Portland Timbers and Thorns goal-scores hoist slabs following the “Green is Gold” charity match at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Slabs of wood are adorned with red roses, signifying goals scored during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Diego Valeri of Team Gold collides with Team Green defender Reyna Reyes during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Team Gold forward Jonathan Rodríguez drives against Team Green midfielder Diego Chara during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Portland Timbers and Thorns players pose for a photo after the “Green is Gold” charity match at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Team Gold midfielder Evander passes outside during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Team Gold forward Sophia Smith dribbles around Team Green midfielder Diego Chara during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Young fans wave a flag before the Portland Timbers and Thorns compete in an intersquad “Green is Gold” charity match at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Portland Timbers legend Diego Valeri passes outside during the“Green is Gold” charity match between the Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Team Gold forward Jonathan Rodríguez scores past Team Green keeper Emily Alvarado during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Slabs of wood are adorned with red roses, signifying goals scored during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Portland Timbers forward Dairon Asprilla gives a thumbs up to fans while exiting the field after the Timbers and Thorns’ “Green is Gold” charity match at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Team Green’s Reyna Reyes pushes the ball ahead during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Portland Timbers legend Diego Valeri with possession during the“Green is Gold” charity match between the Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

The “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Portland Timbers legend Diego Valeri passes outside during the“Green is Gold” charity match between the Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Team Gold midfielder Evander with some fancy footwork during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

The “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Team Green’s Santiago Moreno taps a pass ahead during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Ana Dias of Team Green scores one of her three goals during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Team Green’s Dairon Asprilla tracks the ball during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Team Gold midfielder Evander works toward the box during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Team Gold’s Evander fights for possession against Ana Dias of Team Green during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Team Green’s Santiago Moreno looks to pass past Mallie McKenzie of Team Gold during the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

The “Green is Gold” charity match between the Portland Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

Portland Timbers head coach Phil Neville, center, participates in the “Green is Gold” charity match between the Timbers and Thorns at Providence Park on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.

There were moments before the first whistle at Providence Park that would lead one to believe a serious soccer match was about to happen Wednesday night.

Opposing clubs assembled on the pitch 30 minutes before the game to go through their routine workouts, with quick passes, stretches, drills and shots littering the pitch as music blared through the stadium’s speakers.

The seriousness didn’t hold up much under intense scrutiny, however.

On the east side of the pitch, Portland Thorns keepers warmed up with an intense match of volleyball with a miniature net. At midfield, Thorns interim coach Rob Gale, dressed in a spiffy green three-piece, met with Portland Timbers coach Phil Neville, dressed in his finest sweatsuit. And on the west end of the pitch, where the Timbers warmed up, well, there were two more receding hairlines than usual with Portland alumni Diego Valeri and Jack Jewsbury warming up with the club.

Fifteen minutes before the whistle, the Timbers exited to their locker room and the Thorns to theirs. When the clock struck seven, the players reemerged as mixed teams. One Green. One Gold (technically wearing black). One common goal.

“Not getting hurt,” Jewsbury, Portland’s former captain, said before the match.

OK, so maybe that’s two common goals, as the two sides played the Green is Gold charity match to raise awareness and money for nonprofits The Nature Conservancy and Keep Oregon Green.

“This is my first mixed game. I love it,” said Valeri, the Timbers’ all-time leading scorer. “I’ve been a Thorns fan since the beginning, so it’s an honor to play with them.”

The match marked the second time since 2022 that the Timbers and Thorns have joined forces for an intrasquad match, with the two clubs raising more than $500,000 in 2022 for UNICEF. The organizations, now under separate ownership, brought the match back for 2024, highlighted by the return of Timbers legends Valeri and Jewsbury to be among the mixed rosters.

The game featured many moments of zaniness. Portland assistants Liam Ridgewell (Timbers) and Vytas Andriuskevicius (Thorns) played major minutes. Rob Gale ran out onto the pitch in his suit to stop an Antony run. Two goalkeepers took the net to block a PK, and Dairon Asprilla played the final 10 minutes in Gale’s suit jacket. Neville, a former Manchester United right back, also rocketed a shot just over the goal in the final minutes.

“He was good,” Evander said of his coach before thinking it over for a second. “He was decent. But he’s coming back from injury, too, so he was doing well.”

While much of the game was friendly and light on defense, there were a few moments of brilliance, such as the two diving saves made by Green keeper Emily Alvarado against Evander and Jonathan Rodriguez. Alvarado took the net to start the game with playful jeers from supporters, who initially welcomed her with chants of “Dodgy keeper,” until her save on Rodriguez in the game’s opening minutes. For the rest of the half, chants of “She’s our keeper” rained down from the supporters’ section.

“The save (she made on me) was really beautiful,” Evander said. “You have to clap there.”

There was plenty of applause at the end. With roughly 30 players on the pitch, the Gold team scored the equalizer in the final minute, securing a 6-6 draw between the two squads. After the final whistle, the two teams — Gold and Green, Timbers and Thorns — met together by the west netting to salute the supporters and take a group photo.

Afterward, with just a tiny bit of sweat on his brow, Valeri, 38, was asked if he had anything left in the tank for the Timbers’ real match on Saturday against Minnesota.

“Sure, of course,” he said. “I can go play this weekend. A fishing game.”

-- Tyson Alger for The Oregonian/OregonLive

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