Valeri, who won match MVP honors, was more of a disruptive force than a creator for parts of this game, but that disruption is what caused the first goal, and his calm helped Portland hold onto the lead. After the dramatic knockout game against Kansas City, the Timbers beat Vancouver in the conference semifinals before claiming the West title against Dallas, 5-3 on aggregate.
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While the Timbers pondered destiny, the Crew were dealing with uncertainty.
Sportsnet soccer commentator Paul Dolan calls Sunday’s contest a matchup between “the two hottest teams” in MLS. Despite their vintages, both clubs are actually quite similar. “But it the end it’s hard to argue that either team doesn’t deserve to be there”, Dolan said. However, it is rare that a player sits out of a championship game due to a slight injury, and a player of Kamara’s quality could still be effective despite an injury, according to Taylor Twellman.
The Crew later said via Twitter that Kamara would be a game-time decision.
Addressing the media shortly after Saturday’s injury at MAPFRE Stadium, Crew coach Gregg Berhalter said he could not provide a definitive update. “We’re very tactically flexible and we can do different things to win games and these guys buy into that”. Named to the MLS Best XI-first all-star team.
The MLS finals will also be broadcast via online radio stations. Kamara’s 25 goals over the regular season and postseason are the most total goals in MLS this season.
Cup finals notoriously start cautiously, as teams try to avoid mistakes early on. Kamara, Finlay, Wil Trapp et al have done the business when it’s mattered, and that’s why they’re here, and Didier Drogba, Bradley Wright-Phillips and others are watching from home.
After Portland took the ball clearly out of bounds down the touchline, Columbus’ Federico Higuain stopped, expecting to be given a throw-in.
That gives the Crew a decided edge, according to Dolan. This years final will be played in Columbus in a Don Garber signature, a soccer specific stadium. “How much would playing on turf in front of the Timbers Army help Portland if they were hosting on Sunday?”
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They’ve met three times in Columbus, with the Crew earning two wins and losing once. Timbers striker Fanendo Adi scored a couple of goals in the 28th and 50th minutes and led his team to victory. MLS Executive Vice President of Communications, Dan Courtemanche, said Columbus will be in the global spotlight. This is Portland’s first trip to the league’s championship game. Columbus have won the title once before in their history, while the Timbers have not won any trophies since making the step up from the second division to MLS. “That’s something that I think is empowering to fans and, frankly, should be something that has everyone around the league feeling good about”.
