Leagues Cup: Portland Timbers-Club Puebla Preview (8/6)

The momentum, for the first time in a couple years, is tangible. After entering the World Cup break to a chorus of boos and a run of very poor results, the Portland Timbers have authored a 4-game unbeaten streak since the season resumed. All of these games have featured something special: victories over hated rivals and tributes to a departing hero. But the calendar has dictated that the season must pause again for the fourth annual edition of the expanded Leagues Cup tournament. The Timbers have gotten incredibly fortunate this year. Three additional home games have been added to the calendar, and a chance to make a deep run in the tournament is suddenly realistic. The first of these tests is Mexican side Puebla.

The Puebla Report

Hi Puebla! Nice to meet you! Most greetings don’t come with an immediate apology, but I’m afraid that the current circumstances require some harsh words. None of which are your fault, by the way. But something has to be said, because I’m not the only one who’s fed up.

TANGENT: “We’ll Take It From Here”

MLS instituted a 7-week break for the World Cup. It made sense because of the timing of the tournament, the fact it was going to be hosted in CANMEXUSA, and their own failures to switch the calendar when it made the most sense to do so. After two and a half weeks of league play, they decided to give their new fans another chance to completely check out of MLS. Don’t worry guys, they’ll take it from here.

It’s now the fourth year of the expanded Leagues Cup, and there really hasn’t been a single thing to point to that illustrates how necessary this tournament is. Because it isn’t necessary at all! During the first two years of Leagues Cup, the season was paused for an entire month. Teams would play the group stage, advance or fail, and either continue playing or rest for the remainder of the pause. It was very stupid, so new innovations were made for 2025’s tournament. Only 18 MLS teams would “qualify” to match the 18 teams in Liga MX. Each “Phase One” game would feature 3 MLS vs. Liga MX games, with each league competing against their fellow league teams in a gigantic table to see who advances and who goes home. In theory, this was a better idea than the initial design of the tournament. But it still put 12 MLS teams on pause for a week and a half.

Last year’s edition of the tournament proved how silly and stupid the entire venture was. The Seattle Sounders managed to win the entire thing because 5 out of their 6 games were played at home, including a final against Miami played on three days’ rest and a cross-country flight. Three Mexican teams finished the group stage with 0 points. A loss in the first game basically made qualifying for the knockout stage impossible. Yet those Mexican teams had to rack up more travel miles to play games that suddenly had zero stakes for them. Neutral-site games were introduced, which caused even less fans to show up. If you go to a bar and ask them to put “Leagues Cup” on the TV, you’ll be asked to explain yourself before getting laughed out of the room. MLS wanted to make this a serious tournament that had some respect and prestige, but ended up creating a laughable set of circumstances that their own fans don’t take seriously.

They’ll take the opportunity to go to another home game, sure. The atmospheres at these games are different, but CCC games offer the same amount of atmosphere with higher stakes. Keep in mind, the reward for a good Leagues Cup is a berth in CCC! Come on, man!

The need for Leagues Cup no longer exists. Especially in a highly congested season that already featured a significant break from MLS play. Will I say no to more home games? No. But after last year’s debacle (more on that later) I think it’s pretty safe to say that I officially no longer care about this tournament (in a general sense). It’s not the affront to American soccer that most people believe, but it detracts more than it adds at this point. 

The Puebla Report, Continued

Puebla (1-1-1, 4 points, 11th place in Liga MX) actually benefitted from the change in format last year. They beat NYCFC 3-0, lost 3-1 to Columbus, but won 2-1 in Montreal to finish in 4th place and secure a spot in the knockout round. Their reward was a trip to Seattle, forcing Danny Musovski into a quick yellow-card red-card combo within two minutes, and losing on penalty kicks after parking the bus. It was their first time reaching the knockout stage after getting grouped in 2023 and 2024. And, to be even sadder, it represented the high point of their last calendar year.

Puebla finished last in the 2025 Apertura, and improved that finish by one place in the 2026 Clausura. That was preceded by finishes (in order, going from most recent) of 17th, 15th, 18th, and 6th. The 6th-placed finish (in the 2023 Apertura) ended in the first round of the Linguilla with a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Tigres. They’ve been one of the worst Liga MX teams throughout the expanded Leagues Cup era. But last season’s tournament proved that they will show up for the fight.

Their 2026 Apertura began with a win at Juarez, a loss at Cruz Azul, and a draw against Chivas. In all three of these games, Los Camoteros (their nickname, translated to The Sweet Potatoers) scored the first goal. Portland is the first stop on their Leagues Cup journey, with trips to Austin and San Diego next on the docket. How will this congested schedule combined with a fair amount of travel affect head coach Gerardo Espinoza’s lineup decision?

Puebla Projected Starting XI

Injury reports aren’t required for this tournament. And MLS insists that Leagues Cup is “legitimate.” Don't worry, they'll take it from here.

I’m going to be honest here. I know very little about Puebla’s team. This is the starting lineup from last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Chivas. Vargas is the club captain. Moreno likes to get forward on the right. Monarrez is another attack-minded fullback. Only two outfield players are older than 30. Mustre is tied with Monarrez and the injured Ignacio Puch for the team lead with 1 goal. Their top scorer in the 2026 Clausura, Edgar Guerra, had 3 goals and left for Leon in the offseason. Velasco was the team’s assist leader in the previous season with 3. Only Sanabria and Vargas are 6’ or taller. Tournament play is different, yes, but this looks like a very winnable game against one of the worst teams in Liga MX.

The Timbers Report

For the Portland Timbers (7-3-8, 24 points, 8W/16S), Leagues Cup has never been the most successful part of the schedule. In 2023, they gave their best account of themselves in the tournament by beating San Jose, losing to Tigres (not a loss, merely a death by heroism), and losing to Monterrey without Evander in another hard-fought defeat but with a semblance of pride. 2024 presented the Timbers with their best opportunity for a deep run. They beat Leon 2-1 courtesy of two Zac McGraw headers and thumped Colorado to easily win their group. However, the stupid rules prevented the Timbers from hosting their first knockout stage game against St. Louis. They lost 3-1 on a deathly hot Missouri evening, and their journey ended. Two victories against Atletico San Luis (hello, Pipe) and Queretaro brought the Timbers to stupidly hot Austin, Texas for a date with Club America.

They took an early lead through Ariel Lassiter, and maintained that lead until Club America equalized. Prior to the tying goal, Jimer Fory was sent off for a tackle that got all ball. Portland went down to 10 men, played their hearts out despite hateful chants raining down from the Club America fans, but lost in a shootout marred by laser pointers shining directly into Maxime Crepeau’s face. Was it this game that authored my disillusion with Leagues Cup? Probably!

But this is a competitive tournament, and the players want to win every game in front of them. The prize of this tournament is another trophy and a berth in CCC, something that the Timbers haven’t played in since 2021. Getting back into CCC and winning another trophy is another step towards restoring Portland’s status as a big-boy club. And one player on this roster is uniquely equipped to handle the challenges of Leagues Cup. He’s won it before, after all.

Tree Questions With Kamal Miller

I caught up with Miller after training on Tuesday. The primary issue surrounding this game is the air quality. Countless wildfires are torching the Pacific Northwest, and the air is filled with smoke. Tuesday’s session took place in the smoky air, and the air quality is expected to be hazardous tomorrow.

Q: How does playing in wildfire smoke affect how you approach a game?

A: “ I think it’s something that both teams will have to adjust to, but the good thing about it is both teams have to go through it. So I think it just comes down to whoever wants it more, and whoever can adapt faster will have the advantage in the game.”

Q: It’s your third Leagues Cup playing for Portland, and you won it in 2023 with Miami. What does playing in this tournament mean to you, and how is the team preparing after last year’s run came to a disappointing end?

A: “This tournament means a lot to me. Obviously there’s a lot of talk between the two leagues, which league is better and which one has a better player pool, so I feel like any opportunity to beat up on the Mexican teams is a good opportunity. It’s different than what we see week in and week out. It brings different pictures and different challenges in each game. So yeah, overall, we’re really excited. It’s a lot to play for, bragging rights and obviously monetary purposes as well. We both like to fight for this tournament and yeah, we’re gonna take it seriously.”

Q: What did you say to the Seattle fans after Brandon Bye scored the game-winner last weekend?

A: “Thanks for coming.”

PTFC Projected Starting XI

An official injury report won’t be published, but here are some updates. James Pantemis has been ruled out for tomorrow’s game after the collision with Paul Rothrock on Saturday night. Alexander Aravena will miss “6-8 weeks” with a hip injury. Gage Guerra practiced in full for the first time since the season resumed. Vincent Janssen is still waiting on his P-1 visa and is ineligible for tomorrow’s game. Jimer Fory is suspended due to that nonsensical second yellow card. 

On Tuesday, Jack Cassidy said that the starting lineup would be selected with “Sunday in mind” while also trying to win the game. So some rotation is in order, but probably not a ton. Smith is a guaranteed starter due to Fory’s suspension. Bonetig is probably due a start in this game. Same with Eric Miller. I would be very surprised if Caicedo didn’t start. Velde and Da Costa can be on minutes counters. I’m particularly interested to see the partnership between Smith and Velde on the left side. It had a lot of chemistry last year and throughout limited minutes this year. Cole Bassett is probably going to be saved for Sunday, with Ortiz the most likely option to start in his place. I think Lassiter gets the start over Antony, while Kelsy should be on a minutes counter.

But the biggest lineup question is goalkeeper. After two years and a half years on the bench, it’s time for Trey Muse to be unleashed. It could be time for Hunter Sulte, but I’d defer to Muse. He deserves a chance to make his first appearance for the Timbers. Portland’s lineup should be strong, and it would put a greater emphasis on taking an early lead.

Tactical Preview

The First 15 Minutes

This game presents the perfect opportunity for the Timbers to begin to correct their early-game woes. Especially with Puebla’s recent history of scoring the first goal. With the Timbers expected to start a strong lineup, they should be on the front foot from the opening whistle.

Puebla hasn’t registered more than 37% possession in each of their first three Apertura games. The Timbers will be encouraged to attack from the opening whistle. I’m expecting at least two shots on target within the first 10 minutes, and a goal in the opening half hour. 

Duels

Portland has a bigger squad than Puebla, and I don’t mean in the numerical sense. The Timbers can use their physicality to great effect in this game and dominate duels and second balls. I think that’s an expectation, given how poor Puebla is. I also expect the Timbers to not fall for any “dark arts.”

Matchday Info

Broadcast Bulletin

Broadcast platform: Apple TV

Kickoff time: 7:30 PM PST

Prior to asking Kamal Miller about the air quality, I questioned Jack Cassidy and Finn Surman about it. They were both unaware of the potential hazard until they witnessed the smoky air on Tuesday morning. To be fair to them, the worst of the smoke will occur Wednesday afternoon (AQI of 160 at most) before dipping down to the mid-60s by kickoff tomorrow. Maybe all this “hazardous air” talk was a bit overblown (at least how it relates to the game, not the failures of humanity to prevent the climate from slowly reaching a point of no return).

Series History

This is the first meeting between Puebla and Portland! Although I have been pretty mean to Los Cameteros, I hope their fans have an enjoyable experience at Providence Park.

Table Time

This table doesn’t really mean anything right now, but it’s worth keeping an eye on. Charlotte’s goal differential from a 3-0 win against Pumas vaults them into preliminary first place. Vancouver was shockingly upset by Atlante, while Minnesota fell to Juarez. I doubt either of those teams will make it to the knockout stage.

The Timbers will be the final MLS team to play in each of the League Phase games. So they will have the last word on the table, and will likely know what kind of result is needed to get them through to the knockout stage. That’s a reversal from last year, when they saw the Galaxy spank Santos Laguna en route to a knockout stage berth and Portland’s elimination. It always feels good to be in the spot of controlling your destiny instead of relying on results to go your way.

Final Whistle

Is this the final game that Jack Cassidy coaches for the first team before Marti Cifuentes takes over? It surely has to be, right? Right?

Cifuentes was hired three weeks ago, and the progress on his visa has been molasses-level slow. This shouldn’t be a surprise given how long it took Jose Caicedo to be fully eligible, and I’m very disappointed in the federal government because of it (alongside, you know, everything else). But Cifuentes isn’t the only new member of the coaching staff who is going to need a P-1 visa.

He’s bringing his top assistant Xavi Calm and goalkeeping coach Francisco Javier Ortiz Guerrero with him to Portland. Cassidy’s small coaching staff (consisting of Liam Ridgewell, Memo Valencia, and matchday assistant Andres Flores) has done an unbelievable job in the interim period despite the questions of their own futures hanging over their heads. “It’s difficult when there’s a new coach coming in. No one knows who’s going to be here. No one knows who’s going to stay, you know, that sort of stuff. And it’s really difficult for those people. You know, players, we’ve got a contract…It’s harder for the staff. I think that us as players are super grateful for everyone that’s supported us, both Jack and the rest of the staff, because I know it’s definitely not been easy.”

That’s Finn Surman’s take on the uncertainty within the technical staff. Cassidy and Flores both have security with T2, while Ridgewell and Valencia could be staying or leaving. It makes the recent run of results even more important, with plenty of jobs on the line.

But if you’re looking at this tournament from a non-doomer point of view, the Timbers are entering Leagues Cup in excellent form and have a real chance of making it to a fourth game for the first time. I think that’s a realistic goal for this group. Finish in the top four, and then take advantage of the Timbers tournament magic. They have been gifted three home games and shouldn’t take this tournament with a grain of salt. Kamal Miller isn’t. Neither is Finn Surman. Jack Cassidy is still trying to get results while providing the bridge between Phil Neville and Marti Cifuentes. Last year’s tournament ended with slurs, laser pointers, and a mutiny. It was enough to make me condemn the powers-at-be that ram Leagues Cup down the throat of the collective audience and not really care whether or not the Timbers ever played in it again. But here they are, one year later, taking undeniable momentum into this tournament. It’s on the schedule, after all. Why not win the whole thing?

Their schedule has emulated a menu. Puebla is a nice appetizer, while Club America acts as the entree. Portland will kick off against Tijuana knowing exactly what kind of result is needed for them to progress, which makes it an excellent dessert. Get your utensils ready. It’s time to eat. The climb continues.