Daniel Pereira scored his first MLS goal since 2022 and Austin FC remained mathematically alive for the MLS Cup Playoffs with a 1-0 victory at the Portland Timbers on Wednesday night.
Brad Stuver made 11 saves to keep his and Austin’s eighth clean sheet of the season and pull the Verde within six points of ninth-place Portland with two matches to play.
Even if Austin (10-13-9, 39 points) won its last two matches and Portland (12-11-9, 45 points) lost its last two, the Verde’s chances of surpassing the Timbers for that ninth-place spot and final Western Conference wild-card berth are remote; Austin would also have to overturn what is currently an 18-goal deficit in goal differential to Portland.
Portland’s Evander failed to register a goal or an assist for the first time in 12 matches as the Timbers were shut out at home for the first time all season.
It wasn’t for lack of chances: The hosts led 26-7 in shots and 11-1 in efforts on target but saw a 10-match home unbeaten run snapped on a night victory could’ve vaulted the Timbers into seventh and out of the wild-card places.
That dominance in chances was spread evenly across both halves. In the middle of those, Austin took its fortuitous lead just before the break on Pereira’s 42nd minute strike.
The chance fell to Pereira when he got hold of the ball after Kamal Miller’s attempted clearance of a previous Austin attack landed only about 10 yards beyond the penalty area.
Pereira won the ball off Jonathan Rodriguez, then cut to the left and unfurled a hopeful shot from about 25 yards out.
From there it struck Miller’s leg and made a significant change in direction to wrongfoot goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who could only watch as it looped across the goal line.
Stuver made several interventions after halftime to keep the visitors in front, his best coming on a pair of denials of Rodriguez. Evander also tested Stuver’s goal on two occasions from long range, forcing only routine saves.
–Field Level Media
