Portland Timbers top Columbus Crew to win first MLS Cup title

Crew fans were furious after their team gave up two stunning goals in the first seven minutes of the game. The two teams competing for Major League Soccer’s ultimate prize just happen to be the two clubs Orlando City has been trying to emulate while making the jump to America’s top flight.

“We knew the aggressiveness in the first 20 minutes from us has to be there”, said Valeri, the match MVP.

The strategy paid off less than a minute into the match.

Columbus played the ball back to Clark and the American kicked it to his left, away from onrushing attacker Valeri, to set up a long clearing blast.

A goal within the opening 30 seconds, blown calls by the refs, a bit of controversy and a number of shots that went off the posts and crossbars-the 2015 MLS Cup was one of the most memorable in recent history, providing plenty of drama and entertainment.

Just six minutes later, Portland added a second goal and fans’ frustration boiled over. The Columbus players stood idly by as Portland’s Darlington Nagbe collected the ball, then played it out wide to teammate Lucas Melano, while Crew players screamed at the officials.

Rodney Wallace made it 2-0 in the seventh minute, and the Crew’s Kei Kamara scored in the 18th off a scramble in front of the goal.

Local product Wil Trapp was left standing on the field and watching the Timbers celebrate after the final whistle.

“I haven’t had a chance to evaluate it yet”, said Berhalter, who confirmed that Kamara walked off the field under his own power. “But we said, ‘Hey, this isn’t how we want our season to end.’ …”

But the early deficit was too much for Columbus to overcome. “We controlled the ball and had the majority of play but we couldn’t create chances”.

He’s been in superb form, netting 22 goals, and is key to how the Crew operate.

But as ineffective as was the Timbers’ finishing in the second half, their possession was better and stronger, helping them protect their lead and keep Kwarasey out of unsafe situations. The linesman hadn’t raised his flag, though, and the ref waved play on.

Follow Nate Scott on Twitter. Portland’s 2-1 victory in Columbus on September 26 was its first in three trips to Mapfre Stadium…. Jeff Swinger, USA TODAY Sports Nat Borchers celebrates with the Portland fans. The 2016 MLS campaign is likely to kickoff in March sometime, but the Portland Timbers won’t be thinking about that anytime soon.

While the Timbers pondered destiny, the Crew were dealing with uncertainty.

Coincidentally, Columbus was the first MLS team to lose a home championship final since the Revolution in 2002. This allowed Kei Kamara to put the ball between Alas Powell’s legs and the Crew back in the game. That was a textbook Fanendo Adi match. Goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey couldn’t handle what appeared to be an easy catch of a high ball. Wallace scored the winning goal in the first half.

After just 27 seconds they trailed after a blunder from goalkeeper Steve Clark.

If the Timbers are to claim the Cup, they must overcome the Crew at MAPFRE Stadium.

Columbus midfielder Justin Meram defended the custodian, saying: “This isn’t on Steve, it’s on all of us”. All the scene lacked was Timber Joey, the club’s lumberjack mascot, cutting slabs with his fabled chainsaw, as he does after goals in soccer-mad Cascadia.

Columbus, who last won the Cup in 2008, will be approaching the game as any other.

In the 60th, a Timbers corner found Wallace on the right side of the box, where his shot snuck through.