Portland Timbers defender Finn Surman said the results will come if the group stays together, and the timing could hardly be sharper. Portland head into Saturday's Lafc Vs Portland meeting with the Supporters Shield leaders after a 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps in which they gave up a 2-1 lead in second-half stoppage time.
The Timbers are 14th in the Western Conference on four points from their first six games of the 2026 MLS season, with one win, one draw and four losses. Their defeat to Vancouver was the first in club history after leading entering second-half stoppage time, as the Whitecaps struck in the 91st and 95th minutes to turn the match around.
Surman said the team is hurting a little right now, but believes it is a group that is together. He said that with new players coming in and the squad building connections, the players feel they are close, and that they need to keep going, stick together and let the results follow.
Portland's task gets no easier against LAFC, who have taken 16 points from a possible 18 to top the Western Conference after six games. They also beat Cruz Azul 3-0 in a Champions Cup quarter-final during the week and have not lost since the turn of the year. On Saturday, Son Heung-min supplied four assists in 19 minutes and 32 seconds in the first half of LAFC's win over Orlando City, a reminder of the pace and quality Portland will face.
There were small signs of encouragement for the Timbers against Vancouver. Juan Mosquera returned from injury, scored and assisted, then came off at half-time. But the late collapse left Portland carrying a loss that goes beyond the standings, because it exposed how fragile their early-season footing still is.
Surman's own development gives the week a wider edge. Phil Neville has said the World Cup presents a significant challenge and opportunity for the defender to keep growing, and that he will be tested by the best players in the best atmospheres in the best occasions. Surman may represent New Zealand at the tournament this summer, with Belgium, Egypt and Iran awaiting there. For Portland, though, the immediate test is simpler and harsher: hold together long enough to compete with a team that has made early pressure look routine.
