In their only ever match played on Halloween, the Portland Timbers defeated FC Dallas, 2-1, in the Knockout Round of the Audi 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs. The win started a run that would end with an MLS Cup appearance.
The win has been selected for this week's PTFC: From the Archives, presented by KeyBank. Tune in to FOX 12 PLUS KPDX or Timbers.com on June 6, 2020 at 1pm PT to see a special rebroadcast of match.
42History Books – The match was the 42nd playoff game for the Timbers since the club's founding in 1975 and Diego Valeri became the first Timbers player ever to score a brace in a single playoff game. Valeri would accomplish the feat again four matches later in the 2018 Western Conference Championship against Sporting Kansas City.
1First Timer – Forward Jeremy Ebobisse's hustle helped set up Valeri's second goal with Ebobisse delivering the first postseason assist of his MLS career. In Portland's next match against Seattle, Ebobisse would add his first playoff goal.
5-4Road Warriors – The victory is one of the five road wins the club has in the MLS playoffs to go with just four road losses. The Timbers are one of three MLS teams with more road wins than road losses in MLS postseason history, along with the Columbus Crew and Toronto FC.
5Access Denied – Goalkeeper Jeff Attinella came up big in the net, securing five saves on the way to his first ever MLS playoff win. The five saves were, at the time, the most saves ever by a Timbers goalkeeper in a MLS playoff game.
8,072Winner's Circle – Manager Giovanni Savarese competed in and won the first MLS playoff game ever played, a New York/New Jersey MetroStars shootout victory over the Tampa Bay Mutiny on Sept. 24, 1996. The victory against FC Dallas was Savarese's second ever playoff win as an MLS player or coach, a span of 8,072 days.
