A heated match rewards the Portland Timbers with a win over Austin FC

Edward Anderson on November 14, 2022

On Wednesday night, the Portland Timbers continued their momentum with a thrilling win over Austin FC.

Last weekend, the Timbers won the Cascadia Cup before heading to Texas.

In the Q2 stadium, the guests managed to knock off the Western Conference runners-up.

The lineup

Coach Giovanni Savarese fielded the same XI that beat the Seattle Sounders last week.

The roster included: Aljaz Ivacic, Santiago Moreno, Bill Tuiloma, Dario Zuparic, Zac McGraw, Claudio Bravo, Diego Chara, Eryk Williamson, Sebastian Blanco, Dairon Asprilla, and Yimmi Chara.

Meanwhile, David Bingham, Pablo Bonilla, Larrys Mabiala, JoseCarlos Van Rankin, David Ayala, Marvin Loria, Christhian Paredes, Jaroslaw Niezgoda, and Tiega Ikoba were on the bench.

The game

The first half of the duel was one of the most heated the Portland Timbers have had this season as Austin kept the defense on edge.

While the home side unfortunately converted their chances, the Timbers were not without their misfortunes.

Portland had the opportunity to take the lead in a counterattack that worried home fans.

The visitors finally got their breakthrough with a free kick from Eryk Williamson, which hit Bill Tuiloma and opened the way.

In the second half, Austin maintained his momentum when a corner led to a near chance that the Timbers were lucky enough to escape in a fight.

Despite dominating the game, Portland won when center-back Zac McGraw found the back of the net after bouncing off Austin’s goalkeeper.

Seven minutes later, Austin pulled one out and slashed the Timbers’ lead by one with a header from Ivacic.

However, Portland rallied to maintain its lead, and the final whistle confirmed that the Timbers had taken all three points.

Aftermath and remaining matches

The Portland Timbers took a win in their biggest win of the season.

Although the Seattle Sounders were their biggest rivals and gave them one of the toughest matches to secure their first Cascadia Cup since 2017, Austin FC’s quality was unmatched by the Sounders.

The Timbers are currently seventh above the playoff line with five games left in the campaign.

They are just three points behind Nashville SC and Real Salt Lake (fifth and sixth in the standings) and five points behind Minnesota United FC in third place.

Portland’s next two games are at home, where they will play against Atlanta United FC on September 4 and Minnesota on September 10 September.

The team then travels to Columbus Crew SC, the Eastern Conference opponent, before playing their last home game against LAFC.

The Portland Timbers end their campaign on October 9 when they travel to Salt Lake City.

References:

Match recap & highlights: Austin FC 1 – 2 Portland Timbers

The Timbers shock Austin FC with a 2-1 road victory

Toronto FC Sinks Portland Timbers 3-1, Breaks Their Unbeaten Streak

Claire Peterson on September 28, 2022

The Portland Timbers ended their unbeaten 10-game streak on Saturday with a 3-1 defeat to Toronto FC.

Their streak began when they wrapped their mid-season international break. The Timbers are now in eighth place at the Western Conference Stable.

Takeaway

The Portland Timbers dropped points and suffered their first loss in over two months as the loss brought them back to reality.

Coach Giovanni Savarese said:

“It’s difficult when you’ve been competitive and you’ve been able to find ways to always get points game by game.”

“When you come to a game like this and you don’t find anything in regards to points, then it’s tough.”

“It’s a feeling we haven’t felt in a while… but there is a lot to learn from this game that we need to understand in order to move forward.”

Portland Timbers starting eleven

For the matchup, Savarese fielded the following:

Aljaz Ivacic
Josecarlos Van Rankin
Bill Tuiloma
Dario Zuparic
Claudio Bravo
Diego Chara (captain)
David Ayala
Santiago Moreno
Sebastian Blanco
Yimmi Chara
Jaroslaw Niezgoda

The substitutes:

David Bingham
Pablo Bonilla
Larrys Mabiala
Zac McGraw
Dairon Asprilla
Marvin Loria
Cristhian Paredes
Eryk Williamson
Nathan Fogaca

Match recap

The Portland Timbers traveled to Canada with all of their healthy players.

However, those who came back from injury did not start, probably as a precaution.

Instead, Claudio Bravo was given the starting XI, while Eryk Williamson and Cristhian Paredes started on the bench.

Throughout the first half, Toronto kept the pressure on the Timbers, dictating the game and forcing them into their own box.

The Italian duo and newcomers Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi proved to be a thorn in the side of the guests, finding more space throughout the half.

Toronto finally benefited from space when Richie Laryea found Jonathan Osorio in the box, which led to the goal and broke the impasse.

Portland finished half in a disadvantage and without the possibility of leveling the field.

When the second half began, Portland was rejuvenated with Eryk Williamson and Daron Asprilla on the field.

Their introduction led to a constant offense that, in the end, led to a goal, thanks to Josecarlos Van Rankin, which was his first goal for the Portland Timbers.

While things were going well for the visitors, Toronto scratched and clawed to turn the tide in their favor.

Insigne and Bernardeschi scored in the final minutes, sealing their victory and ending Portland’s unbeaten run.

Aftermath

At the final whistle, the home fans celebrated as the Portland Timbers left the pitch with the taste of defeat in their mouths, the first in more than two months.

Portland has a chance to restart next Sunday when they face Sporting Kansas City.

References:

Match recap & highlights: Portland Timbers 1 – 3 Toronto FC

Portland Timbers’ 10-game unbeaten streak snapped with road loss to Toronto FC