The Timbers would dominate early play, with some early dangerous crosses into the box that required Cleveland goalkeeper Evan Bush to come off his line to snare some high crosses, or punch them clear. The best early chance would be a header by Mamadou Danso that was just over the bar in the 7th minute.

In the 19th minute, the Timbers came within inches of taking the early lead when Mandjou Keita made a nice run into the Cleveland box, but his shot was off the left post and rebounded back out. Two minutes later, a nice passing sequence from Johan Claesson to Keita to Brian Farber had the Timbers midfielder in alone, but his low shot was smothered by the Cleveland keeper.

But then in the 24th minute, very much against the run of play as the Timbers had dominated play up to that point, Cleveland would take a shocking lead when a free kick by Jason Hotchkin from just outside the Timbers box rebounded off a defender and past Timbers goalkeeper Steve Cronin for the early 1-0 lead.

The Timbers would have several good chances to level the score before halftime, with Keita having a good look at the top of the City Stars box in the 37th minute, but his shot was just over the bar. Seconds later, a Keita cross had Jason McLauglin open only six yards out, but his header was over the bar as well. In stoppage time, only a great diving save by Bush kept a hard shot from Keith Savage from slipping inside the right post, and at the half, the City Stars still held on to that 1-0 lead.

Ten minutes into the second half, the City Stars would have their best chance since scoring when a cross found Ibrahim Bangora open near the far post, but he mis-hit the open shot. The Timbers would spend most of the second half with possession, getting deep runs and good crosses, but too often heading shots over the crossbar. Kevin Forrest would head a cross over in the 65th minute, followed by Keita doing the same in the 69th, and Forrest again in the 72nd.

In the 75th minute, the Timbers had a rare free kick chance from not far outside the Cleveland box, but David Hayes’ curling shot around the wall was right into the hands of Bush and easily saved.

In the 80th minute, the City Stars got their last good chance of the match when a cross went dangerously through the goal mouth, then was crossed back in front to an open Troy Roberts, but his shot was right at Cronin and easily saved.

Shortly afterwards, Timbers midfielder Alex Nimo went down hard under a Cleveland challenge, though it did not draw a foul, but Nimo was injured on the play and forced to leave the match. And the Timbers would have to play down a player for the rest of the match as they had already used all five substitutions.

In the 88th minute, off a Hayes corner kick, Portland defender Ivan Becerra would have an open header six yards out from the far post, but once again, the shot was over the crossbar. In the first minute of stoppage time, the City Stars would also go down a player when Anthony Peters was ejected for a foul on Forrest.

The last good scoring chance the Timbers would have would be during stoppage time when Stephen Keel was able to turn on a loose ball just outside the Cleveland box, but his shot was just like most of the other Timbers shots on this night, and was over the crossbar. The Timbers did not threaten again and despite outshooting the City Stars 24-9 and carrying most of the run of play, they would fall at home for the third straight game, this time by a 1-0 score.

Evan Bush had eight saves in the winning effort, while Steve Cronin had four saves for the Timbers.