Fireworks light the sky as The Portland Timbers ready to play Colorado Rapids for the 2024 MLS Season opener at Providence Park, OR.
The Portland Timbers opened their MLS season with a bang! Fireworks erupted from Providence Park as the players took the pitch for their home opener against the Colorado Rapids, who finished last in the western conference last season. The Timbers Army was loudly in full force with a TIFO display spanning the North End full of Portland and TA iconography.
Timbers fans display the traditional TIFO on opening night.
It was head coach Phil Neville’s first chance to prove himself at Providence Park in front of an Army that was vocal about their displeasure at his hiring last year. He was forced to make an adjustment to the starting line up when Evander’s calf tightened up during warm-up due to a heel injury from the pre-season match against Chicago.
Evander was replaced on the roster with Christian Paredes within fifteen minutes to kick off. In the post-match interview, Coach Neville said, “I’d rather have him miss one game than miss a month or five to six weeks, and we took the long term approach. Because Christian has been training so well, it was a seamless transition.”
It did not take long for the Timbers to prove how hard they have been training and adapting to Coach Neville’s style of play. Eryk Williamson, who was playing a midfield position with Evander out, put the Timbers on the board in the 9th minute. Juan Mosquera delivered a low pass to the center of goal where Williamson, unmarked, sent the ball to the top left corner of the goal with one touch of his left boot. This was Williamson’s first match back for the Timbers since ACL surgery in 2023.
Timbers celebrate midfielder Erik Williamson goal.
Antony, a Brazilian winger the Timbers acquired in August 2023, was the star of the match in both his offensive and defensive play. In the 12th minute he took his first shot on goal that was caught by Colorado keeper, Zach Steffen. It was later ruled offsides.
Two minutes later, Antony found a great ball by Paredes and sent a header to the back of the net from center of goal, right over the up-stretched arms of Steffen. This play was a fantastic display of quick precision passing by the Timbers. Williamson sent Mosquera’s throw in to Asprilla with one touch. Asprilla’s one touch pass to Paredes was met with a light touch and then a perfectly placed pass to Antony, who delivered the well timed header for goal.
Timbers forward Anthony celebrates his first goal as a Timbers player.
Colorado had a few attempts to respond to the Timbers 2-0 lead but came up short. In the 26th minute Andreas Maxsø’s shot was saved by Timbers backup keeper, James Pantemis. The Timbers starting goalkeeper Canadian Maxime Crépeau, is still waiting on his visa and was unavailable to play.
Pantemis proved he was fully capable of the starting position and had another great save in the 28th minute, punching away Rafael Navarro’s shot from close range.
Timbers goal keeper James Pantemis makes a save.
The Timbers quickly went back on the attack. In the 29th minute Williamson sent a long pass from midfield to Antony, who deftly outmaneuvered his defenders, for his second goal of the match. The goal was originally called offsides, but after VAR review, the call was overturned and the goal stood. 3-0 Timbers in the first half hour of play.
Paredes earned the first yellow card of the match in the 45th minute for running over Calvin Harris. Colorado received their first yellow four minutes into stoppage time when Moise Bombito body rolled over Eryk Williamson.
Timbers Darion Asprilla (left) congratulates Anthony for his goal.
Santiago Moreno tried to get on the board for the Timbers in the 5th minute of stoppage time but his shot went high over the goal. Stoppage time also saw an own goal by Colorado. A pass by Antony was intercepted by Colorado homegrown defender Sam Vines, who could not get the ball cleared of the goal post.
Kamal Miller, a new signing for the Timbers, started the second half off for a studs up slide into Vines that resulted in an immediate yellow card. This gave the Rapids a free kick with the wall aligned at the top of the box. Cole Bassett’s shot sailed over the wall and the goal crossbeam as well.
Colorado did have a moment of redemption in the 55th minute when a corner kick by Connor Ronan found the head of forward Calvin Harris. Harris’ header was kicked away by Timbers defender Zac McGraw from inside the box. Play had continued after the ball was cleared without head referee Aleksandar Zhelyazkov blowing his whistle. Replay showed the ball bouncing on the goal line and up into the goal before McGraw’s contact. VAR ruled the play a goal.
Dairon Asprilla went to ground in the 58th minute when Maxsø kneed him in the back. It earned Colorado another yellow card. Colorado made a three man substitution during the next break in play.
Timbers midfielder Diego Chará controls a ball in his own half .
The Rapids continued to press in the second half looking for their next goal. Ronan took a shot in the 68th that missed just to the left. Colorado midfielder Djordje Mihailovic was given the team’s third yellow in the 75th minute for mowing down Antony.
Phil Neville made his first substitution of the night bringing on Nathan Fogaça for Eryk Williamson during the foul stoppage. Neville said post match, “To score the goal early in the game gave him a massive boost. What happens is when you come out after half time it just hits you a little bit. The intensity of the game, the intensity of the emotion of the moment, and I felt in the second half, he just slowed down a little bit. And that’s why we brought him off.”
Timbers forward Nathan Fogaça controls a ball in Rapids area.
Colorado made a substitution in the 77th minute while setting up for a free kick after a Diego Chara foul. Bombieto’s header off the free kick from the center of the box went wide left of goal. The Rapids had two more chances in the 85th that were both saved by Pantemis.
Portland made two late substitutions in the 85th and 90th minute. David Ayala came in for Antony and defender Dario Zuparic replacing midfielder Paredes. Asprilla took the last shot of the match in the 93rd minute that went high over the goal.
Timbers defender Dario Zuparic controls a ball in his own half.
The Timbers and Phil Neville both proved themselves in a resounding 4-1 win over the Colorado Rapids. Neville said, “I felt tonight there was a different feeling to the whole stadium. There was a reset. There was a freshness.This is a new era, let’s all be positive. We want this ground full. I want the whole stadium full. I want the whole stadium going away from this football game thinking, “You know what? This is really exciting,” and today was a little step forward and we still have a long way to go…We have to keep competing. We have to keep marching. We have to keep striving to be better.”
Timbers head coach Phil Neville thanks the fans in his debut with a Portland Timbers 4-1 win over the Colorado Rapids.
A ceremony honoring Benson Drapiza was held by the Timbers Army following the match. Benson was a fixture in 107, and later 106, pounding away on El Diablo, one of the two big drums in the TA’s Drums-N-Trumpets corp. A character larger than life who will always be remembered when the drums beat out from the old north end.
Capos drums Frank, chants in a moving ceremony for the loss of Benson Drapiza
