In a rematch of the 2021 MLS Cup final, the Portland Timbers wrap up their two-game homestand with a date against New York City FC at Providence Park on Saturday.
The Pigeons were moments away from ending a 10-match winless run in all competitions before conceding deep into stoppage time, drawing Atlanta United 2-2, while the Timbers suffered a narrow 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire on Wednesday.
Match preview
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A lapse in concentration late in their encounter on Wednesday proved to be the Timbers' undoing as they failed to win for the sixth time in their last seven league fixtures.
Throughout the 2023 season, Giovanni Savarese has seen his players lose their composure in the latter stages, conceding a winning or equalising goal beyond the 70th minute in five games this season, including at home to Chicago earlier this week.
The Timbers have been involved in nine one-goal games over the current domestic campaign, falling short in six of those fixtures, though only one was at home.
Portland have only suffered one defeat against New York City over 90 minutes, having won the last four regular-season meetings against them by a combined score of 7-1.
Over this domestic campaign, the Timbers have scored within the opening 10 minutes in three of their home fixtures, losing only once this season at Providence Park when netting the opener.
They have dropped eight points this year when scoring the opening goal, a stat which has prevented them from climbing into a playoff position, currently a point behind the Vancouver Whitecaps for that final spot in the Western Conference.
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At this point, Nick Cushing must wonder how his New York squad can finally get over the finish line and claim three points.
After salvaging a point late at home to the Columbus Crew last Saturday, it was a 95th-minute strike by the Five Stripes' Nick Firmino which left the Boys in Blue without a domestic triumph in 10 successive matches, while another one this weekend would set a new club record for the longest run without a victory in this competition.
Wednesday was the third time this year that NYCFC had squandered points after scoring the opening goal, though they did manage to come away with something in two of those instances, drawing the Chicago Fire 1-1 away from home and playing the Five Stripes to a tie for the second time this year.
Their midweek draw was only the fifth time in this domestic campaign that NYCFC had scored multiple goals in a single match, as this team have only suffered one defeat this season when doing so.
New York have one win and a loss versus the Timbers in the regular season at Providence Park, though the biggest moment in the club's history occurred in Portland during the 2021 playoffs when the Pigeons claimed their first and only MLS Cup to date.
In only two matches versus Western Conference opponents this year, the Pigeons are undefeated, though they have not beaten a Pacific Northwest team (Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps or Timbers) since a 3-1 triumph over the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2019.
Team News
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Yimmi Chara missed the Timbers' midweek encounter with a left hamstring strain, Eryk Williamson has a sore right knee, while David Ayala and Felipe Mora are dealing with left knee injuries.
Juan David Mosquera could be back from international duty with the Colombian national team along with Aljaz Ivacic, who was with the Slovenian squad, while Zac McGraw will not be available this weekend as he is joining the Canadians at the Gold Cup.
Franck Boli had the only Portland strike on Wednesday, as he moved beyond Evander for the team lead in goals this season, while Mora and former striker Diego Valeri missed their penalties the last time they hosted New York in the MLS Cup final.
Thiago Martins sat out of the previous encounter for the Pigeons with a knee injury, James Sands is with the American national team as they open their Gold Cup campaign this weekend, while Maxime Chanot is eligible to return having served a one-match ban due to yellow card accumulation.
Gabriel Pereira notched a brace for New York on Wednesday, moving him past Santiago Rodriguez for the team lead with six domestically this season, while Richy Ledezma picked up his team-leading fifth assist and Keaton Parks collected his second.
Rodriguez, Sands, Chanot, Alfredo Morales and Tayvon Gray are the only New York players who were in the starting 11 for the 2021 MLS Cup final in Portland that are still with the team, while Talles Magno scored in the penalty shootout before former centre-back Alexander Callens put home the winner.
Portland Timbers possible starting lineup:
Ivacic; Miller, Zuparic, Bonilla, Bravo; D. Chara, Paredes; Blanco, Evander, Asprilla; Boli
New York City FC possible starting lineup:
Barraza; Alfaro, Haak, Chanot; Parks; Ledezma, Rodriguez, Morales, Cufre; Pereira, Magno
We say: Portland Timbers 1-1 New York City FC
Sometimes momentum or a bad break can make all the difference, and New York have not had a lot go their way of late as they continuously seem to find ways to drop points.
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