Putting On A Show

Marti Cifuentes’ first home game in league play as the manager of the Portland Timbers began with an unassuming walking lap around the field. It ended with a 3-1 victory against San Diego FC in a crucial six-pointer.

Recap

The first 15 minutes were alright, I guess.

We’ll start with the good aspects first. The Timbers did not give away a big chance, and they did not concede a goal. An excellent build-up sequence in the 3rd minute allowed the Timbers to break away down San Diego’s left side, but Cole Bassett’s cross floated over the penalty area. Gabriel Pirani took the first shot of the game, but his attempt from distance provided James Pantemis with an easy catch. Another San Diego chance was an off-balance curling shot in the 11th minute by Lewis Morgan, which Pantemis also easily caught. 

That’s where the positives mostly end. Portland still had a very hard time with ball movement, and several ghastly turnovers in their own half probably would’ve been punished by a better team (or at least one that wasn’t afraid to go direct). This sloppiness on the ball continues to plague the Timbers at the beginning of games. It still needs to be fixed.

San Diego wanted to dominate the ball, and the Timbers actually let them do so. The entire goal of their defensive strategy was not to give up big chances and make Los Plasticos beat them with the ball. So the Timbers didn’t press to their full extent, but they didn’t sink into a low block either. More on that later.

Portland’s mid block (the correct term for their primary defensive setup) allowed San Diego to progress the ball, but the Timbers were very well-equipped to counterattack immediately after securing possession. A very fruitful instance of these counters occurred in the 29th minute. Jimer Fory made a clean tackle on San Diego winger Alex Mighten as the Englishman attempted to dribble into the box. Kristoffer Velde received the ball and began to run upfield. As Kevin Kelsy made a diagonal run to draw a defender, Bassett appeared underneath. Velde rolled the ball to the American midfielder, which drew the attention of Best XI-caliber defensive midfielder Jeppe Tverskov. With Tverskov distracted and closing in on Bassett, the ball was returned to Velde in plenty of space. He had plenty of time to go along with his plenty of space, and used both of those gifts to uncork a laser of a shot directly into the lower left corner of the goal from about 25 yards. 1-0 Timbers, 29th minute, courtesy of a DP-caliber strike.

It nearly became 2-0 two minutes later. San Diego’s kickoff was recycled back to goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos, and Kelsy charged him. The Cape Verdean international took a bad touch directly in front of him, so the Venezuelan striker stuck a leg in and hoped to tap the ball into the net. Kelsy’s touch was blocked by Dos Santos’ plant leg. Kelsy nearly did it again seconds later, but the result was the same. Taking a 1-0 lead into halftime would have been a huge boost. However, for a brief moment, Los Plasticos turned back the clock to 2025 (that’s as far back as they can go, to be fair).

Part of what made San Diego’s inaugural season so “magical” was their ability to always pop up at the right time and score a crucial goal. In first-half stoppage time, they got their wish. Alex Mighten’s cross was sent over the box, but San Diego was able to recover and recycle. Tverskov found Valakari in the pocket, who squared it to Lewis Morgan, before a flick found Pirani at the top of the box. The Brazilian midfielder made a hard turn, making Bassett lose his balance, and stroked the ball along the turf and past Pantemis at the near post. Another concession from outside the box, another goal conceded in the first half, and a brutal way to enter halftime. 1-1, 45+1’. It might not have been tied 1-1 at half, however. The last action of the first half involved Velde charging down a loose ball, creating his own space in the box, but firing a shot from a tight angle that went over the goal.

How would the Timbers open the second half after giving up an equalizer in first-half stoppage time? On the front foot! However, Pirani would try to get a second San Diego goal in the 49th minute, but his grounded curler was palmed away by a diving Pantemis. But the Timbers were on the front foot, and their aggression paid off with a goal.

The first pass of note in this 51st-minute sequence is a cross-field switch from Kamal Miller to Jimer Fory. Portland hasn’t been hitting a lot of those passes recently, but this change of direction allowed the Timbers to take advantage of a San Diego defensive block that had pushed over towards Miller’s side of the field. Now Fory was in open space, and he found Velde ahead of him. Ariel Lassiter made a diagonal run to the touchline, and Velde immediately played him in. This set up a very advantageous situation, with center back Manu Duah coming across to pressure Lassiter while Kelsy got goal-side of San Diego’s other center back: Ian Murphy. Lassiter sent a cross towards Kelsy, but the Venezuelan striker was one step behind and the ball whistled through the box. Tough chance, but a repeatable action that will certainly result in goals. The Timbers could use a lot more of those repeatable attacking actions that can create big chances. 

So when Miller scooped up the loose ball after San Diego got sloppy with their clearance attempt, the same conditions were present as they were when the Canadian center back first started this sequence with a cross-field switch. Miller didn’t need to take a big risk with his next action. He passed the ball right to Velde’s feet with right back Dagur Dan Thorhallson providing some immediate pressure. HOWEVER, Fory began an overlapping run, which forced the Icelandic fullback to drop off and try to track the marauding Colombian. Now the lane opened up for Velde to play a through ball for Fory to meet with a curved run. Suddenly, Fory was in the box with a chance to play a square ball across the face of goal towards one of the three green jerseys who were crashing the six yard box. Lassiter was the recipient of the cross, and thumped home Portland’s second just six minutes into the second half. 2-1 Timbers, 51st minute.

Just like after Velde’s goal, the Timbers were intent on adding to their lead immediately. In the 56th minute, Bassett took a shot from outside the box with his weaker left foot. It hit the far post and bounced straight ahead. This is the second time that Bassett has hit a shot from distance with his weaker foot that has gone off the far post. It’s kind of weird that it’s happened twice. But that rebound fell to Kelsy, who got underneath the ball and fired it into the North End. The highlight of this is fascinating because you can hear two distinct OHHH’s from the crowd: one from the post and one from Kelsy’s miss.

Two minutes later, it was Lassiter’s turn to have a shot from distance. But his attempt was easily caught by Dos Santos. San Diego attempted to equalize from a 63rd-minute corner kick, but Marcus Ingvartsen’s reverse header was punched away by Pantemis. Pirani’s second cross was headed over by the Danish striker, but it took a deflection and went out for another corner kick. That corner kick ended with a Duah shot getting deflected out for ANOTHER corner kick. Los Plasticos were pushing again. The Timbers needed another goal. Enter Portuguese Dave.

In the 68th minute, some good passing led to Velde holding the ball (not with his hands, that’s illegal) on the left wing. He tried to beat Thorhallson on the dribble, but the Icelandic fullback was not ceding his ground. Midfielder Alejandro Alvarado came over to help. Velde had to get rid of the ball, but David Da Costa was right behind him to receive. Portuguese Dave stepped inside on Morgan, had some open space, and uncorked a worldie of his own. The curling shot sailed over a diving Dos Santos and nestled into the side netting at the far post. Spectacular. 3-1 Timbers, 68th minute.

San Diego began a period where they weren’t that dangerous but still controlled the ball. Their best opportunity was a 76th minute Oscar Verhoeven shot that Pantemis nullified with his face. That save begat a counterattack that ended with Lassiter’s curler from a tough angle flying over the bar. Verhoeven tried to feed Elias Achouri in the 82nd minute, but the Tunisian winger sent a field goal into the South Deck. Aside from a comical Kevin Kelsy yellow card in the 4th minute of stoppage time, that was all she wrote. A big Timbers win, punctuated by two incredible goals from their Designated Players.

Who Will Win the Goal of the Week of the Year?

Bart Harley Jarvis didn’t compete last night. All of these goals are awesome, unlike that stupid baby. But which one is the best?

Let’s go in order. Velde gets to lead off because he scored first.

The strike is what really stands out, but the sequence from tackle to shot is also exceptional. Bassett’s ability to lead the counterattack really stood out in the season-opening win against Columbus, and this goal is a semi-spiritual successor to Antony’s tally from that same game. Well, except for the fact that Velde absolutely hammers this shot with the ferocity of a lion. His right foot turns into a driver, and there's a lot of fairway to clear. No need to break out the putter either. There’s a lot to like here.

Now we go to Lassiter’s goal.

This one is awesome because of how repeatable the whole sequence is. Miller gets the opportunity to spring two dangerous attacks; one from his own half and one from the final third. The rotations on each of the breakaway plays (Velde’s respective flicks to Lassiter and Fory) are superb, with excellent off-ball running being rewarded by crisp passes. Both deliveries are worthy of assists. But the way that the Timbers win the second ball is the type of counterpressing I’ve been waiting to see from this team for years. No, it isn’t full-metal in-your-face pressure being exerted on the ball. But it’s enough to throw San Diego’s normally excellent ball retention into a slight jog. If you can create chances with the counterpress, you’re going to score a lot of goals.

David Da Costa, folks. He really wanted this one.

Here are the repeatable aspects of this goal. Bassett’s run through the middle, Kelsy continuing to excel at quick receive and release passes, Velde drawing defenders, and Da Costa’s shiftiness creating enough space for him to show off his top-tier technique. 

Portuguese Dave hasn’t hit a shot like that since before his shoulder surgery. But the entirety of his 2026 season has been building up to that goal. He’s now ripping shots with both feet, and this one was destined for the back of the net. Every action during this sequence was deliberate, and it kept San Diego on the back foot. 

So how in the HELL do you choose between any of these goals? Which one of them is the best baby? You could appreciate all of them, or you could delve deeper into insanity by objectively trying to figure out which of these goals is technically better. So I’m going to try to do both. Which goal is the analytical superior and which one warms the heart the most?

The analysts love Lassiter’s goal. They notice all of the actions that led to it, and note how the majority of those actions are repeatable. They see how Fory curves his run to perfectly get on the end of Velde’s through ball, and how the Timbers execute a side-to-side switch twice without a single pass being wasted. They love how three Timbers are in the box to get on the end of Fory’s cross. Velde’s link play, every single Miller contribution, Kelsy getting goal-side on the initial cross, it’s all awesome. And it’s capped off by being an instant response to a gut-punch that this team has had trouble recovering from (conceding a goal right before halftime).

But the emotional champion has to be Da Costa’s goal. Scored at the right time to drive a nail through San Diego’s coffin. More excellent bits of skill and team-wide cohesion. And a strike driven in by a player who needed a DP moment more than Velde. Not to take away from the Norwegian winger, but he’s a player who is expected to light up the stadium with a spellbinding goal. He’s done it already this year against SKC. Da Costa needed to score a goal like that. He needed a moment to fully announce that the struggles with injury are firmly in the past. And he did it against a team that had Portland’s number last season. 

You have probably put these goals in a different order than I have. Everyone’s takes are valid, and I encourage you to yell at me in the comments. I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge that the fiercest debates being held after this game will be about which one of these spectacular goals was the best. No one is wrong. Everyone is right.

A Proper Platform

It took me about 30 seconds after the opening kickoff to start giggling with excitement.

Marti Cifuentes learned from the Chicago game, and adapted for tonight’s fixture. Instead of a heavier man-to-man press, the Timbers dropped into a hybrid defensive structure that focused on denying San Diego the opportunity to use the middle and providing a better platform to counterattack from.

The key is Cole Bassett. Since the World Cup break, he was operating in a more advanced role with and without the ball. In the Chicago game, this strategy entailed a heavy man-marking assignment with Dje D’Avilla and the freedom to always maintain the structure no matter which position he had to occupy to do so. Playing in a double pivot with Jose Caicedo leveled-up some of Bassett’s already known strengths. Do you need a player who can start a counterattack from anywhere on the pitch? Bassett’s your guy. What about a strong physical presence who can make a big tackle if he’s tasked with only remaining in one area of the pitch? Bassett can do that too!

At the risk of this section becoming the “Cole Bassett Player Rating” section, I’ll only say one more point about Portland’s marquee offseason acquisition. I’ve talked before about how players relate to space, and Bassett can work in both open and tight spaces. But he’s a much more effective attacker when he has the opportunity to attack into space instead of merely occupying it. He powers forward into space with a head of momentum, which forces defenses backwards. As an advanced 8, he’s already a target for defenders. They can compress the space around him. But when he can move forwards and backwards, it complicates things for opposing defenses. They have to keep tracking him because those upfield runs make him the extra man that rest defenses always have trouble marking.

The front line didn’t press as aggressively in this game, but they did a great job of recognizing the best situations to do so. Kelsy nearly committed grand theft auto on Dos Santos twice in the span of a minute. They made the trade off of surrendering possession in favor of more space to attack into. That’s a mature decision, and it’s one that fully paid off.

Box Tilt/Duels

I wonder how many of San Diego’s successful “ground duels” were actually fouls that didn’t get a whistle. Issues with the refereeing notwithstanding, Portland did a great job with aerial duels and dribbling. By being not as aggressive positionally, they were able to reap the rewards when they had to win the ball back. 

The Timbers got dominated on box tilt. 45-17 is an American football score, yet Portland did something that Los Plasticos did not. They made every single one of those box touches count.

San Diego showed up to Providence Park with the intention of possessing the ball simply to possess the ball. Their rotations weren’t as sharp, their final balls weren’t as dangerous, and they recycled the ball backwards more times than not. Portland’s defensive block deserves a fair amount of credit, and the absence of Anders Dreyer definitely played a part too. But San Diego wants to be so heavily optimized that they lose the part of the game where deflections and other miscellaneous novelties can work in their favor. Those box touches have to be found in a way that opens the most miniscule passing lanes and rotation options. That can’t always happen, and San Diego are incredibly vulnerable when they can’t make their box touches count for something.

Player Ratings

James Pantemis: 7.5

It seems like he gets hit in the face with a shot every single game. Why does this keep happening? Probably because he defends shots with absolute fearlessness. The face save on Verhoeven and the diving save on Pirani were excellent. But this game has brought up another question, especially with Pantemis’ contract set to expire at the end of the season: is he the right goalkeeper for Cifuentes’ system?

His distribution is still a problem, but it’s one that could be mitigated by changes in buildup patterns. I think his shot-stopping ability (you know, the one thing that goalkeepers have to be good at) far outweighs any distribution errors. At the very least, he can just kick it long instead of playing suicide passes up the middle of the pitch. 

Brandon Bye: Please God, No

It was a pretty normal opening hour for Portland’s starting right back. He made his usual plays, winning several headers and completing 21/23 passes. And then it happened. A good dribble put Bye off-balance, and he collapsed to the turf after turning awkwardly while holding his knee. A non-contact knee injury; a thing no one ever wants to see. He was helped off the field by two trainers to a hearty round of applause.

I will not speculate on the severity of this injury. Bye is absolutely crucial to this team for the rest of the season and into the sprint season. After the game, Cifuentes said that the team dedicated this win to Bye. I feel sick. Prognosis update coming on Friday.

Finn Surman: 7.7

He had Ingvartsen in hell for the majority of this game. In addition, the magnet that’s embedded into his body that draws any loose cross towards his head seems to be working just fine. Surman has dropped to 3rd in the league in total clearances, but that might be a good thing as the Timbers start to implement more possession. He was the dominant center back in the first half, but gave way to Miller in the second half. That’s a pretty cool way to do things.

Kamal Miller: 8

The Canadian center back gets a higher rating due to his contributions to Lassiter’s goal and a larger statline. 2 tackles, 2 blocks, 9 clearances, 1 interception, 7 recoveries, and 7/8 accurate long balls. Miller actually leads the league in clearances per 90, not Surman. It’s been so awesome to watch him excel since the World Cup break ended. 

JIMER FORY: 9.4

Something awoke in Jimer Fory when he made that desperate tackle at the end of the Chicago game.

I cannot point out a major mistake that the Colombian fullback made in tonight’s game. He excelled at offense and defense. 4 tackles on the defensive side, 1 assist on the attacking end. If it wasn’t for Velde going supernova, Fory would hands-down be the man of the match. By the way, he’s now on a 10-game streak within MLS without being booked.

Jose Caicedo: 8

I think that part of the reason why the first 20 minutes were pretty mediocre was due to Caicedo’s inability to get involved in the game.

I recorded his first major action in the 23rd minute. He intercepted a pass and was promptly fouled by Ingvartsen. From that point forward, he was everpresent. Here’s what Cifuentes had to say about the Colombian midfielder after the game: “I think that Jose Caicedo had a fantastic game. Breaking a lot of passing lines, regaining a lot of balls, being good as well when regaining, selecting the right option.”

No disagreements here. I’d also like to add a little more about his leadership qualities. He’s one of the most vocal players on the pitch, and is often directing traffic ahead of him. One of those “crossing guard” moments forced a slight hesitation in a San Diego player and opened a passing lane that Caicedo promptly exploited. That exact play isn’t in my notes, but I saw it happen and I know it’s real. Does he start against LAFC on Saturday?

Cole Bassett: 8.7

I’ve already explained how Bassett was the key to this entire game. Now y’all can hear Cifuentes’ thoughts on the American midfielder.

“I think that Cole is a very smart player. I said to him when I joined that I think he will be able to score goals for us because he has this strength of getting from the second line and getting into scoring positions. Today, he hit that post. I think it could have been a brilliant finish. But he was very smart today.” 

I’ll save the latter part of that quote for a later section. Bassett did show his soccer IQ against Chicago, but tonight marked another coming-out party. He hasn’t been at his best in recent games. Consider this excellent performance, marked by an assist on Velde’s game, as a bounce-back to form.

David Da Costa: 8.5

Portuguese Dave spent the majority of this game doing hard midfield work, making 3 recoveries and actively pressing as one of the tips of the spear. But his goal was a sight to behold. After the game, I wondered what his favorite moment of this match was outside of his spellbinding strike. Before he answered the question, he had to adjust his microphone. “For me, the best moment of this game was the spirit of the team. When you play San Diego, it’s difficult to defend, but we defended as a team. For me, it’s very good because OK, we conceded one goal, but after that we defended together and we scored three goals at home. Best feeling.”

When Da Costa sat at the podium for the post-game, one thing really stood out. He has absolutely massive shoulders.

This picture doesn’t do it justice. Those deltoids are humongous. That probably made his recurring shoulder problems last year even more of a weight upon his, uh, shoulders. Da Costa gave some more insight into last season’s injury struggles tonight. “The last year was difficult because every game, every training, the shoulder would pop out. It was difficult because with your legs, you can play, but when you do a little [shoulder] movement, it was difficult. But now I feel good, feel better, confident with the team.” 

I can’t imagine stepping out to do any activity, much less play soccer, and know that sooner or later my shoulder would pop out of my socket. Da Costa’s excellent season has been buoyed by the confidence of the repaired shoulder and the perseverance and fight he had to play through that injury in the first place. Schedule congestion doesn’t bother him, it merely empowers Portuguese Dave. “It is amazing to play soccer and when we have three games every week like that it is amazing to play with the team. It’s OK if you feel tired after the game, but it’s a part of the game. We need to recover fast.”

Man, is he an absolute bundle of joy. He’s such an easy player to root for. Especially when he scores goals like THAT.

Ariel Lassiter: 8.2

The Costa Rican’s goal didn’t have the same technical quality that either of his attacking teammates produced, but it did fall into a category that Lassiter fits to a T: the veteran tap-in.

It takes skill and smarts to get into those positions to score, and Lassiter has been doing it for a while. He’s in the middle of a potent run of form, with 4 goals in his last 5 games. He’s averaging a goal every other game in MLS play this year. Making up for the lost time in the Apertura does have some advantages, and Lassiter’s veteran smarts have been a huge bonus for the Timbers. Especially if he keeps contributing on the stat sheet.

By the way, his yellow card was nonsensical, especially for how this game played out. San Diego should have ended this game with 5 or 6 bookings, particularly for tackles much more intense and dangerous than the one Lassiter committed. For God’s sake, Lassiter was literally fouled earlier in the play without getting the whistle! Just for ONCE I’d enjoy if PRO showed even the SLIGHTEST bit of consistency.

Kristoffer Velde: 9.5

What would you do if you scored a world-class goal? Would you run around the stadium making a face at fans? Kristoffer Velde did that. Maybe wave your arms to the crowd? Velde did that too. How about linger for a while and watch the replay on the video board? Guess what? Velde did that as well!

There are strengths and weaknesses when the centerpiece of the team wears his heart on his sleeve. During the bad outings, the frustration seeps into everything. But when things are positive, a true all-around wrecking ball of a player emerges.

We haven’t seen that from Velde on a consistent basis in 2026. Sure, we’ve seen it on occasion, but the inconsistency between the two Veldes can be infuriating. Performances like tonight’s, however, remind you why Kristoffer Velde can be one of the top wingers in MLS. He used himself as a decoy multiple times to draw defenders and play passes into open space. One of those instances resulted in a secondary assist, a stat that confused Velde. “Different rules here in America,” he quipped in his post-game interview. One thing that doesn’t change for Velde no matter where he’s playing is his passion and desire to win. “I think it was only me going a bit crazy inside the dressing room. I needed to go to the toilet and calm down a bit.”

The visual of an angry fully clothed Velde sitting on a toilet while being madder than hell is pretty funny. The bathroom, in theory, is the most private place that we collectively inhabit. I guess there is something comforting about going to the toilet to feel a sense of inner peace. Or maybe it was the only sequestered area of the locker room where Velde could get some alone time to rage. Either explanation works.

But Velde is also extremely well-versed in shit-talking. This proficiency prompted a very thoughtful question from Prostamerika’s Amy Norris in the post-game presser. How does his multi-lingual vocabulary affect his shit-talking? “This right full back [Thorhallson] played a bit in Norway, and he knew some Norwegian, and he started swearing at me in Norwegian. So I thought, ‘OK, let’s go for some Norwegian then.’ But it depends. Like if it’s a Spanish guy, you speak shit in Spanish. If it’s an English guy, you speak shit in English. So it depends. There’s a lot of Scandinavian guys, so there’s a lot of bad words in Scandinavian as well.”

Tonight’s performance absolutely backed up that shit-talk. Velde has made enemies around the league, but San Diego is in a category of their own. The Norwegian winger made his Portland debut against Los Plasticos and scored both of his first two Timbers goals in their playoff series last year. Whenever San Diego appears on the schedule, Velde shows up. He was substituted in the 74th minute due to the intense fixture congestion. On a normal week with normal rest, he would’ve kept going until his legs gave out.

His favorite moment of the match? Da Costa's goal. The joy in his face (caught by the TV cameras and expanded upon during the celebration) is contagious. Velde is enjoying his soccer, and so are the rest of his teammates. A recipe for future success, but he still needs to find that game-to-game consistency. We've seen him do it before. He represented the force with that lightning bolt of a strike. And he magnified his teammates force through a secondary assist and a primary assist. Veldinho made an appearance tonight. I want to see him again on Saturday.

Kevin Kelsy: GENIUS

I love a good double meaning. Kevin Kelsy’s performance tonight isn’t going to be remembered for two big chances that went by the wayside, but for his final touch of the game.

All of Kelsy’s comedic tendencies were building up for this exact moment. He spent last season falling over ad boards, chasing loose balls, and inadvertently bowling over unsuspecting midfielders just to set the stage for a classic moment. Naysayers still exist in regards to Kelsy, but the crowd’s reaction to this glorious handball is the emotional Kelsy baseline. Laughter and appreciation followed by booing and middle fingers when referee Rubiel Vazquez handed the Venezuelan striker a yellow card. Referees are cops, and nothing can ever be fun. This is the best fanbase in the league, by a country mile.

But Kelsy was fantastic outside of his contribution to the Timbers’ all-time blooper reel (this definitely ranks above Lucas Melano’s immortal flop in Salt Lake City, by the way). In a team that was focused on counterattacking, Kelsy had plenty of hold-up play on his plate. He excelled at protecting the ball and finding the right outlet. Those two missed chances? I’m not worried about them. The 25th-minute stonewall was good goalkeeping, and he buries the 56th minute chance in front of the North End 8 out of 10 times. Getting into those positions is much more important, and he’s constantly in those spots now. That’s two full 90s in the last week, and he’s a sure bet to start against LAFC on Saturday. I hope he has another bit of genius to show us. 

Eric Miller: 7

A solid performance off the bench for Mr. Reliable, who might suddenly be Portland’s starting right back for the foreseeable future. Two good clearances, a good cross attempt that got blocked, and a good duel win against Tverskov. Not a bad night at the office.

Joao Ortiz: Positionless, In A Good Way

The Ecuadorian midfielder began his substitute appearance in the double pivot but ended on the right wing. And he looked competent in both roles! I enjoyed the 79th minute sequence when he won the ball and immediately drew a foul. I wish he scored that chance in the 84th minute. He deserves a goal sooner rather than later.

It’s kind of wild to me that he hasn’t started a game since Puebla on August 6th. That’s a period of 14 days, and the Timbers have played 4 games since! Maybe he’ll get his chance in the coming weeks. I think he’s earned a start or two.

Antony: The Alley-Ooper

He did provide the cross that Kelsy tried to spike into the back of the net. Surely he gets some bonus points for that. The Brazilian winger had the right idea by playing that diagonal cross for the large Venezuelan striker, but the slight overcooking allowed for comedic genius to take center stage. He cannot be blamed for it. 

Technically, although the stat sheet doesn’t count it, he created the chance that Ortiz nearly scored in the 84th minute. If he can get somewhat comfortable on the right wing (where he hasn’t been comfortable as of late), he’ll be a valuable piece of the substitute unit going forward.

Diego Chara: Solid!

Here’s your Diego Chara clip of the day.

Enjoy these. We don’t know how many more of them we’ll get to experience.

Vincent Janssen: Get Out Of His Way

In the last two games, Cifuentes has played Kelsy and Janssen up top together. Have I learned anything from it yet? No. But I do like watching him foul opposing players! It gets the people going!

5 touches, 3/3 completed passes. He’ll score a goal soon. Don’t worry about it.

Coach Rating: 9

It started with a lap around the field.

Clapping and cheering followed him, and he was serenaded with a customized chant as he entered the tunnel while his players were warming up. Those fans entered tonight’s game expecting a Timbers win and some more fluid soccer. They got both.

But it wasn’t in the manner that was expected. Cifuentes chose to do away with the press for this game, and his reasoning was completely sound. “One of the things that we noticed is that when San Diego overloads the pockets, you cannot give them that space. That’s why we sat with two deeper 6s. So Cole was sitting lower with Jose and I think that helped us to have a little better control in the pockets. Perhaps a little bit less impact to regain the ball higher up the pitch. But in the end, I think it was the right decision because, again, the time with the team has been short.”

I feel like I’m in a classroom when Cifuentes is answering a question relating to tactics. When he’s explaining the pockets that San Diego likes to exploit, various sequences are flashing through my mind of Los Plasticos trying to exploit those tactics and the Timbers nullifying their chances of doing so. He doesn’t speak like a superior, he speaks like a knowledgeable adult who can concisely and accurately get his point across. His tenure thus far, which has barely lasted a week and a half, has already showcased his ability to adapt. The players are bought in too. Sure, tonight’s victory was partially delivered by two Goal of the Season contenders courtesy of Portland’s two DPs, but the Timbers’ ability to win this game began with how they decided to defend against San Diego. Cifuentes correctly assessed that trading the ball for space in behind was going to pay off. And it did.

“For me, now, all of them are the best players in the world, all of them, and they are my boys. My mom was asking me, ‘How are those guys? Are they good?’ and I said, ‘For me, they are the very best.’...I’m impressed with the attitude of the guys. I’m impressed with how open they have been to all of our instructions in a very congested schedule. And from there, I think that everybody is showing a high competitive level.”

Portland’s roster still has some weak spots, but the players have bought in to their new head coach. The Catalonian head coach is only four years older than Diego Chara. That’s wild to think about. When the Timbers return home in a week and a half, Cifuentes should do the pregame lap again. Establishing new traditions can go a long way, especially when they are paired with wins against despised opposition.

Table Time

The Timbers are back into the playoff spots as they occupy 9th place heading into a crucial matchup against LAFC. The Black-and-Gold, mind you, are currently on a 3-game winless run in league play. They rested a lot of starters during tonight’s game in Colorado, yet even some substitute appearances from their stars couldn’t rescue a point at altitude. LAFC’s winless streak is noteworthy, but I’d also like to talk about a couple of other sharp drop-offs that have been observed around the league as of late.

San Jose is the most notable of these. They entered the World Cup break in 2nd place, but have lost 4 out of 5 since the Clausura began; including tonight’s 1-0 rivalry defeat to the 10-man Galaxy. RSL is also sliding pretty quickly. They’ve lost 3 out of 5 league games in the Clausura. Tonight, they went down 3-1 to Dallas in the first half, fought back to 3-3 by the 64th, but conceded a stoppage-time winner. This was a home game, and Zavier Gozo just joined Crystal Palace. It feels like 2024 again.

Speaking of 2024, the Houston Dynamo are a contender! Or are they? Vancouver put them in a trademark Jesper Sorensen chokehold, but only one of their 17 shots went on target. Meanwhile, fullback Franco Negri scored the goal of his life to give the Dynamo a priceless 3 points on BC Place’s new turf (Ryan Gauld is not a fan of the new surface, which makes me wonder what he thought of the old unplayable carpet that filled PavCo’s crown jewel). St. Louis’ run of steam might have been momentarily halted by a Sporting Kansas City team that woke up for the rivalry (and probably should’ve won). Colorado has now won 3 straight games, and all of them have been in Commerce City. Let’s see how they match up against San Diego on the road this weekend.

Of course, no league-wide overview could be complete without a look at the gloriously awful Seattle Sounders. They entered tonight’s game at home against Austin with a huge chance to break their 7-game losing streak. Alas, to the delight of many, the Broccolis continued to tear down the Lumen Field fortress. A 2-1 loss stretches Seattle’s losing streak to 8, which is just another way for them to innovate. They go to Cincinnati this weekend before hosting Chicago on the 29th. 10 consecutive losses is a serious possibility. I hope that they can find it in themselves to make it a reality. 

Elsewhere in “America’s Azteca,” a rat was observed in ECS. No, I’m not talking about one of their fans, I’m talking about a literal rodent scurrying around in the stands. Did Aegon Hanauer hang all the rat-catchers after they suggested that he spend a little bit of money on the roster? I’ve seen enough House of the Dragon to know that rats scurrying around is usually bad news. But I’m more upset that they’re stealing work from the seagulls. How are the stinky birds supposed to eat all the trash left behind when the rats are feasting in their halls? At least those seagulls are getting an earlier dinnertime nowadays. Sounders fans have made a habit of abandoning the stadium rather early as of late. More time for the seagulls and rats to fight for the scraps in the stands as the losses keep piling up on the pitch. You absolutely LOVE to see it.

Final Whistle

Tonight’s game was a professional victory delivered by two unbelievable goals and a sequence that will feature in a lot of video sessions. Cifuentes and the Timbers are still awaiting their first full week of training. Things have already been pretty good during this congested schedule. Imagine how they’ll look when the actual training sessions can start.

Marti Cifuentes’ Portland Timbers aren’t just content with winning games. They want to amaze, astound, and thrill the audience. Examples of those emotions can be found in plenty of different plays throughout tonight’s game. Velde’s screamer, Lassiter’s emphatic tap-in, Da Costa’s pearler of a curler, and even Kelsy’s handball qualify. But these Timbers are still tired, and now they have to march into BMO Stadium against an opponent whose fanbase is up in arms over a head coach who has done a decent but unspectacular job. One of their current owners is about to become MLS Commissioner. No matter who is on the pitch or in the dugout, LAFC is still a big-boy club.

That’s where the Timbers are still striving towards. At the end of last season, San Diego repeatedly slammed Portland’s collective heads into a wooden bench. Those days are long gone, as second season syndrome wreaks havoc on Los Plasticos while the Timbers are undergoing a renaissance of sorts. They're now on a quest to reverse the humiliations. Tonight’s game was just one six-pointer amidst an upcoming schedule chock-full of six-pointers. These Timbers might not put on a show like they did tonight every week. But they’ll absolutely win games of soccer. Now they’re going to have to win a lot and secure their position as a surefire playoff team. No pressure. It’s just part of the business. The climb continues.