Match Recap & Highlights: Portland Timbers 3 - 2 Colorado Rapids
Match Recap & Highlights: Portland Timbers 3 - 2 Colorado Rapids
Miles Joseph's tricky Timbers extend unbeaten run to six games with a home win against the Rapids.
The Portland Timbers (11-9-11) took down the Colorado Rapids (4-10-15) on a rainy first day of fall at Providence Park. Antony, Santiago Moreno, and Felipe Mora all got on the scoresheet as the Timbers dug deep to take all three points from the visitors, who were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss.
It was the Timbers’ third win in seven days after also taking three points from Austin FC and the San Jose Earthquakes, and takes interim head coach Miles Joseph’s record to (5-1-1) since he took charge of the team.
Recap
Just a few hours prior to the match, The Oregonian’s Ryan Clarke broke the news that goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic had filed a complaint with the MLS Player’s Association against the Portland Timbers - alleging “abusive conduct and tampering” from the club. Ivacic was subsequently left out of the matchday squad by Miles Joseph, meaning Bingham received the start once again with Hunter Sulte on the bench.
Evander was also left out of the matchday 20 due to a calf strain picked up during the week, which saw summer transfer window acquisition Antony receive his first start for the Timbers.
Cristhian Paredes’ yellow card midweek meant that he was out with a yellow card accumulation suspension, and with Diego Chara still recovering from an emergency appendectomy, young Noel Caliskan stepped into the starting lineup alongside Bryan Acosta and Moreno in midfield.
A lively first half saw the Timbers score twice in the opening half hour - Antony notching his first goal for the club in the 19th minute before Santiago Moreno doubled the lead with a sensational team move in the 30th.
Colorado immediately pulled a goal back through Diego Rubio one minute later, and via a wicked deflection Andrew Gutman equalized for the Rapids in the 43rd minute. The second half was a frustrating one for the Timbers but Felipe Mora finally gave the Timbers the lead that they would hold onto in the 71st minute, slotting home the winner 1v1 with the ‘keeper.
The win propelled the Timbers up to sixth-place in the Western Conference on 42 points, which is unfathomably just three points behind LAFC in second-place. Who saw that coming after the 5-0 loss in Houston?
Clyde Best
The Timbers honored club legend Clyde Best at the match by unveiling a mural painted by artist Kyra Watkins on the concourse at Providence Park, and gifted him a commemorative log slab and touching tribute video at halftime.
Best made 115 appearances for the Timbers between 1977 and 1981, scoring 38 goals and providing 27 assists with the number nine on his back. Best became one of the first black athletes to play in the English First division when he joined West Ham United in 1968 at the age of 17, inspiring generations of black athletes by persevering through racial abuse and championing equality in sports.
Highlights
19’ GOAL TIMBERS, 1-0 On his full debut, Antony opened the scoring with a downward header from close range, assisted by Dairon Asprilla. Asprilla stood up Abubakar before taking him to the endline and floating a lovely cross to Antony on the opposite side of the box to make it 1-0.
24’ YELLOW CARD - Noel Caliskan, late to a 50/50 challenge
26’ Dairon Asprilla nearly doubled the scoring with a header of his own, but couldn’t make the requisite contact on a wicked cross from Juan Mosquera that had just a little too much height and power on it.
30’ GOAL TIMBERS, 2-0 The Timbers wouldn’t have to wait long for their second goal, extending the lead through Santiago Moreno directly on the half-hour mark. Antony showed Providence Park some stepovers before playing a pass to Moreno, who completed a give-and-go with Caliskan in the box before sweeping home one of the Timbers’ best goals of the season.
31’ GOAL RAPIDS, 2-1 Just as they did on Wednesday against San Jose, the Timbers conceded a goal immediately after doubling their lead. Diego Rubio capitalized on a lapse in concentration at the back and planted a diving header past Bingham.
41’ VAR CHECK, POSSIBLE RED After stretching to get a shot away and making contact with Andrew Gutman in the process, Felipe Mora was booked and the referee was summoned to the VAR monitor to check for dangerous play. Mora got the ball first and the official stuck with his call on the field, a decision Miles Joseph described as the correct call post-match.
43’ GOAL RAPIDS, 2-2 The Rapids equalized through Gutman two minutes after the VAR incident in frustrating fashion from a Timbers perspective, with the Colorado fullback sending a long-distance strike off of Mosquera and past a wrong-footed David Bingham in net.
HALFTIME: Despite their strong start, the Timbers found themselves back on level terms with the Rapids at 2-2 when the whistle blew for halftime.
48’ YELLOW CARD - Claudio Bravo, for a late challenge
55’ David Bingham was forced into action with an athletic reaction save to keep Calvin Harris (not the DJ) from scoring a third Colorado goal.
71’ GOAL TIMBERS, 3-2 After an angry, tense period of poor officiating and bus parking from the Rapids, Felipe Mora blew the proverbial roof off Providence Park with a go-ahead goal. Asprilla leapt like a salmon over Abubakar to send Mora through 1v1 with the ‘keeper, and Pipe made no mistake. Captain’s goal, and it couldn’t have been a bigger one.
76’ SUBS Sebastian Blanco and Larrys Mabiala on, Antony and Caliskan off.
84’ SUB Eric Miller on, Claudio Bravo off.
90+5’ SUBS Franck Boli and Miguel Araujo on, Mora and Moreno off.
FULL TIME The Timbers held on to win 3-2 over the Rapids.
Final Thoughts
It wasn’t always pretty but at this point in the season all that matters is results, and the Timbers got another big one against the Rapids. What made the win even more impressive was the fact that the Timbers were without Diego Chara, Cristhian Paredes, and Evander, which is their entire first-choice midfield. Once again I thought Acosta was excellent, and Caliskan played pretty well, but my MotM was definitely Dairon Asprilla - two assists on the night, and a constant outlet for the team in the air and in behind the backline.
It was great to see Moreno and Antony both score, particularly Santi’s goal because of the nature of it. A direct, concise, instinctive move that was swept home confidently - something that was lacking from the Timbers’ play before Miles Joseph took over.
Don’t look now, but it’s late September and the Timbers are on a roll.
UP NEXT: The Timbers take a trip down I-5 for a visit to the LA Galaxy, kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, Sept. 30.
Asprilla is a revelation. I mean, I used to think he was just an awful player 3-4 years ago, but he has slowly come into his own. He plays with his head up, he has game intelligence, he's fixed his touch, and his passing accuracy, he can school defenders 1 v 1, great hold up player, he never stops hustling, and he has that incredible athleticism where he can beat anybody in the air.
This is exactly the kind of game I was hoping for from the rest of this season. Weird as hell, not exactly dominant, fun to watch, and fortunately the Timbers came out on top. But honestly, I wouldn't have been all that sad with a draw, because, unlike most of this season, I was ENTERTAINED last night. And that's all I'm looking for from my, well, entertainment.