Keaton Parks’ header pulls NYCFC into 1-1 draw with Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. — Keaton Parks scored in the second half to pull NYCFC into a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers on Saturday night.

NYCFC is winless in its last 11 matches with five losses and six draws. The winless drought matched the longest streak in team history set in 2013.

The Timbers (5-8-7) went ahead in the 38th minute when Marvin Loria dropped the ball back to Evander, whose right-footed blast went over goalkeeper Matt Freese.

NYCFC (4-7-9) drew even with Parks’ header on a set piece in the 51st. It was his third goal of the season.

“The team has a huge drive and huge determination. So they were going to find a way to get back into the game,” NYCFC coach Nick Cushing said. “I said at halftime, I really believed they would find a way to get back into the game because I know my team. The surge of energy was there because they weren’t prepared to lose the game.”

It was the first meeting between the two teams since the 2021 MLS Cup final, which NYCFC won on a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw.

Portland was coming off a 2-1 loss at home to Chicago on Wednesday. The Timbers have won just once in their last eight matches and sit in 10th place in the Western Conference standings, below the playoff line.

“We’ve got to keep on pushing forward. We’ve got to stay positive. We’re going to stay in the mindset that we have to continue to work and go in the right direction and try to make sure that we continue to push — because what I see on the field has been very good. The results, disaster,” Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese said. “So it’s like kind of the two sides of the coin.”

Franck Boli had been the only scorer for the Timbers in its previous seven games, with three goals over that span.

Portland saw the return of Felipe Mora, who came in as a substitute in the 77th minute. Mora had not played for 11 months because of two knee procedures.

NYCFC was coming off a 2-2 draw with Atlanta on Wednesday after giving up a goal in stoppage time. New York City was mired in 13th in the Eastern Conference.

“If you see our results and this run that we’re on, you wouldn’t even blame us for putting our heads down. But I feel like nobody’s doing that. Nobody’s hanging their head. Everybody’s fighting day in and day out,” Parks said. “We’ve just got to keep grinding these out and hopefully get some wins.