SEATTLE — The Cascadia Cup is coming back to the Rose City.
After going more than 250 minutes without a goal, the Portland Timbers finally broke through in the 68th minute of Saturday’s Decision Day finale against the Seattle Sounders to secure a 1-1 draw.
With the draw, Portland claimed the Cascadia Cup for the first time since the 2022 season, finishing in a three-way tie atop the table with Vancouver and Seattle with eight points, but claiming the trophy due to scoring the most goals during cup matches.
The Timbers (12-11-11, 47 points) end the MLS regular season in ninth place and will face No. 8 seed Vancouver (13-13-8, 47 points) next week in the MLS Wild Card match. Due to a scheduling conflict at BC Place in Vancouver, Portland will host the game at Providence Park — its first home playoff game since December 2021.
And somehow, the Timbers will actually be coming home with some momentum.
It was Antony’s goal in the 68th minute that finally broke the dam for a Timbers team that spent the first two-thirds of Saturday on its heels. Seattle went up 1-0 in the 38th minute off a corner kick, Portland went into the locker room down a goal and soaked by the rain that pelted Lumen Field, and again came out with little fire before the 23-year-old broke through for his best goal of the year. Antony took a pass from Evander, streaked down the right side, cut to the middle and fired a low shot at the top of the 18-yard box to beat keeper Stefan Frei to tie the game.
The goal was Antony’s sixth of the season. The assist was Evander’s team-leading 18th of the year.
The goal was the first for the Timbers since Jonathan Rodriguez’s goal against Vancouver on Sept. 28.
Then the Timbers locked it down. Behind the strong play from first-time starter Finn Surman at center back, along with the six saves from keeper James Pantemis, the Timbers rode out the draw to secure the Cup.
This story will be updated.
Next up: The Timbers will host Vancouver in the wild card round of the MLS Cup playoffs next week (day and time TBD).
— Tyson Alger for The Oregonian/OregonLive
