PORTLAND — It’s been a long climb, and there is still significant work to do, but on Saturday the Portland Timbers moved into playoff position — and looked like a playoff team.
Diego Valeri scored one classy goal and created another, and Fanendo Adi scored twice as the Timbers top players were at their best in beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 at Providence Park. The result lifts Portland past Vancouver and into the fifth and final playoff spot in Major league Soccer’s Western Conference.
The Timbers (9-8-12, 39 points) are two points ahead of the Whitecaps (8-8-13). Each has five matches remaining.
“I’m really pleased with our performance,” Timbers coach Caleb Porter said. “This is a pressure game. This is crunch time.”