The City Stars would threaten very early when Ibrahim Bangura made a deep run down the left side, but a sliding tackle by Portland’s Scot Thompson ended the early threat. The Timbers would make their first good scoring chance pay off in the sixth minute when Johan Claesson chipped a pass into the run of George Josten, and Josten was able to chip over charging Cleveland goalkeeper Hunter Gilstrap, and the ball bounced once and up into the roof of the net for the goal, and the Timbers had a very early 1-0 lead.

Claesson would have a good look himself in the 10th minute, but his shot from 20 yards out was a few yards over the crossbar. The Timbers would get a good scoring opportunity five minutes later when a David Hayes free kick was headed across goal by Josten, and a charging Stephen Keel had his shot smothered off his foot by a charging Gilstrap. One minute later, the City Stars would have a good free kick from nearly the same spot that they had scored on a free kick on Sunday, but this time it was Alioune Gueye who took the kick, and the shot was into the wall and did not threaten the goal.

The Timbers came within inches of doubling the lead in the 28th minute when a cross from Hayes was headed towards the far post by Mandjou Keita, but his header slipped just inches past the far post. It was end to end action for the next few minutes as Cleveland got a good chance a minute later when Bangura had a good look from the top of the Timbers box but his high shot was snared by Timbers goalkeeper Steve Cronin.

A long punt by Cronin had Keita open into the Timbers box, and his cross to Claesson was flicked on to Brian Farber but his shot was blocked by a retreating Cleveland defense.

A minute later Josten had another great scoring chance for the Timbers, when his deep run into the right side of the box produced another chipped shot over Gilstrip, only this one hit the crossbar and bounced back out and was cleared by the Cleveland defense. One minute later, Timbers midfielder Tony McManus had a spectacular bicycle kick effort from 20 yards out but it was a few yards over the crossbar.

In the 38th minute, Keita had another great chance when he caught Gilstrap off his line, but his diagonal chip slipped a yard wide of the left post. Two minutes later Cleveland had a good chance when Bangura was able to get his foot on a cross as he cut across the Timbers box but his shot was well over the bar. Bangura had a perhaps the best Cleveland chance of the half when he put a header just wide right off a corner kick. The half would end with the Timbers holding a 1-0 lead.

Just minutes into the second half, the Timbers had a great chance to widen the lead when a diagonal cross into the box from Josten was controlled by Farber about 10 yards out from the far post, but his open chance was tipped over the bar by the Cleveland keeper. A few minute later, Thompson had a great look off a Timbers corner kick but his header was just wide right.

In the 54th minute, Cleveland’s Ryan Stewart had a good look at the Timbers goal from distance but his 30 yard blast was just wide left, though it appeared Cronin had it covered.

But one minute later, the Timbers would get that second goal when Farber stole the ball deep in the City Stars end, then played a chip pass to Keita, who one-timed a cross to Josten, who was able to control and turn and beat Gilstrap to the lower left corner of the goal, and the Timbers had a 2-0 lead.

But the lead would not last long, when just eight minutes later, Cleveland would pull one back when a clearance from Portland’s Takuro Nishimura fell right to the foot of Stewart, who hit a full volley 30 yard blast that Nishimura might have screened from Cronin, but it slipped just inside the right post, and the City Stars closed to 2-1.

Cleveland had a great chance to level the score in the 72nd minute when Bangura was played through down the right side, but Stephen Keel made a nice sliding tackle to end the threat. Eight minutes later, Portland’s Kevin Forrest had a great chance to get the Timbers their third girl when he had an open chance from 15 yards out, but slipped his shot a yard over the crossbar. Two minutes later, Keel surprisingly had an open look at net after the ball rebounded to his feet, but he pulled the shot wide left.

In stoppage time the City Stars had one last chance to level it when Ricardo Pierre-Louis had an open look from 18 yards out and put it a yard over the crossbar. A minute later, the Timbers had one more good chance when Keita’s header off a Rodrigo Lopez corner kick was cleared from in front of the goal by the Cleveland defense, but they would not need the extra goal as they held off a feisty City Stars team for the 2-1 win.

Steve Cronin recorded two saves in getting his team record 15th win on the season, while Hunter Gilstrap had four saves for the City Stars.