With three matches remaining in the 2004 season, the Timbers knew another win, or a Minnesota loss or tie, would clinch the Western Conference title. But the Timbers preferred to take matters into their own hands as they welcomed the A-League's only team outside the United States and Canada when the expansion Puerto Rico Islanders made their first trip west.

The visiting Islanders were in control of much of the run of play in the first few minutes, and nearly took an early lead when Mauricio Salles had a good look from 15 yards out but put the angled shot a yard or so over the bar.

After a few good runs into the Islanders box, the Timbers made their first shot on goal pay off in the 18th minute when a cross from the left side from Scott Benedetti was met at the top of the box with a perfect full volley by Edwin Miranda, who scored his first professional goal as his blast was just inside the right post, and the Timbers had a 1-0 lead.

Three minutes later, the Timbers nearly widened the lead when a cross from Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar to a wide-open Byron Alvarez trickled just behind the Timbers striker, who would have had an open net to shoot at. But the Islanders were also getting their chances, and in the 23rd minute, Salles made a good run into the box, but his attempt to hit the upper left corner was a bit high and wide.

Just a minute later, the Timbers were on the attack again, and Alvarez dropped a nice pass into the run of Alan Gordon, whose shot from 15 yards out was kept out by a nice reaction save by Puerto Rico goalkeeper Michael Ueltschey.

The Timbers were now controlling the run of play, moving the ball back and forth across the back, and using Jake Sagare and Alcaraz-Cuellar's speed on the outside to penetrate the Puerto Rico defense. In the 39th minute, the Timbers beat an offside trap when Brian Winters slipped a pass into Alvarez, who was in alone and hit a perfect shot off the outside of his right foot, sliding the ball just inside the right post, to put the Timbers up 2-0.

Three minutes later, the Islanders made their hill even that much tougher to climb when defender Chris Gores grabbed Alvarez's jersey from behind as the Timbers striker was running onto a perfect chip pass that would have had him in alone. And with Gores being the last defender, and leaving no doubt as to whether he had fouled the Timbers forward by holding onto his jersey for a good two seconds, the center referee had no choice but to eject Gores, so the Islanders would be down a player for the rest of the match. The teams would go into the locker room at halftime with the Timbers holding a 2-0 lead.

Three minutes into the second half, the Timbers had another good opportunity when Alvarez was in alone on Ueltschey, but put his shot well over the bar from 15 yards out. Three minutes later, it was Winters who was in alone, hitting his shot off the right post from about exactly the same spot.

Over the next few minutes, the Islanders would have their best scoring chances of the second half, first in the 54th minute when Salles made another good run into the left side of the box, this time putting his shot into the left side netting from about 12 yards out. Then a minute later, the Islanders had another good opportunity with a free kick near the corner of the box, but the shot was right into the chest of Timbers goalkeeper Bayard Elfvin, who saved easily.

In the 57th minute, the Islanders once again had a free kick just outside the box, this time straight on at net, and Salles' blast towards the right post was only kept out by a diving Elfvin, who smothered the shot just in front of the post.

In the 64th minute, the Timbers broke the game open with what may be the Timbers' goal of the year. Alcaraz-Cuellar took a pass from Winters, just inside the Islanders end of the field, and cut back into the middle of the field as he accelerated, making a 40 yard solo run at net, then avoiding three Islanders defenders in quick succession as he entered the box, then slotting a low shot past a charging Ueltschey to put the Timbers up 3-0, and sending the Timbers faithful into a frenzy.

Six minutes later, the Timbers nearly had their fourth when a pass across the face of the goal from Alvarez nearly found Gordon at the far post, but the ball skipped just by the Timbers striker, who probably had an open shot from 2 yards out had he been able to get his foot on the ball.

But in the 75th minute, the Timbers did get that fourth goal, when Alcaraz-Cuellar dropped a pass to Benedetti, who one-timed a shot from 18 yards into the upper right corner of the net, giving the Timbers veteran his first goal of the 2004 season, and the Timbers a 4-0 lead.

Over the next ten minutes, it was a comedy of errors for the Timbers, as no less than four Timbers shots missed completely open nets, with Alvarez-Cuellar missing off a pass from Miranda in the 77th, Dan Antoniuk missing on a breakaway in the 78th, Fadi Afash missing to the right in the 80th, then again into the left side netting in the 86th.

But Afash would make up for his missed chances in the 90th minute as once again the former league goalscoring leader would prove that he can be relied on for a goal every time he comes in, when the Syrian striker headed in a Scot Thompson cross for the final goal, as the Timbers would put a solid stamp onto first place in the Conference as the 5-0 victory assured them of first place, and the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Bayard Elfvin had two saves for the shutout, while Michael Ueltschey also recorded two saves for the Islanders in the losing effort.