(6) Portland Timbers (4,5,5, 16 points) vs (7) Minnesota United (4,5,3, 15 points)
Saturday May 20, 2023 KO 7:30 PM PST/ 10:30 PM EST
Providence Park, Portland, Oregon
Portland Timbers Briefly
Last Wednesday, nothing to decide between the two teams, as both RSL and Portland displayed a defensive lock on each other despite some of would-be goal opportunities.
The Timbers at times was dominated completely by the local Claret and Cobalt who had displayed a 60 percent possession in both halves.
No magic from Evander, Santiago Moreno or Yimmi Chara as the offensive might that the Portland Timbers were displaying lately suddenly vanished in their midweek game. Still, the team showed a promising four shots at goal and ten shots overall after the moves from Giovanni Savarese to try to boost the offensive game with the arrivals of Nathan Fogaca for Franck Boli, Dairon Aspirilla for Yimmi Chara and Marvin Loria for Santiago Moreno.
In the end, nothing these little could do to incommode the posts of Zac McMath who earned his third shutout of the season after a shot from Dairon Aspirilla that almost delivered the winning goal at the other end missed the net by an inch.
In the end, this match is in the books and the Timbers shared the spoils at Rio Tinto and now focus on a foe that ever since its inception in Major League Soccer has been hard to decipher its game and has been completely dominant over the Rose City side.
The Loons have an advantage over the Timbers with seven wins and just four losses, being a total dominator of Portland since they came into the league scene and it’s a team the Timbers cannot fully dominate.
One thing for sure, the Portland Timbers need to be a force to be reckoned with when they play at home and look after positive results when they play on the road to solidify their position and move up the table.
Fatigue maybe played a role in both sides playing in midweek, but in the end, the way these matches are to be played are with ambition and overall heart to deliver positive results and not allow the opposition to dominate the match in its entirety.
Probable starters: GK Aljaz Ivacic, Juan Mosquera, Dario Zuparic, Zac McGraw, Claudio Bravo; Diego Chara, Cristhian Parades; Santiago Moreno, Evander, Yimmi Chara; Franck Boli
Photo: Gerrit te Hennepe
Minnesota United Briefly
Having a record of one win at home, followed by one loss, and three draws is something manager Adrian Heath wasn’t looking forward to in a season start this 2023 season.
On the road somehow, the Loons have a record with three wins, four losses, and no draws.
This team has a number of notable players in the IL, but one of its stars in Emmanuel Reynoso appears ready to be incorporated in the starting lineup and start doing what he does best in driving opposing defenses awol after being suspended to start the season.
On Wednesday, the Loons delivered a big win at home against the Houston Dynamo by one goal and rising to the occasion and getting serenaded by its fanbase by finally winning at home.
Probable starters: GK Dayne St. Clair, DJ Taylor, Michael Boxall, Miguel Tapias, Kemar Lawrence; Hassani Dotson, Will Trapp; Robin Lod, Franco Fragapane, BL Hlongwane; Luis Amarilla
Meetings
09/10/2022 Portland Timbers 1-0 Minnesota United
07/30/2022 Minnesota United 4-4 Portland Timbers
11/21/2021 Portland Timbers 3-1 Minnesota United
Forecast
Both teams have their struggles but who will come ahead and earn the three points on Saturday.
