The Portland Timbers got a very much-needed 2-1 win over their rivals the Seattle Sounders on Friday night at Providence Park. Yeimar Gómez had the goal for the visitors, while Dairon Asprilla and Sebastián Blanco had the goals for the Timbers. With the win, the Timbers secure the 2022 Cascadia Cup.
It only took until the 8th minute for the Sounders to take the lead. Alex Roldan served in a nice curling cross just after a corner kick, and Yeimar Gómez rose well to get his head on the ball and headed it across the goal mouth past Aljaž Ivačič and into the net, giving Seattle an early 1-0 lead.
In the 14th minute, the Timbers would nearly tie the score when Bill Tuiloma curled a nice free kick from 30 yards out, but Stefan Frei made a nice diving save to his left to keep Seattle in the lead.
But in the 40th minute, the match would change when Gómez was called for what appeared to be a weak penalty foul in the box against Eryk Williamson. But the VAR upheld the call and Dairon Asprilla stepped up to take the kick, and sent Frei the wrong way on his attempt and scored, and the match was even at 1-1. That would be the score at the break.
Then in the 51st minute, the Timbers would jump into the lead when a free kick from Williamson was knocked back across the goalmouth by Asprilla, and then finished from close-range by Sebastián Blanco, and just that quickly the Timbers had taken a 2-1 lead.
In the 85th minute, Seattle came within inches of tying the score when Roldan made yet another nice cross into the box that Jackson Ragen rose above everyone to get his head onto, but his headed shot rattled off the crossbar and then rattled around dangerously in front of net before being cleared. But the 2-1 Timbers lead would hold for the big win.
The Timbers finish the 2022 Cascadia Cup with 3 wins and 1 draw and win the cup for the first time since 2017. The seven point margin to second place is the largest in Cascadia Cup history.
Aljaž Ivačič had one save for the Timbers, while Stefan Frei recorded four saves for the visitors.
The Timbers down Seattle 2-1 in a comeback win at Providence Park | Timbers website
FULL HIGHLIGHTS | Portland Timbers 2, Seattle Sounders FC 1 | August 26, 2022 | Timbers website
