SAN DIEGO (AP) – Onni Vallacari and Anders Dreyer scored in the first half and top-seeded San Diego FC beat the Portland Timbers 2-1 on Sunday night in a best-of-three opening round of the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
San Diego, which won the Western Conference in its first year, took a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute when Valakari converted Manu Dua’s shot and hit the right post. Varacari scored four goals in the regular season, but this was his first.
Dreyer took a header into the net with an assist from 19-year-old defender Luca Bombino for a 2-0 lead after seven minutes. Dreyer had 19 goals and 19 assists in his first season in the league. Bombino played in 26 games and recorded four assists as a rookie.
Portland made the game 2-1 in the 36th minute with freshman defender Christopher Verde’s first career goal. Anthony Alves Santos recorded his first playoff assist in his third appearance, and 39-year-old Diego Chara recorded his first assist in 24 postseason games – both with the Timbers.
Portland missed two chances to tie the score in the second half. Anthony had a one-on-one with CJ Dos Santos in the 61st minute but missed to the left, and two minutes later Kamal Miller’s header went over the crossbar.
Defender Jimmer Foley received a red card after receiving a yellow card in less than two minutes, forcing Portland to play one man down starting in the 66th minute.
Dos Santos totaled two saves for San Diego in his first postseason start.
James Pantemis made his third start of the postseason for the Timbers and allowed him to hit six-for-six shots for the fifth time in his career.
The series moved to Portland on Saturday, and San Diego defeated the Timbers 4-0 on October 18th. The two clubs met in San Diego in late August to a scoreless draw.
The Timbers have advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2021 and for the eighth time in total. They defeated visiting Real Salt Lake 3-1 in the wild-card round on Wednesday. Portland won in 2015.
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