Portland Timbers work together to beat Austin FC 1-0 at home

MARCH 1, 2025 – PORTLAND, OR: MLS Regular Season Austin FC at Portland Timbers. By Diego G Diaz.

What a difference one week can make! The Portland Timbers that took on Austin FC last night played a consistent and determined game, bouncing back quickly after last week’s embarrassing loss to Vancouver. “We showed that we are a team that can handle adversity and come together and I think what we saw tonight is a DP number 10 that is going to be special,” said head coach, Phil Neville, in the post match presser.

The Timbers were missing seven players from the lineup including starting keeper, Maxime Crépeau, who was out with a lower body injury, and Kamal Miller due to his red card last Sunday. James Pantemis took over in goal for Max and Ian Smith had his first Timbers and MLS start on the back line.

Antony fired the first shot of the match in the 3rd minute with a ricochet off the crossbar. Portland showed great team effort and communication to earn the first corner kick in the 5th minute. Felipe Mora’s shot from the center of the box was saved by Austin’s keeper, Brad Stuver.

James had his first save of the night in the 15th minute when Brandon Vázquez took a shot on goal from outside the box. His second save came in the 29th when Dani Pereira tried a similar shot with equal success.

Timbers’ center back, Zac McGraw, was shown a caution card in the 39th minute. His foot was planted as he made contact with Austin forward Jáder Obrian, who tumbled over Zac and drew the foul.

Austin was forced to make an early substitution in the 41st minute when former Timbers player, Julio Cascante, went down holding the back of his leg and needed medical assistance. There was no contact or foul involved and Cascante was replaced by fellow defender Oleksandr Svatok.

Ariel Lassiter attempts a bicycle kick. By Diego G Diaz.

Timbers new acquisition, Ariel Lassiter, attempted a bicycle kick in the 44th minute that was blocked by defender Guilherme Biro.The second yellow card of the match went to Austin on the following play when Pereira took down David Ayala after the pass but the Timbers were unable to capitalize on the foul.

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

Head referee, Ismir Pekmic, was just getting started with the yellow cards and gave out the 3rd one to Antony in the 53nd minute for getting cleats down on top of Ilie Sánchez’s foot. The 4th yellow came 2 minutes later when Jimer Fory fouled Mikkel Desler after being warned multiple times by Pekmic.

A 2nd bicycle kick was attempted by Ayala in the 61st minute after Da Costa’s service from a corner kick in the 61st minute. It missed just slightly to the right of the goal. As a fan said online, “The spirit of Dairon was strong tonight.”

Austin made their second substitution in the 62nd minute bringing on forward Myrto Uzuni for Obrian and midfielder Besard Sabovic for Sánchez.

Joao Ortiz, Portland’s new midfielder, earned the team’s 4th yellow card in the 63rd minute when he grabbed Sabovic from behind.

Portland made their first substitutions in the 65th bringing on Kevin Kelsy for Mora, who passed the captain’s armband to Diego Chara, coming in for Ortiz.

Austin forward Brandon Vázquez went down holding his face in the 69th minute after making contact with Timbers’ defender Finn Surman. Vázquez ended up with a bloody nose and Surman with a foul.

Da Costa sent a beautiful long ball in for Kelsy in front of the goal surrounded by two Austin defenders in the 74th minute. Kelsy’s jump cleared the defenders but his header went high over the center of the cross bar.

Timbers goal keeper James Pantemis makes a save from a free kick by Austin. By Diego G Diaz.

Pantemas made a fantastic save 2 minutes later when he dived to the right to deny Sabovic’s banger of a shot from the corner of the box. Vázquez’s header off the following corner kick missed to the right.

Both teams made double substitutions in the 82nd. Austin replaced forward Osman Bukari with defender Jon Gallagher and Owen Wolff with fellow midfielder Nico Dubersarsky. This switch put Austin on the defensive with a back 5.

Portland brought on defender Eric Miller for midfielder Ari Lassiter and replaced Ayala with Christian Paredes in the midfield. Antony moved into his more traditional winger spot to fill the gap left by Lassiter.

Ian Smith played a fantastic game for the Timbers and in the 88th minute. He read Vázquez like a book, drawing a foul in perfect free kick position. Da Costa took the free kick from just outside the left corner of the box. With a bounce to the left of an unmoving Brad Stuver, the ball found its way to the back right corner of the net for a Timbers’ goal!

There were 5 minutes of stoppage time added after the 90. Paredes was given a yellow in the 90+1 for a sliding tackle on Sabovic from behind just outside the box. Before Austin could take their free kick, Phil Neville sent Claudio Bravo in for Da Costa. Sabovic’s free kick from 23 yards out sailed over the goal.

Portland played with a back five with Bravo in and were able to hang on to their lead for the remaining minutes of stoppage time. Jimer Fory went down after the final whistle blew with a bloody face due to a collision on the last play. He was reported to be fine and celebrating in the locker room afterwards.