The Timbers knew this game was a must-win if they were going to have any chance of making the playoffs, and they came out looking for an early goal, and nearly got one when Byron Alvarez was unable to get his head on a high cross that bounced high off the NexTurf, and it allowed Seattle goalkeeper Preston Burpo just enough time to get to the ball. In the eighth minute, the Timbers missed another good chance when a cross from the left side by Jake Sagare went through the Seattle crease untouched, with Aaron Heinzen and Alvarez just missing a chance to direct the cross into the net.

The Sounders had their first good opportunity in the 13th minute when a cross from the right side deflected off a Timbers defender directly to the feet of Jason Farrell, but his open shot from near the top of the box curled wide left. One minute later, a through ball from midfield had Alvarez breaking in alone, but the ball was far enough ahead of the Timbers striker to allow Burpo just enough to come out of the box and end the threat with a sliding clearance. In the 21st minute, the Timbers had a golden opportunity with a free kick from 25 yards out, but Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar's shot went a yard or so wide right.

Seattle would get the only goal they needed in the 28th minute when defender Scott Jenkins made a run down the right side, and his cross found Kyle Smith wide open just 15 yards out, and though Smith seemed to mis-hit the ball, the ball trickled off the hand of Timbers goalkeeper Josh Saunders and into the net, to give the Sounders a 1-0 lead.

In the 33rd minute, the Timbers had another good chance to tie when a cross from Alcaraz was fumbled away by Burpo, but he was able to just cover the ball before Alvarez could get to the loose ball.

In the 42nd minute, a controversial call ended a Timbers attack when a long cross from near midfield had Sagare streaking in just ahead of his defender. Near the corner of the box, just as Sagare was about to reach the ball before a charging Burpo, he appeared to be knocked down by a Seattle defender, with Sagare being knocked into Burpo. But the referee saw it differently, calling the foul on Sagare, and the attack was thwarted. The half ended with the Sounders up 1-0.

For much of the second half, the Timbers would control the run of play, knowing that a win was critical if they were to have any chance of going to the post season. Alvarez had two good chances in the 53rd and 57th minutes, but his first shot was barely wide right, and he lost control of a good through ball just before going into the Seattle 18-yard box. In the 61st minute, Alcaraz cut back to the inside with a great fake and had a good chance from 10 yards out, but put the shot into the left side netting.

The Sounders had their best chance to score since their first half goal when in the 66th minute, a Seattle corner kick was redirected towards net by Smith, but hit off the left post and deflected directly to Saunders, who controlled the free ball. In the 69th minute, Seattle striker Hercules Gomez had an open run into the box down the right side, but his shot from 10 yards out was deflected wide right by a diving Saunders.

The last twenty minutes would have the Timbers with nearly constant possession and numerous chances inside the Sounders box. In the 72nd minute, the Timbers had another great chance when Scott Benedetti got a solid header from 8 yards out off an Alcaraz corner kick, but Benedetti's shot was off the crossbar and over the net. Six minutes later, the Timbers had another golden opportunity when an Alvarez cross found Sagare open near the far post, just four yards out, but his header went just wide right into the side netting.

In the 83rd minute, second half substitute McKinley Tennyson had broken in behind the Sounders defense, but a last-minute sliding tackle by Danny Jackson knocked the ball off Tennyson's feat just as he entered the 18-yard box. The Timbers had their last good opportunity of the match in the 89th minute when a free kick by Tennyson from 20 yards out was just over the bar. So despite outshooting the Sounders by a 14-9 margin, and playing one of the best matches of the year, in the end the Timbers couldn't finish, and they are now 10 points behind Seattle for the last playoff spot with six matches remaining for each team.