Final Score: Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake

The Portland Timbers came away from their season opening match against Real Salt Lake with a 0-0 draw, looking like the better team but failing to take advantage.

The first half was a back and forth battle that the Timbers looked on the verge of betting the better of, but were unable to capitalize on their chances.

With RSL largely stymied by constant pressure from the Timbers' midfield and a powerful showing from the team's defenders, the Timbers got forward regularly, managing two major chances in the first half.

First the Timbers managed a nice attacking movement down the left wing in the 29' as Rodney Wallace got the ball to the Salt Lake endline before cutting back and curling a cross into the box. With Fanendo Adi crashing toward the goal, Dairon Asprilla cut toward the near post, losing his man and getting off a snap header that skipped just wide of the near post as RSL keeper Nick Rimando stood rooted on his line..

Later in the 41' the Timbers came close again as Jack Jewsbury whipped a low free kick into the RSL box, aiming for the runs of Adi and Wallace at the near post. Stretching out, Wallace was just able to get a log to the ball, aiming for a redirection around Rimando but instead putting it into the RSL keeper's chest.

The second half saw another bevy of chances for the Timbers as they pressed forward in search of a goal.

The closest the Timbers came to opening the scoring was in the match's 53' as they kept the pressure on RSL with a series of corner kicks and throw-ins. The pressure came to a head off one of those corner kicks that Jewsbury sent into the RSL box only to see it eventually knocked down at the feet of Wallace. Taking his chance, Wallace thumped a hard shot on goal, only to see the always infuriating Rimando stick out a hand and make the point-blank save.