Match Recap & Highlights: Colorado Rapids 2 - 0 Portland Timbers

The Portland Timbers began the first of three consecutive road games with a 2-0 loss to the Colorado Rapids after a 30th minute goal from Diego Rubio. Despite playing the final third of the match up a man after the goal-scorer Rubio was sent off, the Timbers were out-shot 17 to 11, and managed to control just 48 percent of the possession. Of the Timbers’ 11 shots, only three were on target.

The match represented the most disjointed performance of the season for the Timbers, who again struggled with link-up play and chance creation in a major way, even after the Rapids went down to 10 men. In fact, the Timbers only had one shot on target following Diego Rubio’s dismissal in the 62nd minute.

Mark-Anthony Kaye finished the game off in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, doubling the Rapids’ lead with a calm left-footed finish.

The Timbers have historically struggled in Colorado, and their task was made even more difficult with Sebastian Blanco, Diego Chara, and Claudio Bravo all unavailable through injury and suspension. In their places, Justin Rasmussen, Eryk Williamson, and Marvin Loria all made their way into the Starting XI.

• 5’ Niezgoda created the first quality chance of the game for the Timbers after receiving a cross from Josecarlos Van Rankin just outside of the box. The striker created some space with a feint similar to the one that led to his goal against Vancouver, but couldn’t manage to get past Keegan Rosenberry.
• 17’ Max Alves was shown the first yellow card of the game after taking down Marvin Loria early in the first half.
• 20’ Aljaz Ivacic parried a low shot from distance wide of goal, and from the resulting corner, Lalas Aboubakar absolutely hammered a header into the net following a completely unmarked run through the box. However, after VAR review, Jonathan Lewis was adjudged to be in an offside position and interfering with Ivacic, and the score remained 0-0.
• 26’ Yimmi Chara made his way into the box and sent a curling shot on-frame with his right boot, but couldn’t get the placement right, which allowed William Yarbrough to hold.
• 28’ Diego Rubio was allowed too much time on the ball, and got off a shot from distance that Ivacic was able to hold.
• 29’ Larrys Mabiala and Eryk Williamson were both cautioned for fouls during the buildup of a dangerous Colorado attack, and from the resulting free-kick, Diego Rubio curled home a beauty of a strike to give the Rapids the opening goal of the match.
• 35’ Max Alves put in a dangerous, late challenge on Asprilla, but wasn’t shown a second yellow card despite protests from Timbers players.
• 36’ Mark-Anthony Kaye struck the crossbar with a left-footed strike from inside the box.
• 37’ Lalas Aboubakar was shown yellow for an atrocious challenge on Dairon Asprilla, completely missing the ball and using unnecessary force.
• 42’ A brilliant counter-attack from the Timbers saw Yimmi Chara evade several challenges, before playing in Dairon Asprilla on the left wing, who floated a beautiful cross into Marvin Loria in the box. Loria took the ball down with his chest well, but his left-footed shot was straight at Yarbrough, and the ball was cleared.
• 45+2’ A long-throw from Justin Rasmussen found itself at the feet of Larrys Mabiala in the box, but the centerback’s right-footed shot was hurried, and trickled out for a goal kick.

After a slow start to the match that saw Colorado score the opener, the Timbers grew into the game quite nicely, as Marvin Loria’s chance in the 42nd minute, and multiple long-throws from Rasmussen caused the Rapids quite a few problems.

• 47’ Jonathan Lewis got off a strong right-footed shot from inside the box that Ivacic did well to parry away from goal.
• 52’ Jaroslaw Niezgoda played Loria clean through on goal, but 1v1 with Yarbrough, Loria put his chance, in the words of Jake Zivin, “about a mile high.” A brutal finish from Loria with the chance to bring the Timbers back level away from home.
• 55’ Gyasi Zardes worked the ball onto his right foot in the box after putting Bill Tuiloma through the spin-cycle, but shanked a shot wide of goal.
• 63’ Diego Rubio was shown his second yellow card of the match and sent off, after picking up his first in stoppage time at the end of the first half, for a late sliding challenge on Justin Rasmussen. During the stoppage, Santiago Moreno and Dario Zuparic came into the match for Marvin Loria and Eryk Williamson.
• 66’ Aljaz Ivacic got into an altercation with Aaron Trusty after the Rapids’ defender put in a reckless challenge as Ivacic was seeing the ball out of play.
• 69’ Jonathan Lewis was played in 1v1 against Ivacic after a clever pass from Michael Barrios, but as has been the case time-after-time this season, the Timbers’ keeper stood his ground and made an outstanding save to keep the game within reach.
• 71’ David Ayala came into the match for Cristhian Paredes.
• 73’ Josecarlos Van Rankin was shown a yellow card that saw him suspended for the Timbers’ next match against the New York Red Bulls.
• 80’ Zac McGraw and Blake Bodily entered the game for Josecarlos Van Rankin and Larrys Mabiala for the final 10 minutes.
• 83’ From a deep free-kick, Zac McGraw got a looping header on frame, but didn’t generate enough power to beat Yarbrough in net for Colorado.
• 89’ Asprilla sent a deep cross-field ball to Santiago Moreno in the box, who took the ball down well, before shifting it onto his right foot and blasting a shot well over the bar.
• 90+1’ The ball found its way to Asprilla in the box, who couldn’t quite get over it before sending an off-balanced, left-footed shot over the bar.
• 90+5’ The 10-man Rapids doubled their lead deep into stoppage time through Mark-Anthony Kaye, who got the ball onto his left foot and curled a shot past a helpless Ivacic.

The match ended 2-0 in favor of Colorado.

The Timbers will travel across the country for a matchup with the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, May 7, with kickoff slated for 4 p.m. PST.