America beat Portland Timbers 3-1 in the League Cup group stage on Sunday. The hosts opened the scoring inside the first quarter of an hour and never looked back. B. Rodriguez struck in the sixth minute to set the tone. Portland pulled level through K. Velde twenty minutes in, but America responded before the break.
I. Violante restored the advantage in the fifty-eighth minute, and America saw it out after that. O. Perea added a fourth goal in the eighty-eighth minute to seal the result. Eight yellow cards were shown between the two sides, which tells you something about the intensity. To be fair, Portland paid for a sloppy opening, but America cannot afford another slip.
By then it was clear America were in control of the tie. The hosts had more possession at fifty-four per cent and created three big chances compared to two. They took thirteen shots on target but only converted four of them, which means chances went begging. Portland were more clinical with forty per cent accuracy on target, but two shots on target for one goal is not enough.
The six substitutions across both sides show how managers tried to shift momentum. America brought on Rafael Veiga in the eighty-third minute, while Portland introduced A. Lassiter earlier at sixty-six minutes. Neither side could find a way through the other's defence in the final stages. America now extend their recent winning form after a draw against Atlante.