SDFC Falls to Timbers in Penalties After Late Equalizer
Portland Forces Game 3 in San Diego After Tying Match in Final Seconds of Stoppage Time
San Diego FC traveled to Portland, Oregon, for the second time in two weeks, to face off against the Portland Timbers in a crucial playoff match. This contest carried more weight than their previous encounter on October 18th. A loss meant elimination for Portland, while a win would send San Diego to the Western Conference Semifinal. SDFC quickly found out they were facing a different Timbers club with a higher intensity level.
First Half: Portland’s Press, Injury, and SDFC’s Response
Portland immediately exhibited a high-pressing style. This intensity created early pressure, notably when Manu Duah’s attempt to pass the ball around Kristoffer Velde was blocked, resulting in a turnover and a shot on target from David Ayala that was saved by goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos. Velde later had another shot that went off the far side post.
The pressure paid off in the 18th minute when Portland took the lead. Following a series of passes and a long kick from goalkeeper James Pantemis , Antony used his speed to catch the ball, fight off Chris McVey , and delivered a pass to Kristoffer Velde. Velde shot the ball with authority into the back of the net, marking his second consecutive game with a goal and Antony’s second consecutive assist.
Portland’s continued aggression led to a severe injury seconds after the restart. Velde sent a pass into the penalty area , where Kevin Kelsey, running toward the ball, accidentally kicked CJ Dos Santos right in the face. Dos Santos was knocked out cold and needed a stretcher to leave the pitch. The team later updated that Dos Santos suffered a fractured cheekbone. Pablo Sisniega came on to replace Dos Santos. Due to the head injury and concussion protocol, both teams received an extra substitution over the 5-limit. The match tempo subsequently slowed, favoring SDFC.
San Diego took advantage of some sloppy play by Portland, intercepting passes and dispossessing players , to find their equalizer late in stoppage time. After recovering a long pass from the Timbers, the ball moved through Ian Pilcher, Manu Duah, Anibal Godoy, Anders Dreyer, and Corey Baird. Baird cut back inside and delivered a pass to Amahl Pellegrino. Pellegrino’s shot went toward the upper right corner of the goal, knotting the match at 1-1. This was Baird’s first assist with San Diego and Pellegrino’s 4th goal in 4 matches. The first half concluded with SDFC having 64% possession compared to Portland’s 36% , and a slight edge in expected goals (xG) at 0.51 to Portland’s 0.47. The match was highly physical, with Portland accumulating 14 fouls compared to San Diego’s 4.
Second Half: Lozano’s Lead and Late Collapse
Chucky Lozano came on at the start of the second half for Corey Baird, making his return to the pitch since the first half at Houston back on October 4th. SDFC took the lead shortly after: Franco Negri passed the ball into the penalty area to Anders Dreyer, whose shot was blocked by the goalkeeper but ricocheted back to Chucky Lozano, who scored the goal. Lozano celebrated by kissing the badge multiple times. San Diego held a 2-1 lead with 40 minutes left.
As the half progressed, SDFC began to play defensively , shifting to a five-man backline and focusing on defending their lead. The team made substitutions, bringing in Paddy McNair for Ian Pilcher and Luca De La Torre and Marcus Ingvartsen for Anibal Godoy and Pellegrino. San Diego’s lack of aggression was apparent in the final minutes; during a corner kick in the 90th minute, they elected to take the ball short with no one in the penalty area.
Eight minutes of stoppage time were announced, and Portland pressed for the equalizer. In the final seconds of stoppage time , Ariel Lassiter kicked the ball into the penalty area, where he found Gage Guerra, who scored the final goal of the match in regulation. Guerra, Portland’s final substitute , was able to get in front of Luca De La Torre and win the aerial duel to tie the score.
The Penalty Shootout
The penalty shootout, held directly in front of the fervent Timbers Army, was a dramatic and ultimately heartbreaking conclusion for SDFC. Despite substitute goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega’s heroics—diving to block shots from Cristhian Paredes and Omir Fernandez—San Diego’s offensive production from the spot faltered. After Anders Dreyer and Chucky Lozano successfully converted their initial kicks, SDFC followed with three straight misses from Onni Valakari, Marcus Ingvartsen, and Jeppe Tverskov. The Portland Timbers, with successful kicks from Felipe Mora, Kristoffer Velde, and Antony, secured the 3-2 victory in the shootout, leveling the Best-of-3 series and forcing the decisive Game 3 back in San Diego this Sunday night.
MLS Game 3 Elimination Matches
San Diego is not the only team playing in a Game 3 elimination game. Game 3 in Round 1 will start this Friday with the match between Charlotte FC vs New York City FC. Three more elimination games will all play on Saturday: Minnesota United vs Seattle Sounders, FC Cincinnati vs Columbus Crew, and Inter Miami vs Nashville. Finally, the series between San Diego FC vs Portland Timbers will kick off Sunday as the last match in Round 1.
