Portland Timbers II held their nerve against Los Angeles II, securing a 0:0 draw after extra time before winning the penalty shootout in the MLS Next Pro Group Stage on August 8th, 2026.
The match itself was a tight affair, with neither side able to break through in 90 minutes. Portland made their first change at half-time when J. Machuca came on, while LA responded with a double substitution at the 62nd minute, bringing on D. Cervantes and C. Griffith. By then, the game had settled into a tactical battle, with yellow cards for E. Izoita and G. Whitchurch bookending the regular period.
And here's the thing about penalties — they strip away everything else. When the shootout came, Portland's takers stepped up under pressure. D. Guerra, C. Kosakoff, and C. Ondo all found the net early, while LA's N. Lund missed the first of three misses in the contest. The drama stretched through extra time, with both sides trading blows until Portland's composure told.
The statistics tell a story of control without conversion. Los Angeles dominated possession at 56 per cent and registered 94 attacks compared to Portland's 65, yet their five shots on target yielded nothing. Portland, with just two attempts on target, needed every one of them to survive. To be fair, the away side ran the show in most phases, but one mistake ends it in a shootout.
The result moves Portland further clear at the top of the group, while Los Angeles, already third with 42 points from 26 games, face an uphill climb. These two met earlier this month on July 12th for a goalless draw, and now Portland have added another point to their tally of 54, holding every card in their favour for the run-in.
