Green is Gold Charity Match Recap: A goal-explosion extravaganza
The fun, the shenanigans, and allll the goals of the Timbers & Thorns charity match
In the second ever Portland Timbers and Thorns charity collaboration, they presented to everyone the Green is Gold Charity match!
This soccer celebration benefitted nonprofits the Nature Conservancy and Keep Oregon Green and their work in the environment and conservation.
The Green is Gold Charity match consisted of two, 30-minute halves with a 15-minute halftime.
In the ninth minute, Soph Smith for Team Gold played a beautiful ball on a counter to Jonathan RodrÃguez. Unfortunately, he took awhile to shoot the ball and Dario & Emily Alvarado stopped him.
The first goal came in the 15th minute when MVP candidate Evander danced in the box with the ball and fired far post to beat Alvarado to give Gold the lead.
One minute later, Team Green would answer right back when Dairon Asprilla beat Eric Miller on the end line and slotted home at a sick angle to equalize.
The teams went into halftime tied 1-1, after a cagey but fun first half.
In the opening minute of the second half, Ana Dias made an immediate impact with a right-footed blast past Shelby Hogan. She nearly tallied a brace right after but her shot went wide.
Minutes later, Jonathan Rodriguez would equalize immediately off a feed from Diego Valeri. Their pretty two-man game in the box would be enough to get past Lauren Kozal to tie it up again.
In the 36th minute, Timbers Academy’s product Callum Lugton smashed an absolute golazo home from outside the box past Hogan to put Green ahead.
Did you say brace? Ana Dias heard you! In the 38th minute, she headed it home to double team Green’s lead to 4-2.
Former Portland Timber and current Portland Thorns assistant coach Vytas would sub in — and immediately commit a foul in the box. Shelby Hogan would take the PK against both Kozal and Izzy D’Aquila and not be able to convert.
This second half would break into complete chaos with goals being scored every minute or so. Frankly, I had trouble keeping up with this recap.
In the 42nd minute, Thorns Academy and Portland Thorns II player Cally Togiai would cut the lead down with a great volleyed finish.
But just seconds after that, Ana Dias completed her hat trick to put Green back up two goals.
Literally a minute later, Janine Beckie would finish near post for Gold to make it 4-5.
That’s three goals in three minutes… This game was so much fun.
In the last fifteen minutes, there would be a pitch of approximately a zillion players.
In the 49th minute, Shelby Hogan — yes the goalkeeper — would be in on goal against Izzy D’Aquila and finish! Yes, you read that correctly. The game would officially be tied!
In the 51st minute, you would have to witness it to believe it. One of the most bizarre footy scenes of all time, Moreno would finish the goal off a short penalty kick to make it 6-5 Green.
Who do you call when you need a goal? It’s Jona! He would finish off a rebound in the last minute to tie it up. It would end 6-6! What a freakin’ game.
If you have not got a chance to watch it or want to rewatch, it is a must!
You can watch the replay on Youtube here.
Highlights:
First Half
3’ Jona with the first shot on goal, Emily Alvarado up to the task!
4’ Claudio Bravo with the nicest foul you’ll ever see on Jona
7’ Captain Jack Jewsbury fires at goal, but Becky Sauerbrunn denies
9’ Soph through ball to Jona, who somehow doesn’t finish his chance. Shoutout Dario and Alvarado.
10’ Jack again in on goal, but denied by Trey Muse.
14’ Emily Alvarado denies Jona
15’ 1-0 Gold Evander dances in the box and slots one home in the bottom 90.
16’ 1-1 Dairon Asprilla answers right back beating Eric Miller and Trey Muse.
21’ Valeri with the perfect slide challenge on Dairon
22’ Corner Kick - Green
24’ Evander with a rocket of a volley - Alvarado denies
27’ Dairon to Izzy, she barely misses
First half ends
Second Half
31’ 2-1 Green Ana Dias breaks the deadlock with a beautiful right footed finish.
34’ 2-2 Jona equalizes with the assist from Diego Valeri.
36’ 3-2 Green Calllum Lugton with the Golazo
37’ 4-2 Green It’s Ana Dias again! She’s on a brace!
39’ Vytas with the foul in the box, pk awarded to Gold! Shelby Hogan takes it against Kozal and D’Aquila and does not convert.
42’ 4-3 Green Portland Thorns II’s Cally Togiai gets one back for Gold
43’ 5-3 Green Did you say hat trick? Ana Dias heard you!
44’ 5-4 Green Janine Beckie with a near post finish to cut it back down to one!
49’ 5-5 Shelby Hogan scores on Izzy D’Aquila?!
51’ 6-5 Green In one of the most bizarre footy scenes of all time, Moreno would finish the goal off a short pk.
59’ 6-6 Jona ties it off a rebound in the very last minute!
That was a gigantic pile of silly. I was kicking myself for not having gone to the last one, and I am so glad I went to this one.
I think my favorite part of the whole thing was Moreno playing most of the second half with one arm inside his shirt, after being called for a handball and not wanting to be called for another one. I'm bummed Jack J didn't get a goal, but my god the second half was just non-stop comedy gold, from each team just sorta...sneaking one or two extra players on at first, to pretty much every Thorns goalkeeper playing the outfield, to Vytas, Ridgewell, Gale, and Neville all...well, to call it "playing" is charitable (although Vytas did look up for it!), to players playing while wearing Gale's jacket and vest...the whole thing was just delightful.
Man, what a good time last night! Love this event!