Sunday, October 2, 2022
Photo by Diego Diaz
The sun was beating down on the pitch at Providence Park as the Portland Timbers hosted LAFC in their last home match of the regular season. LA sits comfortably at the top of the western conference with 65 points while Portland started the match in 6th place with 47 points. A win today would guarantee a playoff spot for the Timbers; a win for LAFC would give them the Supporter’s Shield.
The first half of the match started with a header attempt by Timbers’ Dairon Asprillia in the 3rd minute. LAFC’s Dénis Bouanga had a left footed strike saved in the 5th minute. It took a while for either team to find their pace and build momentum as the first half played on. Cristhian Paredes tried to create something out of a corner with a left footed attempt in the 13th minute that missed to the right of goal.
Bouanga had another attempt in the 32nd minute saved by Claudio Bravo in the center of the box as Timbers’ keeper, Aljaz Ivacic, found himself outside of the box. Asprillia, aka Mr. October, sent a strike down the center of goal in the 35th minute but it didn’t have enough power behind it to make it past LA’s keeper, Maxime Crépeau.
Juan Mosquera, full back for the Timbers, had a missed attempt in the 40th off of a corner kick. Kellyn Acosta, midfielder for LAFC, had a shot on goal saved by Ivacic in the 1st minute of added time and Asprillia had a long shot saved in the 2nd minute to end the first half scoreless.
The Timbers start the second half with a yellow card to Christian Paredes for a bad foul in the 48th minute. A minute later Jaroslaw Niezgoda sent a rocket towards goal that was saved by Crépeau. The first goal of the match came in the 51st minute by LA’s Carlos Vela with the assist by Acosta.
Timbers’ defender, Dario Zuparic had a header go just over the bar in the 55th minute following a set piece with beautiful service by Santiago Moreno. Moreno followed the set piece with a shot down the center of the box that was saved in the 56th minute. Eddie Segura of LA was given a yellow a minute later and Zuparic earned one in the 63rd. Zuparic will miss the next match against Real Salt Lake due to yellow card accumulations.
In the 71st minute Larys Mabiala sent a stunning cross to Claudio Bravo, who’s header hit the top post. LA was quick to respond on the next play with a saved attempt by Cristian Arango, assisted by Vela. Larrys Mabiala’s header from the center of the box was saved in the 75th. He was assisted by Santiago Moreno with a textbook cross.
Mr. October lived up to his nickname with a quick header off a perfectly placed ball by Bravo to even the score 1-1 in the 81st minute.
A long VAR review in the 88th minute resulted in a LA corner rather than a penalty kick. It took the momentum out of the Timbers following Asprillia’s goal and gave LA the rest they needed to attack into the 7 minutes of stoppage time.
LA forward, Cristian Tello, had an attempt saved in the 3rd minute of stoppage time followed by a Dénis Bouanga goal in the 5th. LAFC beat the Timbers 2-1 earning them the Supporters Shield. The Timbers have to win or draw against RSL next Sunday to make it to the playoffs.
In a post match ceremony, Timber’s goalkeeper, Aljaz Ivacic was awarded the Supporter’s Player of the Year belt by the Timbers Army.
