Timbers fight until the end in 2-1 loss to Tigres UANL in Leagues Cup 2023

Portland played final 46 minutes with ten players in valiant effort against Liga MX champions; Timbers advance to Round of 32.

PORTLAND, Ore. – A 10-man Portland Timbers side dropped a 2-1 result against Liga MX side Tigres UANL in their second Leagues Cup 2023 group-stage match at Providence Park on Wednesday night. Evander scored in a second straight match with a stunning free kick to put Portland ahead in the 24th minute. Just moments before halftime, Tigres equalized with a goal of their own and Evander was shown a second yellow card ejecting him from the match. The Timbers played a hard-fought second half down a man but conceded the game-winning goal to Tigres in the 80th minute.

Portland’s Leagues Cup 2023 Campaign
The Timbers played their second Leagues Cup match after defeating San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 at Providence Park on July 22. With a 1-1-0 record in Group West 1 and a +1 goal differential, the Timbers assured themselves at least a second-place finish. The final group match between Tigres and San Jose on July 30 will determine the group standings order.

Evander Bangers
Scoring in a second straight Leagues Cup match, Evander tallied his second goal of the tournament and his team-leading seventh goal across all competitions in 2023. Tonight’s free-kick goal also gives him the team lead in points tallied (17 - 7g, 3a) in 20 appearances (18 starts) this year. The Brazilian midfielder opened his Leagues Cup 2023 account scoring a first-half goal against San Jose Earthquakes on July 26, for which he earned Man of the Match and Goal of the Matchday honors.

Goal-Scoring Plays:
POR – Evander, 24th minute: Felipe Mora was fouled outside the box. Standing over the dead ball, Evander curled a direct free kick into the top-right corner of Tigres’ goal.

TIG – Andre-Pierre Gignac (Nicolas López), 42nd minute: Nicolas Lopez dribbled down the middle of the field and slipped a pass into the box for Andre-Pierre Gignac, who finished the play with a right-footed shot into the lower-right corner of the goal.

TIG – Jesus Angulo (Guido Pizarro), 80th minute: Standing at the near post on a Tigres corner kick, Guido Pizarro flicked a header to the back post. Jesus Angulo won the ball out of the air and headed it into the back of the net.

Notes:

• The Timbers played their second Leagues Cup match tonight after defeating San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 at Providence Park on July 22.
• With a 1-1-0 record in Group West 1 and a +1 goal differential, the Timbers are still in contention to advance to the Round of 32.
• Portland’s next match in the tournament will be determined by the final Group West 1 match on July 30 between Tigres and San Jose.
• Scoring in a second straight Leagues Cup match, Evander tallied his second goal of the tournament.
• It marked Evander’s team-leading seventh goal across all competitions in 2023.
• Evander leads the team in points tallied (17 - 7g, 3a) across all competitions this year.
• Portland played the entire second half down a man after Evander was sent off with a second yellow card before halftime.
• Felipe Mora earned his first start for Portland since the 2021 MLS Cup on Dec. 11, 2021.
• Miguel Araujo made his Timbers debut in the match as a second half substitute.

Next Game:
The Timbers’ next match of the Leagues Cup 2023 tournament will be determined by the final group-stage match between Tigres and San Jose on July 30.

Scoring Summary:
POR: Evander, 24
TIG: Gignac (López), 42
TIG: Angulo (Pizarro), 80

Misconduct Summary:
TIG: Carioca (caution), 30
TIG: Samir (caution), 37
POR: Evander (caution), 39
POR: Evander (ejection), 44
TIG: Quiñones (caution), 45+4
TIG: Vigón (caution), 61

Lineups:
POR: GK Ivacic, D Bravo (Araujo, 89), D Zuparic, D McGraw, D Mosquera (Blanco, 89), M Evander, M Chará, M Paredes, M Loría (Moreno, 62), M Asprilla (Boli, 88), F Mora (Niezgoda, 46)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Bingham, GK Sulte, D Miller, D Mabiala, D Gutierrez, M Caliskan, F Fogaça

TOTAL SHOTS: 8 (Mora, Evander, 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 2 (Mora, Evander, 1); FOULS: 16 (Asprilla, 4); OFFSIDES: 1; CORNER KICKS: 5, SAVES: 1

TIG: GK Guzmán, D Angulo, D Samir (Reyes, 46), D Pizarro, D Aquino, M Gorriarán (Córdova, 78), M Carioca, M Vigón (Herrera, 62), F Quiñones, F Gignac (Ibáñez, 78), F López (Lainez, 62)

Substitutes Not Used: GK Rodríguez, GK Delgado, D Ordóñez, D Tercero, M Garza, M Pizzuto, M Fulgencio

TOTAL SHOTS: 9 (Angulo, 3); SHOTS ON GOAL: 3 (Gignac, 2); FOULS: 14 (Samir, 4); OFFSIDES: 3; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 1

Referee: Walter López Castellanos
Assistant Referees: Keytzel Corrales Mojica, Juan Tipaz
Fourth Official: Jefferson Escobar
VAR: Luis Enrique Santander Aguirre
Attendance: 21,755