This match was a critical one for the Timbers, but early in the match, it was the visiting Sounders who were keeping control of the ball. In the 12th minute, Portland goalkeeper Josh Saunders had to make a diving save to his left to keep Jason Farrell's shot from 20 yards out of the net, then was forced to punch two subsequent corner kicks out from inside the six yard box. Then one minute later, Ferrell was taken down inside the Timbers box by a sliding tackle by Portland midfielder Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar, who took out both ball and player with his slide, but the referee signaled play on.

In the 15th minute the Timbers had their first good scoring chance when after an Alcaraz cross, McKinley Tennyson's header was just a yard or so wide left.

Neither team would threaten during the next fifteen minutes, but the momentum switched as the Timbers were keeping more of the run of play, and about a ten minute span from the 30th to 40th minute, the Sounders rarely took control of the ball as the Timbers completely controlled play. In the 32nd minute, Tennyson made a run into the left side of the box, but his hard shot towards the lower left corner was right at Seattle goalkeeper Preston Burpo. Five minutes later, Portland defender Lee Morrison had a deep run into the box, but was taken down by a sliding tackle by Seattle defender Scott Jenkins, who also appeared to get both ball and player, but once again, no foul was given.

In the 41st minute, the Timbers had one of their better chances of the first half when Alcaraz took advantage of a bad clearance by Sean Michael Callahan, and had a good look at the Seattle goal, but from an angle. His shot from 10 yards out appeared headed for the far post which Burpo was not guarding, but it didn't curl enough to find the net, missing by no more than a yard.

Late in the first half, Seattle found their offense again and had two good chances go unfinished, the first when Andrew Gregor's cross into the box just eluded Kyle Smith, and the second, on a golden opportunity as Marco Velez made a run down the right side and appeared to have beaten Saunders, who charged out for the ball but missed. Though Velez seemed to have an open net to shoot into, his shot rolled into the left side netting, and the half ended in a scoreless draw.

Two minutes into the second half, the Timbers had another great chance to score when Fadi Afash found himself open to turn on the ball from about 15 yards out, but his shot was right at Burpo for the easy save. In the 50th minute, Seattle had a good chance of their own when Smith had an open shot from near the corner of the 18-yard box, but Saunders made a sprawling save to his right to keep the ball out of the net.

In the 50th minute, Portland midfielder Jake Sagare took the match into his own hands when he took control of the ball about 40 yards out and made a run directly towards net. As he neared the top of the 18-yard box, he made a dramatic cut to his right at full speed, tapping the ball past three stunned Seattle defenders who never had a chance to react, and left open 15 yards out directly in front of net, he calmly blasted a low shot inside the left post to give the Timbers a 1-0 lead as the home crowd erupted.

Eight minute later, the Sounders came within inches of tying the match, when Gregor hit a free kick from about 25 yards out that ricocheted off the left post and out to Velez, whose rebound shot required another sprawling save from Saunders to maintain the Timbers lead. In the 73rd minute, the Timbers had a good chance to widen the lead when a rebound off a Timbers shot came right to midfielder Scott Benedetti near the top of the box, but his attempt to chip over Burpo was saved as the Seattle keeper recovered in time to go back to his line to collect the shot.

For the last 15 minutes of the match, it would be the Sounders who would be controlling nearly all of the possession as the Timbers attempted to protect their slim lead.

In the 80th minute, after an attempted Seattle cross from the right side rebounded out to a wide-open Smith, his blast from near the top of the box curled a few yards wide left. In the 85th minute, another dangerous cross from the right side required Saunders to split two Sounder defenders into order to punch the ball clear and force a throw-in. The Sounders had their last good scoring opportunity in the 89th minute when a cross from the right side from Chad Brown went right through the Portland crease but avoided any attacking Seattle players.

After four minutes of stoppage time, the Timbers emerged with a hard-fought 1-0 victory, and lived to see another day as they head to El Paso for a match on Saturday that is another must win if they are to keep their playoff hopes alive.