The only thing missing was the intensity. There was certainly enough, though, given it was a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal, but in the MLS Cup Playoffs, it’s a whole different level. In Open Cup, it’s win or go home from a tournament. In the playoffs, it’s win or go home for the season.
Maintain that perspective, and you can still come up with a superlative: Wednesday’s game at Los Angeles FC was likely the greatest challenge the Portland Timbers will face before this year’s MLS postseason. And they left Banc of California victorious, 1-0.
The game was on short rest, with cross-continental travel in between.