(2) Portland Timbers (8, 4, 3, 27 points) vs (7) San Jose Earthquakes (5,6, 5, 20 points)
Sunday October 11, 2020 7:00 PM PST/ 10:00 PM EST
Providence Park, Portland, Oregon
Portland Timbers Briefly
The Portland Timbers are a team carrying momentum and this game will be considered playing in a cup final with a suddenly surging San Jose side.
The Timbers are going for their fifth straight win while the Quakes are going for their fourth straight.
The last couple of games have seen the Timbers put on display with their firepower and with its big guns in Felipe Mora, Jaroslaw Niezgoda, Diego Valeri, and Jeremy Ebobisse. This team somehow can be one unstoppable machine and no defensive backfield is able to decipher their game as all its multiple weapons and well-planned game plans says a lot of their capabilities right now.
In the game against Los Angeles Galaxy, the Timbers lacked a little hunger in its defense and not being conservative against Angelinos who scored three goals on them.
However, by closing their spaces and defenders sticking like flies on glue over the opposing strikers and top playmakers, the Timbers were able to eventually shut them down and go on to win 6-3.
Something that has improved recently in the Portland side is its defensive game and for players of the likes of Marco Farfan and Pablo Bonilla becoming revelations in their positions, and becoming the outside defensive backs.
Not easy for Gio but in the end, the man always comes with an ace under his sleeve and the results speak for themselves lately of his one-of-a-kind work in the helm of the Green and Gold.
Probable Lineup:
GK Steve Clark, Marco Farfan, Larry’s Mabiala, Dario Zuparic, Jorge Villafaña; Diego Chara, Eryk Williamson; Jeremy Ebobisse, Diego Valeri, Yimmi Chara; Felipe Mora
San Jose Earthquakes Briefly
So far, for Quakes manager Matias Almeyda, the Andean is relieved to see his team finally getting some needed wins to boost his side into the postseason spots in the Western Conference.
Still, he has bad memories of their last match at home against the Rose City side where they were thrashed, 6-1.
With a winning streak reaching three, the San Jose Boys are starting to put a display of what manager Almeyda’s blueprint intended.
After beating two of LA’s finest in LAFC and Galaxy netting the so-called Classico bragging rights as well delivering mayhem to a slumping Whitecaps, the Goonies are back and ready to rock Soccer City USA come Sunday.
As the tale of two undefeated teams, I must state that this game will be one huge showdown with the elements of an all-around final, with neither team wanting to see their winning ways come to an abrupt end.
San Jose won’t be a walk in the park for the Portland Timbers.
Probable Lineup:
GK James Marcinkowski, Nick Lima, Florian Jungwirth, Tanner Beason, Tommy Thompson; Judson, Jackson Yueill; Cristian Espinoza, Chris Wondolowski, Carlos Fierro; Andres Rios
Meetings
September 20, 2020, San Jose Earthquakes 1-6 Portland Timbers
September 16, 2020, San Jose 1-1 Portland Timbers
Forecast
For both Timbers and Quakes coming with momentum this game could be one amazing contest
