After some early back and forth between both teams, the LA Galaxy start a fast counter down the right wing in the 18th minute. A cross into the box finds an unmarked Marcelo Sarvas who heads it past a diving Donovan Ricketts for a 1-0 LA lead.
After weathering some LA momentum, the Portland Timbers fight back. On a quickly taken free kick near the right corner, Darlington Nagbe dribbles into the 18 and shoots. The ball scuffles away to a wide open Ryan Johnson who hammers home the easy tap in to tie the match at 1-1.
In the 39th minute, Diego Chara gets called for a foul in a dangerous position just atop the arc. LA's Juninho curls a beautiful free kick around the massive Portland wall but Donovan Ricketts goes full extension to dive and tip the ball over the bar.
Minutes later, Ricketts again comes up big sprinting way off his line to break up a Gyasi Zardes breakaway.
Ricketts made another clutch stop on Zardes later in the second half as well.
Then, in one of the most dramatic Timbers finishes ever, Andrew Jean-Baptiste heads home a Diego Valeri corner kick deep into second half stoppage time to lift the Timbers to a 2-1 victory. The crowd, as they say, goes wild.
