Sir, This Is A Wendy's

For the second time in their history, the Portland Timbers defeated a Liga MX team. After scoring the winner against Club Leon in second half stoppage time last year, the Timbers were determined to not leave it until the last second against Atletico San Luis.

Recap

What's the opposite of scoring a late goal? Scoring an early one! 37 seconds was all it took for David Da Costa to open the scoring after latching onto a cleared Ian Smith cross and volleying it first-time past Andres Sanchez from outside the box. It's also worth noting that Smith's cross was created by a Da Costa long ball into space behind ASL's right side. 

Portland immediately began to try to control the game without the ball. They did an outstanding job of shutting down angles, winning headers, and presenting a threat from long balls. However, Da Costa would also unwillingly provide the other major moment from half number 1. 

In the 36th minute, Da Costa was dragged down to the ground by his arm and stayed on the turf rather than getting up. His shoulder was in pain, and the offending player didn't even get booked for a blatant cynical foul. This necessitated his exit, with Santiago Moreno tabbed as his replacement. The halftime whistle arrived with the Timbers ahead 1-0 courtesy of their lone shot. 

The second goal was going to be the major turning point. Portland’s opener was scored so early that a second was a necessity. However, with their second shot of the game, the Timbers doubled their lead. A 56th-minute Moreno cross found the head of Kevin Kelsy, who floated the header past Sanchez. It was the Venezuelan's first goal since May 28th against Colorado. With a two goal cushion, the Timbers could surrender more of the ball while continuing their rapid counterattacks. And in the 73rd minute, they found another opportunity. 

After James Pantemis collected a shot from the left side of the box, he quickly rolled it to Diego Chara. The captain played a through ball, but for a split second it looked like the chance would be denied due to Felipe Mora’s offside position. But that didn’t account for Ariel Lassiter, who made a lung-busting run down the left channel to latch onto the through ball, carry it into the box, and fire it through Sanchez’s legs. 3-0 to Portland, with their THIRD shot of the game. But this is Leagues Cup, and goal differential is just as important as 3 points. With the win locked up, the Timbers still wanted two things: another goal and a clean sheet.

They ended up getting both. In the 78th minute, Moreno found Mora in the six-yard box, but the Chilean’s shot from a tight angle hit the underside of the bar and the goal line before bouncing out. Some Portland protests ensued, but VAR was already checking the shot. In an anticlimactic way to end a 14-game goal drought, the goal was given after a one-minute pause. It was Portland’s 4th shot of the game. However, they still had to preserve the shutout, and they did so by standing strong on corner kicks and making tough clearances. Atletico de San Luis came to Providence Park 4-0 reasons.

The Gameplan

Here’s what I wrote in the preview of this game about what Portland needed to do out-of-possession:

Well, now that the game is over, let’s see how much they’re actually using that left side. Keep in mind, I only watched their 2025/26 Apertura matches.

Holy moly. That’s too much left! Did they know that they could go right? It was a concerted strategy from the visitors to pick on Portland’s left post (Smith and Jimer Fory). But constant crosses into the box were met with Portland heads and good clearances. Meanwhile, the Timbers ceded possession to ASL outside of their own box, but failed to allow Los Tuneros to get quality shots away. That’s the biggest difference. Although Portland was outshot 4-15, every single one of those shots were a better chance than anything ASL created during the entire game.

That’s a testament to Portland’s counters being executed with the proper intensity. Portland possessed with intent, and that allowed them to be ruthless on the break. In order to do so, they had to be dialed in with one particular type of pass.

Here’s another little segment from the preview about what the Timbers could do in possession:

Goal number one (Da Costa) is born from a ball over the top and a box-crashing run. Goal number two (Kelsy) is due to poor tracking from the center backs, allowing Kelsy to ghost into the box. Goal number three is a classic Timbers counter special courtesy of Lassiter. Goal number four is a 2025 Timbers special, with a cutback ball to a spot inside the six-yard box. All of these goals are repeatable. The only unbelievable stat from this game is Portland’s conversion rate.

Dark Arts

When Liga MX teams play MLS teams, the words “dark arts” get thrown around. Most of the time, they have a negative connotation (like Evander getting sent off against Tigres in 2023 or the extra mustard added to challenges). But the Timbers produced a Dark Arts special tonight, and there’s only one way to illustrate it: Timbers fans, imagine a burger.

Neville likes to go to the Providence Park McDonald’s after games, and his regular order consists of McNuggets (probably pronounced MacNuggets, you know). However, I have to wonder if a trip to Wendy’s was on the cards after this glorious display. 44% possession. 4 shots. 4 shots on target. 4 goals. STATHEAD! I NEED YOU!

This has never been done before in a MLS game. Because the stats are so simple (xG be damned) the dataset stretches back to 1996; the first year of Major League Soccer. Yes, I know that this is Leagues Cup. But I’d also like you to consider this: who cares? 

With the rivalry between Liga MX and MLS on display during this tournament, the American side in this matchup turned to the most American thing they could think of: a fast-food combo meal. The Wendy’s 4 for 4 is widely regarded as the greatest fast food deal of all time. It’s a sample platter of classic fast food: a junior cheeseburger, 4-piece chicken nugget, a small fry, and a small drink. It has a little bit of everything; just like each of the Timbers’ goals tonight. You want a stellar goal from a DP? Da Costa has you covered. How about an early cross and a header? Kevin Kelsy says hello. Maybe a counterattack for some extra spice? Ariel Lassiter, you’re needed. And a poacher’s goal from inside the six-yard-box? Felipe Mora checked the menu.

For years, MLS has been slandered as the “burger league.” That nickname comes from non-Americans, who love to poke fun at the unofficial national food of the United States. Although this country continues to do much more harm than good, I love how the Portland Timbers decided to represent America through the humble fast-food combo meal. The Seattle Sounders may be the chief innovators in MLS, but it was Portland’s turn to take the wheel tonight. And I’m so glad that they did.

However, the Dark Arts also worked against the Timbers tonight. Da Costa’s injury was an “extra mustard” play that probably should have resulted in a yellow card. But in order to defeat a Liga MX team, you have to win the Dark Arts battle. Last year against Leon, the Timbers saved two goals from corner kicks to use at the exact moment that they needed them. This year, they honored a model fast-food franchise and tapped into the power of the American cultural victory. And tonight’s win doubled as an actual victory as well. 

Player Ratings

David Da Costa: 9.5

An early goal is always a welcome sight, and Portuguese Dave’s 1st-minute strike followed a familiar pattern. All 3 of his most recent goals (New England, St. Louis, and ASL) have all come from just outside the box in the left channel. Everyone needs an office, and Da Costa’s is in Zone 18. For reference:

It’s also worth noting that he created and finished the attack in the 1st minute. With a long ball into space, it allowed him time to act as the box-crasher without actually crossing the box. Usually the Timbers would lose that second ball, but Da Costa flipped the script. The shoulder injury is the main talking point besides the goal, and Neville implied post-game that the injury wasn’t that serious. Either way, giving him a substitute appearance against Queretaro sounds like a good plan. 

James Pantemis: 9

Based on shot-stopping, this would also be a 9.5. However, the suicide passes from directly out of the back are a concern. On the other side of the coin, the quick throw to spring Lassiter’s goal was an excellent bit of decision-making and reading of the game. The Timbers have two great goalkeepers. That shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Juan Mosquera: 7.7

Since returning from injury on March 22nd, Mosquera has started every single league game. It might be time to give him a rest after he was limping early on in tonight’s match. Mosquera’s outing tonight was marked by several near-misses, but I’m not holding them against him. Give him a rest against Queretaro. Hello, Sawyer Jura.

Finn Surman: 9

Surman was given a mini-rest after being subbed off at halftime. This was not due to any performance-related reasons. What can I say that hasn’t already been said about him? Maybe the fact that he’s one of the most athletic center backs in the entire league? Maybe the way that he is always in the right spot to close down an opposing attacker. I’m repeating myself. Sigh.

Kamal Miller: 9

Miller’s home is in the center of the back three now. The guy loves long balls over the top, and he played several excellent deep passes to Smith. Miller-to-Smith; the hottest pass-catching tandem on the West Coast. 

Jimer Fory: 9.5

I’ll have more on Fory ahead of the Queretaro game (including a slight but harmless feud with a current teammate) but I’d like to point out that his spot at left center-back should be his until the Timbers (inevitably) switch back to the 4-2-3-1. With San Luis making the left side of the pitch their home, Fory was tasked with being the far-post defender. He’s pretty good at that, if you didn’t already know.

Ian Smith: 9

Too many high ratings might devalue the ratings system, but I offer a counterpoint: a lot of players had really good performances in this game. Smith’s contributions involved a lot of far-post defending combined with some excellent runs into space. He’s still undroppable in the current formation. Five days after causing some headloss for Ryan Hollingshead, he gave a Liga MX team fits. In terms of rookie draft picks, he’s on the same level as SKC’s human eraser Jansen Miller. If Rookie of the Year was an award, he’d be in serious contention for it, if not the front-runner. 

Joao Ortiz: 7

Two things: Ortiz continues to look very comfortable in this team but he’s also taking a half-second too long to make decisions. I’m willing to chalk up the latter to a two-week absence from the pitch. It’s still a familiar enough pattern to carry a slight bit of worry, but I thought he did a pretty good job today. That half-second delay also led to him being a bit late on a few challenges as well. 

DIEGO CHARA: 10

Who had a Diego Chara masterclass on their bingo card tonight? The major play was the assist, but the captain was a passing machine tonight. Diagonals, short passes, one-twos, balls over the top, he did it all. But my favorite Chara play from tonight’s game occurred in the 7th minute. It begins with a pass from Chara to Omir Fernandez. But Fernandez can’t control it under pressure, and the ball leaks out from beneath him and begins rolling back to ASL’s keeper Andres Sanchez. Chara, sensing an opportunity, decides to come off his line (yes, outfield players can come off their lines too) and pressure Sanchez. This action forces Sanchez to clear the ball, and it goes directly out of bounds for a Timbers throw-in. It’s a play that Chara made year after year and game after game for seasons upon end in a Timbers shirt. Whenever he’s on the field, he’s the smartest player on the field. I’m beyond thrilled that he treated the fanbase to another incredible performance. Per my notes, he didn’t put a foot wrong. 

Omir Fernandez: 8.2

Did you know that Fernandez can hold up the ball like a striker? Did you know that he can flick the ball over a defender like Portland’s injured Brazilian winger? Those two actions in tandem allowed Portland’s second goal to be scored. In addition to his contribution that won’t show up on the stat sheet, he did everything right out of possession. And he did it while getting hacked to bits.

Kevin Kelsy: 8

It seems like Kelsy is always the main talking point whenever he takes the field. However, after breaking his 8-game scoreless streak, it’s time to add another page in the Kelsy Manifesto.

Kelsy is torn between wanting to be involved in the buildup and getting into the right position to receive a cross. However, in his defense, those crosses rarely find their way to him. Today, he had two opportunities. The first one didn’t count because Smith was offside, but the second was exactly what he wanted. It was his only chance of the match, and he turned it into a goal. For weeks Kelsy has been begging for that exact kind of service, but he isn’t always in the position to receive it. During this goalscoring play, Kelsy kept putting his hand up for the ball while the team was building up in the middle third. That ball never arrived, and it was right on cue for the 21-year-old Venezuelan (happy birthday, by the way) to begin displaying some bad body language and take himself out of the play. However, in this instance, he kept his position (occupying the center backs) and the ball he craved finally arrived. It was way too easy for Kelsy to split the center backs and rise up for a textbook floating header.

Every Kelsy appearance comes with a lot of teachable moments. I thought one of them would be his foul that ended the first half. After receiving a yellow card three minutes before the whistle, playing with caution seemed to be the right mentality for Kelsy to occupy. However, that foul was disappointing and could’ve been a second yellow card with a stricter referee. The primary teaching moment comes from his reaction to not getting the ball earlier on the goalscoring play. Phil Neville summed it up pretty well postgame: 

“He turned 21 this week. He is an absolute baby (immediately into the Neville quote Hall of Fame). He’s got his 6th goal this season. And I think he’s gonna be a star and we have to be patient. And what he did tonight was he took our words literally in terms of his out of possession work and he takes everything so literal. That’s an inexperienced player that wants to do so well. We want him on the last line, we want him running in behind but we also have to start passing the ball to him when he makes those runs because eventually when you make 3, 4, 5, 6 runs you’re gonna stop running and you’re gonna get frustrated because the pass goes square or the pass goes to Da Costa or Santi. So that’s something that we’re really working hard on. The service has been really disappointing in terms of the service to our center forwards over the past 10 games has not been to the level that we want. Not the service into the box, not the passes up to them. They are doing incredible work for the team and like I say when those two start scoring, we’re gonna be a major threat in terms of scoring goals.”

I have to support the “he’s just a little guy” defense. It always works. It works even better when the “little guy” gets upgraded to “absolute baby.” By all rights, Kelsy should’ve had more chances tonight. But as a striker, when you get presented with one, you have to try your hardest to score it. And Kelsy did just that.

Santiago Moreno: 9.5

Da Costa’s exit would’ve been much more costly if Moreno wasn’t instantly available to take his spot. It was reported this week by Tom Bogert that the Timbers rejected a $4M offer from Fluminese for the mercurial Colombian. I’m going to delve into that a little further during the Queretaro preview, but I’ll give my quick take here: it was the right decision to decline that offer. Especially with Moreno continuing to be an influential attacker who’s in All-Star form. Two assists today, and both of them were outstanding. And, per usual, the defensive work matched the offensive output. 

Zac McGraw: 7.5

McGraw made his first appearance since May 6th after dealing with a back injury. I’m a big fan of giving recently recovered players minutes in high-stakes situations, and McGraw responded pretty well. He won several headers even though he didn’t look like he was fully sharp. But it’s been a while since he took the field, so I can give it an easy pass. Welcome back, Zac.

Ariel Lassiter: 9

Since Lassiter first suited up for the Timbers, he’s been begging for through balls that he can run onto. Tonight, with a brace still on his left hand, he got his golden opportunity. With a clear field ahead of him, he chose the route of ultimate embarrassment: the five-hole. Congratulations to him on his first Timbers goal. It’s always nice to do it at home, like Omir Fernandez did a week-and-a-half ago. In addition, he didn’t put a foot wrong anywhere else on the pitch. Outstanding.

Felipe Mora: 8

Mora’s 13-game goal drought was also broken tonight, although it took a VAR review to finally end it. No matter. A goal is a goal, and it was a classic Mora fox-in-the-box finish. You could argue that every goalscorer tonight needed a goal. Mora needed it the most. “When our center forwards start scoring, we’re going to be a major threat.” Well, both of them scored today, and the Timbers won 4-0. Sometimes you only get one chance as a striker. Kelsy and Mora both got one chance today, and they made the most out of them. Two thumbs up. 

Daniel Nunez: DANIEL NUNEZ

Giving a 16-year-old a number grade for making his first home appearance against a Liga MX team seems rude. In the span of 10 minutes from minute 75 to 85, the academy graduate put on a show. Let’s begin with his first major action on the Providence Park pitch: drawing a foul in the 76th minute. Do not be mean to the 16 year old. If Kelsy is an “absolute baby,” what is Nunez using that same scale? In the 84th minute, Nunez was called for a foul despite cleanly winning the ball. I guess he had to be nerfed. Shame. But the 85th minute sequence where he put an ASL player in a spin cycle, got shoved, and didn’t receive a friendly whistle was egregious enough to bring Neville and Liam Ridgewell to their feet in the technical area. Aside from some deserved frustrations from his coaches being echoed at the 4th official, Nunez contributed something awesome to tonight’s game: he didn’t look out of place mentally. Sure, it was pretty obvious that he’s a little small. But I thought his decision-making and maturity was very good for a player who is still using a provisional driver’s license (if he has one). Go on, Danny Nunez. He’s one of our own.

Coach Rating: 10

To put it simply, I think Neville is going to have a very difficult time switching formations when Antony returns or the new DP arrives. The team looks very comfortable in the back three setup, and it’s very useful to have another club in the bag. When Nunez entered the game in the 75th minute, Portland closed the game out in a 4-2-3-1. So much good stuff from this game, even though the Timbers only took four shots. But that’s a sign of recognizing their opponents’ weaknesses, and the game plan was superb. Every sub was excellent too. From the obvious (Moreno for Da Costa) to the risky (a recovered McGraw for Surman), Neville and the coaching staff adapted and thrived. It’s always a testament to a good coaching job when two substitutes score and another one assisted both goals. 

Table Time

This humongous opening-game victory puts the Timbers on top of the Leagues Cup MLS table. Only the top 4 advance to the knockout stages, so each goal scored tonight could be priceless in a week’s time. Queretaro is up next, and their final Phase One opponents (Club America) lost to RSL in a penalty shootout. These games are winnable. And, most importantly, the momentum traveled. 

Final Whistle

Before I get into the big-picture takeaway, I must address the elephant in the room: expected goals. Portland is technically credited with only 0.6 xG in this game, but all of their chances (bar Da Costa’s) could be classified as “big chances.” And they scored every single one of them. In the interest of time, I’m going to summarize this with a brief meme:

This is knockout soccer. Underlying numbers be damned. Especially against a foreign team in a non-league competition. Expectations (and the stats that track them) can go out the window. Only one thing matters: the scoreboard.

Portland’s burger heroics may have stolen the headlines, but their high level of comfort playing against a Liga MX side has to be praised. Scoring early set the tone, but their continued effort and will to keep the clean sheet is just as important as the four goals that passed by Sanchez. An excellent team performance and a great way to begin Leagues Cup. If the Timbers keep playing like this, they could make a deep run. Momentum is powerful, and the Portland Timbers are harnessing a lot of power. The quest continues.