The Portland Timbers failed on many scoring chances against Inter Miami CF on Sunday in the first meeting between the teams, but it took until Jarosław Niezgoda headed in the game winner seconds after he entered the match late in the second half, and the Timbers would emerge with a 1-0 victory.
The first half would see few quality chances for either team, with the Timbers missing on a few early chances by Dairon Asprilla and Felipe Mora. But there was little other action in the first half, and the teams were level at 0-0 at the break.
Miami’s Gonzalo Higuaín had a good look on a low show in the 50th minute, but Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark made a nice low save. The Timbers then thought they’d taken the lead in the 59th minute on a goal from Mora, but an offside called earlier in the attack nullified the goal. Clark had another fine low save on a Brek Shea shot in the 71st minute.
Then in the 83rd minute, seconds after entering the match and forcing Miami to concede a corner, Jarosław Niezgoda got a clean header chance off a Sebastián Blanco corner kick, and his header would slip inside the right post and past Miami goalkeeper Nick Marsman, and the Timbers had the 1-0 lead.
A few minutes later, Miami’s Julian Carranza thought he had scored an equalizer on a header, but the referee whistled Carranza for a foul on a push just before his header and the goal was nullified. There were eight minutes of stoppage time after numerous second half injury stoppages, but the Timbers held on for the 1-0 win.
Steve Clark recorded five saves for the Timbers, while Nick Marsman recorded two for Inter Miami.
MATCH RECAP | Portland Timbers win fourth in a row with a 1-0 victory over Inter Miami | Timbers website
HIGHLIGHTS | Niezgoda with goal as Portland Timbers best Miami 1-0 | Oct. 03, 2021 | Timbers website
