By: Jamal Smith sports editor
In what is being heralded as one of the greatest Major League Soccer (MLS) playoff games of all time, the Portland Timbers, with a little bit of luck, came out victorious in the knockout round against Sporting Kansas City (SKC) on Thursday Oct. 26, 2015.
The sold out crowd at Providence Park got their money’s worth; the atmosphere was insane, there were ups and downs, phenomenal last minute goals, and one of the craziest double goal post penalty misses of all time.
It would take 90 minutes of regulation, two 15 minute overtime periods and 22 penalty kicks for the Timbers to become victorious and advance to the Western Conference Semifinals. The game was a draw at 2-2 with Portland winning the penalty shootout 7-6.
Portland came out firing on all cylinders in the opening minutes of the first half, but was unable to capitalize with a goal, and the first half ended with the score tied at 0-0.
Timber’s midfielder Rodney Wallace would find the back net in the 57th minute after a beautiful juggling flick pass from Timber’s midfielder Diego Valeri inside of SKC’s 18-yard box.
In the 87th minute, with just 3 minutes to play in regulation, SKC evened the score at 1-1 off a cross into the Timber’s 18-yard box which was headed in by SKC’s defender Kevin Ellis, causing the match to continue with two 15 minute overtime periods.
SKC ripped the heart out of the Timber’s faithful in the 97th minute when forward Krisztian Nemeth’s hit a ridiculous top-corner goal which Timber’s keeper Adam Kwarasey had no chance at saving.
In the second overtime period, with just two minutes remaining, Portland super-sub Maximiliano Urruti (F) tied the game at 2-2 after a Wallace cross found its way to Urruti and he calmly blasted it past SPC’s goalkeeper Jon Kempin.
Still, even after the overtime periods, the match would be decided with penalty kicks. The team with the most goals after five rounds would be crowned the victor, but even still, the match would continue into sudden-death.
After Portland failed to covert in the 8th round, SKC’s defender Saad Abdul-Salaam’s shot on goal unbelievably bounced off both goal posts and somehow didn’t go in.
“Our crowd, our fans, our supporters, the Timbers Army, I think they were the ones who kept that last ball out of the net,” said head coach Caleb Porter at the postgame press conference. “It was either them or God because the thing bounced twice, and I don’t know how it didn’t go in. But it didn’t.”
“Something kept that goal out. I don’t know what it was; maybe it was them from them yelling so much,” added Porter. “Something did, something kept it out. So I’m going to credit the Timbers Army.”
With every penalty make from the Timbers, the crowd went into a frenzy, but SKC would answer every time. With every miss, the crowd collectively held their breath, but SKC would fail to convert.
The eleventh round pitted Timber’s keeper Kwarasey against SKC keeper Kempin. Kwarasey would convert on his penalty kick, and then make the save against Kempin to the estatic delight of the Timber’s Army.
“It was like a movie,” said Kwarasey after the game. “I didn’t expect it to go to penalties. I didn’t expect to take a penalty. I’m still a little bit exhausted. It’s a wonderful feeling.”
With the incredible victory, the Timbers advanced to Western Conference Semifinals against no. 2 seed Vancouver Whitecaps, a two-leg series with the first game played in Portland and the second in Vancouver, B.C.
Note: On Sunday Nov. 1, 2015, the Timbers finished the match with a 0-0 draw against the Vancouver White Caps. The decisive next match will be played in Vancouver, B.C. on Sunday Nov. 8, 2015. With a victory, the Timbers would advance into the Western Conference Finals against the winner of Seattle vs. Dallas.
