The Portland Timbers opened their 2026 MLS season with a thrilling 3-2 win against the Columbus Crew at Providence Park on a cold February evening. A wild first half saw the Crew take the lead early, but Portland fight back to reclaim it through goals from Felipe Mora and Antony.
Columbus equalized back near the end of the first half, and a cagey second half that saw the visitors have the lion's share of chances looked destined for a draw at full time. But Portland would have the last laugh, as Ariel Lassiter tallied the winner late to start the Timbers' 2026 campaign off with three points.
Prematch
It was a clod and rainy opening night – could it have been any other way? As the wind swirled and intermittent rain squalls damped the field, the Providence Park faithful steadily settled in for the 2026 edition of the Portland Timbers.
Phil Neville's inaugural starting XI wasted zero time in dishing out the surprises. Offseason signing Alex Bonetig was handed the start in central defense for his MLS and Timbers debut. New midfielder Cole Bassett expectedly made a start, but Gage Guerra was handed the start over Kevin Kelsy at striker. Felipe Mora also got a start, set to play as more of a quasi-number 10 role in Neville's usual 4-2-3-1.
The match marked a milestone for Portland's captain, Diego Chara. His start tonight was his 400th start in MLS, the most out of any current active outfield player. The fact that the nearly-40-years-young midfielder is still lacing 'em up, starting, and playing a pivotal role in Portland's midfield is nothing short of incredible.
One man. One Club. Congratulations on 400 Starts, Diego 💚
— Portland Timbers (@timbers.com) 2026-02-22T03:41:36.719Z
After a fancy new light show and pregame fireworks, the Timbers Army unveiled their first Tifo of the new year – and it was a special one. Paying homage to the usual deafening sound of Providence Park, the Army raised a giant boombox, along with a cassette tape. After a few tense moments, the tape slotted into the Tifo, and then the customary noise erupted from the North End to ring in the new season.
Match Highlights
The first match of a new season always brings an upswell of positivity. Hope springs eternal, and even the most curmudgeonly of Timbers fans can't help but find some sliver of belief that "hey, maybe things can be different this year."
Well those feelings lasted all of six minutes before Columbus rudely woke us up.
6' Goal CLB – Abou Ali (0-1)
An extremely poor giveaway from Kristoffer Velde was pounced on by Columbus attacker Wessam Abou Ali. Funn Surman and Alex Bonetig were caught on the back foot, and the DP striker easily put them on skates as he glided in and slotted past James Pantemis to open the scoring.
Emblematic of how proactive the Crew were, and how passive Portland was, to open the match, the opponents took advantage of the first clear opportunity of the match.
That dichotomy nearly resulted in an early 2-0 Crew lead, were it not for the superhero hands and a spectacular diving save from James Pantemis in the ninth minute.
10' Shot POR – Velde
Portland's star attacker took the concession like a shot in the backside, and cut in to have a hit off an Antony cutback. It forced a good save from Schulte, and more importantly showed signs of life from the Timbers after an uneasy opening 10 minutes.
Those signs would coalesce into a huge and undeniable beating pulse as a veteran Timber leveled the match.
14' GOAL TIMBERS! – Mora (1-1)
A consistent spell of possession and pressure ended in a clearance being collected by Chara at the top of the box. He played in a ball for Guerra, whose shanked side-volley fell right to the doorstep. Felipe Mora was first on the scene to have a crack at a side volley himself, and he rocketed it home for the first Timbers goal of the 2026 season.
After coming out the limper of the two sides, it was a credit to Portland's resilience that they fought back and leveled the score. But if you watched a lot of Timbers soccer in 2025, the question must have been in your mind: will they take their foot off the gas again, as they had a penchant to do far too often after scoring last year?
The answer, dear reader, was conclusive and resounding: no.
20' GOAL TIMBERS!! – Antony (2-1)
Portland's newest midfielder shone for the first, and almost certainly not last, time in Portland's sequence on the way to taking the lead. Velde collected, turned, and drove into the Crew's midfield. He laid off for Bassett, and the new man continued to run and collapse the Columbus defense. The Coloradan laid off a perfect ball for Antony, who was streaking in behind completely unmarked. The Brazilian kept his composure, and then did what he has done frequently on opening night and slot home to score.
For all the times we have begged Portland to capitalize on momentum, it felt like a huge sigh of relief to see them finally do it for once. They almost made it even better by netting a third, if not for a few missed moments. A gorgeous cross from Brandon Bye that was missed by Guerra, a flowing move between Velde and Guerra that didn't come off, and a Velde goal chalked off for offside all showed that Portland was determined to not let up.
But Columbus was also determined not to capitulate. And in the dying embers of the first half, they reminded us that they are, in fact, a good soccer team.
44' Goal CLB – Rossi (2-2)
Abou Ali was again at the center of affairs, as the striker made a neat move to touch the ball around Surman and find Diego Rossi at the top of the box. The Uruguayan ace unleashed a rocket that Pantemis had no chance at, hitting the upper corner and leveling the scoreline.
Soon thereafter, a highly entertaining first half came to a close. Bassett and Portland's offensive nous were the highlight for the home side, while Columbus were efficient and lethal with their opportunities.
HALFTIME: Timbers 2, Columbus 2
Columbus came out in the second half with a plan to mark Mora out of the game as much as possible, in a bid to deny Portland the outlet ball that they utilized so well in the first half. And for the first 15 minutes of the second half, it worked.
The Crew were more assertive in covering Portland's forwards, and then hunted in packs to win back the ball and then attack in numbers. It was all Portland could do to collapse into their box and stop the final ball from reaching its intended target. Which, thankfully, the duo of Surman and Bonetig looked up for doing. After some shaky first half moments, the Duo from Down Under (we'll workshop it) started to hone in on crosses.
Bonetig especially impressed with his confidence on the ball, spinning past defenders with the ball at his foot. But he and Surman still had their hands full with the crafty movement of Columbus' forwards, particularly Abou Ali.
74' SUBS POR – IN: Ariel Lassiter, Kevin Kelsy // OUT: Guerra, Mora
With the walls continuing to tighten around his squad, Neville took his first roll of the dice with just over 15 minutes to go. Lassiter and Kelsy replaced Guerra and Mora, shifting Velde inside to the quasi-10 role and adding an injection of speed on the wing and size up top.
But when those subs didn't yield results, Neville switched it up yet again.
84' SUBS POR – IN: Kamal Miller, Joao Ortiz // OUT: Bonetig, Antony
Needing fresh legs, Kamal Miller came in for Bonetig. Ortiz replaced Antony, shuffling around Portland's midfield yet again. Bassett slotted into the #10, as a true #10 this time, and Lassiter shifted from left to the right wing.
And that right wing was from where Lassiter would crash in to score a winner on opening day.
88' GOAL TIMBERS!!! – Lassiter (3-2)
Diego Chara showed us that age ain't nothing but a number and raced back to break up a Columbus counterrattack. On the recycled Portland possession, Velde served in a ball for Kelsy. While being tackled to the ground, Kelsy managed to somehow get his head to the ball and do just enough to lay it off into the box. Lassiter was quickest to react, and he pounced on the ball and fired home the eventual winner for Portland.
Under a cloud of smoke and a shower of cheers, after three minutes of stoppage time the Portland Timbers fightback was complete. The final whistle blew, and Portland started the 2026 season with a win at home.
FULL TIME: Timbers 3, Columbus 2
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Fun fact, the Portland Timbers have never had a normal season-opening game ever. Two years ago it was the demolition of Colorado. Last year it was *shudder* the demolition of Portland by Vancouver. And this year it was one of the most entertaining offensive games the Timbers have experienced in some time.
At least for the first half, anyway.
The movement, decisiveness, and directness that Portland showed in the opening 45 was a sight for sore eyes. At the center of it was Cole Bassett, who marked his Timbers debut with a more than solid opening half and tallied an assist. If that's the Bassett that Portland is going to get this year, then hoo boy they might be in business.
The second half, however, was the antithesis of the first. Portland looked on the back foot and sloppy, and had to to defend for their lives. The limitation of Portland's lineup without a true creator like David Da Costa was felt, and it didn't appear that Portland has a plan B yet.
But it all worked out in the end, eh? Credit to Kevin Kelsy for biding his time on the bench, and then with maybe his only chance on the night fighting literally to the ground to lay off the ball for Lassiter for the winner.
You can't take a ton from the season opener as it portends for the rest of the season. But you can take the positive emotions that come with starting the season off on the right foot. And Portland for sure did that. So with the positive emotions in our chests, its onward to the 2026 season.
