Fanendo Adi scored the only goal of the game to fire the Portland Timbers to a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Fire in their MLS clash on Friday.
The Timbers were the first to threaten when Rodney Wallace broke forward through the middle and he shot at goal, but his deflected effort was well saved by Sean Johnson.
Darlington Nagbe tried an audacious volley from the edge of the box as he connected with a cross from the right, but Eric Gehrig made the block to deny his goalbound effort.
Portland pressed forward again just before the break as Alvas Powell raided down the right and found the run of Adi, but the forward's effort was well blocked by Jeff Larentowicz.
In the second half, Adi was not to be denied his goal when he latched on to a cross from Diego Valeri and steered his strike past Johnson from close range.
Valeri almost doubled his side's advantage as he was afforded space and time on the edge of the box, but his shot drifted wide of the post.
Portland threatened again when Wallace backheeled the ball into the path of Jorge Villafana, but his powerful strike was tipped over the bar by Johnson.
The Fire tried to rally to push for an equaliser as Kennedy Igboananike released the run of Shaun Maloney, but his strike went wide of the post, condemning the visitors to defeat.
Simon Sinclair
