Portland beats Columbus, 2-1, to win MLS title

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Diego Valeri scored at the 27-second mark for the fastest goal in MLS Cup history and the Portland Timbers beat the Columbus Crew, 2-1, on Sunday to win the league title for the first time.

Rodney Wallace made it 2-0 in the seventh minute and the Crew’s Kei Kamara scored in the 18th off a scramble in front of the goal.

Just after the opening whistle, Columbus midfielder Wil Trapp sent a back pass to goalkeeper Steve Clark, who tried to move the ball from his right foot to the left for a clearance. But Clark didn’t see Valeri closing and the midfielder poked the ball away from him and into the goal.

The Crew had barely recovered when a mental gaffe gave Portland a disputed second goal.

Crew midfielder Tony Tchani and several teammates stopped playing when the ball rolled several feet over the right boundary. Instead of a stoppage for a throw-in, Portland’s Darlington Nagbe kept going with the ball and sent a pass wide to Lucas Melano, who found Wallace for the header.