After a frustrating home loss last Sunday, FC Cincinnati continue on their regular season journey with a trip out west to visit the Portland Timbers looking to get back into the win column in Oregon. With eight games to play in the 2025 season, the trip to Portland will be the third last road game of the season with The Orange and Blue playing five of their seven final matches at TQL Stadium.
FC Cincinnati has been one of the best teams on the road this season, earning a league high 26 points away from home, but have also been one of the best teams in Major League Soccer when playing interconference opponents. Since Pat Noonan arrived in 2022 to Head Coach the club, FC Cincinnati is 15-4-5 against Western Conference foes and 5-1-1 since 2023 when travelling to visit those opponents. Both of which are MLS bests in that time.
"I think we've been consistent in our play. I think guys know how to play on the road. I think we have good players that understand how to navigate different challenges in the league, as far as travel and playing against Western Conference opponents that you might be relatively unfamiliar with,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said of his team's success on the road. “I think they do a good job of doing their homework and understanding what's ahead of them. So, hopefully we can find that same success this weekend, but it'll certainly be a difficult task."
FC Cincinnati remains in the hunt for the Supporters Shield as the season gets closer to an end, but the margin for error in terms of clinching that title gets smaller with each passing week. That said, with a table so tight the tide turns every time a match is played and one victory could be the difference.
This trip out west though, while important for the table, is also a return match for FC Cincinnati star midfielder Evander – who made the move to the Queen City from the Rose City last offseason in record setting Cash-for-Player trade ahead of the 2025 season. Evander, 27, spent two seasons with the Timbers after joining as a Designated Player from Danish club FC Midtjylland and scored 24 goals with 19 assists in a combined 55 games over two seasons.
The Brazilian attacker has continued his dominance in the league with The Orange and Blue with 15 goals and 9 assists in MLS play this season, and for the second year in a row has cemented himself as an MLS MVP contender.
“He's been normal all week. I'm sure he's excited to go back,” Noonan said of Evander. “There's connections that you have when you've had success at a previous club and spent time there. So I know, despite the exit and us being fortunate enough to add him to our group, he's excited to go back, and I'm sure to be in front of those fans and play against some of his old teammates.”
“I just gotta be focusing on the game, on the club that I'm playing for right now, which is Cincinnati,” Evander said in a press conference prior to the match Thursday. “So we want to go out there and win the game, especially because our last game wasn't good enough.”
“I’m just trying to be focused on my team,” Evander continued. “I know that I played there for two years, and I know that a lot of things happened throughout those two years, but I gotta represent Cincinnati, this team that I'm playing for right now. So I gotta be focused on the game, try to do the best for Cincinnati and hopefully win the game. I know it's gonna be tough. I don't know what's gonna happen with the fans, but that's not up to me. So I just gotta be focused on the things that I need to do on the pitch and help the team.”
With the trip to the West Coast, FC Cincinnati will be the latest kickoff of the night in Major League Soccer starting things off at 10:30 p.m. Cincinnati time on Saturday night.
FC CINCINNATI at Portland Timbers – Saturday, August 30, 2025 – 10:30 p.m. ET – Providence Park
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Versus Portland
FC Cincinnati have a long history with the Portland Timbers, but have never visited the Rose City club at their home in the clubs 10 year history. FCC have played Portland three times before, twice in Cincinnati and once at the 2020 MLS is Back tournament in Orlando, but make their first trip west to face them this weekend.
In the three previous matches with Portland, the first of which was the first ever home match in the clubs MLS history, all three have been played at different venues. The first being at Nippert Stadium, the second at ESPN’s Wild World of Sports, and the third at TQL Stadium.
FC CINCINNATI NOTES
On the Road Again – FC Cincinnati have been among the league’s best road teams over the past several seasons, and 2025 has been no exception.
The Orange and Blue’s 8 road wins entering Matchday 29 are tied with San Diego for the most in MLS this season and the club’s 26 road points lead the league.
Since 2023, FC Cincinnati’s 26 road wins lead all MLS clubs.
First time for everything – FC Cincinnati’s next two road matches, Saturday at Portland Timbers and on September 20 at LA Galaxy, will be first-time road trips for the club. After the LA trip, there will be only two active MLS opponents which FCC have never played away at: Sporting Kansas City and San Diego FC.
Reunion Tour – Two former Timbers will play their first matches back in Portland: Evander and Alvas Powell.
In two seasons with the Timbers (2023-24), Evander registered 24 goals and 24 assists. He finished the 2024 season with 15 goals and a league-leading 19 assists, producing the second-most goal contributions of all MLS players (34) and finishing as an MVP finalist and All-Star.
Powell, traded to Cincinnati ahead of FCC’s first MLS season, appeared in 121 regular season matches (112 starts) across six seasons for Portland (2013-18), tallying six goals and 10 assists after joining the club as an 18-year-old in 2013. He made 11 postseason appearances (9 starts) with the Timbers, helping the club capture its first MLS Cup in 2015.
West Coast Success – Under Head Coach Pat Noonan, FC Cincinnati are 15-4-5 against Western Conference opponents in MLS Regular Season play. Cincinnati are 3-0-1 this season against Western Conference clubs. FCC have won four straight road matches against Western Conference foes (June 15, 2024 at San Jose Earthquakes; June 28, 2024 at FC Dallas; September 18, 2024 at Minnesota United; July 19, 2025 at Real Salt Lake) and are unbeaten in six straight road WC matches since April 2023 (at St. Louis CITY SC).
SCOUTING Portland Timbers (10-8-7, 37 Points, t6th in the Western Conference)
The Portland Timbers are in the thick of Western Conference table and are in some of their best form coming off of Leagues Cup as they look to close the 2025 season strong. They enter this match tied for sixth in the West with 37 points and are just four points out of a top four spot in the conference.
To open the 2025 season the Timbers earned points in eight of their first 10 matches but have had some inconsistencies in the time since that opening. Portland has only won five matches since that opening stretch, but have also earned four draws in that time as well.
In Leagues Cup though Portland may have found their form despite not advancing to knockout rounds with an undefeated record. The Timbers won their opening two matches against Liga MX opponents with 4-0 and 1-0 results respectively, but on Matchday 3 fell in penalty kicks to Club America and did not advance. But in that time Portland seemed to find a rhythm they could play in and perform well against top sides with.
“I think Phil [Neville]'s got the group going in a good direction. They've had a good Leagues Cup, despite not advancing, and they've got a lot of weapons,” FC Cincinnati Head Coach Pat Noonan said of the Timbers on Thursday before departing from Cincinnati. “Very good in transition. I think the structure has been a little bit different in the last couple months, as far as what we've seen from maybe the beginning of his time there, but defensively organized. Home or away, there's a lot of similarities with the play and understanding how to step to the ball. I think one of the better possession teams, but not afraid in playing direct and knowing how to play in behind. So I think what we've seen is a good balance.
“We've been able to analyze some different types of games, and I think there's just been consistent in their play, and they have a lot of talent on that roster."
The Timbers do come into this match with some question marks in their roster as changes during the transfer window have made for an uncertain starting lineup.
Designated Player Santiago Moreno, a leading scorer and assist man for Portland, had his departure for the club announced on Tuesday as the Colombian midfielder was transferred to Fluminense in Brazil. The midfielder was at Portland for four years prior to his departure and has been key to their squad. There is also no corresponding move yet announced so Portland is without a key piece.
Outside of the DP’s departure, there are some key pieces to keep an eye on for Portland in this match.
Portuguese midfielder David Da Costa was brought into the club in the wake of Evander’s transfer to FC Cincinnati this offseason from French club RC Lens. Da Costa, 24, has 12 goal contributions on the season (4 goals, 8 assists) and is second on the team in minutes played.
Brazilian forward Antony, who joined the club on a U-22 deal three seasons ago, leads the team in scoring despite missing nearly two full months of action with an injury. The 23-year-old, who returned to the lineup for their final league cup match and their return to MLS play last week, is known for his pace and crafty creative abilities as a forward.
Antony and Da Costa typically combine in the forward group on the wings, with Chilean veteran Felipe Mora, 32, centering them. Mora has scored 5 goals and added 4 assists to round out a diverse group of attackers and contributors with the three combining to make 34 contributions.
On the defensive side of the ball, Finn Surman, a 21-year-old center back from New Zealand, has played every match this season for Portland and leads the team in minutes played. Surman represented New Zealand at the Olympics last summer and made the move to Portland shortly after that but did not make his debut until Decision Day 2024. Since then he has become a locked on starter with the club.
In the midfield, David Ayala has been a significant contributor in his fourth season with the club. Another addition via the U-22 initiative, Ayala has appeared in all but one game this season and is a staple in the midfield.
Captain, and MLS legend, Diego Chara remains a contributor on this Portland side and is closing in on his 400th start for the club in his 16 years with the Timbers. Chara, 39, is 5th all-time in minutes played in MLS with 35,639, and while he mostly appears as a substitute now he is still a vital member of the team. With 20 appearances this season, the defensive midfielder has nine starts. Portland will also be handing out 20,000 bobbleheads of the club legend ahead of this match as a promotion.
Another option who typically comes off the bench for the Timbers is Kevin Kelsy, the former FC Cincinnati U-22 forward who joined Portland in the offseason. Kelsy, who has started 11 matches of the 25 he has appeared in, has scored five goals this season and added another one in their opening Leagues Cup match.
In net for Portland has been Canadian keeper Maxime Crépeau, who has been the starter for the Timbers since he was traded to the club in 2024 but missed some time earlier this season with an injury. The 31-year-old keeper has become a journeyman in MLS, starting his career in Montréal before stops in Vancouver, LAFC (where he won MLS Cup in 2022), and now Portland.
Head Coach for Portland Timbers is famed English player Phil Neville, who joined the club in 2023 after a stint at Inter Miami CF from 2021 to 2023. Neville, most known for being part of Manchester United’s Premier League and UEFA Champions League winning teams in the late 90’s/early 2000’s, Neville got his start as a Head Coach as the Caretaker Manager for Salford City before taking over the English Women’s National Team.
Neville most recently had his side playing in a 4-3-3 formation in a 2-0 loss to FC Dallas but has most often of late used a 5-4-1 formation of late, doing so all throughout Leagues Cup and in the two MLS matches leading up to the tournament as well.
While Portland is 6th in the Western Conference they are one of just three MLS sides currently in playoff position to have a negative goal differential at minus one. All three sides who do (Portland, Austin FC -5 and Colorado -7) are in the Western Conference.
