Portland Timbers Prepare for Challenge Against San Diego FC Amidst Struggles
The Portland Timbers aim to set aside thoughts of revenge for last season’s playoff exit as they face San Diego FC on Saturday night. San Diego is currently enduring the most challenging phase in its two-year history.
The Timbers (2-5-1, 7 points) were among eight clubs that did not play on Wednesday, giving manager Phil Neville’s side a full week to prepare. San Diego, which eliminated Portland from the playoffs last season in a closely contested first-round series, has been struggling lately.
Portland sits five points below the playoff line in the Western Conference, prompting Neville to encourage his team to leave the emotional weight of last year’s defeat behind. “I don’t do revenge,” Neville stated. “I think that’s very short-sighted. I think if you get clouded with that kind of emotion, you don’t have clarity of mind… I see it as an opportunity rather than revenge, and I’m sure they do as well.”
Kristoffer Velde currently leads the Timbers with three goals, including the first in their 2-1 victory over LAFC two weekends ago. Additionally, eight other players have contributed one goal each, although the team has suffered losses in their first four away matches, including a 2-0 setback against Minnesota last weekend.
On the other hand, San Diego (3-4-2, 11 points) enters the match on a four-game losing streak, marking a worse run than their longest losing stretch during the inaugural 2025 season. SDFC manager Mikey Varas noted that last season’s events won’t have much influence on Saturday’s game. “Every season, the teams are a little bit different, so it’s all a fresh start,” Varas remarked. “The team is really hungry to continue making steps forward and get back to our best.”
Of their four recent losses, three occurred on the road, with San Diego failing to score in two of those matches. Additionally, San Diego has seen a player sent off in four of its last five games. Striker Amahl Pellegrino received a red card in the 79th minute of Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo and will be suspended for Saturday’s match. Marcus Ingvartsen leads San Diego with five league goals, while Anders Dreyer has tallied four.