Portland Timbers and Tigers UANL pose together in a message against hate moments ahead of the start of the League’s Cup Tigres UANL 2-1 victory over The Portland Timbers on July 26, 2023, at Providence Park, Portland, OR.
The Portland Timbers welcomed Tigres UANL to Providence Park for the second round of the group stage of the Leagues Cup. The Timbers beat the San Jose Earthquake last Saturday 2-0 and need a win tonight to advance to the knockout round. Tigres are the reigning Liga MX champions.
Timbers Dairon Asprilla’s effort on the wing is blocked by Tigers defender Luis Quiñones.
The first half was spent with each team fighting for the upper hand. Portland’s right side took the brunt of the physicality with Juan Mosquera and Dairon Asprillia battling over each possession. Christian Paredes took a hard foul in the 13th minute by Tigres’ midfielder Fernando Gorriarán and played the rest of the half with tissue up his nose.
Evander had the first chance for the Timbers to get on the board in the 21st minute with a left footed shot from the center of the box that just missed to the left. He was assisted by Mosquera.
In the 24th minute Felipe Mora was fouled by Tigres captain, Guido Pizarro, leading to a Timbers free kick from the top of the arch.
It was Evander who took the free kick and sent a rocket scorching past the stationary Tigres wall and straight into the back of the net. It was a perfectly placed ball out of reach of keeper, Nahuel Guzmán. Timbers 1, Tigres 0 in the 24th minute.
Timbers players celebrate Evander Ferreira after he scored off a free kick.
Timbers’ keeper, Aljaz Ivacic, saved a right footed shot by André-Pierre Gignac, who was assisted by Javier Aquino with a cross in the 27th. Tigres’ midfielder, Rafael Carioca, was shown the yellow card for a bad foul against Mora in the 30th minute.
Mora, who had his first start tonight since coming back from injury, had a header attempt saved in the 33rd minute off a cross by Evander. Timbers’ defender, Zac McGraw, also had a header that was blocked on the following play.
Tigres’ defender, Samir, earned the team’s second yellow in the 37th minute followed by a yellow card for Evander two minutes later.
It did not take long for Tigres to find the equalizer. In the 42nd minute André-Pierre Gignac’s right footed shot from the center of the box went right under Ivacic’s leg and into the goal. He was assisted by fellow forward, Nicolás López, with a through ball following a fast break.
In a shocking dramatic shift in the game, Evander was shown a second yellow for what looked like a light foul in the 44th minute. There was much debate on the pitch from Timbers players to head referee, Walter López Castellanos, who’s call on the field stood. Evander was given a red card and the Timbers played a man down for the rest of the match.
In confusing challenge Timbers midfielder Evander Ferreira would see a yellow card and a red card, expelling him from the play and leaving Portland with 10 players for the remainder of the match.
Luis Quiñones, a forward for Tigres, was given a yellow card in the 45+4 minute of stoppage time just before the whistle blew. Timbers 1, Tigres 1 at the end of the first half.
Timbers’ head coach, Giovanni Savarese, made the first substitution of the match at the start of the second half bringing on striker Jaroslaw Niezgoda for Mora. Gio said that Mora started to feel some tightness and it was only out of caution that he was substituted. Tigres also made a substitution bringing on Diego Reyes for Samir.
Portland continued to put up a fight against a chippy physical Tigres team. Juan Vigón earned the 4th yellow card for the Mexican team in the 61st minute. Both teams took advantage of the stop in play to make more substitutions.
Tigres brought on midfielder Diego Lainez for López and Ozziel Herrera for Vigón and the Timbers substituted Santiago Moreno in for Marvin Loría.
The Timbers were saved by the post in the 66th minute when a header by Herrera hit the top bar and deflected away from goal. He was assisted by Javier Aquino with a cross. Both teams continue to push and exchange fouls as they look for the next goal.
Tigres made two more substitutions in the 78th minute swapping forward Nicolas Ibáñez for Gignac and midfielder Córdova for Gorriarán. Two minutes later on the following play Tigres found their go ahead goal.
Pizarro sent a header pass to defender Jesús Angulo following a corner kick situation conceded by Claudio Bravo. Angulo’s header from the left side of the box found the bottom left corner of the goal putting Tigres up 2-1.
Timbers midfielder Cristian Paredes in a swarm of Tigers defenders.
Gio made his last big substitution of the match in the 88th minute adding strikers to the lineup in a last ditch effort to find another goal.
Franck Boli came on for Bravo, Sebastian Blanco replaced Mosquera, and Miguel Araujo took Asprillia’s spot. Araujo is the team’s new center back but due to playing a man down, he took a forward position.
Sadly, it wasn’t enough and the Timbers were unable to find the goal. The final whistle blew after 90+5 with Tigres on top 2-1.
Gio was obviously frustrated in the post match interview. “I think both teams knew that it was going to be challenging. We know about Tigres and their roster and how good they are and we knew it was going to be a good battle today. I just think the referee ruined the game. The referee ruined the game on a red card that was not provided with a conscientious (view) of what was happening in the game. So, for me, there was no need.. because we knew that we were facing a team that didn’t need any help. I think from that moment it became just more difficult for us.”
