A Portland Timbers supporter, shown at a pregame tailgate outside MAPFRE Stadium. Over 2,000 Timbers fans descended on Columbus from all over the country to see their club lift their first MLS Cup. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
A supporter cheers on Crew SC in the Nordecke, Columbus' supporters' section. Nearly 22,000 fans packed MAPFRE Stadium to capacity on Sunday. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Members of the Timbers Army, shown cheering on Portland from MAPFRE Stadium's south stand. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
A selection of signs in the Nordecke, including one sign playing off Portland's "victory log." The log, a part of the gameday atmosphere at Providence Park, was driven from Portland to Columbus for the match, but not allowed inside the stadium. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Columbus Crew SC striker Kei Kamara (left) and Portland Timbers center back Nat Borchers (right) shown during pregame warm-ups. MLS's co-leading scorer in the regular season, Kamara picked up a knock during training on Saturday, putting his status for Sunday's match in doubt, but he started and went the full 90. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
A wide shot of MAPFRE Stadium just before kickoff. Columbus has hosted some of the most important occasions in American soccer history, including MLS Cup 2001 and 2015, as well as several US-Mexico World Cup Qualifying matches. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
The Portland Timbers starting lineup. Top row (from left): Fanendo Adi, Alvas Powell, Nat Borchers, Adam Kwarasey, Liam Ridgewell. Bottom row (from left): Lucas Melano, Rodney Wallace, Darlington Nagbe, Jorge Villafana, Diego Valeri, Diego Chara. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Columbus Crew SC starting lineup. Top row (from left): Justin Meram, Gaston Sauro, Tony Tchani, Steve Clark, Michael Parkhurst, Kei Kamara. Bottom row (from left): Waylon Francis, Ethan Finlay, Harrison Afful, Federico Higuain, Wil Trapp. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
It didn't take long for the Timbers to take the lead, with Valeri taking advantage of a misstep from Clark to block his attempted clearance into the back of hte net just 27 seconds in. The goal was the fastest in MLS Cup history. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Valeri and fellow Argentine Lucas Melano celebrate Valeri's early goal. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Columbus Crew SC legend Frankie Hejduk, who won MLS Cup 2008 with the Crew, looks on in disbelief on Sunday night. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Rodney Wallace watches from the ground as his diving header bounces past goalkeeper Steve Clark and finds the back of the net. Wallace's seventh minute goal gave the visiting Timbers a shocking 2-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the match. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Wallace (foreground) celebrates his seventh minute goal as teammates Fanendo Adi (right) and Valeri (left) race to join the celebration. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Portland goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey fails to clear a cross in the 18th minute. Kamara, stationed in between Borchers and Kwarasey, would win the loose ball in the box and take a couple of touches before firing home to cut the Timbers' lead to 2-1. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Kamara collects the loose ball and readies himself to halve Crew SC's deficit. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Kamara celebrates after firing home in the 18th minute to cut the Timbers' lead to 2-1. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Columbus Crew SC defender Harrison Afful nails Timbers captain Liam Ridgewell with a rugby tackle late in the first half. It was a frustrating day for Afful, who was shown a yellow card for the foul, and Crew SC, who struggled to create many chances of note after Kamara's 18th minute goal. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Kamara challenges for a ball in the box, but can only look on as Kwarasey claims it. That was the story all night for Columbus, who weren't clicking in the attack and only registered one shot on goal. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Referee Jair Marrufo blows the final whistle on MLS Cup 2015. Timbers players start their celebrations, while Crew SC are left to wonder what might have been. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
More celebrations from the Timbers, who became only the third MLS team to win MLS Cup outside of the 10 MLS charter clubs, joining the 1998 Chicago Fire and 2009 Real Salt Lake. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
The Timbers prepare to lift the Philip F. Anschutz trophy on stage at MAPFRE Stadium. The trophy is the first major piece of silverware in Portland's five-year MLS history. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Timbers captain Liam Ridgewell (front, right) and longtime captain Will Johnson (front, left), who missed most of the year due to injury, hoist MLS Cup at MAPFRE Stadium. Head coach Caleb Porter (right), applauds his squad. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
US national team midfielder Darlington Nagbe and Valeri, who was named MLS Cup MVP, get up close and personal with the trophy. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Beards and bubbles: Borchers says hello from the Timbers' post-game locker room celebration. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Ridgewell gets a champagne shower from several teammates and members of the Timbers' staff as he hoists the MLS Cup in the post-game locker room celebrations. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
Bye-bye beard (some of it): Borchers' magnificent beard, which he'd had, in some form, since the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs, gets a trim from winger Dairon Asprilla. PHOTO BY: USA TODAY Sports
