St. Louis City
Portland Timbers Edge St. Louis City in Five-Goal Thriller
Kristoffer Velde’s first-half brace proved decisive as Portland Timbers survived a late St. Louis City fightback to win 3-2 in a breathless MLS Regular Season encounter at CITYPARK. The visitors raced into a 3-0 lead before half-time, only for Daniel Edelman and Rafael Navarro to set up a grandstand finish that saw Kamal Miller sent off in stoppage time.
Portland Timbers’ Devastating First Half Blitz
The Timbers struck twice in three minutes before the break to stun the home crowd. Velde opened the scoring in the 42nd minute, slotting home Cole Bassett’s cutback, before David Da Costa doubled the advantage in first-half stoppage time with a clinical finish from Jímer Fory’s cross. The Norwegian winger Velde then grabbed his second just three minutes after the restart, converting Da Costa’s low center to seemingly put the game beyond doubt.
St. Louis City’s Valiant Comeback Falls Short
Bradley Carnell’s side refused to surrender. Edelman sparked hope in the 58th minute with a powerful strike from Carlo Holse’s layoff, before Navarro’s 91st-minute header from Sang-bin Jung’s cross set up a frantic finale. The hosts piled forward with 61% possession and 13 shots, but Portland’s defense held firm despite Miller’s late dismissal for a second yellow card. Goalkeeper James Pantemis made four crucial saves to preserve the three points.
What This Result Means for Both MLS Sides
The victory moves Portland into playoff contention with their third straight win, though disciplinary concerns mount after collecting three yellows and a red. For St. Louis, this heartbreaking defeat extends their winless run to four matches despite creating better chances (1.98 xG to Portland’s 1.2). Both teams face crucial Conference matchups next week as the MLS season enters its decisive phase.
Key Moments
42′ ⚽ Portland Timbers — Kristoffer Velde (assist: Cole Bassett)
45+3′ ⚽ Portland Timbers — David Da Costa (assist: Jímer Fory)
48′ ⚽ Portland Timbers — Kristoffer Velde (assist: David Da Costa)
58′ ⚽ St. Louis City — Daniel Edelman (assist: Carlo Holse)🔮 Before kick-off: our match preview & prediction.
