Kristoffer Velde scored his fifth goal and added two assists to help the Portland Timbers to a 3-1 victory over visiting San Diego FC on Wednesday.
Ariel Lassiter put Portland ahead for good six minutes into the second half, giving new manager Marti Cifuentes a victory in his home MLS debut.
David Da Costa scored an exceptional third goal from long range to keep the momentum going for the Timbers (8-9-3, 27 points), who have lost only once in six league matches and finished the night holding the ninth and final Western Conference playoff position.
Gabriel Pirani pulled San Diego (6-8-6, 24 points) level late in the first half with his first goal since joining the club from D.C. United last month.
However, with assists leader and second-leading goal-scorer Anders Dreyer serving a one-match red-card suspension, the visitors failed in their bid to win consecutive league matches for the first time since going 3-0-0 to open the season.
Velde was a big reason why, beginning with his goal in the 29th minute.
The Norwegian reached a pass from inside his own penalty area to begin a counterattack down the left, then worked his way diagonally through the center of the park while combining with Cole Bassett.
After receiving Bassett’s return pass, Velde unfurled a 25-yard strike that sailed into the netting just inside the far left post.
Pirani’s low finish from the edge of the penalty area leveled it in first-half stoppage time, but another excellent moment from Velde put Portland back in front in the 51st minute.
This time it was a line-breaking pass that played Jimer Fory into a dangerous crossing position on the left side of the box.
Fory drove his low cross into the path of the surging Lassiter, who hammered in his first-time finish.
Velde drew plenty of defensive attention on Da Costa’s 68th-minute insurance tally, taking Da Costa’s pass on the left and slaloming into the penalty area before dropping the ball back to Da Costa just outside the box.
Da Costa then took a touch to his right and curled a gorgeous right-footed strike beyond CJ dos Santos’ dive and inside the right post from about 22 yards away.
Portland goalkeeper James Pantemis made five saves, while dos Santos stopped two shots.
–Field Level Media
