Chicago Fire Earn First Victory Over Portland Timbers 2-1

During the MLS Regular season match between the Portland Timbers and the Chicago Fire on June 21, 2023 at Providence Park in Portland, OR (Photo by Diego G Diaz).

Providence Park was illuminated in the long twilight of the summer solstice as the Portland Timbers played host to the Chicago Fire Wednesday night. The Timbers have won or drawn all previous engagements with the Fire until tonight. Portland played a scoreless road game in San Jose last Saturday, June 17th, and will host New York City Football Club on June 24th.

The first ten minutes of the match had the Timbers looking for their rhythm and spending too much time on defense. Timbers’ defender Zac McGraw had a header in the box that went too high in the 8th minute. McGraw was called up to the Canadian National Team for the Gold Cup and will miss the next match against NYCFC.

Chicago responded quickly and on the next play midfielder Brian Gutiérrez connected with fellow midfielder Fabian Herbers for the first goal of the match. Gastón Giménez tried to make it two in the 11th minute, but his shot missed to the left.

Santiago Moreno and Evander made homegrown Fire keeper Chris Brady make a stretched out ground save in the 12th minute. Evander had another chance off a direct free kick in the 16th minute that went left of goal. Timbers keeper, David Bingham, had pinpoint service to Moreno for the assist on a shot that was saved at the top center of goal in the 21st minute.

Franck Boil found the equalizer for the Timbers in the 26th minute with a beautifully serviced ball from Santiago Moreno. Boli struck the ball in stride, sending it to the back of the net with one touch.

Franck Boli Photo by Diego G Diaz

Chicago had a right footed shot in the 30th minute by Jairo Torres from the center of the box that was saved by Bingham in the center of the goal. He was assisted by Gastón Giménez with a through ball.

Evander took another direct free kick attempt in the 33rd minute that went high. Kacper Przybylko and Gastón Giménez both had missed attempts for the Fire in the 35th and 36th minutes. Moreno had the last attempt on goal for the half in the 44th minute with the assist from Boli that went just high.

The second half started with a missed attempt in the 52nd minute by Chicago’s Torres. The Timber’s looked disconnected as they tried to find their pace and gain control of the match. Portland made a series of unnecessary fouls that led to the first yellow of the match.

Head referee, Fotis Bazakos, gave Dairon Asprilla a yellow card for persistent infringement in the 56th minute. Bazakos demonstrated a lack of authority and the ability to maintain control of the game throughout the match. There was persistent shoving, inconsistent calls, and tempers allowed to flare without any productive mitigation by the referees.

Evander tried for a difficult shot in the 60th that missed to the left.

The first substitutions of the match came in the 69th minute when Chicago brought on Kei Kamara and Johnathan Dean in for Kacper Przybylko and Alonso Aceves respectively. The Timbers shortly followed with three substitutions of their own: Sebastian Blanco came in for Evander, Marvin Loria came in for Asprilla, and Jaroslaw Niezgoda entered the match for Boli.

Claudio Bravo was shown the second yellow of the night in the 75th minute for a foul that came right after he had been warned by Bazakos for a similar foul.

Chicago made two more substitutions in the 78th minute brining on Georgios Koutsias for Torres and Maren Haile-Selassie for Fabian Herbers. In the 82nd minute Nathan Fogaça came in to replace Moreno for the Timbers.

Kei Kamara, in the 83rd minute, sent a header from the center of the box to the bottom right corner of the net off a cross from Brian Gutiérrez. Fire with the lead 2-1. Wyatt Omsberg came into the match to relieve Guitérrez in the 87th minute.

Controversy on a tackle by Chicago defender Rafael Czichos on Jaroslaw Niezgoda that the Referee reversed after showing Czichos a red card. Photo by Diego G Diaz

A tackle between Niezgoda and Rafael Czichos at the top of the box in the 89th minute resulted in a red card shown to Czichos but after VAR, the call was reversed. The Timbers made their final substitution bringing in Diego Gutiérrez for Bravo in the first minute of stoppage time.

Loría gave the Timbers their last best chance for an equalizer in the 90+3rd minute. His left footed shot from the left side of the box was saved by Brady. Zac McGraw was on the assist. McGraw also had the assist of Fogaça’s bicycle shot in the 90+6th minute that soared over the center bar, dashing the last hope for the Portland Timbers.

The Chicago Fire had their first victory over the Portland Timbers in their 11-game history. Chicago 2, Portland 1.