The Timbers would start four true defenders for the first time this year, but that did little to slow down the Rhinos, who pressured the Timbers defense and midfield into numerous mistakes, and almost the entire first half would be one-way traffic attacking the Timbers goal.

In the first 10 minutes, the Rhinos had several good shots at the Timbers goal, with Frank Sanfillipo's low shot being smothered by Timbers goalkeeper Josh Saunders, then with shots by Kirk Wilson and Jonathan Bolanos not being on target, with the shot by Bolanos in the 10th minute, a sliding shot towards an open net seeming more difficult to miss than to score.

Having thought they had withstood the initial onslaught, the Timbers tried to push their defensive four forward, trying to switch the ball quickly to gain an advantage along either side of the narrow pitch. But the Rhinos would use aggressive marking and speed to use this to their advantage, and in the 20th minute, a bad pass intercepted off the Timbers defensive line resulted in the first of several one-on-one breakaways against the Timbers keeper, with Wilson finding Belanos attacking down the right side, and Belanos slid the ball to the far side of the net to give the Rhinos a 1-0 lead.

Five minutes later, a similar Timbers defensive mistake had an almost identical result, with Belanos finding Wilson this time to put the ball past the Timbers keeper on the breakaway, and suddenly two defensive breakdowns had led to a 2-0 Rhinos lead.

The Timbers finally did get a little offensive pressure at about the 30 minute mark, with a few deep crosses into the Rhinos box, but none resulted in a shot on goal, but that was as close to scoring as the Timbers would get in the first half.

In the 34th minute, another Timbers defensive mistake, and another Rhinos goal. Sanfillippo pushed the ball close to the Timbers endline down the right side, and his cross to the far post found Wilson unmarked, and Wilson made no mistake, putting the ball past the defenseless Saunders, and the Rhinos had jumped to a 3-0 lead.

In the 41st minute, Rochester would come within inches of taking a 4-0 lead when after yet another Timbers defensive mistake would give up the ball 30 yards out from their own net, Mauro Carabajal would charge into the Timbers box uncontested, and only a charging Saunders getting barely a finger on the ball kept the ball out as it dribbled over the endline mere inches wide to the right. In first half stoppage time the Rhinos had another great opportunity, when Sanfillippo was left unmarked from about 25 yard out, with his shot going just barely wide of the Timbers net, and the visitors from Portland could count themselves lucky to only be down 3-0 at the half.

At halftime, Timbers coach Bobby Howe removed right side midfielder Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar, who had been able to keep good possession but had to help on the attack down the right side, and replaced him with midfielder Tom Poltl, who moved inside, with midfielder Edwin Miranda moving outside. Defender Aaron Heinzen replaced Shawn Saunders, and moved up to left side midfield, moving outside midfielder Aaran Lines into an inside position.

The changes were significant because at least for the first fifteen minutes of the second half, it was the Timbers in total control. Of course the Rhinos were also sitting back protecting a 3-0 lead, but the Timbers were finally finding their offense with this new lineup. In the 54th minute, the Timbers would get their first good scoring chance of the match when Lines's shot from 20 yards out towards the lower left corner was smothered by a good save by Rhinos goalkeeper Scott Vallow. Two minutes later forward Dizzy Antoniuk had a good look from about the same spot, and aimed his shot at the same spot too, but the result was the same, a sprawling save by Vallow.

In the 60th minute the Rhinos had their first good chance of the second half, when John Ball made a good run into the box from the right side, and his hard shot from 10 yards out was tipped just over the bar by Saunders with a fine save. Nine minutes later the Rhinos had their only other serious scoring opportunity of the second half (though they were credited with nine shots on goal in the second half alone), when a Carabajal header off a corner kick forced a reaction save by Saunders, tipping the ball just past the post.

The Timbers were on the attack again, with Bryon Alvarez's dipping shot from 25 yards out in the 75th minute being snared by Vallow, in good position to stop what could have been a difficult shot.

Though it was not the way they had wanted to score, the Timbers did finally score in the 82nd minute when they were awarded a penalty kick after Antoniuk was tackled in the box by Vallow after Antoniuk had slipped in behind the Rhinos goalkeeper with possession. Antoniuk would take the penalty, freezing Vallow in place as he slipped the ball easily into the right side of the net to pull the Timbers within 3-1.

Both teams would put some easy shots into the box over the last ten minutes, but neither team seriously threatened to score again, and the Rhinos remained perfect against the Timbers with their third win in three tries, and still not giving up a goal in the run of play to the Timbers in those three matches. Vallow would be credited for four saves in the winning effort, while Saunders was credited with eight in the losing effort.