The Timbers Army braving the cold to support their Portland Timbers as they take on DC United. Photo by Diego Diaz
It was a frigid night at Providence Park when the Portland Timbers hosted DC United for their second match of the 2024 season. Head Coach Phil Neville used almost the same lineup as last weekend with Christian Paredes in for Evander. Maxime Crépeau, who missed the last match due to visa delays, was in goal for the Timbers.
Things heated up quickly as play got underway. DC tried to be first on the board with a shot on goal in the 6th minute when Mateusz Klich sent a ball in that was an effortless save by Crépeau. Two minutes later Diego Chara was given a yellow card by head referee Trevor Wiseman for a light touch that would be hard to be considered a foul, let alone a yellow.
PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 2, 2024: Timbers Dairon Asprilla controls a ball in DC United half. Photo by Diego Diaz
The next five minutes of play saw each team trading corner kicks without capitalizing on them. In the 18th minute Santiago Moreno took the ball halfway down the field with incredible control to make a precision pass to Dairon Asprilla in the center of the box. Asprilla took one look and one touch to send the ball past United’s keeper, Alex Bono, to the back of the net for a Timbers goal.
DC were quick to recover from the goal and made two attempts in the 31st and 34th minutes to even the score. The first shot started with a cross from midfielder Jared Stroud to Cristian Dájome. Dájome’s header came from point blank range at Crépeau, who slapped the ball away with a leaping save. Dájome had the second attempt with a ground ball shot slowly down the middle and was easily collected by Max.
PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 2, 2024: Timbers keeper Maxime Crépeau makes a save. Photo by Diego Diaz
Juan Mosquera took a shot for the Timbers that went wide of goal in the 38th minute. On their next possession, the Timbers tried again. Eryk Williamson took a strong right footed shot on goal that was saved with a deflection by Bono.Santi Moreno and Erik Miller both took a shot on goal before the half ended. Had he been successful, it would have been Miller’s first goal of his 10 year MLS career.
The last 15 minutes of the first half were sloppy and chippy. There was palpable tension between the teams that would suggest a rivalry rather than teams who haven’t played one another since 2019.
PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 2, 2024: Timbers defender Juan Mosquera takes a shot on goal. Photo by Diego Diaz
DC United was the dominant team in the second half. It was evident that they had done their homework and were persistent in neutralizing Antony, physically matched Asprilla, and played the advantage on Chara’s yellow.
United had three shots towards goal in the first six minutes of the second half. The first came off a free kick from a Mosquera foul. The Timbers were saved when a rocket from Dájome sailed past Crépeau and ricocheted off the base of the far post. Ted Ku-Dipietro took a shot off the rebound that went high over the goal.
PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 2, 2024: Timbers midfielder Erik Williamson and DC United midfielder Mateusz Klicth have a confrontation. Photo by Diego Diaz
The temperature on the pitch got heated when words exchanged between Eryk Williamson and Mateusz Klich had to be broken up by Trevor Wiseman. Fouls were exchanged up and down the field. A DC corner kick in the 57th minute gave Klich a shot on goal that was an easy save for Max. Crépeau was given a yellow card after the save for time wasting.
The Timbers earned a free kick in the 60th minute when Christian Paredes was fouled by midfielder Pedro Santos. Williamson’s free kick into the center of the box was deflected before being collected by Erik Miller. Miller’s cross was intended for an Asprilla header but was high. Moreno was there for the clean up and sent the ball into the near side corner of the goal.
PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 2, 2024: Timbers midfielder Santiago Moreno scores Portland’s second goal. Photo by Diego Diaz
Klich was given DC’s first yellow card in the 62st minute for poor sportsmanship.
In the 65th minute Neville made his first substitutions of the match bringing on midfielder David Ayala for Williamson and defender Dario Zuparic for Erik Miller. Zuparic took a center back position next to Zac McGraw and Kamal Miller moved out wide.
PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 2, 2024: Tinmbers defender Kamal Miller clears a cross. Photo by Diego Diaz
McGraw was given a caution card in the 68th minute for impeding Ku-Dipietro. The resulting free kick led to a handball penalty against Diego Chara, who was signaling for offsides. Klich scored off the penalty kick making it 2-1 in the 72nd minute.
When asked about the substitutions and the following goal Coach Neville said, “I wanted to change the rhythm of the game. I wanted to change the way that the game was going. I thought we came out in the second half and didn’t gain any control, any passing rhythm, and so I wanted to get more people central. And then we give literally the goal away straight away. So the system wasn’t properly allowed to develop the way that we wanted.”
PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 2, 2024: DC United midfielder Mateusz Klitch scores from the penalty spot. Photo by Diego Diaz
United’s manager, Troy Lesesne, made his first substitutions of the match following the goal. Kristian Fletcher came on for Gabriel Pirani and Stroud was replaced with Jackson Hopkins.
Crépeau had two big saves in the 78th and 80th minute. Ku-Dipietro’s shot was blocked, then collected by Max, then Fletcher’s attempt was hit directly into Max’s arms. Nathan Fogaça came into the match for Antony in the 81st.
PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 2, 2024: DC United forward Christian Benteke. Photo by Diego Diaz
Kristian Fletcher found his goal in the 82nd minute when a low pass from Aaron Herrera crossed in front of Crépeau and found Fletcher unmarked. DC tied the match at 2-2.
Neville’s last substitution came following the goal with Mosquera coming out for Miguel Araujo.
The final play during regular time saw Herrera earning a yellow card for a hard foul that sandwiched Fogaça and sent him to the ground. There were 7+ minutes of stoppage time but the Timbers were unable to add one more to the board and pull back two points. The match ended in 2-2.
Timbers Santiago Moreno (left) and Dairon Asprilla (right) with their slab trophies for their goals in the 2-2 draw against DC United. Photo by Diego Diaz
