The Portland Timbers had a chance to steal game one of their best-of-three first round series against San Diego FC, but couldn't overcome a torrid opening 30 minutes and braindead second-half red card despite Kristoffer Velde's first goal for the club.
Lineups & Prematch
Injury Report:
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That's the mantra Phil Neville adopted for this match, naming an unchanged starting XI from the Timbers' 3-1 Wild Card match victory against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night.
I was a bit surprised to see Antony retain his place after a rough outing, and with Ariel Lassiter popping up with the game-clinching assist on Kamal Miller's third goal, but Antony is clearly the more dangerous of the two options in theory with Matias Rojas unavailable through injury.
Diego Chara and Felipe Mora were brought back into the side midweek, with Neville justifiably praising their leadership and ability to deliver in big games after too many dropped results in the Timbers' final 10 matches of the season.
Recap & Highlights
1' - Portland kick things off.
7' - James Pantemis produced a world class save to deny Ian Pilcher after Dreyer sent a cross toward the fullback from a short-corner. The header looked destined for the bottom corner but Pantemis got down low to parry the danger wide.
9' - Jimer Fory lost Pilcher's run to the endline, and from fullback to fullback Pilcher pulled a cross back to Luka Bombino in the box, but the left back's attempt was tipped over the bar by an alert Pantemis.
23' Goal San Diego, 1-0 - A goal that had been coming from the opening minute of the match was rolled home by Onni Valakari after a volley from Manu Duah cannoned back off the post following a well-executed corner routine from the hosts. Timbers players hands shot up immediately asking for an offside, but Valakari got back onside before Duah's strike.
29' Shot, Portland - The Timbers finally earned their first shot of the match just before the half-hour mark. A long ball was sent up to Da Costa, who acrobatically flicked the ball into Mora's path, but the attempt was a tame one from Mora on the half-volley.
30' Goal San Diego, 2-0 - The hosts were easily able to breeze their way through Portland's midfield, working the ball from right to left before Bombino's cut-back cross found the run of Dreyer to glance home a second San Diego goal. Watch David Ayala in the buildup, he's absolutely chasing shadows on the edge of the penalty area before losing Dreyer's run on the finish.
34' Shot, Portland - David Ayala sent a perfect route-one ball to Velde just over the head of Christopher McVey springing the Norwegian racing through on goal. The first touch Velde took with his head hung the ball up enough for San Diego's defense caught up, and his powerful strike was straight at the 'keeper.
36' GOAL PORTLAND, 2-1 - A goal worth the wait: Kristoffer Velde is off the mark for the Portland Timbers, and what a time to score his first. Chara won the ball back high up the pitch, Antony drove forward to find Velde in the box, and Portland's newest DP cut inside before calmly slotting past CJ Dos Santos to halve the deficit.
45' - Four minutes of stoppage time were added at the end of the first half.
Halftime: San Diego FC 2 - 1 Portland Timbers
46' - San Diego resume second half play.
56' - Another huge save from Pantemis this time to deny Corey Baird on the rebound after Finn Surman denied Amahl Pellegrino on the doorstep. Pantemis had to get the intervention right or he would have given a penalty away for his follow-through on Baird.
61' Shot, Portland - The Timbers finally clipped a long-ball over the top to Antony at full speed, who shrugged off Bombino's challenge to go 1v1 with Dos Santos, but got his dinked finish completely wrong as it sailed harmlessly wide of net. He simply had to hit the target, you don't get many chances better than that one.
63' Shot, Portland - Velde sent a dangerous free-kick from the right wing into Mora at the near post, Mora flicked a header through traffic to Miller at the back post, but the center back couldn't replicate his header against RSL mid-week to level the score.
65-66' Red Card, Portland - Jimer Fory's two minutes of madness saw him pick up consecutive yellow cards in as many minutes, leaving the Timbers down a man for the final third of the match after doing well to get themselves back into it. The first card was a bit soft, but the second was inexcusable having just been booked. Fory had a really solid debut season, but his reckless temperament in challenges is something that needs to be cleaned up in 2026.
72' Substitutions, Portland - After the red card Phil Neville brought Ian Smith and Omir Fernandez onto the pitch, replacing Mora and Da Costa.
84' Substitutions, Portland - Kevin Kelsy, Cristhian Paredes ON // David Ayala, Juan Mosquera OFF
90' - Six Minutes of stoppage time were added at the end of the second half.
90+7' - Velde was fouled on a breakaway by Pilcher and kicked out at the fullback in frustration, and both players were cautioned by Chris Penso, who only awarded two yellow cards to San Diego players in second half stoppage-time.
Full Time: San Diego FC 2 - 1 Portland Timbers
For the opening 30 minutes the Timbers were atrocious with and without the ball, but Velde's goal completely stopped San Diego's momentum and gave them a path back into the match.
"We've got to play with more confidence from the start of the game, we've got to believe in ourselves from the start of the game and not wait until we go a goal behind," said Neville post-match.
It didn't come to fruition, but Velde's drive to get Portland a result was apparent for 90 minutes. I might be in the minority but I'm a fan of his altercation with Pilcher in second-half stoppage time. This Timbers squad has lacked an aggressive leader who plays on the edge in matches, but I think they've found one in Kristoffer Velde. After being pulled back and hacked without any consequence all night, I completely understand the lash-out.
The Timbers had a real opportunity to get a result in the second half, but squandered that opportunity with two huge missed chances and a senseless sending-off. The first card was a complete dive from Anibal Godoy, and frustrating for Chris Penso to give in a playoff match. But the challenge for the second yellow cannot happen from Fory. The Timbers were fresh off of two golden chances and in the ascendency when he's sent off, which realistically killed any chance of the Timbers finding a winner.
"You look at the chances at 2-1 for Antony and Kamal [Miller] and then Chris Penso takes over the game ... This game was about Chris Penso, congratulations to him," said Neville.
Regardless of the performance of the referee, Portland now find themselves with an even taller task down a game in the series as they head home for what could be their final match of 2025. "We know that San Diego are better away from home than they are at home so we're under no illusions about the size of the task. But what I would say is that we're going to make Providence Park one of those special types of occasions," said Neville.
Game two of the series is scheduled to kickoff Saturday, Nov. 1, at 6:30 p.m. PT. One last time for Timbers supporters to get behind their team this season, let's turn that place into the bear pit we all know it can be, Rose City. Onward.
