Two teams currently holding down the final two playoff positions in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer will battle on Wednesday as the Portland Timbers host Nashville SC at Providence Park.
Last year's MLS runners-up sit seventh thanks to an eight-game unbeaten run, while the Boys in Gold are just a point above them in the table, having drawn their previous two games by a 1-1 score.
Match preview
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For a second successive campaign, the Timbers have managed to turn around a season that appeared to be heading nowhere, as they earned a single point over the weekend in an entertaining 4-4 draw against Minnesota United.
While pleased with the opportunities that his side created against the Loons, manager Giovanni Savarese has not been happy about the giveaways they have conceded lately, as Portland have been caught out in transition multiple times.
Their goal one minute into the match this past weekend was the first time they had scored in the opening half since an emphatic 3-0 win over the Seattle Sounders, as the Timbers have salvaged several points late in matches this year.
With back-to-back games taking place at Providence Park against teams above them in the Conference and the regular season starting to wind down, this could be a wonderful opportunity for Portland to give themselves some breathing room in the playoff race.
On their current unbeaten stretch, they have outscored their opponents 18-10 and have come alive offensively, scoring multiple goals in six of those encounters.
In their last seven matches where they tallied the opening goal, Portland have picked up at least a point in each of those fixtures.
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Another low-scoring affair earned Nashville a single point this past weekend as they failed to hang onto an early advantage at home to the Vancouver Whitecaps, having dropped four points over their previous two matches from winning positions.
For a side who pride themselves on their defensive play, it is rather uncharacteristic to see them struggle to maintain these advantages, having now left 12 points on the table when leading in the second half.
Gary Smith's team have relied heavily on their star German striker to provide them with goals, while they have struggled to give him much support, scoring only once on five successive occasions.
Defending against some of the more dynamic attacking units in the Western Conference has proven to be a lot more challenging for them, having conceded 29 times already this year, only four fewer than in the entire 2021 regular season, when they were situated in the Eastern Conference.
While their impressive form at home was a central talking point throughout the first half of this season, they have been a pretty solid unit away from home, scoring multiple goals on four occasions and collecting more than half of their points this year on the road (18).
The Boys in Gold have only played one previous match at Providence Park, back in 2020, when they had seven shots on target but failed to find the back of the net, losing 1-0 despite conceding just one shot on goal.
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Team News
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Sebastian Blanco became the first player in Timbers history to score multiple goals in consecutive matches against a single opponent, notching a brace in his last two games versus the Loons, while his strike 13 seconds into their previous encounter was the fifth-fastest one in league history, and the quickest since Justin Meram tallied nine seconds into a 2015 playoff encounter.
Diego Chara made his 350th career appearance for Portland in their previous match, becoming the seventh player to earn that many caps for one club, while Jaroslaw Niezgoda picked up his team-leading eighth goal of the season, as he, Santiago Moreno and Claudio Bravo all had assists.
The Timbers will be without Felipe Mora for the remainder of the season after recently undergoing cartilage restoration surgery on his left knee, Cristhian Paredes is questionable with an ankle problem, Eryk Williamson and Blake Bodily have hamstring issues and Diego Gutierrez has a foot injury.
Diego Chara and Dairon Asprilla will both be suspended for this encounter after receiving yellow cards against Minnesota.
Teal Bunbury has scored in consecutive matches for Nashville after only tallying twice in his previous 34 league appearances, scoring on a night where he earned his 330th career MLS cap off a nice set-up from leading scorer Hany Mukhtar.
Sean Davis played the entire match for his side against the Whitecaps, as he is tied with Mukhtar for minutes played (1.897), Joe Willis made five saves and Walker Zimmerman led them in touches (102).
Shaquell Moore made his debut for the Boys in Gold in their previous encounter, playing just over an hour before being replaced by Eric Miller.
Alex Muyl missed their previous match due to a yellow card suspension, Ake Loba is questionable with a trunk issue, and Anibal Godoy has a thigh injury.
Portland Timbers possible starting lineup:
Ivacic; Bravo, Zuparic, Tuiloma, Van Rankin; Y. Chara, Ayala, Blanco, Moreno; Niezgoda, Fogaca
Nashville SC possible starting lineup:
Willis; Moore, Zimmerman, Romney, Washington; Bunbury, Davis, Muyl, Leal; Mukhtar, Sapong
We say: Portland Timbers 1-1 Nashville SC
These are the top two teams in the Western Conference regarding draws, and with the standings so tight, we do not expect either team to take too many chances, seeing as they are both currently above the playoff line.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
