For over 90 minutes, the Portland Timbers had weathered wave after wave of Real Salt Lake attacks without conceding a goal.
So it was that the Timbers found themselves with an opportunity to win the game when they earned a corner kick late in second-half stoppage time. The referee had only added four minutes of extra time and here the Timbers were, nearly five minutes into it, with the last chance of the game.
Midfielder Diego Valeri stepped up and sent an in-swinger right into the penalty area. Defender Nat Borchers rose up and headed the ball, which took a big bounce off the grass and flew past the arms of Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando.
Excited by the goal but respectful of the situation, Borchers – who had spent the previous seven seasons with RSL – fell down to the turf and covered his face with his hands.
The win came during a crucial August stretch and helped the Timbers keep pace in a tightening Western Conference.
