saves from both goalkeepers – it was headed for a draw. That would have been a fair result on a night when momentum shifted throughout.

The corner kick that produced the game-winning goal came moments after Portland survived a Los Angeles corner kick. Portland got its chance thanks to some upfield hustle that earned the Timbers third corner kick of the game.

Valeri whipped the ball across the face of the goal, and Jean-Baptiste emerged from a crowd to drive the ball inside the post.

Portland goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made four saves in the game, the last of those a nice reaction stop in the 82nd minute on a Gyasi Zardes opportunity.

Los Angeles keeper Carlo Cudicini matched Ricketts with two reaction stops seconds apart in the 61st minute to turn away a Darlington Nagbe shot and then deny Ryan Johnson on the rebound.

A spirited first half ended in a 1-1 draw, thanks to a nifty free kick play by Portland. After Robbie Rogers fouled Nagbe, Valeri quickly rolled the free kick to Nagbe, who was behind the defense on the right side of the penalty area. Nagbe then crossed the ball to Johnson who was wide-open for a 27th-minute tap-in finish and his sixth goal of the season.

Los Angeles opened the scoring in the 17th minute. Marcelo Sarvas made a late run into the box and was wide open to head home a right-wing cross from Hector Jimenez. Like Portland’s first goal, a quick restart from a free kick launched the Galaxy scoring play.

For all its ability in the buildup, it was restarts and crosses that gave the Timbers defense the most trouble during the first half. In addition to the goal, Zardes had a second L.A. goal disallowed for a shoving foul as he headed a long free kick past Ricketts, and Omar Gonzalez sent a header off the post from another right-wing cross.

Ricketts’ active first half included a terrific right-handed reaction save to turn away a free kick from 24 yards off the foot of Juninho. He also hustled to the top of the penalty area and made a sliding play to kick the ball away from an onrushing Zardes.

Porter praised the work of Futty Danso and Jean-Baptiste in the middle of the Portland defense. Porter noted that Robbie Keane – who was replaced in the 79th minute – has been held scoreless in two games against Portland this season.

Los Angeles poured 31 open-play crosses into the penalty area, but the only one that produced a goal came after a quick restart when Sarvas made a delayed run into the danger area for his open header.

“I thought they had a tremendous game,” Porter said, noting that Danso filled in for the suspended Pa Modou Kah.

Thanks to a heady play from Jean-Baptiste, who scored his first goal of the season and second of his young career, the finish wasn’t too shabby, either.

TIMBERS 2, GALAXY 1

Los Angeles 1 0–1

Portland 1 1–2

First half–1, Los Angeles, Sarvas 4 (Jimenez, Franklin), 18th minute. 2, Portland, Johnson 6 (Nagbe, Valeri), 27th.

Second half–3, Portland, Jean-Baptiste 1 (Valeri), 90th+.

Goalies–Los Angeles, Carlo Cudicini; Portland, Donovan Ricketts.

Yellow Cards–DeLaGarza, Los Angeles, 31st; Chara, Portland, 40th; Sarvas, Los Angeles, 41st; Johnson, Portland, 42nd; Ricketts, Portland, 90th+; Jean-Baptiste, Portland, 90th+.

Referee–Baldomero Toledo. Assistant Referees–Corey Rockwell. Kermit Quisenberry. 4th Official–Alejandro Mariscal.

A–20,674 (20,000)

Lineups

Los Angeles–Carlo Cudicini, Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant, Sean Franklin, Robbie Rogers (Colin Clark, 70th), Juninho, Marcelo Sarvas, Hector Jimenez (Jose Villarreal, 75th), Robbie Keane (Jack McBean, 79th), Gyasi Zardes.

Portland–Donovan Ricketts, Mamadou Danso, Andrew Jean-Baptiste, Michael Harrington, Kalif Alhassan (Frederic Piquionne, 60th), Ben Zemanski, Diego Valeri, Jack Jewsbury, Diego Chara, Darlington Nagbe (Sal Zizzo, 90th+), Ryan Johnson (Jose Valencia, 85th).