Santiago Moreno scored his first goal of the season against Real Salt Lake. Photo by Diego Diaz
It was a beautiful blue moon night at Providence Park as the Portland Timbers hosted Real Salt Lake for a midweek match. This was the second of three matches in eight days for the Timbers, who face Seattle on Saturday. Portland started the match six points under the red line and out of the playoffs and have the mentality that, “Every game is going to be a final,” according to Diego Chara.
Sebastian Blanco started for the Timbers adding his veteran experience to the front three alongside Franck Boli and Santiago Moreno. Captain Chara commanded the midfield with help from Christian Paredes and Evander. David Bingham was in goal for Portland with Zac McGraw, Dario Zuparic, Claudio Bravo, and Juan Mosquera on his defensive back line.
The initial ten minutes of the match were uneventful as both teams found their rhythm. That all changed in the 13th minute when a cross from Evander found Mosquera on the right side of the goal. Juan popped a high ball into the center of the box perfectly placed for Moreno to finish with a header. It was Santi’s first goal of the season and made with his mom in attendance, visiting from Colombia. Timbers on the board 1-0.
Sebastian Blanco fighting for possession against Real Salt Lake. Photo by Diego Diaz
Real Salt Lake increased their pressure on Portland as they struggled to find a way through the Timbers defense. In the 31st minute there was a foul called on Chara with RSL’s Braian Ojeda going to ground holding on to his face after the two collided. A Video Assisted Referee (VAR) check was called to assess if there was violent conduct that would result in a red card. Video replay showed Chara lightly grazing Ojeda’s face with his fingers as he pushed Ojeda away after Ojeda shoved his forearm and elbow into Chara’s groin. Chara was given a yellow card from head referee Joe Dickerson after the VAR review.
In the 35th minute Salt Lake conceded a corner but the play was delayed by Dickerson to scold RSL about the level of physicality they were using as they waited for the whistle. Bravo took a left footed shot following the corner but it went over the goal.
Salt Lake had their first shot on goal in the 38th minute. Bingham made a diving save to stop midfielder Nelson Palacio’s shot with the fingertips of his gloves. On the following play Juan Mosquera made a connection with Moreno, but Santi’s touch was too heavy and the ball sailed over the crossbar.
Anderson Julio, forward for RSL, had two attempts on goal in the 39th and 41st minute with both shots going high and wide of goal. Ojeda had a few touches during Salt Lake’s possession and the entire stadium loudly booed when he touched the ball. This continued for the duration of the match for each and every touch.
Juan Mosquera
Photo by Diego Diaz
Mosquera and Moreno paired up again for another attempt on goal with minutes left in the first half. Juan sent the cross in to Santiago, who was unable to keep the ball down and it sailed over the net.
Three minutes of stoppage time were added to the clock at the end of the half. In 45+1 Ojeda got his much deserved place in Dickerson’s book with a yellow card for elbowing Chara in the face. The Timbers fans audibly let Ojeda know how they felt about him and his foul as he left the pitch for halftime.
Real Salt Lake made their first substitution of the match in the first minute of the second half. Midfielder Andrés Gómez came on for homegrown midfielder Bode Hidalgo. Hidalgo had the assist on Palacio’s saved shot and assisted Juilo on both of his attempts.
David Bingham with a save against Real Salt Lake. Photo by Diego Diaz
Diego Luna assisted Andrés Gómez in the 51st minute on a shot that went high and to the right of goal. On the following play Rubio Rubín’s header off of an Ojeda cross was saved with an easy catch by Bingham in the center of the goal.
Two minutes later in the 56th minute Ojeda’s right footed shot from outside the box was not quite lined up with the goal but Bingham made sure to get a hand on the ball out of precaution.
Portland decided to make their first substitutions of the match in the 57th minute following a missed attempt by RSL forward Anderson Julio. Felipe Mora came on for Franck Boli and Yimmi Chara relieved Sebastian Blanco. Seba played for 56 minutes, his longest play time since returning from injury.
Santiago Moreno and Felipe Mora
Photo by Diego Diaz
Salt Lake made a substitution in the 58th minute bringing on their new designated player, Cristian Arango, in for Julio. Arango joined the team during the summer transfer window and has made three goals in the eight matches he’s played.
In the 61st minute the Timbers were saved by the post when a shot from defender Brayan Vera deflected off of the left side of the goal following a corner situation. Salt Lake played the corner short passing back to Vera who sent a rocket from well beyond the arch.
The Timbers took possession on the following play with Bravo driving the ball down field before sending the cross to Moreno. Santi sent a short pass into the box to Mora who finished with precision! The Timbers scored again making it 2-0 in the 64th minute. This was Mora’s second goal in consecutive games, having scored last Saturday against Vancouver BC.
Timbers fans enveloped in green smoke celebrating Mora’s goal. Photo by Diego Diaz
Portland made two more substitutions in the 73rd minute with Dairon Asprilla relieving Moreno and Bryan Acosta coming on for Evander. Acosta was acquired August 1st in a trade with the Colorado Rapids. Salt Lake made their next substitutions in the 78th bringing on Damir Kreilach for Rubín and Jasper Löffelsend on for Palacio.
Vera repeated his rocket of a shot from beyond the 18 yard line in the 83rd minute. This time, he found his mark and the ball hit the back of the net. Timbers 2, RSL 1. Vera earned a yellow card two minutes later for shoving a Timbers player from behind.
Timbers coach, Miles Joseph, decided to make a on the spot substitution in the 83rd minute bringing on Larrys Mabiala for Paredes, who took a hard hit minutes before.
There were four minutes of stoppage time added at the end of the 90. Asprilla was given a yellow card in the 90+3 for continuing play after a foul whistle had been blown. Bingham added to the Timbers yellows in the 90+4 for delay of game. The final whistle blew with the Timbers winning the match 2-1 and the much needed three points.
Christian Paredes and Felipe Mora
Photo by Diego Diaz
During the post match interviews, Coach Joseph said, “I thought it was a good continuation from our last game in the second half. So that was kind of the message going into the game to continue on from the second half of the last game and the guys really put a great effort in the first half to start off on the right foot…This is a great win for us to build momentum. I think every game against Seattle is important. So it puts us in a really good spot. Short turnaround again. We’ve got to make sure our players are rested — they’re eating and sleeping and then we will get them on the training field and do minimal things this week. Just to keep them sharp for the game, so they’ll be ready. They’ll be ready.”
