Newcastle 3-4 Portland Timbers 2 – NUFC Match Ratings

5. Rolando Aarons - 9.5/10

Rolando Aarons will be leaving Newcastle United to join a Champions League club this time next year. There's absolutely no doubting this if he can stay fit for the majority of the 2015-16 season... So let's enjoy the winger while he's still wearing a black-and-white shirt. Rolando was played at left-back in the first-half and looked to be United's most sound defender (worryingly) before he was pushed up to left-wing in the second where he flourished. The England Under-20 international took the ridiculousness of his showing against Sacramento Republic in the previous game and cranked it up to another level, scoring two world-class goals and causing the home side so many problems. The effortlessness in which he ghosts past two and three of the opposition's players at a time is a joy to watch, while his skill and technique on the ball can't be matched by too many others in The Magpies' squad. He also set up new boy Georginio Wijnaldum for his first goal in a Newcastle shirt in what was a near-perfect display. Simply mouthwatering from the youngster. We can't wait to see him develop this season.