Major League Soccer Gameweek 1
Portland Timbers 3 - 2 FT Columbus Crew
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Match Statistics
Possession
Shots
Shots on Target
Expected Goals (xG)
Passes
Pass Accuracy
Corners
Fouls
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Match Events
W. Abou Ali 6'
14' F. Mora
20' Antony (C. Bassett)
โ D. Chambost โA. Sejdic 25'
29' Brandon Bye
D. Rossi 44'
HT
Wessam Abou Ali 58'
73' โ G. Guerra โA. Lassiter
โ R. Camacho โY. Cheberko 73'
73' โ F. Mora โK. Kelsy
โ T. Habroune โS. Bangoura 73'
โ W. Abou Ali โJ. Thiare 82'
โ H. Picard โD. Gazdag 82'
84' โ Antony โJ. Ortiz
84' โ A. Bonetig โK. Miller
88' A. Lassiter
90' โ K. Velde โI. Smith
FT
Player Cards
Our take on every player in this match
Portland Timbers
Goalkeepers
James Pantemis 
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Brandon Bye 
ARCHITECT
4
Key Passes
4
Key Passes
0
Assists
39%
Pass Acc
Finn Surman 
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
3
Tackles
80%
Duel Win %
Alexander Bonetig
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
3
Tackles
80%
Duel Win %
Jimer Fory
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Midfielders
Diego Charรก 
MAGNET
80
Activity
80
Activity
70
Passes
10
Duels
Cole Bassett
MAGNET
87
Activity
87
Activity
77
Passes
10
Duels
Antony 
SNIPER
50%
Conversion
50%
Conversion
1
Goals
2
Shots
Felipe Mora 
FINISHER
1
Goals
1
Goals
3
Shots
7
Rating
Kristoffer Velde 
NPC
89
Minutes
89
Minutes
22%
Pass Acc
6
Rating
Forwards
Andrew Guerra 
PROVIDER
1
Assists
1
Assists
1
Key Passes
6.2
Rating
BENCH
Hunter Sulte 
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Kamal Miller
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Eric Miller
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Sawyer Jura
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ian Smith
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
1
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Joao Ortiz
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
10
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Ariel Lassiter 
CLUTCH HERO
88
Goal Time
88
Goal Time
Goal
Impact
7.7
Rating
Noah Santos
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Kevin Kelsy 
SUPER SUB
1
Assist
1
Assist
16
Minutes
6.6
Rating
Columbus Crew
Goalkeepers
Patrick Schulte
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
90
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Defenders
Sean Zawadzki
WALL
0
Dribbled Past
0
Dribbled Past
4
Tackles
86%
Duel Win %
Rudy Camacho
MAGNET
85
Activity
85
Activity
79
Passes
6
Duels
Malte Amundsen
ARCHITECT
2
Key Passes
2
Key Passes
0
Assists
63%
Pass Acc
Midfielders
Marcelo Herrera 
STORMTROOPER
2
Shots
2
Shots
0
Goals
0
On Target
Dylan Chambost
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
25
Total Mins
25
Entry
Taha Habroune
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
73
Total Mins
73
Entry
Maximilian Arfsten
MAGNET
74
Activity
74
Activity
60
Passes
14
Duels
Forwards
Diego Rossi
MAGNET
53
Activity
53
Activity
48
Passes
5
Duels
Wessam Abou Ali
SNIPER
50%
Conversion
50%
Conversion
1
Goals
2
Shots
Hugo Picard
MAGNET
51
Activity
51
Activity
46
Passes
5
Duels
BENCH
Nicholas Hagen
SPECTATOR
0
Saves
0
Saves
0
Conceded
0
Minutes
Owen Presthus
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Yevhen Cheberko
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
17
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Tristan Brown
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Cesar Ruvalcaba
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
0
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Amar Sejdiฤ
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
65
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Dรกniel Gazdag
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
8
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Sรฉkou Bangoura
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
17
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Jamal Thiarรฉ
LATE SHIFT
15
Late Mins
15
Late Mins
8
Total Mins
Started
Entry
Head to Head
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/20/2024 | Columbus Crew | 2 - 2 | Portland Timbers | Major League Soccer | Lower.com Field |
| 07/16/2023 | Portland Timbers | 3 - 2 | Columbus Crew | Major League Soccer | Providence Park |
| 09/18/2022 | Columbus Crew | 1 - 1 | Portland Timbers | Major League Soccer | Lower.com Field |
| 04/20/2019 | Columbus Crew | 1 - 3 | Portland Timbers | Major League Soccer | MAPFRE Stadium |
| 09/20/2018 | Portland Timbers | 3 - 2 | Columbus Crew | Major League Soccer | Providence Park |
| 03/25/2017 | Columbus Crew | 3 - 2 | Portland Timbers | Major League Soccer | MAPFRE Stadium |
| 03/06/2016 | Portland Timbers | 2 - 1 | Columbus Crew | Major League Soccer | Providence Park |
| 12/06/2015 | Columbus Crew | 1 - 2 | Portland Timbers | Major League Soccer | MAPFRE Stadium |
| 09/26/2015 | Columbus Crew | 1 - 2 | Portland Timbers | Major League Soccer | MAPFRE Stadium |
04/20/2024
07/16/2023
09/18/2022
04/20/2019
09/20/2018
03/25/2017
03/06/2016
12/06/2015
09/26/2015
Portland Timbers Win
Columbus Crew Win
Draw
League Standings
| Pos | Team | P | Pts | GF | GA | GD | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose Earthquakes | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | +3 | WSan Jose Earthquakes 3 - 0 Sporting Kansas City (22-02-2026) |
| 2 | Seattle Sounders | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | +2 | WSeattle Sounders 2 - 0 Colorado Rapids (23-02-2026) |
| 3 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | +1 | WVancouver Whitecaps 1 - 0 Real Salt Lake (22-02-2026) |
| 4 | Minnesota United FC | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | DAustin 2 - 2 Minnesota United FC (22-02-2026) |
| 5 | Austin | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | DAustin 2 - 2 Minnesota United FC (22-02-2026) |
| 6 | Real Salt Lake | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | LVancouver Whitecaps 1 - 0 Real Salt Lake (22-02-2026) |
| 7 | Colorado Rapids | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -2 | LSeattle Sounders 2 - 0 Colorado Rapids (23-02-2026) |
| 8 | Sporting Kansas City | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -3 | LSan Jose Earthquakes 3 - 0 Sporting Kansas City (22-02-2026) |
P: 1 GD: +3
P: 1 GD: -3
League Standings
P: 24 GD: +30
P: 25 GD: +4
P: 25 GD: +7
P: 25 GD: +8
P: 25 GD: +7
P: 26 GD: +14
P: 25 GD: +1
P: 25 GD: 0
P: 25 GD: 0
P: 26 GD: -9
P: 24 GD: -2
P: 25 GD: -6
P: 25 GD: -12
P: 23 GD: -5
P: 24 GD: -33
Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching
Portland Timbers
Columbus Crew
Portland Timbers
Columbus Crew
Win Probability
Futmetrix AI estimate
Providence Park Pandemonium: Timbers Edge Crew in Thriller
Must-Watch Futmetrix Score: 86/100. Substitute Ariel Lassiter's late heroics salvaged three crucial points for Portland in a breathless, see-saw battle against Columbus.
The Early Fireworks
Fans barely had time to settle into their seats at Providence Park before the net bulged. W. Abou Ali opened the scoring for the visitors just six minutes in, setting a relentless tempo. The Intensity was off the charts as the hosts mounted an immediate response. F. Mora leveled the game at the 14-minute mark, and moments later, C. Bassett orchestrated a beautiful move to set up Antony for the lead. Three goals in the opening 20 minutes transformed the field into a track meet, proving both defenses were highly vulnerable to quick transitional play.
A Shifting Tide
Down a goal, Columbus refused to fold and gradually edged possession, holding 54% of the ball. They applied constant pressure, ultimately racking up 15 total shots and 8 corners. The Balance of the match swung back toward the visitors right before the locker room talks. D. Rossi found the breakthrough in the 44th minute, knotting the score at 2-2. In the center of the park, Diego Charรก worked tirelessly to break up the Crew's rhythm, putting in a massive shift to keep Portland anchored amid the heavy attacking waves.
Late Heroics
The second half settled into a tense, tactical chess match, with both squads desperate for a result to climb out of the conference basement. With the Stakes rising as the clock ticked down, Portland looked to their bench for a spark. Entering the fray in the 73rd minute, A. Lassiter became the ultimate difference-maker. He struck the decisive blow in the 88th minute, sending the home crowd into raptures. The late winner hands Portland a vital lifeline in their season, while Columbus remains stranded in search of their first victory.
Key Questions
What caused the 5-goal thriller?
A frantic opening 20 minutes saw three goals, fueled by an open midfield, 27 combined shots, and 14 corners generating constant chaos.
How dramatic was the late winner by Cole Bassett?
Bassett pulled the strings with an early assist, but substitute Ariel Lassiter actually delivered the dramatic 88th-minute match-winner for Portland.
How did Portland Timbers complete the comeback from behind?
After conceding in the 6th minute, Portland responded rapidly through Felipe Mora and Antony, eventually securing the win via Lassiter's late strike.
What is the Futmetrix Score?
The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.
Archive note: this preview was written after the match was played.
Basement Battle Brings Defensive Chaos to Providence Park
Skip It Futmetrix Score: 31/100. A perfect recipe for messy, entertaining football, but purely one for the local hardcores given the dreadful early form of both sides.
The Setup
It has been a bleak start to the 2026 campaign for both the Portland Timbers and the Columbus Crew. Languishing at the bottom of the standings after just five games, neither side has found their footing. The Stakes are technically low this early in the regular season, but the pressure is already mounting. What makes this clash at Providence Park intriguing is the sheer lack of defensive solidity. Both teams are conceding at an alarming rate, heavily impacting a Form rating that signals pure chaos. With barely any marquee Stars shining so far, this match is a gritty survival test.
Key Battle
With both backlines leaking well over two goals a game, this contest will be decided by which attacking unit can exploit the inevitable gaps. Portland's creative spark relies heavily on David Pereira da Costa, Antony, and K. Velde to pry open a fragile Columbus defense. On the flip side, the Crew will trust D. Rossi, W. Abou Ali, and D. Gazdag to punish the Timbers on the counter. It is a striking picture of Balance: two highly vulnerable defenses facing desperate attackers.
Our Prediction
Expect a shootout born from mistakes rather than tactical brilliance. The Crew arrive as very slight favourites, but neither team knows how to hold a lead. We back a chaotic 2-2 draw where both attacking units bail out their struggling defenders.