Portland Dominate Real Salt Lake 3-0 at Home

The Portland Timbers played their best football in a long time last night against Real Salt Lake at home in Providence Park. Salt Lake started the match sitting 2nd in the Western Conference with Portland in 5th.

James Pantemas was back in goal for the Timbers with Miguel Araujo joining him on the back line next to Dario Zuparic. Eryk Williamson also started rather than David Ayala, who was on the bench as a precaution due to a hit to the knee last match.

Portland hit the ground running with a goal in the 3rd minute by Felipe Mora. Santiago Moreno did a fantastic job of out maneuvering around two defenders and sent a low cross to the center of goal. Mora finished it with a right footer banger to the back of the net. It was Santi’s 100th appearance with the club and his 10th assist this season.

Mora scoring agains Real Salt Lake. Photo by Diego Diaz

Diego Chara was the first one booked with a yellow card in the 7th minute. The foul was a slight tackle with minimum contact and there were no previous fouls to lead up to a yellow. The entire Timbers team immediately surrounded head referee Joe Dickerson in protest. Jonathan Rodriguez was the most vocal about his disapproval of the call and earned his own yellow for poor sportsmanship.

Timbers coach Phil Neville said in the press conference, “I liked that we came together to protect one of our players. I liked that. It was a competitive game. Earlier in the season we had something like that and I’ll never forget Minnesota away. Jonathan Rodriguez was involved in something away from home and he was on his own and nobody went to surround him. And that for me was a sign that we weren’t a team. Today we were a team because everyone came together…”

The yellow cards were just getting started. After a few missed attempts by both teams, a fight broke out in the 23rd minute. RSL’s Chicho Arango shoulder checked Evander after the play and started to argue after receiving his yellow. The pitch lost all discipline and the players went for each other. Andrés Gómez was given RSL’s 2nd yellow and Mora was booked for Portland.

In the 30th minute Zuparic and Arango collided during a header and went down. Arango was charged with the foul and got up with a coban headwrap due to a cut on his head. Zuparic was able to continue playing after a quick examination by the trainers.

RSL Midfielder Braian Ojeda got a yellow card in the 37th minute for tripping Williamson, making three of Salt Lake’s starters on caution in the first 40 minutes.

Evander vs RSL. Photo by Diego Diaz

Portland put on a brilliant display of teamwork setting up Rodriguez for a shot on goal. Evander took the ball up the right side and passed forward to Mosquera. Juan sent a back cross to Santi at center field top of the arch who found Jona open on the left. Rodriguez’s shot was caught on the ground by MacMath.

Pantemas made a diving save in the 41th minute when Arango shot a rocket from the right corner of the paint to the far back post. It was a great read by James, who had to track the ball through a field of bodies. Chara took a ball to the face at close range during the following corner kick.

The Timbers defense made a great team save in the 43rd minute. RSL’s Gómez made a fast break with Dario and Miguel sprinting parallel to keep up. Gómez sent a cross intended for Arango but Araujo was there for the block. Gómez collected and tried to strike but Pantemas was there to collect.

There were 4 minutes of stoppage time added to the first half.

The second half got underway with just as much excitement as the first. Portland was on the board again in just 3 minutes after the starting whistle. Mosquera sent a long cross into Rodriguez, whose header was saved by MacMath with a deflection. Mora collected on the right and sent a cross back to Jona on the left side. Jona played the ball to Evander in the center of goal and he headed it to Santi Moreno. Santi put the Timbers up 2-0 with a one touch direct shot to the back of the net.

Evander was run through by Salt Lake midfielder Matt Crooks with a hard push from behind. It earned him Salt Lake’s 4th yellow card in the 56th minute.

On the following play the Timbers made a series of quick precision passes to earn a corner kick. Mora had a chance to shoot rather than let the ball go out and should have taken it.

Salt Lake made their first substitutions of the night in the 63rd minute bringing on Palacio, Oviedo, and Julio for Eneli, Vera, and Luna. Diego Luna had some word for Joe Dickerson as he left the pitch. Joe Dickerson had a yellow card for him as a parting gift.

Their next substitution was the debut for forward Mathew Bell from Jamaica coming on for Gómez in the 71st while the Timbers waited to take an unfruitful corner kick. RSL’s best chance came 4 minutes later when a shot by Arango hit the left post.

Portland made their first substitution in the 74th bringing on Ayala for Chara. Crooks went out for RSL in the 78th, replaced by Chang.

Moreno went down with a cramp in the 82nd minute and was replaced in the 83rd by Antony following a missed shot by RSL’s Alexandros Katranis. Claudio Bravo was rightfully given a yellow card in the 86th for a late step on the back heel of Maikel Chang. Katranis tried again for RSL in the 88th minute but was denied by James Pantemas falling on the ball for a save.

Phil made a three man substitution in the 89th minute for Portland. Erik Miller came on for Bravo, Nathan Fogaça took Mora’s spot, and Chrisian Paredes relieved Willamson.

Portland was not done as the final minutes ticked down. Evander got his 11th goal of the season in the 90th minute off a pass from Antony to the center of the box. Anderson Julio made one last attempt for Real Salt Lake halfway through the 4 minutes of stoppage time. He missed to the left and Pantemas was left with a clean sheet. Portland won 3-0.

This was Portland’s 10th win of the season. They are now 8-2-2 in their past 12 matches with one more game in LA against the Galaxy before the Leagues Cup break.