In their first season under head coach Giovanni Savarese, the Portland Timbers won the Western Conference on their way to the 2018 MLS Cup, marking their second league final appearance in the past four seasons. Here are 18 numbers to remember from the historic 2018 season.
1 With a goal and assist against Minnesota United FC in Portland's home opener, Alvas Powell was named MLS Player of the Week. Powell was the first Timbers defender to ever win the award and just the third MLS defender in the last four seasons to win a Player of the Week award.
1X2Dairon Asprilla showed a knack for providing big moments for the Timbers this season. Asprilla was the only player in all of MLS to have at least one goal and one assist in both the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs and U.S. Open Cup in 2018.
2 After his goals against LAFC and Colorado, forward Samuel Armenteros became the first Timbers player ever to win MLS Goal of the Week in consecutive weeks. Armenteros finished the season with eight goals.
2X2 In the knockout round win over FC Dallas, Diego Valeri became the first Timbers player ever (all eras) to have a brace in a playoff game. Valeri duplicated the feat with two goals in Portland's 3-2 road victory over Sporting Kansas City in the second leg of the Western Conference Championship.
3 For the third time in their club history, the Timbers made a league final. The 2018 MLS Cup joins the 1975 Soccer Bowl and the 2015 MLS Cup as finals the club has played in.
5 In his second season with the club, defender Larrys Mabiala delivered five goals for the Timbers. The five goals were the most ever by a Timbers defender and led all MLS defenders in 2018.
5/10 With their two road wins in the postseason, Portland now has five victories in its 10 road games in MLS playoff competition. The five victories are tied for fifth-most in MLS history despite the Timbers joining MLS 15 years after its debut.
6 Starting with Portland's 3-2 victory over Minnesota on April 14, the Timbers won six consecutive matches for the first time as an MLS club. The streak marked just the fifth time in team history that Portland had a six-game win streak (1975, 1978, 2004, and 2007).
7 Having returned to the club in August, defender Jorge Villafaña made seven regular season starts for Portland in 2018. In those seven matches, Portland had a record of 5-1-1.
10/10 For the fourth time in his Timbers career, Valeri reached double figures in both goals and assists. Valeri is just the third player in MLS history, joining Jamie Moreno and Preki, to have four different seasons with 10+ goals and 10+ assists.
11 Goalkeeper Jeff Attinella finished the season with seven shutouts, bringing his two-year total with Portland to 11. Attinella's 11 clean sheets are the ninth-most in Timbers all-era history.
14Sebastián Blanco and Valeri each scored 14 goals this season across all competitions. It is the fifth time in Timbers history that the club had multiple players score 14 goals in a single season, joining Valeri and Fanendo Adi in 2016, Ryan Pore and Bright Dike in 2010, Byron Alvarez and Alan Gordon in 2004, and Fadi Afash and McKinley Tennyson in 2002.
15 Stretching from April to August, the Timbers compiled a 15-game unbeaten streak in MLS play. The streak was tied for fourth-longest in MLS history and Portland is now the only team ever in MLS to have multiple 15-game unbeaten streaks in league play, having also achieved the feat in 2013.
16 When Andrés Flores scored in Portland's regular season finale against Vancouver, he became the 16th different Timbers player to score in MLS play in 2018. The 16 different goalscorers are the most the Timbers have ever had in a single season.
18 Combining the MLS regular season and playoffs, Savarese led Portland to 18 victories in MLS play. That ties Savarese for most victories by a manager in his first season as an MLS head coach with Frank Yallop (2001) and Dave Sarachan (2003).
20 The Timbers finished the season with 20 wins in all competitions. The 20 victories in a single season are the most by a Timbers team since Portland won 20 in 2004 while competing in the A-League.
69 Midfielder Diego Chara finished the regular season with 69 tackles, which was the most by any Timbers player. It was the seventh time in Portland's eight MLS seasons that the Colombian led the team in tackles.
900 After playing 34 regular season matches, six playoff games, and three matches in U.S. Open Cup play, the Timbers have now played exactly 900 matches as a club.
