Timbers Fight their Way to a Draw Against St. Louis City SC at Home

AUGUST 24, 2024 – PORTLAND, OR: MLS Regular Season match between Portland Timbers and St. Louis City (photos by Diego G Diaz).

The Portland Timbers put on quite the show when they hosted St. Louis City City SC Saturday night in their first match at Providence Park since the Leagues Cup break. Canadian center back Kamal Miller had to sit this one out for Portland due to yellow card accumulation before the break. Miguel Araujo took his spot on the back line. 

This match is best contextualized with some stats: Portland had 32 shots (a club record) to STL’s 14, 13 to 7 on goal. Portland had 12 corners to St. Louis’ 3. STL’s keeper Roman Bürki made 7 saves to Maxime Crépeau’s 3. City committed 22 fouls, double Portland’s, but only ended up with 3 yellow cards. Portland had 4 yellows and a red card -almost half of the fouls they committed resulted in a card. 

Evander tried to get the Timbers going with a shot from distance that was easily collected by Bürki. City took two shots in the 10th minute. The first by defender Tomas Totland hit the post and eventually led to the first corner kick. 

Marcel Hartel had service on the corner and sent the ball to the near post where Simon Belcher was waiting. Belcher’s header was right on target to the top left corner and City was up 1. 

Portland had a difficult time finding their rhythm and gaining control of the match for the next 15 minutes after the goal. Santiago Moreno was trying hard to create chances but he took too many touches, trying to do too much, and was stripped of the ball three times before taking a shot in the 26th minute from the center of the box that was caught by Bürki. 

Juan Mosquera took a shot from point blank range in the 29th that was impressively saved. Feeding off the positive momentum, Jonathan Rodriguez sent a rocket from the far corner of the 18 yard line that just went high and to the right. 

Belcher tried to put another one away for STL in the 34th but Crépeau was there to make the easy save. Belcher went down on the play after getting tangled up with Araujo, who made a late tackle in the box, missing the ball. 

Miguel was given a yellow card, and STL awarded a free kick, taken by midfielder Eduard Löwen. Crépeau jumped the right way but could not reach the ball in time. City advanced their lead in the 36th minute, up 2-0 over Portland. Belcher’s performance while on the ground was worthy of an Oscar nod for best supporting role in a drama. 

AUGUST 24, 2024 – PORTLAND, OR: MLS Regular Season match between Portland Timbers and St. Louis City (photos by Diego G Diaz).

The Timbers were able to take one back in the 39th minute with a textbook play that started with a long low pass from Evander at center field to Felipe Mora on the right side of the box. Mora’s pass cut directly across the front of the goal to Rodriguez making a run on the left post. Jona was perfectly in stride to send the ball to the back of the net. 

St. Louis took 4 shots on goal in the 5 minutes of extra time added to the first half. Crépeau made massive saves on the first two, but could not stop the third. Hartel took service on the second corner kick of the night, sending the ball to Cedric Teuchert, waiting on the 18 yard line. Teuchert’s one touch shot bounced it’s way past Max, who had a hard time tracking through all the bodies. Teuchert tried for one more long ball before the whistle but it went high over the goal. 

Evander started the second half with a shot in the 46th that was saved by Bürki. Claudio Bravo was fouled hard by Nökkvi Thórisson in the 50th and Thórisson was given a yellow; making him ineligible for City’s next match. 

Mora had a shot saved in the 54th followed by a missed shot by Thórisson for STL on the following play. During Portland’s next possession, Bravo sent a long cross into the far corner of the goal and connected with an Evander header. Rather than taking the shot himself, Evander passed to Mora, who was in position for an easy header goal! Portland 2, City 3.

Portland’s joy would not last as long as the green smoke drifting through the Timbers Army after the goal celebration. On the very next play, Thórisson cut into the center from the right and took a left footed kick to score City’s 4th goal of the night. 

STL followed their goal with a yellow card to Marcel Hartel for a bad foul against Mosquera in the 60th then made their first substitution during the break in play. 

Evander had a shot saved in the 64th minute by Bürki punching the ball away. Mora was there to collect and sent the ball flying past Bürki and into the back of the net. Portland was within one. 

AUGUST 24, 2024 – PORTLAND, OR: MLS Regular Season match between Portland Timbers and St. Louis City (photos by Diego G Diaz).

The intensity on the pitch was palpable as each team traded fouls. Evander was given a yellow in the 65th for a foul against Henry Kessler. 

STC made two more substitutions in the 69th followed by Portland making their first two in the 72nd. Eryk Willimson came on for Diego Chara and Antony relieved Juan Mosquera. 

Jona went down in the 73rd after getting clipped in the ankle but was given a yellow card for simulation rather than being awarded the foul. In the post match press conference head coach Phil Neville said that Rodriguez had, “probably a 6 inch gash,” in the side of his shin. Jona will miss next weekend’s match against Seattle due to yellow card accumulation. 

Williamson earned his spot in head referee Ramy Touchan’s book when he went to appeal a decision after being on the pitch for 5 minutes. Eryk was given a yellow for poor sportsmanship. 

The Timbers were fired up and on the offensive. After a series of blocked attempts and unfruitful corner kicks, Araujo’s header off a corner in the 83rd. made it to the back of the net but was called back after Antory was called offsides. 

AUGUST 24, 2024 – PORTLAND, OR: MLS Regular Season match between Portland Timbers and St. Louis City (photos by Diego G Diaz).

Another round of substitutions in the 86th minute brought in Mason Toye for Ayala and two fresh players for STL. City defender ​​Jannes Horn was given a caution in the 89th minute after fouling Antony. Moreno got the header off the free kick but it went high. 

There were 12 minutes of stoppage time added at the end of the second half. Portland was pushing hard during each possession and in the heat of play at 90+3, Mora’s foot clipped the side of Chris Durkin’s head while he was on the ground. Replay of the foul showed that Mora was not looking down as he pivoted with the play and that it was his toe, not cleats, that connected. 

Mora was given a red card and ejected from the game. He will also miss the match against Seattle. Despite being a man down, Portland still looked like the commanding team. 

Evander was fouled in the 90+9 and awarded a free kick from 24 yards out and just to the left of goal. It was a banger that sailed over the wall and curved beautifully into the back left corner of the goal!

Because of the red card, time continued past the original 12 minutes stoppage time. In the 5 minutes that were left to be played, Portland had 5 blocked shots by 5 different players. The Timbers managed to come back twice after trailing by 2 to get the draw in 90+15 minutes. Final score: Portland 4, St. Louis 4.