Onni Valakari and Anders Dreyer scored in the first half and top-seeded San Diego FC held on for a 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers in a best-of-three first-round opener of the MLS Cup playoffs.

A lengthy run in Major League Soccer’s postseason by the Western Conference champions, capped by a victory Dec. 6 in the MLS Cup final, would endear SDFC not only to hardcore locals who’ve supported them but also thousands of San Diegans who may not know who they are.

It's a do-or-die wildcard round followed by the best-of-three first round as MLS begins the march towards a champions