Match Recap & Highlights: Inter Miami 2-1 Portland Timbers

The Portland Timbers fell 2-1 to Inter Miami CF on Saturday night, in a hot and sluggish game in Fort Lauderdale. Leo Campana and Robert Taylor tallied for the hosts, and Bill Tuiloma scrapped back a consolation goal for the Timbers.

The Timbers, sporting a blue Adidas Primeblue kit made from recycled ocean plastic as part of a league-wide initiative to raise awareness about the impact of marine plastic waste, sported a semi-rotated lineup, with mainstays Diego Chara, Claudio Bravo, and Jaroslaw Niezgoda all still sidelined for a combination of suspension or injury.

After an end-to-end opening to the game, Miami opened the scoring in the 27th minute via a glancing Leo Campana header. Portland meanwhile could not manage much offense at all in the opening frame.

The second half opened with a slight increase in the pep in the step of the Timbers, but they couldn’t muster any dangerous offense from it. Miami took advantage of Portland’s increased urgency to double their lead in the 59th minute via Robert Taylor finishing off a counterattack. After some substitutions, the Timbers found a lifeline from a header from Bill Tuiloma, who scored his fifth goal of the season.

It was too little too late for the visitors however, as the Timbers fell to their third straight defeat of the 2022 campaign.

• 3’ First earliest bit of danger as a Miami cross is fizzed across the Timbers box. No Miami player was there to get on the end of the ball.
• 5’ A lightning quick counter for the Timbers almost ended in a clear chance, but instead it ended in Cristhian Paredes skying his shot.
• 7’ Another good counter came through a Yimmi Chara ball wide to Asprilla. His crossed zigged while Nathan zagged though, and the ball went all the way through the box untouched.
• The first ten minutes of the match were end-to-end with both teams finding a lot of space, particularly in the wide areas. Miami was able to earn a number of corners, but Portland was able to deal with them.
• 13’ SMOOTH JAZZY. Ivacic came up big as he made a great stop off a sizzling shot from distance.

• 20’ Nearly a fatal miscommunication in the back, as Zuparic and Ivacic got their wires crossed on who was going to clear the ball. Nothing came of it, fortunately.
• 22’ Yimmi again played a great through ball for Asprilla, but Dairon couldn’t get his feet right and couldn’t get a shot off.
• 27’ Miami opened the scoring via Leo Campana. A lofted in ball over the top found Chris McVey, who was in behind Josecarlos Van Rankin. McVey’s cross found Campana in the box, and the Miami forward glanced his header past Ivacic, who was rooted to his spot. The ball settled into the far corner, and it was 1-0 to the hosts.

• 30’ THE SMOOTH JAZZY ENCORE. Miami nearly made it 2-0 a few minutes later, as once again Van Rankin was late to the ball on his side and couldn’t stop a cross. This time, Ivacic did well to paw away Campana’s point blank header.

• 35’ Mabiala was shown a yellow card for a literal de-cleating foul on Ari Lassiter, which gave Miami a free kick just outside of the box.
• 39’ Robbie Robinson collected the ball off of a long switch on a Miami counter, but his shot in the box sailed high over the bar. The Miami man also injured himself in the process, and a few minutes later had to be replaced by Indiana Vassilev.
• The first half ended with Portland trailing 1-0. A semi-decent start faded as the Timbers wilted on the field. Miami’s goal cam about too easily, and Portland couldn’t create any sort of danger moving forward, and they were held to just a single shot on goal.
• 46’ First chance of the second half fell to Miami, as Vassilev fired off a long range shot, which Ivacic parried away and spilled, and the Timbers cleared the danger.
• The subsequent ten minutes saw the Timbers recover decently well, and start to threaten the Miami defense with slightly more urgency.
• 57’ A counterattack from the Timbers just couldn’t move fast enough, as Miami snuffed out the danger all too easily.
• 59’ Miami made it 2-0, after they showed the Timbers how a counterattack is done. Gregore forced a turnover at midfield, and Lassiter took it the other way, putting his eventual shot off the post. The rebound found Robert Taylor unmarked in the box, who slotted home at the far post.

• 65’ Ivacic dove to push away a Miami free kick, after Zuparic gave up the foul (and was shown the subsequent yellow card).
• 66’ Line change for the Timbers, as Bill Tuiloma, Santiago Moreno, and Sebastian Blanco replaced David Ayala, Justin Rasmussen, and Josecarlos Van Rankin respectively.
• 78’ GOAL TIMBERS! Portland’s leading goal scorer Bill Tuiloma did what he has been doing best as of late, and dove forward to power home a deflected Santiago Moreno cross with his head.

• 81’ The Timbers find some life. Nathan stung the palm of the keeper with a hard shot from distance.
• 90’ HOLY WOODWORK. Paredes nearly found the equalizer, as he blasted an attempt off the far post.

• Despite a late flurry of offensive activity, the final whistle blew, and Portland was on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline.

The Timbers now face an extended break because of the June international window. They will get a few much needed weeks off to get healthy and focused, and are next in action on the road when they face the LA Galaxy on June 18 at 2 p.m. Pacific.