One game in 100 words: This competition had a very exciting finish if you’re a Portland Timbers supporter, but for Colorado Rapids fans, its conclusion signified pure heartbreak because the result was, by all means, headed for a draw until the late heroics of Jack Jewsbury suddenly had Portland running away with three points. Up until the waning minutes of the game, both teams had balanced each other out. The Rapids held onto possession as much as they could in hopes of breaking open the Timbers’ defense at the right time, and Portland aimed to connect on the few legitimate chances Colorado offered them. Caleb Porter and Co. have jumped the San Jose Earthquakes at sixth place with the victory. The home side stays at last place in the West, four points behind Real Salt Lake.
Goals
Colorado: Sam Cronin 89′
Portland: Gaston Fernandez 38′, Jack Jewsbury 90′ +3′
Three moments that mattered
38’ — Fernandez for the early lead — Maximiliano Urruti executed wonderful balance and control off the throw-in for Portland to dribble past multiple Rapids defenders into open green, while Gaston Fernandez trailed behind him. Fernandez then rushed into the box on his left, and taking a layoff from the Argentine forward, calmly slipped his shot past an outstretched Clint Irwin at the far post. In the end, the goal marked both a Colorado defensive breakdown and clever heads-up play from Portland.
89’ — Cronin volley appears to have finished the game — It was a timely goal for the Rapids when forward Lucho Solignac chested the ball over to Sam Cronin who immediately blasted a volleyed strike from outside the penalty area. Goalkeeper Adam Larsen Kwarasey had no chance to stop it and Colorado, their attack on its back foot for most of this match, had managed to stay alive.
90’ +3’ — Not so fast as Jewsbury nets winner — In the first half, Jewsbury was given a yellow card. In the second half, he snagged the three points for his squad out of thin air. Of course, it was a smart team-oriented action that helped, as Ishmael Yartey collected a Rodney Wallace cross and provided stretching service for Jewsbury to bury the game-winning strike so close to the final whistle.
Lineups
Colorado: Gabriel Torres; Clint Irwin; James Riley, Drew Moor, Axel Sjoberg, Michael Harrington; Sam Cronin, Nick LaBrocca, Vicente Sanchez (Dillon Powers HT), Kevin Doyle, Juan Ramirez
Portland: Maximiliano Urruti; Adam Larsen Kwarasey; Alvas Powell, Nat Borchers, Liam Ridgewell, Jorge Villafana; Jack Jewsbury, George Fochive; Dairon Asprilla, Gaston Fernandez, Darlington Nagbe
