After each team spent some time feeling each other out, it would be the Islanders that would have the first good scoring chance, when in the 9th minute a free kick from 25 yards out by Jonathan Steele was over the Timbers wall and curved just wide of the right post.

The Islanders would take control of the run of play, as the Timbers midfield had no answer for the visitor’s ball control, and though the Islanders would get a series of corner kicks, they would not have another good scoring chance, until the 25th minute, when they were inches away from taking the lead, twice.

A free kick from Steele was headed towards goal by John Krause, and bounced off the top of the crossbar and down to Josh Hansen, who had an open net from only feet away, but blasted the rebound shot off the crossbar, and the threat was cleared.

The Timbers had their first good scoring chance in the 35th minute when a Takayuki Suzuki corner kick was headed towards net by Justin Thompson, but saved easily by Puerto Rico goalkeeper Bill Gaudette. Seconds later, Puerto Rico would have another good chance with Fabrice Noel had a good look from the top of the Timbers box, but his blast was a few feet over the crossbar.

But the Islanders would make their domination of the first half pay off in the 38th minute when a cross from the left side from Steele found Noel completely unmarked six yards out, and he knocked the shot back towards the far post behind Knighton, and the visitors had taken a 1-0 lead. One minute later, the Timbers nearly responded when Shaun Higgins’ dipping blast from 25 yards out was only a yard over the bar.

The match appeared headed for halftime with the visitors up by a goal, but during first half stoppage time, and attempt to clear by Cameron Knowles fell right to the foot of Hansen, who hit a low blast from the top of the box that slipped into the bottom left corner, and just before the halftime whistle, the Islanders had doubled their lead to 2-0.

The Islanders would have a few deep runs early in the second half, but would be blocked off by the Timbers defenders before they could get on-net, but the Timbers finally found their form and began to dominate the run of play, and would start getting better scoring chances.

In the 65th minute, the Timbers would come within inches of pulling a goal back when a cross from the right side from Scot Thompson was headed by Lawrence Olum and deflected up and off the crossbar by Gaudette, but never crossed the line and was cleared by the Puerto Rico defense.

Five minutes later the Timbers were once again inches from scoring when new arrival Jamil Walker beat three Islanders defenders, and hit a low blast from 18 yards out that was just barely tipped by Gaudette, and off the left post, but once again the woodwork had denied the Timbers a goal and the ball was cleared.

In the 78th minute, the Islanders had their best scoring chance of the second half when a free kick from 30 yards out by Cristian Arrieta forced a diving save from Brad Knighton as the ball headed towards the lower right corner.

The Timbers would have one last chance to avoid the shutout in the 87th minute when a Tim Karalexis header off a Chris Brown free kick slipped just inches past the left post, and a few minutes later, a Scot Thompson header would go wide rigth, but in the end the Timbers were never able to pull back a goal despite dominating the second half, and would fall to the Islanders at home for the first time, by a 2-0 score.

Bill Gaudette had three saves for the Islanders in the winning effort, while Brad Knighton recorded two saves for the Timbers.