Thanks for joining me for this one, I've been Liam McMahon. Goodbye for now.
Terrific match from both sides, and it will all be there to play for next Sunday at BC Place when these two will do battle again.
90+3' Asprilla earns a corner as the referee blows the final whistle. 0-0 finish.
90+2' Still no breakthrough for Portland.
90+1' Valeri goes down under all sorts of pressure, and inexplicably the assistant referee doesn't give the decision. Dreadful decision.
90' Teibert with a great clearance, and we have two more minutes coming here.
89' Urruti has hit the post! What a lovely move from the Timbers to create an opening, and Urruti was an inch away from putting that in the back of the net. So close.
88' SUBSTITUTION VANCOUVER WHITECAPS OCTAVIO RIVERO OFF DARRON MATTOCKS ON
87' Asprilla takes off on a thrilling run down the right wing but again cannot find the final ball.
86' Urruti turns, creates space, and looks to curl one for the far corner but there isn't enough pace on the shot and Ousted holds it.
85' Techera hacks down Asprilla, and he is penalized for it.
84' Dangerous set piece from the Whitecaps there, but Gleeson claimed the ball brilliantly.
83' Fantastic noise coming from the Timbers Army now.
82' Powell whistled for a hand ball.
81' Rivero curls one towards goal from 30 yards out, and Gleeson has no problems catching it.
80' It is pinball in the Whitecaps box here, and the Timbers have another corner. Ousted is forced into a save, and is only prevented from making another one by the offside flag.
79' Corner coming for Portland here.
78' Whitecaps corner here, but nothing comes of it.
77' SUBSTITUTION VANCOUVER WHITECAPS KEKUTA MANNEH OFF PEDRO MORALES ON
76' Asprilla with a lovely ball across the six yard box which is again held onto by Ousted. He's had a terrific game.
75' Wallace gets to the byline and clips a cross back towards goal, but it takes a deflectin and Ousted can claim it.
74' Vancouver trying to piece some passes together right now. They look perfectly happy to hold on for a 0-0 draw.
73' Techera and Rosales not on the same wavelength and a Vancouver attack breaks down.
72' Ousted with a stunning save to deny Valeri! He hit a beauty of a free kick from 30 yards out, but the keeper managed to fly across the face of goal and get up to the top corner to deflect the ball behind for a corner.
71' SUBSTITUTION PORTLAND TIMBERS FANENDO ADI OFF MAXI URRUTI ON
70' Maxi Urruti about to come on.
69' Villafaña whips a terrific ball into the box, but it's well cleared by Waston again.
68' Powell with a poor cross into the box that curled out of play before coming back in, goal kick coming.
67' Rosales curls a ball in towards Waston, who is penalized for a foul on Asprilla.
66' Vancouver corner coming here.
65' Portland having it all their own way here, but Vancouver continue to comfortably repel their attacks.
64' Nagbe and Adi combine really well on the edge of the 'Caps box, but the Timbers still cannot find the final ball.
63' SUBSTITUTION VANCOUVER WHITECAPS MAURO ROSALES ON GERSHON KOFFIE OFF
62' Manneh hacks down Powell to end what feels like Vancouver's first attack of the half.
61' SUBSTITUTION PORTLAND TIMBERS LUCAS MELANO OFF DAIRON ASPRILLA ON
60' Wave after wave of Timbers attack coming at Ousted's goal now.
59' Portland having all of the ball right now.
58' Timbers Army finally really finding their voice right now, atmosphere getting better by the minute.
57' Nagbe picks up the ball in midfield, and runs at Ousted's goal. The midfielder uncorks a drive from 35 yards out that ends up in the stand.
56' Wallace with a lovely ball in to Adi's feet in the box, but the striker's first touch was poor.
54' Portland nearly go in front! Powell whipped in a fantastic ball in behind the back line, and Adi got on the end of it. He forced Ousted into a terrific save, and Waston cleared the rebound a split-second before Valeri can get on the end of it. Nearly the opener.
53' Vancouver subs are warming up right now.
52' Portland very much in ascendency at the moment, but they've yet to create anything in the way of concrete scoring opportunities.
51' Valeria takes the corner, and Ousted punches clear. Up the other end, Manneh is done and grasping his hamstring.
50' Wallace looks to whip a ball in from the wing, and his cross deflects off the side netting and out for a corner.
49' Nagbe with a nice run downfield, but he sold Valeri short when he attempted to pick him out.
48' Techera has a hit from 40 yards out and the ball sails over the bar.
47' The crowd are still making their way back to their seats, and the atmosphere has yet to really reenter the building.
46' And we are back underway.
Rain teeming down now in the Pacific Northwest, almost time to get back underway.
Thrilling opening period from these two teams. I'll be back to bring you all the second half as soon as it starts.
45+1' Valeri curls in a ball towards the back post, but it runs out for a goal kick and the end of the half.
45' Techera's delivery is poor, and Nagbe picks up the pieces before taking off on a 60 yard run. Koffie takes him down and picks up a yellow card.
44' Lucas Melano enters the book after pulling back Manneh. Dangerous set piece coming here.
43' This has been a really fun first half. This looks like Porterball circa 2013.
42' Manneh whips a ball into the box that Gleeson catches calmly.
41' Valeri shimmies to create some space and rolls a weak strike at Ousted.
40' Wallace and Beitashour get into a wrestling match in the Whitecaps' box, and the foul is given on the winger. Tough decision there.
39' Koffie with a half chance in the Portland box, but he can't generate any power on the strike and Gleeson holds it well.
38' Ridgewell with a bad giveaway that ends a nice spell of possession for the Timbers.
37' Rivero with a shocking miss! Vancouver with a fantastic attack there, and the striker had the ball at the penalty spot with the time to pick his spot and he blazed the ball over the bar. Dreadful.
36' Melano has looked really dangerous this afternoon, and he created another half chance after a great run there. However, Wallace's shot was blocked.
35' Game's just been lacking fluidity these last few minutes.
34' Always fun when footballers get caught swearing on TV, and Ousted just got busted after a dreadful kick out.
33' Just got confirmation that Kwarasey is out battling the flu.
32' Replays showing that his knee just buckled, but he's back up on his feet again and play is underway again.
31' Laba is down injured now, he needs treatment.
30' Vancouver stringing some passes together, but it comes to nothing.
29' Portland bossing possession at the moment, recalling the days of Porterball as they've had 67% of the ball thus far.
28' Waston and Adi in a terrific physical battle just over the halfway line. 50-50 both ways there, good to see no decision given.
26' Valeri clips a cross into the box which Adi gets his head to, but the striker can't generate any pace.
25' Some of the early intensity has petered out now, both sides taking turns launching attacks at the moment.
24' Interesting storyline that somehow Kekuta Manneh could represent the USMNT internationally, not sure how that would work.
23' Harvey gets to the byline and looks for a cross which Powell blocks out well for a corner. Nothing comes of the corner.
22' Vancouver with a foray forward here, but nothing comes of it.
21' There's been an obvious ebb and flow to this match thus far, and these last five minutes have belonged to Portland.
20' Ridgewell with an incredible 80 yard ball in behind the back four that Waston has to put behind for a corner. Valeri takes the corner, and it is cleared out to Nagbe. He creates space for a shot, but Waston is out well to block.
19' We're just over 1/5 of the way through this match and it's already been more exciting than the New York-DC match was. Fantastic opening period thus far.
18' Villafaña with a terrific cross into the box, which strikes Adi's arm. The referee spots it correctly, great call.
17' Valeri with a dangerous ball in behind towards Adi, but the flag is up for offside. Promise there for Portland.
16' Manneh has a hit from 30 yards out, and forces Gleeson into his first save of the day. The keeper holds on to the ball well.
15' Jewsbury with a fantastic tackle to cut out a dangerous attack, but he concedes a corner. However, the set piece comes to nothing.
14' Beitashour taking some stick from the crowd after having a chat with our referee for the day.
13' Rivero penalized for a silly foul on Ridgewell on the midway line.
12' Some good physical battles out there as well, neither team holding back.
11' Both sides looking to get forward at every opportunity thus far, really attractive, open game.
10' Koffie should have opened the scoring. Manneh and Rivero dovetailed wonderfully, and the Uruguayan found Koffie all alone at the penalty shot. He screwed his shot wide really poorly, should have done better.
9' Villafaña breaks up a Whitecaps counter with a terrific defensive run. Great tracking back.
8' Melano looks to have picked up a knock to his back, but it doesn't stop him from getting on the end of a cross from Wallace. It looked like a fairly simple ball coming in, but Melano found space in the midst of the box and got a foot on the ball. However, his strike was directly at Ousted, who held onto the ball well.
7' The ball into the box doesn't beat the first man, and Ridgewell heads it away. Vancouver definitely looking the better side in these opening exchanges.
6' Manneh draws another foul here, and goes down clutching his ankle. Here comes another dangerous set piece.
5' Techera takes the free kick and it's a good ball whipped into the box, but Gleeson claims comfortably. That should give him some confidence.
4' Kekuta Manneh goes down and Vancouver has an attacking free kick coming.
3' Octavio Rivero has a half chance inside the box, but Nat Borchers gets down well to block.
2' Lots of energy from each team, both looking to press high up the pitch.
1' The game kicks off as the Timbers Army serenade the players. Terrific atmosphere.
Good tifo from the Timbers Army saying that the "Power of Kwarasey Stops You Hosers". Always good banter from them.
Kind of funny to see a lad in Bayern Munich kit in with the Timbers Army. Both anthems are over now, time to get underway.
The players are out on the pitch, and it's about to kick off. Here. We. Go.
Both sides will be lining up today in 4-3-3 formations. Here's hoping that the relative strengths of both sides don't cancel each other out.
Who will be singing come the end of this match? Will it be the forest green or the blue and white? It's almost time to find out.
Some members of the Timbers Army spent last night camped out in front of Providence Park, waiting to be the first through the doors for the match. It should be an incredible atmosphere.
Things are all over in DC, where the Red Bulls have won the first leg by a score of 1-0.
ESPN have confirmed that our official kick-off time is 5:22 PM ET. I. Can't. Wait.
The Red Bulls still lead United by a score of 1-0, and they are into stoppage time in the nation's capital.
Right around half an hour until kick-off. Gotta love when MLS says kick-off will be at 5 PM ET and it isn't actually until a little after 5:20.
Given how close we are to kick-off, it feels fitting to give some predictions. I expect the aggregate score over these two legs to be quite tight, and foresee a draw today. Portland will come out firing after their victory on Thursday night, and will ride the crowd energy to an early lead. However, tired legs will begin to show in the second half, and Vancouver will find a late equalizer.
For those of you who are interested in the match before this one, the New York Red Bulls have just taken a 1-0 lead after a Dax McCarty header in the 72nd minute. If you want to follow the final few minutes live, go here.
Vancouver Whitecaps subs: Tornaghi, Smith, Rosales, Mattocks, Flores, Dean, Rosales
Vancouver Whitecaps starting XI: Ousted, Beitashour, Waston, Parker, Harvey, Laba, Teibert, Techera, Koffie, Manneh, Rivero
I'm hearing that Kwarasey had the flu on Thursday night and that may be the reason he's out today. Could he still be sick?
Just under an hour until kick-off and Vancouver have yet to release their line-up for today. We'll bring it to you as soon as possible.
The big news there is that New Zealand internation goalkeeper Jake Gleeson starts in goal over Adam Kwarasey, who was the hero on Thursday night against Sporting in the shoot-out.
Here are the Timbers' subs: Weber, Paparatto, Peay, Fochive, Johnson, Asprilla, Urrutti
Portland Timbers starting XI: Gleeson, Powell, Borchers, Ridgewell (C), Villafaña, Jewsbury, Nagbe, Melano, Adi, Wallace
We're now just over an hour away from kick-off, and I cannot wait for this match to kick off. Let me know what you're hoping to see from it on Twitter, @liam_mcmahon_11.
Robinson proceeded to bang the drum ahead of this match, and promised that his players will not be intimidated by playing in front of what is sure to be a hostile crowd at Providence Park. "It's a semifinal series, which is a major achievement for the football club and this group of players. They should be proud of themselves, but I want them to go out now and embrace that challenge. I don't want them to go out and play with fear or be scared because there's nothing to be scared about or nothing to be fearful about. We've got to be wary of them. They're a good team, but so are we."
Meanwhile, Vancouver boss Carl Robinson cannot wait for this match. "We like our rivalry games, whether it's Seattle or Portland," the manager said in training leading up to this match. "It's what everyone wants to see. I've got a group of players that want to play in these big games. You want to manage against the best coaches, and you want to play against rivals. So all in all, it's an exciting series."
Timbers goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey also spoke about the quick turnaround. “We have to take the positives with us and correct our mistakes,” said the keeper. “We have to start focusing tomorrow. We just get three or four days after 120 minutes, so we have to be clever now and be smart with what we do. I expect everybody to just go home and rest now.”
He went on to state unequivocally that his team will be ready to get the job done, saying "No doubt the guys will be ready. No doubt they will be turned around once the whistle blows, the adrenaline goes, they won’t feel it. We’ll be ready.”
Portland manager Caleb Porter feels certain his team will be up for the match. “It’s the tightest window we have played in all year. To be honest with you, I don’t like the format,” the manager said. “We play Thursday, and we are three seed. I don’t know why that happened. It is what it is. No one cares about the format. They care who goes on. So we are going to find a way to get it done.”
Although there will be an inevitable high after winning a match in such a fashion, it will be a difficult turnaround for Portland. They played 120 minutes just three days ago, and it is fair to wonder whether or not the Timbers will have the legs for today's match.
Then, in what can only be described as an epic shootout, the Timbers triumphed 7-6 after Kwarasey came up with a save in the 11th round. Both teams had penalties saved, both teams blazed penalties over the bar, and Sporting threw away two chances to win the game. However, in the end, the Timbers advanced on to the Conference Semifinal.
Following the restart, Portland commenced a siege of the Sporting goal. They threw everything including the kitchen sink at SKC, but it seemed all would be for naught, until Maxi Urruti popped up. The dominutive Argentine was Johnny on the Spot when Portland most needed him in the 118th minute and buried a header to level the game. Neither team was then able to find a winner, and the game headed to a penalty shootout.
In the opening 15 minutes of stoppage time, it was all about Sporting Kansas City. They were unlucky not to find a goal in the first few minutes of the extra period, but their persistence paid off in the 105th when Krisztian Nemeth rifled a stunning strike into the top corner from an absurd angle. Timbers goalkeepr Adam Kwarasey was left stranded, and it seemed the boys in blue were headed for the next round.
Sporting continued to throw numbers forward, and it finally paid off in the 87th minute when Ellis managed to knock the ball into the back of the net. Although both teams had half chances before the final whistle sounded, neither was able to find a winner and the match headed to extra time.
After playing out a fairly dull first half, the game exploded into life in the second period when the Timbers took the lead in the 57th minute after Rodney Wallace tucked away a rebound. As the clock continued on towards the 90 minute mark, it seemed certain that the Timbers would grind out a 1-0 victory. No one seemed to tell Kevin Ellis that.
In addition to managing the mental aspect that comes with playing a rivalry game, the Portland Timbers will have to deal with playing their second game in the space of four days. Due to their third place regular season finish in the Western Conference, the Timbers hosted Sporting Kansas City on Thursday night, and an epic playoff encounter ensued.
Derby matches between these two are always feisty affairs, but this one has all the potential to be special. Portland and Vancouver have never come up against each other in MLS Cup Playoff action, and although there will be a second leg next week, expect fireworks from this match.
This afternoon we have the privilege of watching a Cascadia Cup clash between the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps. Although neither of these teams had the pleasure of lifting the Cup this past season, the bitter rivals still entertain dreams of lifting MLS Cup on the first Sunday of December.
Hello and welcome to VAVEL USA's LIVE coverage of the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs! My name is Liam McMahon, and I am thrilled to be bringing you all live action from the Western Conference Semifinals. Today the VAVEL MLS staff will be bringing you live coverage of all four Conference Semifinal matches, and I'm honored to do my part by giving you live commentary of this afternoon's match between the Portland Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps from Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. Kick-off isn't until 5:00 PM ET, so sit back, relax, and let me walk you through the lead up to this match.