Minnesota United vs. Portland Timbers: Knowles Praises "Leader" James After First Start

Minnesota United head coach Cameron Knowles praised James Rodriguez’s impact in his first start for the club and expressed optimism about his continued contributions in the upcoming match against the Portland Timbers.

James joined Minnesota in February ahead of the summer’s World Cup but had to wait until Tuesday to make his first start, featuring in a 0-0 draw against Sacramento Republic in the U.S. Open Cup, which Minnesota won 9-8 on penalties. The Colombian led the team in final-third entries (16) and passes in the final third (34), recording 73 touches in 66 minutes of play.

Knowles commended James’ performance, highlighting his playmaking ability and leadership. "You can see how he creates play, how precise he is with the ball, and how he involves everyone else in the game," Knowles said. "Considering he hadn’t played much and had time off, he returned to full training and worked as hard as he could. He is a leader in the way he carries himself, and he is a winner. You see it when he plays, even in small-sided games."

Minnesota is unbeaten in its last three MLS matches, presenting a tough challenge for Portland, which sits four points behind in 11th place. The Timbers secured their first win since the season opener with a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles FC, but head coach Phil Neville remained cautious.

"You’ve got to keep your feet on the ground," Neville said. "We didn’t get too low with the defeats, and we won’t get too high with a win. We’ve got to take our home comforts—everything we love about playing at home—and bring it on the road. How do we control games away from home? How do we show courage? We’ll need to do that in five of our next seven games."

**Players to Watch**

**Minnesota United – Kelvin Yeboah** Yeboah scored his third game-winning goal of the season in a 2-1 victory over San Diego FC. His three winners lead MLS this season, and his nine career game-winners tie Robin Lod for the most in Minnesota’s regular-season history.

**Portland Timbers – Kevin Kelsy** Kelsy became the ninth different Timbers player to score this season with his goal against LAFC. Portland’s nine scorers are tied for the second-most in MLS, trailing only the Colorado Rapids’ 10.

**Match Prediction: Minnesota United Win** Minnesota remains unbeaten in eight regular-season home matches against Portland (W6 D2), the most meetings without a loss against any opponent. The Loons have conceded one goal or fewer in four of their first seven games this season, including three straight.

Since the start of 2025, Minnesota has held opponents to one goal or fewer 28 times in the regular season, behind only Vancouver and Philadelphia (29 each). Portland ended a five-game winless streak with a 96th-minute winner against LAFC. Since May 2024, all eight of the Timbers’ regular-season wins have been by one goal, matching D.C. United as the only teams without a multi-goal victory in that span.

**Opta Win Probability** Minnesota United – 54.3% Draw – 23.5% Portland Timbers – 22.2%