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Jarek Niezgoda

Portland Timbers

Timbers lose MLS Cup to NYCFC in penalties

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

Felipe Mora had an exhausting day.

Mora scored the latest regulation goal in MLS Cup history (94th minute) and then missed his penalty after extra time.

It had to be either a storybook ending or beyond bitter for Portland. There was no in between.

Providence Park’s first-ever MLS Cup final could have been the crown jewel for the Timbers.

But “could have been” will be the moral of this story forever.

Wind and rain assaulted the stadium and its fans throughout. The tension on the field reflected such.

Referee Armando Villareal was letting a lot go. Somehow the first half was clear of cards despite aggression from both teams.

Portland threw everything they had at NYCFC for the final chunk of the match. It paid off.

The visitors played a better game in the first half. MLS Golden Boot winner Taty Castellanos had four chances in the opening 45, capitalizing on a free header at the back post to make it 1-0 in the 41st minute.

Sebastián Blanco returned to the starting XI after missing last match with a thigh injury. He was listed as “questionable” on the injury report.

Dairon Asprilla returned to the wing and George Fochive replaced Cristhian Paredes at holding midfield. Paredes picked up a knock in training prior to the match but substituted on in the second half.

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Portland Timbers

Timbers fight hard but fall to Club América in Azteca, 3-1

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers fell to Club América in Estadio Azteca Wednesday night after a gritty performance.

Portland fought hard, but the exhausted Timbers were no match for the Mexican giants. Two goals from Federico Viñas sealed the deal for Club América, who now advance to face the Philadelphia Union in the semifinals. 

Match Recap

América threatened first, with Jeff Attinella making multiple key saves before Viñas rose to direct a beautiful ball into the  back of the net. In the 21′, it was 1-0. 

Fidalgo was inches from doubling the lead in the 28′, but his shot was just over the bar. 

Despite winning four fouls in the attacking half, Portland couldn’t register a shot on target. In fact, they had just one shot total. 

There was plenty of space for both teams going forward, but Portland were either too tired or too confused to use it. The Timbers resorted to lobbing in crosses toward the end of the first half, which 

It wouldn’t take long for the shooting drought to end. Mora turned quickly to fire a shot at Ochoa’s far post, but it was saved fairly easily. On the other end, Attinella was forced into a save of his own less than a minute later. 

Diego Chará registered a rare shot on goal from distance in the 49′, but he couldn’t beat Ochoa. Portland were certainly on the front foot to begin the half, though. 

Yimmi Chará had a go from the same spot as his brother in the 53′, but Portland’s confidence took a quick turn.

With open space abound, Leo Suarez found enough room to zig and zag at Bravo. Bravo played him tough but was dragged down by Suarez in the box. A questionable call at best, VAR confirmed the contact and Viñas’ penalty barely slipped under Attinella, who guessed perfectly.

Not five minutes later, the Timbers had their make-up call. Mora fired a shot that was saved by Ochoa, but the follow-through from Luis Fuentes was deemed to be a penalty. Valeri stepped up and blasted the shot past Ochoa, and the match was back on.

With the Timbers needing just one unanswered goal to win the series, they pressured América high and allowed Leo Suarez to find more space on the right. He cut inside, took a touch, and fired a shot from outside the box. One big deflection later, his shot rolled past the outstretched Attinella to give América the 4-2 aggregate lead. 

Jeremy Ebobisse made his first contribution of the series right after coming on, flying into his teammate Valeri for a header. He offered more of a threat than Asprilla had, but Portland still struggle to get shots off.

Even when Mora found himself in golden opportunities, he couldn’t pull the trigger. 

Suarez could have really put the tie to bed in the 86′, but the crossbar spared the Timbers. The referees did not. Three minutes were given for a half full of fouls, penalties, and plenty of injuries. 

By the end of it, the Timbers had fought valiantly, but not valiantly enough. A 4-2 aggregate defeat was certainly not the worst we could have hoped for, but it also could have been a lot worse. 

 

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Portland Timbers

Resting Timbers drop three points in Dallas

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers lost 4-1 to FC Dallas this Saturday, and that’s OK.

Why? Because with a trip to Mexico City on everyone’s mind, this was the starting lineup:

MLS debuts for Hunter Sulte and Zac McGraw went alongside season debuts for Andy Polo and, later, Jeremy Ebobisse.

Dallas switched from a back-three to back-four after conceding three goals in under an hour against San Jose last week.

Match Highlights

It wouldn’t take long for FC Dallas to strike first (96 seconds, to be exact). Andres Ricuarte put the finishing touches from a simple overload combination through the legs of Dario Župarić.

 

 

In the 12′, disaster struck again for the Timbers. A direct-flight clearance from Phelipe bounced past Renzo Zambrano and perfectly into the path of Jáder Obrian, who chipped Sulte to gain a 2-0 lead.

Felipe Mora and Claudio Bravo, two guys who will probably get starting minutes on Wednesday, each had half-chances

If the overall quality of play wasn’t enough to disgust you, FC Dallas’ third goal before halftime probably did. Sulte fumbled an original save and Bressan cleaned up the rebound to make it 3-0.

Portland made a line change in the second half, bringing on Diego Valeri, Eryk Williamson, Dairon Asprilla, and Josecarlos van Rankin. Mora, Chará, Polo, and Bravo were the departures.

Portland’s attack pricked up instantly, pushing Dallas into danger before their announcers could even finish the substitutions.

Zac McGraw nearly scored on his debut by heading a corner hard and down, but it hit bar-out and Župarić couldn’t get to the rebound.

Portland’s breakthrough would come in the 62′. Williamson played a beautiful one-two with Valeri and slid the finish past Phelipe for the goal. The tone of the game had undoubtedly begun to shift.

Dallas’ own reinforcements would follow in the 67′, as Edwin Cerrillo and Franco Jara replaced the youngsters, Tessmann and Pepi.

Jeremy Ebobisse made his return to the pitch after missing the start of the season. He was subbed in for Bodily in the 75′.

Ryan Hollingshead provided the best entertainment of the night by threatening Gio Savarese with a throw-in. No, I’m not joking.

Dallas were clearly getting frustrated as they had a much harder time against Portland’s fresh legs, but they would get their sealer courtesy of Dante Sealy in the 85′.

For Timbers fans, there’s really not too much to be mad about from this game:

  • The starters only got 45 minutes each (rest for Club América!)
  • The game was over at halftime (low-stress!)
  • Portland were the better side in the 2nd half (validation!)

As for FC Dallas, they deserved this win. Two quick goals, a third before half, and held their own in the second.

Follow @doublepostpod for total coverage of tonight’s match (and every match!), including our postgame reaction podcast later this evening.

As always, RCTID!

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Portland Timbers

Timbers prepare for FC Dallas amid busy week

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

Soccer is a funny sport. Trying to understand the different competitions and scenarios teams find themselves is damn-near impossible for those who are solely accustomed to American franchise models.

So when I tell you the Timbers have a match in Frisco, Texas sandwiched between two games against the biggest club in North America, just know that it’s a very unique time to be a Timbers fan. It’s not every day you get to see your club embark on these types of journeys.

  • Matchup: Portland Timbers @ FC Dallas
  • Location: Totota Park; Frisco, TX, USA
  • Broadcast: 5pm PT; FOX 12 Plus (or ESPN+)

No matter how many times Giovanni Savarese says the Timbers are “completely focused on FC Dallas” I still hesitate to believe anything but Mexico City is on the players’ minds.

Forgive me for looking ahead to a midweek date at the most formidable and historic stadium on this continent—one that will typically suffocate players with crowd noise before the smog and 7,200-foot elevation kick in. One where the Hand of God and some guy named Pele once graced the pitch. No, I’m not talking about Toyota Stadium.

A trip to Estadio Azteca will be looming in the back of everyone’s head as the Timbers match up against FC Dallas, and for good reason. Even without fans, it will easily be the most historic venue the club has ever played in.

Club América supporters have not gone unheard, as a raucous performance at Providence Park ensured. The match itself was ferocious as well, with a pair of penalty kicks providing the only scoring in a 1-1 draw for the ages.

Scouting FC Dallas

Unlike their Texan counterparts, FC Dallas roll with a 3-4-3 formation. Their back-three of José Antonio Martinez, Matt Hedges, and Bressan held Colorado to a scoreless draw in Week 1 before conceding three before the hour-mark in San Jose last weekend.

FCD’s two starting lineups have been almost identical, with Tanner Tessman starting (and struggling) in the midfield against the Quakes over Andres Ricuarte. John Nelson has been on the left and Ryan Hollingshead on the right in wingback roles, while Bryan Acosta holds down the middle alongside one of Tessman, Ricuarte, or Paxton Pomykal.

New attackers Jader Obrian and Freddy Vargas flank Designated Player Francisco Jara up top. Don’t forget about 18-year-old Ricardo Pepi, whose late equalizer helped send Portland packing early from the playoffs last year.

Dallas’ only goal this season was a consolation from Ricardo Pepi. They have looked like one of the most disappointing teams of the season through two weeks of MLS, and that’s saying a lot.

What’s more, their starting goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer strained his shoulder and came out after the third goal last Saturday. Backup Grêmio loanee Phelipe (22 years old) logged a save in the last half-hour, but the match was already over by the time he got in.

Rotation, rotation, rotation…

Portland prepared for the first leg by playing a heavily rotated squad against Houston Dynamo FC last Saturday. An early goal from Dairon Asprilla and Cristhian Paredes’ redemptive strike earned Portland a hard-fought three points in that match, and they will seek to do the same against Dallas.

Portland’s lineup from the Houston match on April 24th

The only players who played full 90s in both of the last two games are Claudio Bravo and Diego Chará. Dairon Asprilla, Larrys Mabiala, Yimmi Chará, Dario Župarić, Diego Valeri, Eryk Williamson, José van Rankin, and Felipe Mora are the other regular starters who played in the Houston match and logged at least 70 minutes against Club América.

For those keeping track, that’s all ten starting field players—not counting Sebastián Blanco and Jeremy Ebobisse, who are both set to make their returns soon. In a press conference Friday, Giovanni Savarese updated the statuses of the two aforementioned:

As you can see, Gio also offered an update on Cristhian Paredes after his nasty-looking injury against his former club. The injury and timeline are not as bad as we might have thought, but it still tests that midfield depth Portland has been touting all offseason.

Andy Polo will finally return to the pitch after being stuck with a tough quarantine timeline coming back from Peru. He has been working with a personal trainer in the meantime, but getting back into the groove with a full squad will be extremely valuable.

Backup left-back Isamaila Jome is out for the season with a torn left Achilles. Jarosław Niezgoda will not make his return until mid-June. In a year where depth was the name of the game, Portland find themselves almost thin in some key spots.

So what will the XI look like in Frisco? Here’s my best shot:

My prediction for Portland’s lineup against FC Dallas

Let’s start with the defense. Župarić is suspended for the second leg because of yellow card accumulation, so he’ll probably go for a full 90 in this one. Bill Tuiloma will have to step up in Dario’s absence Wednesday, so he probably gets a rest. I doubt that we’ll see Bill for more than a few minutes (if at all) on Saturday—meaning it’s time for Zac McGraw to make his first team debut! The 6’4″-205 lb. West Point grad was drafted 68th overall by Portland in the third round of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft.

Van Rankin was billed as a guy who can play on either side of defense, so Bravo will likely get a rest after two tough 90s in the last four days. I would expect the same from Diego Chará except for the fact that he’s Diego Chará. In a recent press conference, Gio said Diego is “capable of managing himself” in terms of output. Also, we don’t exactly have another backup midfielder now that Paredes is out. Maybe Chará or Renzo Zambrano end up splitting time with Eryk Williamson.

Yimmi and Valeri split time at the #10 spot last week, so assuming Blanco is still out that’s what I’ll expect again. Andy Polo should provide a much-needed break for Dairon Asprilla on the left (even if he can only go for a half), while Loría and Bodily will probably start in the same spots they did last weekend. Depending on Ebobisse’s unclear availability, he may start or at least substitute his way into some minutes.

Prediction Time!

All of this is to say that we don’t know what to expect from the Timbers this weekend. If they can use a rotated squad to beat the team that beat San Jose, then in theory they can beat the team that lost to them.

In terms of how this matchup will make sense tactically, it’s really not worth going over. Portland’s squad rotation may be met with dissatisfaction and rotation from Dallas, as well. So, just like last week, this will be a good ol’ fashioned MLS match, full of unpredictability and zeal.

The Oregon SportsBook has Portland as +235 underdogs, with the home side at +115 and a draw at +255.

Here’s what we do know: Portland will probably be playing a bunch of B-teamers, and Dallas are playing like a B-team (that will also have its B-team ‘keeper).

I’m tempted to throw out a Timbers win, but I really think Dallas will see a rare opportunity to pounce on a depleted squad for points. I’ll go with a 1-1 draw, with Bodily getting his first career goal and Jara opening his 2021 account.

Follow @doublepostpod for total coverage of tonight’s match (and every match!), including our postgame reaction podcast later this evening.

As always, RCTID!

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Portland Timbers

Timbers stun Club América with 97th-minute equalizer

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

Portland’s first Concacaf Champions League knockout stage tie

The first half-chance went to Felipe Mora, who couldn’t control a ball over his head from Dairon Asprilla in the 3′. Mora earned the first caution of the match in the 18′.

The first shot of the match didn’t come until the 20′, as América’s Mauro Laínez scuffed an ambitious effort well wide. José Martínez fired a much better shot in the 23′ that forced Jeff Attinella into a tough save down to his right.

In the first half, Portland struggled to create quick buildup play when they did win the ball back from Club América.

América’s right winger, Leonardo Suárez, received a yellow card in the 33′ for a little extra contact thrown at Dairon Asprilla.

Speaking of contact, América center back Sebástian Cáceres could have received a yellow of his own for heading Mora in the, well, head in the 38′. Dario Župarić would receive one in the 40′ for a rough challenge on Suárez, and he will be suspended for the second leg in Mexico City.

The decisive moment came just before halftime. Claudio Bravo lunged in on Richard Sánchez and missed the ball, giving up an ultra-costly penalty in the process.

Roger Martínez calmly slid the penalty past Attinella and América had a massive 1-0 lead in Providence Park.

Portland’s energy was demonstrably better to start the second half, and it nearly culminated in a worldie from Dairon Asprilla in the 50′.

Yimmi Chará would lift the ball over Memo Ochoa in the 57′, but his effort drifted just wide of the far post.

The game was getting extremely physical in the second half. Players were flying into challenges all-out and giving it their all. The result was nine total yellow cards, with

Portland’s pressure simmered down as the second half wore on, but the intensity continued to rise. Substitutions ca

And then, as the game was literally seconds from ending…a gift.

A scramble in the box produced a handball penalty. Felipe Mora put it in the same corner as Martínez and the match was square at one apiece.

Maybe the most competitive and entertaining night of soccer so far this year (in this hemisphere) ended with flashes, bangs, and a late goal.

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Portland Timbers

Expectations and Predictions: Timbers vs Club América Leg 1

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad

The Portland Timbers will host Mexican giants Club América at 7:30pm on Wednesday, April 28th in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League Quarterfinals.

Few opportunities to play a team of this magnitude are afforded in the history of a club. Timbers fans (and players) are approaching the fixture with uncertainty—Portland find themselves underdogs, even at home, against the biggest club in North America.

The Visitors

Club América are currently second in Liga MX and are the only ones within a sniff of Cruz Azul, who haven’t lost a match since January. In fact, América are one of only two teams that have won a single point from Cruz Azul during that span.

Cruz Azul beat Toronto 3-1 last night, but let’s get back to América. They were recently on an eight-match win streak, not including a 1-0 second leg loss to CD Olimpia which saw them advance from the CCL Round of 16. The aforementioned draw against the league leaders followed, but their latest result is intriguing.

América fell behind 2-0 to Toluca inside 11 minutes, and try as they might to break their opponents’ defense, they managed only three shots on target. An early second half VAR penalty drew them one step closer to getting back in the match, but they could never build up enough momentum to overcome Toluca, who would seal the match with a counterattack goal in the 73′.

América are most often in a 4-2-3-1. Roger Martínez has been the starting striker for the past year or so, and his 13 non-penalty goals in 21 starts make him América’s top scorer. But a recent injury has given others, such as Henry Martín, a shot at the starting job, and there has been an ongoing debate about who deserves the spot. (Martínez started against Toluca and struggled.)

If there was ever a time to be facing América, this is it. The team is having some internal issues with manager Santiago Solari, who is keen to only play his starters and a select few others. Additionally, many players are not as enthusiastic about the Champions League as usual.

Club América’s 23-year-old playmaker Sebastián Córdova will be unavailable for the first leg, which is a huge loss for them.

Pedro Aquino and Richard Sanchez are the central midfielders, with Álvaro Fidalgo playing in front of them as another creator. Mauro Laínez may flank the left side, while Martín could fill in on the right for Córdova.

In defense, Club América’s center backs may be exploitable. Sebástian Cáceres and Emanuel Aguilera are not the speediest, and they may lack the depth to stifle Portland’s dynamic attackers.

The Timbers

Onto the Timbers. Portland got their first MLS win against the Dynamo last Saturday, although it wasn’t always easy. The Dynamo exploited Portland’s left back, Claudio Bravo, quite a bit in the first half. The Timbers adjusted well after halftime, but if Tyler Pasher can give Portland fits, I’m sure Laínez and Martín can, too.

The Timbers are still without Jarosław Niezgoda and Jeremy Ebobisse, and Sebastián Blanco is listed as “doubtful” after Giovanni Savarese said he was “not as close [to returning] as we expected.” Starting goalkeeper Steve Clark is still out after leaving the Vancouver match early with a left thigh strain, but Jeff Attinella is a serviceable replacement.

https://twitter.com/doublepostpod/status/1387153958121050116?s=21

I expect the starting XI to be the same as it has been.

It’s worth noting Jose Van Rankin has experience against this team, having played in Liga MX for years. Hopefully his sage presence will guide the back line, since this isn’t an area of overconfidence for me right now.

But as long as Portland can defend set pieces, they should be fine. Both goals they’ve conceded in MLS have been from corner kicks.

Prediction

Overall, this squad is ready to pounce on an opportunity, and I think this is it. Racking up goals now is also important considering a trip to Estadio Azteca is looming in the second leg.

My prediction is one of the boldest I’ve had as a Timbers writer: give me a 3-0 win for the Boys in Green. Felipe Mora will score one of them.

Follow @doublepostpod for total coverage of tonight’s match (and every match!), including our postgame reaction podcast later this evening.

As always, RCTID!

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Portland Timbers

Timbers look to regain momentum against lowly Quakes

by Kevin Nesgoda
written by Kevin Nesgoda

The Portland Timbers will hit the road again to take on the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday, September 16th, 2020 at 6:30pm PT.


Image via MLS

Image via MLS

Portland are coming off a tough loss to LAFC, and a second half wherein the Timbers looked like they were playing as if the score was drawn.

San Jose snagged a point from the L.A. Galaxy after a string of bottom-of-the-barrel performances since the restart.

Training

One of the biggest issues for the Timbers has been their inability to train at their usual facility in Beaverton. Due to the hazardous smoke that has enveloped much of the West coast for the past week or so, the Timbers have had to move their training indoors.

You might visualize indoor professional soccer training as some massive facility with a bunch of fields, but really it’s just a futsal court. One futsal court.

Understandably, Savarese called the facilities “too small” when asked about the challenges they’ve presented.

“We’re very thankful that at least we have a place to train,” said Gio. “It is very different…We need to make sure that we take any difficult situation and adapt to it.”

For what it’s worth, the Earthquakes have had their own training restrictions as well. Overall, training conditions should not have an affect on the outcome of this match, and here’s why.

San Jose are Bad

The Quakes have not won a match since the first round of the MLS is Back knockout round. That match, in which Real Salt Lake earned two red cards, took place on July 27th.

Since then, the Quakes have lost four matches (including a 7-1 drubbing from the Sounders) and drawn twice—most recently, a scoreless draw against L.A. Galaxy in the Cali Clasico on Sunday.

Matias Almeyda’s side is spectacularly underperforming, but he’s still the manager and the games aren’t slowing down. While that gives Almeyda less time in training, it gives the team more chances to turn things around on the field.

Standings provided by SofaScore LiveScore

San Jose are flirting with the bottom of the table in the West. There is little margin for error for Portland, either; the Timbers are in the thick of a tight Western Conference playoff race. (As of Tuesday morning,) only four points separate third-place Minnesota from tenth-place Colorado. At this stage, every single game is crucial.

Portland and San Jose will meet again this Saturday. Wednesday’s match is a rescheduling of last month’s postponement in the wake of the Jacob Blake shooting.

Losing to San Jose would be an embarrassment for the Timbers, but doing it twice would be even worse. Of course, this could be a nice six-point swing for Portland heading into the latter stages of the regular season.

Expectations and Predictions

San Jose were about as bad as a team can get last week, but they’re on the rise after holding Christian Pavón and the fifth-place Galaxy scoreless. The Timbers are…well…the Timbers. Inconsistency has been the name of the game after an MLSiBT Final win, awful restart, impressive bounce-back in Seattle, and subsequent first-half collapse against LAFC.

Based on most recent results, it makes sense that the Quakes are +135 favorites to win (Timbers +175, draw +280) on Bovada.

Still, the Timbers should take three points from this match. I predict a dominant 3-0 victory that quells negativity and gives Portland a huge confidence boost. I also predict a Valeri goal and some big saves from Steve Clark.

  • A fun fact to close this one out: Only three Earthquakes players have scored multiple MLS goals against the Timbers, and Chris Wondolowski has done so 11 times. The other two (Danny Hoesen and Alan Gordon [lol]) each have just two.

Follow @doublepostpod for live reactions/discussion during the match, and catch my postgame recap right here after the final whistle. Go Timbers!

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Portland ThornsPortland Timbers

Pair of PTFCs Need Monday Momentum Swing

by Charlie Folkestad
written by Charlie Folkestad


Photo by Frenchieinportland via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Photo by Frenchieinportland via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Soccer is back, and no matter how medically-inept it is to be playing matches in the States, fans of Portland soccer will have an exciting—albeit distanced—doubleheader to look forward to.

Thorns playing catch-up in Utah

Under most circumstances, the Portland Thorns mustering only two points from three matches would be serious cause for concern. Yet, the Thorns are not phased in the slightest. In a group stage that promotes squad rotation and chemistry over results, Mark Parsons and the Thorns have very little to worry about.

The thing is, the NWSL Challenge Cup group stage is almost pointless. All eight teams competing for the Cup will automatically advance to the knockout stage. The sole looming catastrophe would be finishing eighth—and probably eliminating oneself against North Carolina in the quarterfinals—or perhaps catching an injury.

With all bets hedged, however, there’s certainly no downside to winning. As the fourth and final match in the group stage, the Thorns will probably need at least a point to keep the last-place Chicago Red Stars at bay.

Standings provided by SofaScore LiveScore

So while the Thorns sit at seventh in the Challenge Cup standings, the upcoming match against OL Reign (yes, that is their real name) presents a chance to show the league they mean business. If the long-term goal is to compete with the Courage, the Thorns need to take the logical first step: win matches.

Chicago will play on Sunday night, so the Thorns will have a clear goal ahead of them. Regardless of that outcome, Thorns fans are expecting the club to show a certain amount of cohesive determination; as Bella Bixby, Lindsey Horan, and Rocky Rodríguez have thus far.

There is a lot to be said about the decline of ferocity in the Thorns/Reign rivalry in recent years, and I won’t say it here. Bottom line: Play well, hopefully win, and be ready for the quarterfinals.

NWSL Matches to Watch

  • Chicago Red Stars vs Utah Royals FC

  • OL Reign vs Portland Thorns

MLS Matches to Watch

  • L.A.F.C. vs Houston Dynamo

    • Monday, July 13th, 2020 @ 5pm PT

    • Watch on Fox Sports 1/TUDN

  • Portland Timbers vs L.A. Galaxy

    • Monday, July 13th, 2020 @ 7:30pm PT

    • Watch on Fox Sports 1/TUDN

Timbers face late date in Group F

In the final opening match of the MLS is Back Tournament, the Portland Timbers will take on the Los Angeles Galaxy roughly eight hours after the conclusion of the Thorns-Reign match.

Group F has been dubbed the “Group of Death” by many around the league, with the two Los Angeles clubs as the favorites. Even those two would be remiss to ignore Portland and Houston, however, especially with LAFC star Carlos Vela sitting out of the competition.

This match will be an important test for the Timbers, who are given the third-highest chance of advancing from Group F (59%) by FiveThirtyEight’s MLS is Back Predictor.

Major League Soccer has had a worrying number of COVID-19 cases inside the “bubble” in Orlando, but the tournament trudges on. The most recent positive tests postponed the DC United-Toronto FC match mere minutes before kickoff.

Relative to the rest of the league, the Timbers have benefited from the COVID-19 delay with the addition of Polish signing Jaroslaw Niezgoda to the squad. Niezgoda, who is yet to appear on a matchday roster for the Timbers, was acquired over the offseason as a Designated Player and presumed starter. Now fully fit, expect Niezgoda to make an immediate impact on Portland’s attack.

Apart from the added talent of Niezgoda up top, Portland (theoretically) have a roster built for success in this type of tournament. Summer Central-Florida climate and lack of match fitness means squad rotation is a huge factor for every team in the MLSiBT. The Timbers now have three capable center forwards in Niezgoda, Felipe Mora, and Jeremy Ebobisse. Additionally, what Portland’s midfield lacks in quality is made up for in quantity.

The most concerning area of the field for the Timbers is the same as when we left off: defense. New center back Dario Zuparic has had a tough time alongside mainstay Larrys Mabiala on the back line, and Jorge Moreira’s replacements at right back are yet to be tested in a significant capacity. All this comes with questions surrounding Moreira’s return to River Plate.

No one knows how Monday night’s match will go. Any detailed tactical preview will likely be scrapped 10 minutes in. If what we’ve seen from the MLSiBT so far is any indicator, the teams that can sustain any discernible style of play are the most successful. Bottom line: We don’t know what to expect, but we’ll learn a lot about Giovanni Savarese and the character of this team based on their performance.

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