The sophomore midfielder from San Jose, California, has been putting in the work over the last few weeks, and against nationally ranked No. 25 CSU San Marcos, it all came together. Starting and playing 68 minutes, Portillo recorded two goals and an assist to help the Oaks erase an early two-goal deficit and come away with an incredible 5-3 victory. Manny got the comeback started in the 19th minute with a sliding finish to put the Oaks on the board. Then, in the 83rd minute, he came through again, driving toward the top of the box and launching one over the Cougar goalkeeper to seal the victory. A brace against a nationally ranked opponent, two goals and an assist, and a comeback win that gave the Oaks their most goals in more than a year. But Manny wasn’t finished. Just two days later in Fresno, Portillo played another 60 minutes and put a shot on goal as the Oaks battled to a 1-0 victory under the lights. With Menlo now riding a four-game unbeaten streak, Portillo’s impact has been a huge part of the Oaks’ recent run.
