With their goals on Sunday, Antony and Ayala causing league to take notice
PORTLAND, Ore. – With just days to go before fan voting closes on the 2025 MLS All-Star Game roster, two Portland Timbers players strengthened their campaign with convincing performances in the Portland Timbers’ come-from-behind, 2-1 victory over St. Louis CITY SC on Sunday afternoon at Providence Park.
In the 55th minute, midfielder Antony scored his team-leading sixth goal in spectacular fashion. He flicked the ball up and over a St. Louis defender before darting in from the left flank and perfectly placing a shot into the upper 90 of the far corner of the goal. The golazo tied the game at 1-1 and tilted the momentum of the match in the home side's favor.
Then in second half stoppage time, midfielder David Ayala flawlessly connected on a impeccably placed Santiago Moreno corner kick to one-time a shot into the net for the match-winning goal.
One of their biggest supporters, head coach Phil Neville, continued to campaign for their All-Star inclusion after the match.
“I thought Ayala was the best center midfield player in the MLS,” Neville told Andrew Wiebe in an MLS Season Pass postgame interview. “I know we joke about it, but I think he produced a performance today.
“And Antony…produced a moment of magic. It was a great win.”
But it’s not just Neville that has been singing the pair’s praises. MLS great and MLS Season Pass analyst Taylor Twellman, who was on the call in the featured Sunday Night Soccer match, was also asked about the two players’ All-Star chances following their performance.
“I’m impressed with Ayala with the sense that he had a serious knee injury at a young age, and came in with high expectations about being the next one behind Diego Chara,” he said. “He’s taken real advantage of that experience, being next to [Chara], watching him. But [Ayala] has really turned into being a vital player for Phil Neville.”
Timbers Ring of Honor member Diego Valeri believes a player like Ayala may fly under the radar in a crowded central midfield position for an All-Star roster that traditionally features more offensively minded players. For Valeri, Ayala brings key skills that should be recognized.
“He’s one of those midfielders that has the vision to break lines with a pass and to break pressure, and at the same time has volume, has endurance in the game,” Valeri said in an interview with Talk Timbers. “It is good for the All-Star Team to have those kind of players, because of how he knows the game and [All-Star rosters] have, like 11, number 10’s playing.
“You always need an eight, that can still play as a six, but at the same time, he can join that way of playing.”
Antony’s latest tally put him in some special club company as he became the third Timbers player in the club’s MLS era to have 13 or more goal contributions through 17 matches (Diego Valeri, Evander).
“Antony’s special,” says Twellman. “He’s got the rabbit out of the hat. If he can do it consistently, he’s a 10 goals, 10 assists [player] with his eyes closed, in my opinion, with that kind of ability.”
