The Portland Timbers went into their Sunday match at a rainy Providence Park knowing a win would secure them a home playoff match, and could put them as high as second in the Western Conference depending on other results. The Timbers did secure a home playoff match with a 4-1 win over the Rapids on two goals from Darlington Nagbe, as well as goals from Jorge Villafana and Fanendo Adi, with Colorado’s lone goal coming from Dominique Badji.
The Timbers were on the attack from the opening whistle, with Fenando Adi‘s header being pushed just wide by Colorado goalkeepr Zac MacMath in the 2nd minute. But three minutes later, Darlington Nagbe would put the Timbers on the board with a curling free kick from just outside the Rapids box for the 1-0 lead.
Colorado would make their first shot on goal count in the 13th minute when Dominique Badji‘s shot from just outside the Timbers box was redirected by Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell and past goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey to level the score at 1-1.
In the 19th minute, the Rapids came within inches of taking the lead when after a Timbers turnover in their half of the pitch, Kevin Doyle‘s low blast from just outside the box was pushed off the right post by a diving save by Kawarsey.
But in the 33rd minute the Timbers were on top again when Lucas Melano‘s cross was headed toward the far post by Nagbe, and past MacMath in into the net for a 2-1 Timbers lead that would be the score at the break.
In the 63rd minute, the Timbers mirrored the Rapids goal of the first half when a shot from a tight angle by Jorge Villafana was redirected by Rapids defender Sean St. Ledger and past MacMath to give the Timbers a 3-1 lead.
Soon afterward, Timbers midfielder Dairon Asprilla nearly gave the home side a three goal lead when his low shot range off the far post before rebounding right back into the hands of the Rapids keeper. But in the 88th minute the Timbers would get that three goal lead when Asprilla’s cross got past MacMath and was chested into the net, though barely crossing the line, by Adi, to secure the 4-1 lead and a home playoff game.
The Timbers finished 3rd in the Western Conference, tied on points with the Vancouver Whitecaps, but losing the tiebreaker on goal differential. The Timbers will host Sporting Kansas City (the last team to beat the Timbers this season) on Thursday, October 29 at Providence Park.
