Portland Timbers II held on to beat St. Louis City II 1:1 in regular time, then won the MLS Next Pro Group Stage encounter on penalties at Providence Park on 14 September 2026. The hosts sit top of the table with 56 points from 27 games, while the visitors occupy third place with 44 points. The result extends Portland's unbeaten run and halts St. Louis's momentum after their 2:1 victory over Swope Park Rangers.
Z. Lillington opened the scoring for Portland in the 63rd minute, before S. Jura levelled from the spot in stoppage time at 90+4'. The match required extra time and a penalty shootout to produce a winner, with Portland converting six of their attempts while St. Louis scored five and missed one.
Portland were the more active side throughout, registering 104 attacks against St. Louis's 95. They registered five shots on target with 38 percent accuracy, while the visitors managed only two shots on target from 12 attempts. The hosts also earned two corners compared to St. Louis's six, though the away side had more free kicks at 15.
Portland's record this season reads 19 wins, eight defeats and no draws, a run that includes four consecutive matches without defeat. St. Louis have 14 victories and 13 losses, with a draw against North Texas and a win over Swope Park Rangers in their last three outings.
The three yellow cards for Portland came from Z. Lillington, A. Bamford and C. Griffith, while St. Louis received two for S. Jura and C. Forcellini. Portland made six substitutions, bringing on B. McSorley, D. Cervantes, N. Santos, T. Clancy, H. Mueller and L. Fernandez-Kim. St. Louis introduced D. Nunez, P. McDonald and R. Lynch.
The penalty shootout decided a match that had been evenly balanced in the opening periods. Portland's ability to execute under pressure was the difference, with their conversion rate proving decisive after a game that went to the wire.
