On a hot night in Houston, the Portland Timbers looked to get a quick start in their first of three games over the next eight days. Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco combined quickly down the middle of the field off the kickoff to get Blanco into the box. Blanco was forced out, but off of an ensuing throw, the Timbers nearly created a shot for Jeremy Ebobisse after Valeri attempted a square pass across the six yard box.
The Timbers continued to control the match for the first several minutes, and in the 10th minute created a goal from an Alvas Powell cross which deflected off Alejandro Fuenmayor’s boot to chip Joe Willis.