The first fifteen minutes of the match featured very few scoring chances, with a blocked shot by Minnesota’s Stephen deRoux in the 4th minute being the best chance for either team. deRoux had another decent look in the 17th minute when he made a deep run into the Timbers box, but the angle was too extreme and his shot was harmlessly over the bar.

About a minute later, the Timbers had their first good chance when after an Andrew Gregor free kick, the ball was headed back to the foot of Miguel Guante, who briefly had a good look from the top of the Thunder box, but his shot was over the crossbar. And just seconds after that chance, the Timbers were threatening again when Bryan Jordan and Takayuki Suzuki worked several passes back and forth deep in the Timbers end, but Suzuki was not able to fight through two Thunder defenders trying to get to a chipped pass from Jordan and Thunder goalkeeper Nic Platter easily secured the ball.

In the 21st minute, the Thunder had a great look when it was once again deRoux who was threatening, getting a nice diagonal pass and had an open look from near the top of the Timbers box, but his shot was right at Timbers goalkeeper Jordan James and easily saved.

Ten minutes later, it was the home side that would have the next good chance when Guante found the ball at his feet after Suzuki played a nice touch pass to him, and he was briefly open just inside the Thunder 18 yard box, but his shot was wide left. It would be the last good scoring chance of the first half for either team, and it was 0-0 at the half.

Five minutes in the second half, the home side would have a great scoring chance when off a Suzuki corner, a header from Cameron Knowles slipped just past the left post. Two minutes later, Minnesota would respond with a good chance of their own, as a run by Ricardo Sanchez drew the Timbers defense, but a drop pass to Luchi Gonzales had the Thunder forward open 15 yards out, but his shot was right at James and easily saved.

In the 54th minute, it appeared the Thunder were ready to take a 1-0 lead when Melvin Tarley played a perfect first touch when receiving a pass 35 yards out and had a one-on-one breakaway against the Timbers keeper, but James came off his line nicely and made a reaction save on Tarley’s shot to stop the golden chance for the visitors. About a minute later, Tighe Dombrowski (brother of Timbers midfielder Neil Dombrowski) made a nice run into the Timbers defense, but his blast from 25 yards out was wide left.

In the 59th minute, another nice pass from Suzuki set up a teammate, Gregor this time, who hit a nice dipping shot from 20 yards out that was stopped by a well-positioned Platter. Four minutes later, from almost exactly the same spot, Portland’s Leonard Griffin had a good look, with his blast going about a yard over the crossbar.

In the 67th minute, with the Timbers having controlled play for the previous ten minutes, the Timbers had their best offensive attack of the game as Suzuki made a run to the left flag, placed a perfect ball to Jordan with his back to the goal near the post, who then dropped a pass to a wide-open Guante, who had a sitter from near the penalty spot on a mostly open goal, but the ball kicked up slightly on the cutout patch of Field Turf over the 3rd base area of the baseball configuration, and Guante badly hit the ball well over the bar on what seemed a certain goal, and match remained scoreless.

In the 79th minute, the Thunder would have their own look at an apparent easy goal go begging when Aaron Paye’s header was saved by James, but fell right to the foot of Sanchez, a mere yard or two out from an open net, but his rebound shot was wide left.

Three minutes later, a good chance for the home side was made more difficult than it needed to be when a cross from Chris Brown to the run of Jordan was lower than the Timbers striker judged, and instead of letting the ball play to his feet, he went for a header and ended up striking the ball just a foot or two off the turf and sent the ball well wide right of the Thunder goal.

A minute later, the Thunder came within inches of taking the lead when Paye made a long run down the left side, and made a nice move on Portland’s Justin Thompson and got a shot from 15 yards out (though at a tight angle) that got past James and hit off the right post before trickling along the end line and going out for the goal kick.

In the 86th minute, Portland’s Griffin would get another goo look from just outside the Thunder box, but once again his hard shot was just a yard or two over the crossbar.

One minute later, an interesting scuffle would take place after the Timbers had been complaining about perceived time-wasting by Minnesota, and when after a Thunder foul about 35 yards out from the Minnesota goal, Thunder midfielder Jeremiah Bass decided to pick up the ball, chest-bumped with center referee Andrew Cage, and then walked to the Thunder 10-yard wall with the ball in his hand. Portland’s Brown eventually had enough of the delay and charged at Bass and stripped the ball out of his hand before a scuffle took place between the teams. But despite the antics, no cards were given out on the play.

Nearing stoppage time, Paye led another good attack down the left side for the Thunder, which ended up with the ball getting across the Timbers crease, where Gonzales attempted an ambitious bicycle kick from six yards out that was well over the crossbar.

Both teams did push deep into the opposing end, but when stoppage time ended more quickly than the announced time, the teams would have to settle for a 0-0 draw. With the draw, the USL Timbers have gone scoreless at home in four straight matches for the first time ever.

Jordan James for the Timbers, and Nic Platter for the Thunder, each finished with three saves.