Just six minutes into the match, it would be the visitors who would get the first chance, when midfielder Jason Jarrett managed to slip in behind the Timbers backline just inside the Timbers half of the field, and had a breakaway that was only stopped a retreating Shaun Higgins, who knocked the ball away from Jarrett just as he neared the top of the box.

Five minutes later, the visitors would have a good chance close-in when the ball fell to Brett Ormerod near the post, but his shot was blocked wide by Higgins. On the ensuing corner kick, the ball rebounded out to Adam Nowland, who crossed to Ormerod in the box, and the Preston forward’s header just beyond the reach of Timbers goalkeeper Bayard Elfvin, and Preston North End had an early 1-0 lead.

The Timbers would have their first good chance of the match in the 18th minute, when newcomer Matt Taylor made a nice run down the left side, and crossed to the head of midfielder Lawrence Olum, whose header from near the penalty spot slipped just past the right post. Five minutes later, Preston’s Pat Agyemang had an open look from 25 yards out and decided to take the shot, but his blast was a few yards over the bar.

In the 28th minute, the Timbers came within inches of tying, twice, when first on a free kick from 25 yards out, Timbers midfielder and set-play specialist Andrew Gregor curled a free kick perfectly around the Preston wall that hit the top of the left post, then rebounded out to teammate Tom Taylor, whose blast from close in rebounded off the crossbar, and the two great chances had been left begging as Preston cleared. Three minutes later, Matt Taylor had a good look from 20 yards out, but his powerful shot was right to Preston goalkeeper Andy Lonegran and was easily saved. It would be the last good chance of the half for either team and it would be 1-0 Preston at the half.

Back in May, when the Timbers defeated Mexico’s Necaxa, it would be a goal early in the second half that would be the difference as the Timbers won that match 1-0. The Timbers nearly repeated the feat as they scored again early in the second half, this time in the 47th minute, when a long clearance down the middle of the field from Neil Dombrowski had Matt Taylor threatening to get to the ball first as he outran two Preston defenders, so the Preston keeper charged out of the box and completely missed the clearance, and after fumbling to control the ball on his feet, Taylor then slotted the ball into the open net, and the Timbers had leveled at 1-1.

Five minutes later, the Timbers looked ready to take a lead when Jarrow, England native David Hague weaved his way around three defenders, then pulled Lonegran off his line and tapped the ball around him too, only to find his shot at an open net saved by retreating Preston defender Liam Chilvers, who knocked it harmlessly over the endline when a goal seemed certain. Preston would get a good chance to re-take the lead in the 60th minute when off a corner kick, defender Billy Jones had an open header than he put just wide left from 6 yards out. But five minutes later, the Lilywhites did everything they could to give a game-winner to the Timbers when the Preston goalkeeper mis-played a pass back to him and tapped it right to Hague, who was wide open 12 yards out and appeared so shocked to have the ball passed to him and an easy play into the goal right in front of him that he fumbled the ball at his feet and the Preston defense recovered before the Timbers could get a shot on goal.

Preston would get their last good chance of the match in the 72nd minute, when a cross from the left side found Ormerod near the right post, and his blast was from close in was saved by reaction save from Elfvin, and the rebound came out to Agyemang who had an open net but the ball rebounded too far out, and his attempt at a bicycle kick to put the rebound into the open net was not on goal and the ball was cleared.

In the 82nd minute, Timbers substitute Jaime Ambriz nearly made a huge impact on the match seconds after entering when he hit a blast from near the corner of the box that was deflected over the bar off the head of Preston defender Sean St. Ledger.

In the 85th minute, the Timbers thought they had the go-ahead goal when a ball that was played back by a Preston defender was intercepted by Matt Taylor, who chipped Lonegran for the apparent goal, but the goal was waved off for an offside call by the assistant referee.

Furious about the wave-off of the goal, the Timbers pressed forward for much of the remaining time, and it would pay off in stoppage time when Preston defender Matty Hill was called for tripping Hague as he ran into the box. It could have been a makeup call by referee Andres Pfefferkorn for the offside on the pass from a Preston player seven minutes earlier, but Matt Taylor would make no mistake about the outcome this time as he put the ball left after Lonegran dove to his own left, and put the Timbers up 2-1.

The final whistle would blow within a minute and the Timbers continued their unbeaten streak at PGE Park in 2007 (now 10 wins, 0 losses, 4 draws) and still undefeated in foreign exhibitions as well (4 wins, 0 losses, 1 draw).

Bayard Elfvin recorded two saves and Steve Reese had one save for the Timbers. Andy Lonegran had three saves for the Lilywhites.