Rio Grande Valley FC relied on two first-half goals to defeat the Portland Timbers 2, 2-1, at H-E-B Park to round out the regular season with a win at home. The hosts were quick to strike first, taking the lead after just 15 minutes when midfielder Eric Bird found Deshane Beckford near the top of the box where Beckford cut in and dribbled past one before firing a well-placed effort to the far post past T2 goalkeeper Jake Leeker and in. Three minutes later though, Portland found a way back after a ball swung into the back post found midfielder Harold Hanson, who headed back across goal for Todd Wharton and Wharton rifled a shot from close in beating RGVFC goalkeeper Ben Willis to level the scoring.
Pressing to find one before the break, after forward Carlos Small was denied by a smart save by Leeker in the 39th minute, Small found his goal at the next time of asking when teammate Michael Salazar headed a corner kick across the six-yard box to the back post for Small, who tapped in uncontested from a couple of yards out to restore the lead in the 43rd minute. Keeping the lead through halftime, RGVFC tested Leeker multiple times in the second half as it sought a goal for cushion, but it was the visitors who nearly broke through after a frantic finish saw a pair of quality chances for Portland fall by the wayside and in the end, RGVFC kept all three points. The win sees RGVFC finish the regular season on a five-game unbeaten streak, while T2 end the year in opposite fashion, losing five straight games.
