PORTLAND, Ore. — Dairon Asprilla had a striking bicycle kick goal and the Portland Timbers eliminated the San Jose Earthquakes from playoff contention with a 2-0 victory Wednesday night.
Video highlights of Asprilla's incredible kick have been shared all over social media and soccer fans have declared it one of the best goals of the year. Timbers manager Giovanni Savarese echoed that in an article with Major League Soccer (MLS).
Savarese told MLS, "I mean, unbelievable goal. He played very well. I think, if I’m not mistaken, his 10th of the year. Amazing, amazing and very important especially because it gave us the possibility to have the second goal which was much-needed."
In the same article, Asprilla told MLS that the goal was in tribute to his father who recently died.
"I thought a lot about my dad when I scored that goal," Asprilla, who is Colombian, told MLS through an interpreter. "Just with all the adversity and how hard last year and 2020 was, I think that gave me strength to score a goal like that."
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the Timbers, who are trying to hold on to the fourth spot in the Western Conference with two games remaining.
The Earthquakes have never won at Providence Park. They were in 10th place in the West and coming off a 1-1 draw at home with the Whitecaps on Saturday. San Jose made the playoffs last season, ending a two-year postseason drought, but fell to Sporting Kansas City on penalties in the opening round.
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On Wednesday night, Diego Chara scored in the 34th minute to put Portland in front. Asprilla added the goal on a bicycle kick from some 20 yards out in the 55th minute. It was his 10th goal of the season.
The Earthquakes saw the return of defenders Defenders Marcos Lopez and Nathan after they had to sit out a game for yellow card accumulation.
The Timbers are scheduled to take on Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, Nov. 3. The game is set to start at 7 p.m.
