PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers may not have needed a reminder of what the upper crust of Major League Soccer is capable of, but thanks to Atlanta United, they got one on Sunday night. Despite going chance for chance with MLS’s defending champions – perhaps even generating the superior ones (depending on the tint of your lenses) – the Timbers saw their two-game winning streak come to an end, matching the scoreline of last year’s MLS Cup final in their 2-0 loss at Providence Park.
“They took advantage of their moment,” head coach Giovanni Savarese said, referring to the first-half goal which, eventually, served as Atlanta’s game winner.