RENO, Nev. – Reno 1868 FC earned a much-needed point and remained unbeaten for the fifth-straight match after tying Portland Timbers 2 Saturday night.

Reno tied 1-1 with Portland in front of 6,027 fans on a night filled with emotion.

At halftime, Reno 1868 FC midfielder Matheus Silva returned to Greater Nevada Field for the first time since an accident at Lake Tahoe on July 4.

Silva met with the heroes who helped pull him from the water and received a standing ovation from the Greater Nevada Field crowd.

After a scoreless first half, both teams returned for a fast-paced second half. Reno 1868 FC had 28 total shots on Saturday and converted one of them in the 71st minute.

Midfielder Seth Casiple scored his third goal of the season off a deflected shot to put Reno up 1-0. The goal came off USL Midseason Rookie of the Year Chris Wehan’s 8th assist of the year.

But Portland refused to go away and Gio Calixtro made it 1-1 just 12 minutes later in the 83rd minute.

Despite the draw, Reno 1868 FC remains in solid contention for a playoff spot and leads the USL with 42 goals this year.

The team travels to take on USL power Swope Park Rangers on July 30th (2 p.m.) in a clash of the USL’s top teams. That is the first of three road matches in the middle half of the country.

Reno returns home on Aug. 12 against San Antonio FC (7:30 p.m.).

Reno 1868 FC Postgame Quotes

Head Coach Ian Russell

On earning a point at home…

“You know I thought we played pretty well. We didn’t get the result we wanted but we had 28 shots tonight. I think we need a little more focus in training to clean things up.”

On Matheus (Silva) returning to Greater Nevada Field for the first time…

“I thought it was great. He’s been working out with us the past couple of days. He’s wanted to come back and play soccer ever since he was in the hospital. It was great to see him out there with the people who helped save his life.”

On the upcoming road trip…

“I think this will be a good test for us. We have Swope Park coming up on the road and they are ahead of us. So I think we need to continue to be tested and this upcoming trip will be a good one.”

Seth Casiple, Reno 1868 FC Midfielder

On scoring his third goal this season…

 

“It was a very good feeling. My teammates found me and I just finished it.”

On getting a tie against his former team Portland Timbers 2...

“It was frustrating. You want to defend your home turf. But in the end, it’s positive that we earned a point.”

On seeing Matheus at the stadium…

“We just want to thank the Lord for his recovery. The people at Renown (hospital in Reno) did a fantastic job and it was great to have him back.”

Luis Felipe, Reno 1868 FC Midfielder

On seeing his friend Matheus Silva back at Greater Nevada Field…

“It was wonderful to see him. Especially with the fans and the people who saved him.”

On the upcoming trip…

“We still have several games to play and we’re looking to finish this season strong. We’re ready to move on.”

On the result Saturday night…

“I thought we could’ve done better, but we still earned a point. We just have to work harder at practice and clean up our mistakes.”