The home side would have the majority of good scoring chances for much of the night, and their first good opportunity would come in the 6th minute when midfielder Tom Poltl had a good chance from near the top of the box that was blocked off his foot by a Miami defender who slid over just in time to get a foot to deflect the shot. Six minutes later, the Timbers had another good chance when Luke Kreamalmeyer cut inside from the right side to get an open shot from 15 yards out that was a yard or two over the bar.

For the first half, Miami's scoring chances would be scarce as the Timbers defense kept them well contained in midfield, but Yaikel Perez did manage to make a diagonal run into the Timbers box, but his low shot was smothered by Timbres goalkeeper Josh Saunders.

With both teams settling back into more of a long-ball strategy, there were few scoring chances for a long stretch of the first half, with both keepers doing well to collect any crosses into the box before they could become dangerous. But the Timbers nearly took a lead in the 39th minute when a 2-on-1 breakaway for the Timbers became a lobbed cross from Byron Alvarez to Drew McAthy, who had an open shot from 10 yards out, and probably more time than he realized, but the Timbers striker blasted a shot a yard over the bar to keep the match scoreless.

A minute later it was Alvarez open at the top of the box, but his low shot towards the corner of the net was saved by Miami goalkeeper Chris Doyle.

One minute later, in what was a disappointing shock to Timbers fans and players as there had been much rough play in the box that had gone uncalled or been waved off to this point, Timbers defender Salim Bullen was called for his challenge on Perez in the Timbers box and referee Colin Arblaster pointed to the spot. Amid a chorus of boos, Fabian Sandoval buried the ball into the lower left corner to give visiting Miami a 1-0 lead.

One minute later, many Timbers fans thought an equalizing penalty was in order when Timbers forward Alejandro Gutierrez appeared to be brought down by his collar in the Miami box when attempting to shoot, but Arblaster waved play on, and though they had controlled much of the run of play, and outshot Miami by a 6-3 margin, the Timbers would go into the dressing room on the short end of a 1-0 score.

In an attempt to protect the lead, Miami would change to a strategy of increased fouling, delay of game, and slowing down the match as much as possible. During the second half alone, the visitors would be called for six yellow card cautions as they attempted to further frustrate what has been an anemic Timbers offense as of late.

Three minutes into the second half, Poltl was once again threatening the Miami net when he charged into the top of the box, fighting off a Miami player and going down as his shot was saved by Doyle. McAthy was able to get to the rebound, but his shot was smothered by the Miami keeper to end the threat.

With the Timbers now pushing more players forward, Miami would get a few good breakaway chances, in the 51st minute when Perez let the ball get a bit too far ahead of him to allow Saunders to smother it, and two minutes later with Sansoval being denied on an open chance as he pushed into the box when Saunders got a finger on the shot, slowing it down enough to be cleared by the Timbers defense.

In the 60th minute, off a Timbers corner kick Gutierrez faked out his defender and went quickly to the endline, playing a low cross that deflected a few times mere yards from the Miami net before nearly being put into their own net by a Miami defender, but slipped a yard over the bar.

With the Timbers still having more players attacking, Miami was getting more chances, and open near the top of the box, Sandoval blasted several yards over the bar in the 65th minute to end the threat.

Both teams would miss shots on mostly open nets over the next several minutes, with Scot Thompson heading high for the Timbers in the 72nd, Sandoval shooting just wide for Miami on a breakaway in the 76th, and Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar slipping one just past the left post in the 79th.

The next ten minutes would have the Timbers in control of the ball nearly all the time, mostly attacking down the right side with Kreamalmeyer, Gutierrez, and Thompson pretty much moving the ball to the corner at will, but Miami did well to pack the Timbers box and the crosses were being collected easily by Doyle, or were going through the box untouched and being cleared out from the opposite side. Miami also cleared several Timbers corner kicks to protect their slim lead.

After fending off one more Miami breakaway, with Saunders charging out to block the ball off Perez's foot in the 90th, the Timbers would have one more chance to salvage the point, when in stoppage time, defender Mike Randolph made a nice pass through a Miami defender's legs across the crease to a charging Thompson at the far post, but Thompson was unable to put the shot on-net from just a few yards out, and it would be the last gasp for the Timbers, now having been shut out for the past three matches, in a 1-0 loss to Miami FC.

Josh Saunders had four saves for the Timbers, while Chris Doyle registered three saves for the visitors.