The Portland Timbers were outworked and outclassed by Western Conference-winners San Diego FC, losing 4-0 at home on Decision Day, and dropping out of 7th-place into a second consecutive Wildcard match.
Lineups & Prematch
After a two week international break following the Timbers' lackluster 1-0 loss in Seattle the Timbers returned to Providence Park for one final match of the 2025 MLS regular season, hosting newcomers San Diego FC for the first time.
Mathematically the Timbers could only end the day as high as 7th in the Western Conference and as low as 8th. To drop down into the play-in game the Timbers would need to lose and FC Dallas would need to win on the road in Vancouver, any other result would see them qualify for the first round of the playoffs outright.
Injury Report: Rodriguez (OUT), Carballo (OUT), Surman (OUT)
Finn Surman was questionable midweek upon returning from New Zealand duty (where he scored his first goal for the Kiwis en-route to crashing into the post), but was deemed unfit for selection on Decision Day. Jimer Fory and Juan Mosquera were also questionable in the buildup to the match, and both made the matchday squad as wingback options off the bench.
What that means is we all got to see Joao Ortiz start in the middle Kamal Miller and Dario Zuparic in a back-three formation, which I'm sure is music to everyone's ears having read your comments throughout the season.
Ian Smith and Antony provided the width outside of David Ayala and Cristhian Paredes in midfield, with Kristoffer Velde, Kevin Kelsy, and David da Costa comprising the front line.

Match Recap & Highlights
10' - Antony found Kelsy in a pocket of space outside San Diego's box, Kelsy held the ball up well and played it wide to Da Costa on the right wing, and Da Costa curled a wicked cross just too far in front of an on-rushing Velde at the far post.
17' Shot Portland - Another excellent piece of holdup play and through ball from Kelsy found Velde steaming down the left wing. The Norwegian carried the ball into the box, cut inside onto his right, and curled a strike past the far post.
26' Goal San Diego, 1-0 - A shambolic back-pass from Da Costa found a San Diego player, and after two simple passes Amahl Pellegrino had the simple task of slotting the ball past James Pantemis to put the visitors up 1-0.
42' Yellow Card, Cristhian Paredes
45' - Two minutes of stoppage time were awarded at the end of the first half.
Halftime: Portland Timbers 0 - 1 San Diego FC
46' Substitution - After the break Jimer Fory replaced Cristhian Paredes, pushing Ortiz into midfield.
48' Goal San Diego, 2-0 - With six passes San Diego took the ball from their own box all the way down the pitch before a thunderbolt from Anders Dreyer flew past Pantemis to double San Diego's lead.
49' Goal San Diego, 3-0 - David da Costa was easily dispossessed in midfield and all it took this time was one pass from San Diego to find Dreyer's free run through on goal between Fory and Zuparic from the halfway line. Pantemis stayed at home and Dreyer dinked the ball over him with ease. The rout was on.
54' Substitutions - Triple switch for the Timbers – Mosquera, Diego Chara, and Matias Rojas replaced Ortiz, Da Costa, and Smith.
63' Goal San Diego, 4-0 - James Pantemis gave the ball away with a sloppy pass in the general direction of Fory and Velde which was latched onto by Tverskov in midfield. The San Diego captain found Pellegrino all alone outside the box, who took one touch to settle with his chest before firing a fourth goal home.
78' Shot(s) Portland - Velde earned and took a free kick that was saved by CJ Dos Santos into the path of Felipe Mora, who put a free shot straight at the San Diego 'keeper on the rebound.
88' Shot Portland - Rojas' free kick from distance bounced well wide of the far post.
90' - Five minutes of stoppage time were added to the second half for reasons beyond my comprehension.
Full Time: Portland Timbers 0 - 4 San Diego FC
I'll start by congratulating Finn Surman on winning 2025 supporter's player of the year, which is about the only positive to come out of the evening. The young man hardly put a foot wrong the entirety of a magical breakout season, a well-deserved honor for a great person, player, and leader.
On the pitch? A pure, unmitigated disaster, but perhaps fitting that the Portland Timbers bookend the 2025 season with blowout losses to Western Conference opponents at home. The loss to San Diego means the Timbers finish with just one win in their final 10 matches, and per Timbers radio's Adam Susman, it is the first time in club history that they were out-scored at home over the course of a season.
Both David Ayala and Phil Neville made mention of an apology to the supporters for a performance like that, but it's hard to feel as though those apologies are anything more than just words with those sorts of outings becoming all too familiar in the Rose City.
The fact of the matter is nobody on that pitch looked up for the challenge after the first goal went in. None of them looked upset about a team in their inaugural campaign coming into their house and thrashing them without any pushback. A team whose coach preaches mentality and togetherness looked like a team of individuals who'd never played with each other before.
Neville will get the brunt of the criticism from supporters, and after the second half of the season the Timbers have mustered nobody can blame them. But the players on this team need to take a long look at themselves in the mirror and acknowledge the fact that they aren't doing enough to make a team whose supporters are starved for hope and optimism proud.
Three of the goals were direct results of the team not caring enough about the ball, the consequences of their decisions with it, or the opposition providing a clear and obvious danger to them and their season. The midfield and defense was, again, all over the place in terms of shape, communication, and aggressiveness. How does that change in the span of three days before RSL comes to town for what is shaping up to be another indefensible play-in game loss at home? Because that's the task at hand, now. One more game. One more game at home in front of their supporters standing between them and four consecutive seasons of missing the postseason.
It's bleak and the players and coaching staff have nobody to blame for the situation they're in but themselves. It's well-past time for them to stand up and show some damn fight.