Paladini helps Fire rally for draw with Timbers

Bridgeview, IL – The Chicago Fire came from two goals down in the second half to snatch a 2-2 draw at Toyota Park with the Portland Timbers on Saturday as Daniel Paladini scored on a free kick eight minutes from time for the home side.

Portland came out firing from the opening whistle and struck the frame of the goal twice in the first minute.

Frederic Piquionne saw his shot deflected onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Sean Johnson, while Diego Chara should have scored on the rebound but his effort from inside the six-yard box also struck the bar.

Will Johnson was next for Portland and he nodded the ball off the post from Michael Harrington's cross in the fourth minute.

Despite the strong start it took the Timbers until the 34th minute to open the scoring when Piquionne's flicked header sent Diego Valeri into the penalty area, where he shot the ball off the left post and into the net.

Portland made it 2-0 in the 58th when Piquionne played the ball back to Ben Zemanski for a first-time shot that was well placed inside the right post.

The Fire pulled a goal back in the 68th when a through ball wasn't properly handled by the Portland defense as confusion between goalkeeper Milos Kocic and defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste allowed Mike Magee to sneak in and roll the ball into the empty net.

Paladini then stepped forward and surprised Kocic with a quick free kick that he lifted over the wall and inside the left post, giving the Fire five points from their last three games.

Portland extends its unbeaten streak to 12 games with the result, but will be disappointed at giving away a two-goal advantage.