MLS Playoffs: Portland Timbers Players Celebrate Prematurely After Forgetting How Aggregate Scorelines Work (Photo & Video)

Chris Wright

9th, November 2018

4 Comments

Photo: @andresflo1/Twitter

There were ever so slightly cringe-inducing scenes at the end of Thursday night’s MLS playoff clash between northwestern rivals Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers.

When the full-time whistle went at the end of extra-time, several Timbers players dropped to their knees, threw their hands to the sky and huddled in celebration after reaching the Western Conference final, or so they thought.

Unfortunately, what they’d actually done is lost 3-2 on the night, meaning that the score was level at 4-4 on aggregate and, as such, a penalty shootout was inbound.

How embarrassing. Images of Olivier Giroud and Francis Coquelin having to sheepishly ask fans to give their shirts back instantly spring to mind.

Timbers did eventually manage to spare their own blushes by emerging from the shootout victorious, but you have to wonder how none of the players, coaches or technical staff had a clue what the overall scoreline was.

Liam Ridgewell’s brave boys will now face Real Salt Lake or Sporting KC in the western final, who are set to resolve their two-legger on Sunday evening.

Posted in FAIL, MLS, Videos

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4 Comments

  1. Ed says:

    Ahh not as embarassing as you think. Obviously the players thought that the away goals rule applied, when it actually didn’t. Of course as pros they should have know that but naturally you would assume that away goals are a thing, stupid MLS hey?

    • Nuno says:

      Exactly my thought. As I read I was “wait, but this means they won on away goals, no?”. Silly old me to forget US would also have different rules in “soccer”. @Chris maybe you should have written “after forgetting how aggregate scorelines work IN THE US”. I think the away goals rule apply in most other places (at least almost all places places that I can think of).

  2. Nuno says:

    Actually now you made me go check. The away rule DOES apply in MLS, but only at 90 minutes and not after overtime. It was 2-1 at 90 min, but if it was 3-2 at 90 min they would have won on away goals. Yeah, I know they should know the rules and what not, but still…

  3. RJ says:

    Apparently away goals did matter if it ended after regular time, just not extra time.

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