It didn’t take long for the Timbers to get on the board, when in just the sixth minute, midfielder Johan Claussen was fouled at the very edge of the box by a charging Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly, and center referee Hidajet Tica did not hesitate in pointing the spot. And Ryan Pore calmly slotted the ball to the right side of the net after Nolly dove the other way, and the Timbers had an early 1-0 lead.

The Whitecaps would have one of their better chances of the night two minutes later when Wesley Charles had an open look from the top of the Timbers box, but his shot was right at Timbers goalkeeper Steve Cronin and easily saved. Six minutes later the visitors would have another good chance, but Ansu Toure’s one-timer from 10 yards out was over the crossbar.

Pore would nearly score his second goal of the night in the 21st minute when a cutback at the top of the box gave him a good look, but his shot was over the bar. Three minutes later, the Whitecaps had one of their best chances of the entire match when Lyle Martin’s hard shot from the top of the box forced a diving save from Cronin.

In the 33rd minute, Timbers midfielder Brian Farber nearly doubled the lead when a long cross from David Hayes found the midfielder sliding at the far post to get a foot on it, but his shot would slip wide past the right post. One minute later, the Whitecaps would have a few decent chances of their own when Martin forced a save from Cronin, then after the corner, Mason Trafford forced two blocks from the Timbers defense on shots from inside the Timbers box before the threat could be cleared.

The middle of the first half was the best run of play the Whitecaps would have on the evening, and they looked sure to draw level in the 38th minute Charles Gbeke chipped a nice pass to Marcus Haber for an open look from 15 yards out with his side of the goal open, but Haber could not keep the shot down after it short-hopped him and his shot sailed well over the crossbar.

But three minutes later, the Timbers would widen the lead when George Josten swiped the ball from the Whitecaps defense near the top of the visitors’ 18 yard box, and fought off two defenders as he charged towards goal, and slotted a shot to the right side from close-in to put the Timbers up 2-0, which they would take into the locker room at halftime.

Four minutes in the second half, the Timbers thought they had widened their lead when Nolly had to charge out of the box to clear a through ball into the path of Mandjou Keita, and the attempted clearance hit Keita and fell into his path to make for an easy goal, but a late whistle came from Tica who was trailing the play who ruled Keita had controlled with his hand, and the lead would remain at 2-0.

The Whitecaps were pressing their outside defenders further forward to look to pull a goal back, and made themselves vulnerable to counterattacks, which they would see several times in the second half. In the 53rd minute, it was a low cross after a deep run from Farber that would force a last minute clearance by the Whitecaps defense, then three minutes later, Josten had a similar run and late cross that forced another kick save from the retreating Whitecaps defense. In the 64th minute, Josten had another good luck when a nice turn at the top of the box gave him an open look, but his open shot was just over the bar.

In the 68th minute, it was Keita who had the open deep run down the left side this time, but his quick shot as the Whitecaps defense retreated was wide left.

Just seconds after the Keita chance, a freak deflection on an attempted Timbers clearance deflected right to the top of the box to a wide open Dever Orgill, but his shot was tipped wide left by Cronin. Orgill would have another good chance eight minutes later when he made a nice deep run down the right side, but his shot was blocked wide as the Timbers defense retreated just in time. Off the subsequent corner kick, Orgill would find the ball at his feet again, but shot wide.

Timbers second half substitute Takayuki Suzuki came within about a yard of expanding the lead to three goals shortly afterwards when his turn at the top corner of the box gave him an open look, but his shot across the goal mouth barely missed the far post. One minute later, Orgill had yet another good look for the visitors, when he one-timed a cross from 20 yards out, but was right at Cronin and easily stopped.

That would be the last good chance of the match as the Timbers defense had allowed few good opportunities in the second half to hold onto the 2-0 win and extend their unbeaten streak to seven games, since a 1-0 loss in Vancouver on opening day.

Steve Cronin would register six saves in the win, while Jay Nolly had five saves in the losing effort.