Match Details & Discussion Thread: Timbers @ Whitecaps
Come chat about Portland's first Cascadia match of the season!
Have a thought to share as you watch the match? Need a place to vent? Come chat about in the comments section of this thread on the Stumptown Footy Substack site!
The Portland Timbers (1-3-2) second road game in consecutive weeks takes them up north of the border to face the Vancouver Whitecaps (1-2-3), where the Timbers face their first test in defending their Cascadia Cup crown.
Storylines so far
The Timbers are coming off of a dramatic last-gasp draw in Dallas, courtesy of the foot of their freshly-signed TAM striker Franck Boli. Just because it was an awesome way to announce yourself to your new club, let’s watch it one more time:
That stunner of an equalizer snatched Portland’s first point in Frisco since 2018, and also marked the first time all season that the Timbers have been able to nab consecutive results, with the 1-1 draw coming on the heels of a scoreless draw against the Galaxy two weeks ago.
That will likely give Portland a bit of a boost in their confidence as they stride out onto the turf of BC Place. However, as has been the story literally all season so far, they will be doing so short-handed.
Eryk Williamson joined the injury list, as he picked up a bit of a knock during the match against Dallas last week. He played through it, but the coaching staff noticed that the pain was still bothering him enough to rule him out for this weekend.
Portland will benefit from the return of Evander, as the Designated Player is now officially off the availability report and is available tonight.
Additionally, Portland will enjoy expanded roles for both Dairon Asprilla and Boli, who after building up their fitness are set to be available for more minutes this evening. Boli is available for about 30-45 minutes according to Gio, and so while he is unlikely to start he stands a good chance to play his super-sub role for the team yet again.
The recovering Timbers will face a Vancouver team that is coming off a huge 5-0 win over Montreal at BC Place last weekend. However, the ‘Caps most recent game was a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of LAFC in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals midweek.
They are coming into tonight on short rest, making this match a prime candidate for Portland to start off their defense of the Cascadia Cup with a win.
Pregame reading
Sam took another look at Portland’s draw in Dallas in his latest Tree Rings column:
Alex took a stab at figuring out how Portland will sort out their striker situation with Boli now in the fold:
And Sam has your preview on what to expect in tonight’s Cascadia clash:
How to watch
Location: BC Place | Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada
Time: 7:39 p.m. PT
Watch: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (Free)
Lineups
Portland Timbers
Why the fuck is Niezgoda coming on over Nathan and Boli????
I try not to be negative, but I am quite frustrated with the state of the team and play. We just seem lost. I hate to call for Gio's head, but I think it's more coaching than players. Ugh.