After a lengthy break in action, the Portland Timbers will soon be playing competitive soccer again in 2020. Major League Soccer will host the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, FL beginning July 8. The tournament includes three group stage matches, with the top two teams in each group and next two best teams overall advancing to knockout rounds. The Timbers were drawn into Group F alongside Los Angeles FC, LA Galaxy, and Houston Dynamo.
What is at stake in a tournament like this? Group stage matches will count in the MLS regular season standings and the tournament winner will earn a spot in the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League. Players will also have the opportunity to earn additional bonuses as part of a $1.1 million prize pool. Following the conclusion of the summer tournament, MLS plans to resume regular season home and away matches in teams’ respective stadiums and finish the season with a playoff tournament. What exactly that will look like from fans’ perspective remains unclear.
What kind of team will the Timbers bring to Florida? The small samples size we saw from the Timbers in 2020 left a lot of questions unanswered. How good are the new DP’s? What is this team’s offensive identity? Are the Timbers good enough to compete for another MLS Cup? Those questions will be answered soon enough, but on paper, the Timbers roster looks to be in a better position than it was in March. Coach Gio indicated on Wednesday that everyone who was injured is now back to training, minus Dairon Asprilla, who had meniscus surgery on his left knee in May. If he stays on track, this could also mean the long-awaited debut of DP striker Jaroslaw Niezgoda.
Given a second opportunity to start things off in 2020, the Timbers look to make a better first impression down in Florida than they did in Portland back in March. Timbers players and supporters know the type of team this can be in these high-pressure situations (see: 2018’s unlikely playoff run). If star-power is required to advance in a frenetically paced tournament like this, the Timbers won’t have to look much further than the likes of Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco. Tournaments like these breed chaos and big moments and is exactly the type of environment we’ve come to expect the Timbers to thrive in.
MLS is Back Tournament Dates
June 24: Teams begin arriving in Florida
July 8: Group stage begins
July 25-28: Round-of-16
July 30-August 1: Quarterfinals
August 5-6: Semifinals
August 11: Final
