Portland had to go through the play-in round, where they won a dramatic penalty shootout against Sporting Kansas City, before winning series against Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Dallas.
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There will be wide-open soccer; there will be lots of chances for both sides; there will even be a handful of goals on Sunday – it won’t be like the typical cagey affair in a Cup final where both sides spend forever feeling each other out and are afraid to make a mistake. Michael Parkhurst appeared to handle the ball as it caromed off the underside of the bar and diverted it onto the near post.
Mapfe Stadium has hosted the MLS Cup before, back in 2001 when it was known as Columbus Crew Stadium and the game was held a neutral site.
Things took an nearly existential turn after Porter considered the destiny question in the pregame press conference. “We’ve taken some grief for playing defensively but a couple years ago I wouldn’t have been able to put the team out there and close the game out to win”.
The Crew are part of the MLS Eastern Conference, so their name may not be as familiar as Western Conference rivals like the Seattle Sounders. Their 41 goals this season were the fourth-fewest by any MLS team. But he fell in practice Saturday, clutching his right leg. The Crew will need a quick recovery.
I think you could see a little bit of nerves, Columbus coach Gregg Berhalter said. “So I’m going to go in the locker room and figure out what happened and figure out what the treatment is and if he is going to be available”.
He added: “My guess right now is he’d be available”.
“There were some games this year we should’ve won”, he said.
Portland Timbers raise the trophy after defeating the Columbus Crew 2-1 in the MLS Cup championship soccer game, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015, in Columbus, Ohio. Kamara has the ability to be a game breaker in the MLS Cup, and not having him in the lineup will hurt Columbus, according to Joe Tanasey. In the conference semifinals, Columbus beat Montreal 4-3 with extra time, and claimed the East title with a 2-1 victory on aggregate over NY.
Who’s the Timbers player I should watch?
In his end-of-season, state-of-the-league address earlier in the week, MLS commissioner Don Garber said the success of the two small-market teams validates the league’s idea that every fan should believe that their team has the chance to win the MLS title.
In the 71st minute, Portland’s Fanendo Adi nodded the ball off the right post and Clark’s chest, the Nigerian’s rebound bouncing over the backline for a Portland corner kick. It’s two teams that both like to attack.
The Timbers are unbeaten in eight-consecutive MLS matches, including postseason (5W 3D in regulation, 6W 2D including PKs).
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Columbus finished with one shot on goal with home field advantage in the final. The goal scorer is awarded the slice. They face off against the Columbus Crew in a bid for the top honor in American soccer.
