On a night honoring Diego Valeri as he entered the club’s ring of honor, the Portland Timbers weathered the emotional ups and downs to beat the Columbus Crew 3-2 and earn their first win since June 11.
The Timbers (6-9-8, 26 points) remain in 12th in the Western Conference, three points out of the ninth and final MLS Cup playoff spot.
Before the match and at halftime, it was all about Valeri. His name was revealed on the east side of the stadium among the team’s five other ring of honor members: John Bain, Clive Charles, Jimmy Conway, Timber Jim Serrill, and Mick Hoban.
Valeri teared up pregame, and during his emotional halftime speech. After sharing his love for the city and club, he sprinted from midfield into the Timbers Army and embraced fans before signing autographs.
As the match began, the Crew started on the front foot. Columbus had an early chance in the 9th minute, a golden opportunity for Jacen Russell-Rowe deep in the box that he missed wide.
In the 15th minute, Asprilla got involved with a dance to catch up with a ball ahead, and his shot was on-target but saved easily.
Zac McGraw made a big block in the 26th minute for the Timbers, his first match back with the club since international duty with Canada at the Gold Cup.
Asprilla opened the floodgates in the 28th minute, scoring on a feed from Dario Zuparic after the ball came loose off a corner. Two minutes later, Asprilla made it a brace, electrifying the Providence Park crowd with a strong run to reach a perfect ball by Franck Boli. His smooth finish made it 2-0 Timbers.
Columbus was able to pull one back in first half stoppage time, though, as Lucas Zelarayán snuck past the Timbers back line — and keeper David Bingham — to score at a wide angle from in close. At half, the Timbers led 2-1, but momentum had been ceded.
With Portland scrambling at the back early in the second half, Diego Chará picked up a yellow card in the 54th minute, fouling former teammate and Columbus captain Darlington Nagbe.
Evander ripped a shot at goal in the 57th minute that was just wide. In the 62nd, the Timbers brought on Felipe Mora for Boli, Sebastián Blanco for Asprilla, and Yimmi Chará for Marvin Loría.
Columbus evened things up in the 65th minute, a second goal for Zelarayán on a tremendous, skillful take from just outside the box. With the match tied 2-2, the Timbers reeled, allowing several dangerous runs on the attack by the Crew.
Yimmi Chará and Mora each had chances in the 73rd and 74th minutes. Chará’s was first, a header off the underside of the crossbar, and Mora’s a shot in traffic deep in the box that was blocked.
Blanco recaptured the lead for Portland in the 80th minute, finishing off a point-blank strike at the end of a broken play. He immediately ripped off his jersey and screamed at the crowd, full of emotion on the night honoring a fellow Argentine, teammate and close friend in Valeri.
Portland made a pair of defensive subs in the final 10 minutes, bringing on Larrys Mabiala for Evander and Eric Miller for Claudio Bravo. They held on to the lead the rest of the way, with players falling to the pitch exhausted by the heat as the final whistle blew.
Next up: Portland hosts the San Jose Earthquakes in the group stage of the inaugural Leagues Cup. The match kicks off July 22 at 7 p.m. at Providence Park. A live broadcast is available on FS1 and streaming on the Apple TV app with a subscription to MLS Season Pass.
— Ryan Clarke, rclarke@oregonian.com, Twitter: @RyanTClarke
