(5) Portland Timbers (11,10,4, 37 points) vs (6) Real Salt Lake (10,9,6, 36 points)
Saturday September 25, 2021, KO 7:30 PM PST/ 10:30 PM EST
Providence Park, Portland, Oregon
Portland Timbers Briefly
Suddenly this team is running with perfection and seeing its overall game improv. Five games unbeaten speaks for the Portland Boys’ recent achievements.
Still, among one of the ingredients for the Timbers’ recent run of form is its state of consistency as Giovanni Savarese stated in an interview after the 2-1 win over LAFC. Gio attributes to his team turnaround is about the all-around improvements and discipline the team has adopted lately.
Amongst those improvements is the way this team is defending and doing a great job that got one of its members in the league’s Team of the Week. Suddenly, the moves implemented by Gio in his defensive backfield are delivering results.
The center backs are working more closely to one another, and the fullbacks are not being exposed and the work of the midfield contributing defensively as well to the point of attack. Overall, the team’s mental consistency is because of the belief of going forward in getting the levels of confidence shown lately in every game.
By far, the factors of this team’s success, is its formations being alternated between a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 both contributing enormities to this team’s succes so far and delivering an optimistic conviction that leads to the recent wave of positive results.
The need to continue the consistency in the Timbers’ minds is imperative for a successful run.
Probable Lineup:
GK Steve Clark, Josecarlos Van Rankin, Larrys Mabiala, Dario Zuparic, Claudio Bravo; Diego Chara, George Fochive; Yimmi Chara, Sebastian Blanco, Dairon Aspirilla; Felipe Mora
Real Salt Lake Briefly
RSL managed a big win in Seattle under interim manager Pablo Mastroeni at the helm. There’s life and good football for the Rio Tinto Boys looking to extend their run against Portland.
For a team has its share of troubles until its then manager Frerddy Juarez’s departure, suddenly this team has turned the page for the better and just trailing fifth-place Portland by one point. I do foresee this being a very disputed match with not only streaks on the line, but also the position in the overall table.
So far, seeded in sixth place, and despite being above the postseason spots, the need to move up above fourth place or a better spot is within the minds of its interim manager Mastroeni.
In the game last Saturday at Lumen Field, that win was immense for RSL as well displaying a defensive gem and winning by the odd goal keeping the Sounders’ strikers and offense at bay.
Can they pull another upset in front of the Rose City faithful at the colossus of Goose Hollow?
Probable Lineup:
GK David Ochoa, Toni Daktovic, Erik Holt, Justen Glad; Justin Meram, Pablo Ruiz, Everton Luis, Aaron Herrera; Albert Rusnak; Rubio Rubin, Damir Kreilach
Meetings
08/07/2021 Portland Timbers 3-2 Real Salt Lake
10/14/2020 Real Salt Lake 2-1 Portland Timbers
08/29/2020 Portland Timbers 4-4 Real Salt Lake
Line
A duel of undefeated teams with a positive streak, still I don’t give anyone any advantage!
