With Timbers fans watching with a heavy heart at the passing of a great fan and friend to many of them, the Timbers would go on the attack early, hoping to not repeat their dominating performance of the previous weekend that saw them earn only a scoreless draw at Cleveland. In just the second minute, the Timbers had their first good look at net when a David Hayes free kick was met by the head of Cameron Knowles, but the shot slipping a yard or two wide left. The Rhinos would attempt to respond to some early Timbers pressure, but only managed a few crosses into the box that were punched out by Timbers goalkeeper Steve Cronin, the most dangerous in the 6th minute, when a Leslie Fitzpatrick free kick had to be punched out, as the Rhinos had their first dangerous ball into the Timbers box.

The Timbers were beginning to find some success down the left side, and in the 23rd minute, Timbers midfielder Ryan Pore managed to get a step on Rhinos defender John Ball, but his shot from 10 yards was saved by Rhinos keeper Scott Vallow. A minute later, Portland’s Jason McLaughlin made a similar run, but attempted to cut back and make a short cross into the box, and his shot from the top of the box was blocked by the Rhinos defense.

Two minutes later, a short Timbers corner from Hayes to Pore resulted in a tight cross to an open Mandjou Keita, but his header from 6 yards out was just over the bar.

In the 37th minute, Pore would have another good look for the Timbers as he had an open shot from just inside the box to Vallow’s right, but his shot to the far post was smothered well by Vallow.

In the 40th minute, the Timbers pressure would finally pay off when Keita's heel flick beat his defender, then a cross to McLaughlin was too high, but Brian Farber came flying in at the far post and scissored a shot from point-blank range that went off the turf then up into the roof of the goal to give the Timbers a 1-0 lead. In stoppage time, the Timbers would nearly double their lead a Keita cross went harmlessly through the crease just beyond the reach of the Timbers strikers, and the half would end with a 1-0 Timbers lead.

In the second half, the Timbers were continuing to find success with Pore and Hayes attacking down the left side of the Rhinos defense, in the 49th minute, Pore split two Rhinos defenders and had an open look from 20 yards out, but his shot was right at Vallow and easily saved. In the 55th minute, off a Timbers corner kick, the rebound fell to the feet of Johan Claessen at the top of the box, which would happen several times during the second half, but his strike was a few yards over the crossbar. Two minutes later, the Timbers had a nice passing sequence from Scot Thompson to Keita to Claeseen, and Claessen’s shot from the top of the box was only kept out by a nice diving save by Vallow.

Down 1-0, the Rhinos task in coming back would be made that much harder, as midfielder Nano Short was sent off for a hard tackle on Claessen, and would have to fight back with just 10 players.

And fight back they did, as the short handed situation seemed to ignite their offense for the first time. A few minutes after going down to 10 men, Johnny Menyongar would weave nicely to the top of the Timbers box, but his open shot was right at Cronin and easily saved. Shorly afterwards, a deep free kick near the sideline would give them one of their better chances on the night, and they would make it pay off when after a Kenney Bertz header was saved, the rebound was put home by Darren Kenton with Cronin having not yet recovered from the first save, and very much against the run of play, with the Timbers having nearly three times as many shots to that point, the Rhinos had leveled the score at 1-1.

For the next 10 minutes, the Rhinos used the shock of the tying goal to their advantage and controlled much of the run of play, but did not seriously threaten the Timbers goal. In the 70th minute, the Timbers began to create more chances and another rebound to the top of the box to Claessen was struck well towards goal, but only kept out this time by a superb reaction kick save by a Rhinos defender. Eight minutes later, another good look from Pore was only kept out by a tip save by Vallow and pushed over the bar.

In the 82nd minute, a Timbers defensive lapse nearly gifted the lead to the visitors, when a deep cross from Andrew Gregor found Ryan Heins making a nice run down the right side and getting a few steps behind the Timbers defense, and the Rhinos striker was in alone at a tight angle with Cronin, but only managed to put a shot into the right side netting. Four minutes later another Timbers mistake went unpunished when Cronin fumbled a cross, but was able to recover in front of the charging Rhinos defense.

For the rest of the match, it was one-way traffic as the Timbers had a nearly constant onslaught on the Rhinos box, with Pore getting another open shot from 15 yards out in the 87th minute, but putting the shot just over the crossbar. The following minutes would see several deep Timbers crosses and corners not resulting in a shot on goal, and an 89th minute cross through the crease eluding everyone, and a 90th minute strike by Keith Savage being blocked wide by a Rhinos defender.

As the Timbers continued to hold possession, play in the box was getting more physical as bodies were clashing with each attempted header, but it looked like the Timbers would suffer another draw in a dominating performance, but just as most Timbers fans expected the final whistle deep into stoppage time, a final cross into the box and clash of bodies was followed by referee Landis Wiley surprisingly pointing to the spot instead of the center circle. The center referee had spotted Rhinos goalscorer Kenton pushing Keel in the Rhinos box with a two-hand shove away from the play, and after the Rhinos received two yellows arguing with the call, Vallow turned around and pumped up the Timbers Army to fever pitch as Pore look the penalty.

Vallow would go to his left, and Pore calmly slotted the ball to the open side of the net for the late 2-1 lead. That kick would be nearly the last play of the match as the whistle blew shortly afterwards, and the Timbers would turn a day of sadness and frustration for Timbers fans into a late victory, by a 2-1 final score, having outshot the Rhinos 25-10 for the match, and 15-4 for the second half alone before getting the late winner.

Steve Cronin would be credited with five saves in the victory, with Scott Vallow getting eight saves in the losing effort.