The Portland defender was a pretty good WR back in his day.

Craig Mitchelldyer photo

BEAVERTON — Zac McGraw came shot out of a cannon two weeks ago.

The Portland Timbers defender scored a pair of goals in a 2-1 Leagues Cup win over Leon. Both came off corner kicks. Both featured the 6-foot-4, 205-pounder out-jumping his defenders to get his head on the ball to blast past the keeper.  

The two goals off corners were Portland’s first two of the year, with McGraw providing an unexpected charge to an offense that has otherwise dominated most statistical categories. On a roster crowded with depth where minutes are sparse, the 27-year-old has possibly carved himself a role similar to a red zone receiver — one of those players who can simply go up and get it in situations when the margins get tight. 

And while it may seem lazy for an American football journalist to compare a soccer player to something he’s more familiar with, McGraw doesn’t exactly disagree. 

Dude used to be quite a beast on the gridiron himself.

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Tyson Alger covered the Ducks for The Oregonian and The Athletic before branching out on his own to create and run The I-5 Corridor. He brings more than a decade of experience on the University of Oregon sports beat. He has covered everything from Marcus Mariota’s Heisman Trophy-winning season to the Ducks’ first year in the Big 10.