(4) Portland Timbers (3,2,1, 10 points) vs (6) Real Salt Lake (2,1,3, 9 points)
Saturday August 29, 2020 7:30 PM PST/ 10:30 PM EST
Providence Park, Portland, Oregon
Week 8
Portland Timbers Briefly
Hail to the Portland Timbers showing support for its players making a statement after protesting racial injustice and police brutality against black people.
However, not playing their regularly scheduled match on Wednesday may have brought some benefit to Giovanni Savarese’s side in the end and give them more time to come up a better strategy for their upcoming match.
In addition to him possibly making a few moves in his lineup to Saturday’s game, will be ideal if he would like to start seeing his side return to its winning ways and looking to close on a strong note this season.
Hopefully, the team would not endure another match like last Sunday where it didn’t show anything in its game but just an inoperant starting eleven in the field not achieving anything and surrendering to Seattle’s push.
The Rose City side looks forward to moving on from last Sunday’s game and earn its first win of the season on Saturday against a hardened Real Salt Lake coming in with a lot of momentum after posting an important win on the road.
The Timbers again will have the home-field advantage, but can they capitalize in spite of not having any fans in the stands? In the end, that can play a big factor for the Green and Gold as they seek to finally get that much-needed win of this restart of this MLS Season.
I foresee several moves in the starting eleven to add a more offensive-prone formation with two forwards in the attack.
The team does not have to rely on a couple of players, but get back that heart and ambition these showed in the past MLS tournament in Orlando, Florida where they played a meticulous game of football.
It does not easy for these Portland Timbers but don’t count them out yet!
Probable Lineup:
GK Steve Clark, Chis Duvall, Larry’s Mabiala, Dario Zuparic, Pablo Bonilla; Diego Chara, Cristhian Paredes; Marvin Loria, Sebastian Blanco, Andy Polo; Jaroslaw Niezgoda
Real Salt Lake Briefly
For manager Freddy Juarez after winning the Rocky Mountain Cup for his Claret and Cobalt at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, last week, this team comes loaded with a lot of drive to win.
After RSL won it’s fifth consecutive Rocky Mountain Cup and on the road, something tells me that this squad will come ready to see a continuation of their form with another win in Providence Park.
A team with a good number of Homegrown Players in its lineup and almost having a backfield composed of all American players, this match tomorrow night in the colossus of Goose Hollow will become another handful of a contest for the home team.
Last season being a bounce-back for the Rio Tinto side, they made it into the postseason and upset the Portland Timbers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Both sides come well rested after their midweek matches were canceled after showing solidarity with other MLS and NBA Teams after the recent incidents in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Probable Lineup:
GK Andrew Putna, Aaron Herrera, Justen Glad, Marcelo Silva, Donny Toia; Everton Luiz, Pablo Ruiz; Justin Meram, Albert Rusnak, Corey Baird; Damir Kreilach
Meetings
October 19, 2019, Real Salt Lake 2-1 Portland Timbers (POST)
August 31, 2019, Portland Timbers 1-0 Real Salt Lake
May 4, 2019, Real Salt Lake 1-2 Portland Timbers
Forecast
Real Salt Lake with a win last week in the Rocky Mountain Cup over Colorado gives them an edge
Portland Timbers
