(7) Portland Timbers (7,6,12, 33 points) vs (13) Toronto FC (7,12,5, 26 points)
Saturday, August 13, 2020 KO 4:30 PM PST
BMO Field, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Portland Timbers Briefly
Regardless of last week’s blunder by Diego Chara, the man is still one of Portland’s foremost players in the field and nobody like him gives more than a 150% on the field alongside being the most valuable for the Timbers.
Still, this team is in need to start making a statement on the remainder of this season and the first order of business is to seize a spot in the postseason, as the defending Western Conference champions!
However, the team is lacking drive, passion, and most of all ambition to win.
The dependence of a player or two it shouldn’t’ be, as this is a team effort and for its manager Giovanni Savarese its time to start being bold and start making some moves in his lineup.
To give more opportunities to its young core is a must in the remainder of the season. So far, David Ayala and Santiago Moreno are the main examples.
The Timbers are in need too of creating scoring opportunities for Jaroslaw Niezgoda, and must put in Sebastian Blanco from the start alongside with Santiago Moreno who is becoming very important on the offensive game.
If I was the team manager in these instances, I shouldn’t be experimenting with new formations as the team is already familiar with the 4-2-3-1 and put on a shield against the Italian Duo of Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernasdechi all game long.
To recap this upcoming match, the Portland Timbers are in need of a win and taking every game seriously as it was their last one of the seasons with a lot in stake and with a win on the road will be a highlight as well confidence booster.
Probable Lineup:
GK Aljaz Ivacic, Bill Tuiloma, Zac McGraw, Dario Zuparic; Claudio Bravo, David Ayala, Eryk Williamson, Diego Chara; Sebastian Blanco, Santiago Moreno; Jaroslaw Niezgoda
Toronto FC Briefly
Manager Bob Bradley is one happy man, after all the arrival of his Italian trio delivering with wins as well the team is finding its true game identity, despite being near the cellar in the overall table.
Seeded in 13th place and with 26 points, but they with striking distance of Chicago Fire seeded currently in seventh place with 30 points. So far looks like Toronto is seeing an all-around improvement ever since the arrivals of Bernasdechi, Insigni, and Domenico Criscito.
The remaining matches will become vital for Bob Bradley and company as every game and point in play will be central for the Reds in the remainder of the season, but with every match lately they are showing off their strength.
With the Portland Timbers in town and these with an unbeaten streak of ten games, I foresee a very disputed and contested match between these two titans looking at any cost of not surrendering any points.
As with Il Magnifico and the former Architect of Fiorentina, somehow these two will become a handful for the visiting Rose City Boys coming to Hogtown and looking to score three valuable points.
Probable Lineup:
GK Alex Bono, Richie Lareya, Lukas McNaughton, Chris Mavinga, Domenico Criscito; Jonathan Osorio, Michael Bradley, Jayden Nelson; Lorenzo Insigne, Jesus Jimenez, Federico Bernasdechi
Meetings
04/27/2019 Toronto FC 1-2 Portland Timbers
08/29/2018 Portland Timbers 2-0 Toronto FC
08/12/2017 Toronto FC 4-1 Portland Timbers
Forecast
Another tough on the road challenge for the PTFC against a much-improved Toronto FC
Portland Timbers
Toronto FC
