The Portland Timbers finally found their offense on Saturday night, scoring 3 goals for the first time since May 22, and help off Real Salt Lake for a 3-2 win. Dairon Asprilla, Yimmi Chará, and Felipe Mora all scored for the Timbers while Albert Rusnak and Damir Kreilach would score for the visitors.
The Timbers would get a great early chance when RSL’s Toni Datković was called for a handball in a box, and after a VAR review, the referee pointed to the spot. Dairon Asprilla would take the kick and converted past Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Zac MacMath, and the Timbers had a 1-0 lead.
In the 29th minute, the Timbers would widen their lead when Asprilla dropped a perfect backheel to Yimmi Chará at the top of the RSL box, and Chará would hit a perfect shot into the upper left corner of the net, and the Timbers lead was now 2-0.
Then in the 40th minute, Real Salt Lake would pull back within a goal when Albert Rusnak slipped a low shot just inside the right post to make the score 2-1 Timbers, which would be the score at the break.
The Timbers would widen their lead to two goals again in the 62nd minute when Sebastián Blanco played in a perfect pass to Felipe Mora, who beat a RSL offside trap to be in alone against MacMath, but needed to spin awkwardly to get the shot off but placed it perfectly to the far side of the net to give the Timbers a 3-1 lead.
In the 67th minute, Timbers fans would see perhaps the best Timbers goalkeeper save in years when a header from RSL’s Damir Kreilach appeared headed for the lower right corner, but Timbers goalkeeper Aljaž Ivačič made a spectacular full-stretch save to tip it past the post and maintain the two goal lead.
But Kreilach would find the net in the 80th minute when he slipped through the Timbers defense controlling a long pass from Pablo Ruiz and finished into the roof of the net, and the visitors had pulled within a goal at 3-2.
But Real Salt Lake never found the equalizer and the Timbers would hold on for the 3-2 victory.
Aljaž Ivačič had seven saves in the winning effort, while Zac MacMath was not credited with a save on the night.
MATCH RECAP | Portland Timbers 3, Real Salt Lake 2 | Timbers Website
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS | Portland Timbers 3, Real Salt Lake 2 | Aug. 7, 2021 | Timbers Website
