The Timbers sported an opening lineup that had two players the Timbers fans had not yet seen this year, in midfielder Mike Chabala and forward Alan Gordon, who was returning to the Timbers for his first game for them since 2004. But it was Alejandro Gutierrez who would get the first good chance of the match, when his header off a corner kick in the 12th minute was just over the bar from 10 yards out.

Two minutes later, the visiting Thunder had a great chance to steal an early lead when Melvin Tarley was wide open at the far post, but his header off a soft cross was not on target, going a few yards wide left.

In the 18th minute, the Timbers had a golden opportunity of their own, when a pass from Gutierrez gave Luke Kreamalmeyer a wide open look from near the top of the box, but he was not able to put the shot on goal, putting it a yard wide right.

Nine minutes later, Gordon would have his first chance to repeat some of his magic from 2004 when a through ball from Mike Randolph had him briefly open as he charged towards the top of the box, with Minnesota goalkeeper Joe Warren coming off his line to challenge, but a retreating defender was able to block an attempted chip by Gordon over Warren, blocking the shot wide.

In the 38th minute, the Thunder had another good scoring opportunity when Godfrey Tenoff made a nice run down the right side, but a crossing pass to an open Tenoff, only 15 yard out from goal, was behind him to end the threat.

Three minutes later, a nice run from Portland's Kreamalmeyer resulted in a nice cross to a briefly open Gordon in the box, but two Minnesota defenders muscled him off the header as he went up for it, and though Gordon was strong enough to fight them off to get his head on the ball, it had little pace and trickled wide right. In stoppage time, the Timbers nearly gave their guests a goal when a giveaway in their own end gave Minnesota their best scoring opportunity to that point, with Terry Alvino wide open 25 yards out, but his shot was just wide to the right, and the half would end at 0-0.

In the first minute of the second half, the Thunder nearly took the lead when a shot from 20 yards out by Chad Dombrowski appeared headed top the top right corner, but Timbers goalkeeper Josh Saunders was able to tip it just over the bar.

The Timbers were unlucky not to have the lead, or a penalty kick, when in the 49th minute, a nice turn in the box by Gordon had him send a low cross that was off the foot of Alvino, then apparently off the left arm of defender Alfredo Esteves, before sliding a few feet past the right post, but the referee only pointed for a corner kick, not to the spot.

Off the ensuing corner kick, the Timbers were once again unlucky not to take the lead when the corner kick by Hugo Alvarez-Cuellar found the head of Kreamalmeyer, whose header got over Warren but struck the crossbar before rebounding back out.

Two minutes later, the Thunder would score the only goal of the match when a ball was chipped lightly into the run of Dombrowski, who ran to the endline and crossed low to Matt Schmidt, who was pinched in between three Timbers defenders, who unable to turn on the ball, flicked it back towards net off his right heel, and it found it's way past Saunders and into the net, and the visitors had taken a 1-0 lead.

Both teams would slip shots just past the woodwork over the next fifteen minutes, with Morales missing just wide left for the Timbers in the 60th minute, and Dombrowski shooting just high in the 64th minute. In the 68th minute, a ball from Byron Alvarez to Gordon ended up bouncing around in the Thunder box near the penalty spot, but shots by Gordon and Kreamalmeyer wiffed and the ball ended up being smothered safely by Warren.

The Timbers would have their best chance to level in the 71st minute when Gordon escaped from the Thunder defense to make a run down the middle of the field, and found Alvarez open at the top of the box, but his low shot was a yard wide to the left.

The Timbers were now pushing more players forward looking for the equalizer, but the Thunder would take advantage of this with three good scoring chances, first with Tarley shooting right at Saunders in the 80th minute, then a minute later Tarley had another chance, with his shot from near the same spot ricocheting off his own teammate (Nate Knox) and over the endline, then a minute or so later, with Saunders caught out of position, an attempted chip by Knox to a completely open net was several yards over the bar.

The Timbers would get the last good chance of the night, when off a free kick in the 83rd minute, a header by Kreamalmeyer was once again just a yard past the left post, which was a common theme on the night, and the Thunder were able to chip the ball deep and defend to the final whistle, and in the end secured their first home win of the year, and first win over the Timbers in three years with the 1-0 result.

Josh Saunders had two saves in the losing effort, while Thunder goalkeeper Joe Warren was not credited with any saves.