Portland’s playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. To keep their thing hopes alive, the Timbers have to beat Real Salt Lake this weekend, something the Timbers have struggled to do in their MLS history and something that would mean the Timbers first EVER three match winning streak in MLS.
If they manage to beat RSL they then have a midweek CONCACAF Champions League match next week in Honduras before heading away to FC Dallas in what would be another absolute must-win game to close out the regular season. That would be four straight wins for the Timbers. Again, they’ve never won even three straight.
Portland Timbers Playoff Hopes Hanging by a Thread
IF they beat RSL and FCD back-to-back, which is actually quite possible and would certainly reinforce the fact that the Timbers are a playoff quality team, they still almost certainly won’t make the playoffs.
The biggest obstacle standing between the Timbers and the MLS Playoffs isn’t the opponents they face in their remaining games, it’s the opponents the Vancouver Whitecaps play in their final two games: San Jose and Colorado.
Portland sits just one point behind Vancouver in the race for the last playoff spot in the Western conference. When the Timbers gave up a 2-0 lead last month in a 3-2 loss to Toronto FC they lost control of their playoff destiny. That destiny now rests partially in the hands of San Jose and Colorado and that can’t be comforting for Timbers fans.
Colorado blew a 1-0 lead with 25 minutes to go in losing 2-1 to Chivas USA last weekend, their 12th consecutive match without a win. San Jose lost 2-0 to RSL, their 13th consecutive match without a win. The Earthquakes also just fired coach Mark Watson, and while the hiring of Dom Kinnear is a positive move for next season, the move will probably serve only as a distraction for a team that already has key players out with injury and nothing to play for.
All that said, there’s still a game to play, so here’s a few things keys heading into Friday night’s matchup between Portland and RSL:
Form:
The Timbers are playing well. They have lost only three of their last 13 matches, picking up 24 points in the process.
RSL has lost three of their last five, including a loss to Chivas USA. Their only wins in that stretch have been over Colorado and SJ.
Player availability:
With the exception of Will Johnson, the Timbers have everyone available who has been important this year. I wrote a few weeks ago about how replacing Johnson with Zemanski could actually help the Timbers in some ways, and they’ve been pretty good since then.
Salt Lake will be without CB Chris Schuler, arguably one of the best CBs in MLS, who is out with an injury. He’ll likely be replaced by Carlos Salcedo, a significant drop in quality. Nick Rimando and Joao are both coming off international appearances this week, and while they should still feature, fatigue could be an issue, especially for Plata.
The monkey is off their back:
RSL has traditionally dominated Portland in MLS play, posting a record of 8-2-3 against the Timbers. Prior to their matchup in June, RSL had an 11 match unbeaten streak against Portland. However, on June 7 the Timbers went in to Rio Tinto Stadium and dominated RSL in a 3-1 victory.
Fanendo Adi in particular excelled in that game, scoring twice and terrorizing RSL first choice back line. With Salcedo replacing Schuler, Adi could be in for another successful night, and will need to be for Portland to win.
Prediction:
The Timbers may be the team with more to play for and in better form, but don’t expect RSL to lay down in this one. RSL has plenty to play for, sitting just one point above FC Dallas. They’ll need to finish strong to avoid falling into 4th place and the playoff play-in game. That said, the Timbers know they must win to keep any playoff hopes alive, so between their good form and a bit of desperation, look for Portland to snag the victory in a close one.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on twitter- @ericwalcott. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport and @LWOSworld – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Have you tuned into Last Word On Sports Radio? LWOS is pleased to bring you 24/7 sports radio to your PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone. What are you waiting for?
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands at r/football.
Main Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images
