Rivas scores twice as New York shuts out Portland
Benjamin Mines scored his first career MLS goal as the New York Red Bulls began their regular season with a 4-0 win over the Portland Timbers on Saturday night at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.
Mines, who turns 18 in May, became the fifth-youngest player to make an MLS start for the Red Bulls and the third youngest to score, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, behind Eddie Gaven and Jozy Altidore.
Mines scored in the 18th minute, and the Red Bulls added insurance goals late in the game on tallies by Bradley Wright-Phillips and Carlos Rivas. Rivas also scored his second goal in extra time.
Alejandro Romero Gammara had an assist in his MLS debut by setting up Mines' goal. Vincent Bezecourt added two assists as the Red Bulls opened a season with a shutout for the first time since 2011.
Luis Robles recorded his 50th career regular-season shutout. Robles' only save was a stop with his fingertip on a header by Dairon Asprilla in the 72nd minute.
Portland was blanked for the first time in 23 regular-season games since losing 1-0 to Sporting Kansas City on April 15, 2017. It ended the longest active streak in MLS.
Portland goaltender Jake Gleeson made five saves.
The Red Bulls rested nine starters ahead of Leg 2 of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals against Club Tijuana on Tuesday, but Wright-Phillips entered the game in the 64th minute
The Red Bulls took the lead in the 18th minute thanks to some nifty footwork by midfielder Derrick Etienne and Rivas, who moved the ball towards the net. Etienne fed Romero Gammara, whose kick across the box was perfectly placed for Mines, who simply fired it into the vacated left side of the net past a diving Gleeson.
New York pushed the lead to 3-0 by getting goals three minutes apart from Wright-Phillips and Rivas.
Wright-Phillips converted a header by Gleeson in the 77th minute, Rivas scored on a breakaway in the 80th minute and capped the win with a tap-in during extra time.
The start of the game was delayed by about 20 minutes because Portland experienced difficulty getting to Red Bull Arena.
--Field Level Media
