MATCH RECAP | Portland Timbers rout Real Salt Lake in 6-1 victory

PORTLAND, Ore. – Brothers Diego and Yimmi Chara both had a goal and an assist each, midfielder Sebastián Blanco had two assists and six different Timbers scored as the Portland Timbers soundly defeated Real Salt Lake 6-1 Saturday night in front of a crowd of 21,570 at Providence Park to extend their unbeaten streak to six games.

• MATCHCENTER: Stats and Boxscore

Forward Felipe Mora earned his team-leading 11th goal of the year, Dairon Asprilla tallied his seventh of 2021, Cristhian Paredes added his second goal and Jaroslaw Niezgoda scored for the first time since returning knee injury

MATCH MOMENTS

2' - CHANCE (POR) - On a Timbers corner kick, the ball was played out to defender Claudio Bravo. He looped a ball into centerback Bill Tuiloma with his headed ball hitting the crossbar.

11' - CHANCE (POR) - RSL misplayed a clearance on a Portland cross sent near the top of the six-yard box. Dairon Asprilla's point-blank shot was pushed away though by Salt Lake goalkeeper David Ochoa.

14' - CHANCE (POR) - A Portland throw-in on the near side went to Asprilla. He turned his defender and fired a low cross that Felipe Mora connected with in front of goal but his shot deflected off an RSL defender and out of play.

27' - GOAL (POR) - Portland took a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute on an absolutely gorgeous counter attack. Diego Chara rocketed up the center of the pitch before sending a perfectly weighted throughball to Sebastián Blanco in the left channel. Blanco cut towards goal before spying an open Mora on his right who then one-timed Blanco's direct cross into the back of the net.

36' - GOAL (POR) - Portland doubled their lead nine minutes later when defender Dario Zuparic sent a 70-yard ball over the top to Asprilla in the RSL box where he blooped his header into the far corner for a 2-0 Timbers lead.

40' - GOAL (RSL) - Salt Lake pulled a goal back when a cross was sent into traffic and Bill Tuiloma tried to clear it but the loose ball fell to Damir Kreilach who tapped it in.

48' - GOAL (POR) - Portland scored their third goal with another bit of beautiful play in the 48th minute. Yimmi Chara rolled a ball forward to free Blanco into the RSL 18-yard box. Blanco put on the breaks and rolled it back to Chara as he sped in and then perfectly painted the upper left 90 of the RSL goal with his shot.

64' - SAVE (POR) - RSL's Albert Rusnák cut in towards goal and fired a skipping shot that Timbers goalkeeper Steve Clark alertly sprang to his right to make a one-handed save.

GOAL (POR) - The Timbers again sliced apart the RSL defense with another lightning-fast counter. This one saw Blanco play the ball out on the wing to Yimmi Chara who dribbled quickly forward along the near sideline. He then sent a diagonal ball to his brother Diego near the top of the box who then lasered his shot into the back of the net for a 4-1 Timbers lead.

81' - SAVE (POR) - Clark made another great save as Rusnák found himself with space and and open net to shoot on only to have the Timbers 'keeper spring back in front of the attempt to parry it away.

85' - GOAL (POR) - Forward Jaroslaw Niezgoda scored his first goal since returning from his knee injury to make it 5-1 for Portland as he cleaned up a ball in the box and knocked into the back of the goal. The goal was set up by Santiago Moreno who had gotten free in the box and was fouled as he tapped it back to Niezgoda. Advantage was played and the forward quickly shot the loose ball.

88' - GOAL (POR) - The Timbers continued their rout when Marvin Loría galloped down the right channel, faked a shot, paused, and then played the ball out out to Cristhian Paredes on his right. The Timbers midfielder then roofed his shot into the top netting for a 6-1 Timbers lead.

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Portland next travel to California to take on Los Angeles FC on Wednesday, Sept. 29 at Banc of California Stadium (7:30pm PT, FOX 12 PLUS).

Portland Timbers (12-10-4, 40pts) vs. Real Salt Lake (10-10-6, 36pts)
Sept. 25, 2021 – Providence Park (Portland, Ore.)

Scoring Summary:
POR: Mora (Blanco, D. Chara), 27
POR: Asprilla (Zuparic), 36
RSL: Kreilach, 41
POR: Y. Chara (Blanco), 48
POR: D. Chara (Y. Chara), 68
POR: Niezgoda (Moreno), 85
POR: Paredes (Loría, Bravo), 88

Misconduct Summary:
POR: Y. Chara (caution), 45+3
RSL: Ruiz (caution), 51
RSL: Glad (caution), 73

Lineups:
POR: GK Clark, D Van Rankin, D Tuiloma, D Zuparic, D Bravo, M D. Chara ©, M Fochive (Paredes, 75), M Y. Chara (Valeri, 85), M Blanco (Loría, 80), M Asprilla (Moreno, 75), F Mora (Niezgoda, 80)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Ivacic, D Bonilla, D McGraw, M Zambrano

TOTAL SHOTS: 16 (Mora, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (Asprilla, 2); FOULS: 14 (Five players tied, 2); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 8

RSL: GK Ochoa, D Glad, D Holt, D Herrera, D Datkovic (Powder, 45), M Ruiz (Julio, 77), M Kreilach, M Meram (Menéndez, 63), M Rusnak ©, M Luiz, F Rubin (Iloski, 89)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Putna, D Morgan, M Besler, M Chang

TOTAL SHOTS: 18 (Powder, 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 9 (Meram, 3); FOULS: 9 (Glad, 3); OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 3

Referee: Fotis Bazakos
Assistant Referees: Brian Poeschel, Ryan Graves
Fourth official: Ramy Touchan
VAR: Younes Marrakchi
Attendance: 21,579
Weather: Sunny, 81 degrees

All statistics contained in this box score are unofficial

Notes

• The Timbers are undefeated in their last six matches (5-0-1), improving their overall record in the 2021 campaign to 12-10-4. 
• Portland improved its home record in the 2021 regular-season campaign tonight to 8-3-2 and is tied for most home wins in the Western Conference with Minnesota United FC.
• Portland has scored a goal in 16 consecutive matches this season and is tied for the second-most goals (42) in the Western Conference.
• The Timbers are 11-1-1 when scoring first this season.
• The Timbers have won six out of their last nine matches (6-2-1) against RSL since October in 2018. In those nine matches, Portland has scored 25 goals.
• Tonight marked the first time six different players scored a goal in a single game.
• Felipe Mora scored his team-leading 11th goal of the season tonight, recording a new career best.
• Eight of Mora’s 11 goals have been scored at Providence Park.
• Mora has scored nine goals in his last 13 matches.
• Dairon Asprilla scored his seventh goal of the 2021 campaign and 14th in the regular season with the Timbers since 2014.
• Asprilla is the only Timbers player to appear in all 26 regular season matches in 2021.
• Yimmi Chara recorded his fourth goal of the season and eighth of his regular season career with the Timbers.
• Y. Chara tallied his fourth assist of the season tonight.
• Diego Chara notched his first goal of this season and 11th regular season goal with the Timbers.
• D. Chara also tallied his 27th career assist for Portland. 
• Jaroslaw Niezgoda recorded his first goal in the 2021 campaign tonight after coming back from an ACL injury (Nov. 2020).
• Cristhian Paredes scored Portland’s last goal in tonight’s match, recording his second goal this season and seventh with the Timbers. 
• Sebastián Blanco recorded two assists in tonight’s match, sitting at second most in the team with five this season. 
• Blanco has started in seven matches this season, tallying three goals and five assists in those matches.
• Claudio Bravo tallied his second assist for the Timbers tonight. 
• Marvin Loría recorded his team-leading sixth assist tonight. 
• Santiago Moreno recorded his first MLS assist in his fifth appearance for the Timbers tonight. 
• Dario Zuparic recorded his second career assist with the Timbers.
• Seventeen different players to have recorded an assist for Portland this season. Twelve of them have tallied more than two assists.
• Steve Clark recorded a season-best eight saves in the match.