On Wednesday night, the Portland Timbers got a season-saving win at Real Salt Lake. Still tied on points and trailing on a tiebreaker for the sixth and final playoff spot with the San Jose Earthquakes, everyone is preparing for the final game of the season next Sunday at home against the Colorado Rapids to decide the Timbers' fate. Portland plays this weekend too, but it's hard to find anyone who isn't writing the match off.

No one is giving the Timbers a snowball's chance in hell on Sunday (4:00 PM, FOX Sports 1) in Los Angeles. After all, the Galaxy have lost only once at home in almost two years, racking up a home goal differential this season of +28. Add in that LA still has plenty to play for and the fact that the Timbers will be short-handed and playing on short rest, and all the signs point to a Galaxy rout. If Portland can get anything from this game — even a draw — they'll have shocked the MLS world.

The History

LA absolutely destroyed the Timbers in the last meeting between these two teams, which came on a Wednesday night almost four months ago. It finished 5-0 Galaxy, with Liam Ridgewell getting sent off late in the second half. That match, which was followed by a thumping 4-1 win over Seattle, was Portland's only loss in June — the team's best month of the season.

The Timbers' first matchup with the Galaxy was a thriller at Providence Park in March, when both teams scored in stoppage time in a 2-2 draw. Portland has never won in at the StubHub Center in MLS play, and this game will be the Timbers' first against the likes of Steven Gerrard and Giovani dos Santos.

The Timbers and LA have only played one match in the last four years that wasn't nationally televised — and that match in 2013 was the last local Timbers broadcast for John Strong, now of FOX, and Robbie Earle, now of NBC. Strong will be calling the game on Sunday for FS1.

The Tactics

The Timbers have run into injury problems again. With Will Johnson and Ben Zemanski both still working back from longterm leg injuries and Jack Jewsbury in a walking boot after picking up an injury in training a week ago, Diego Chara and George Fochive are the team's only healthy central midfielders.

On Wednesday, Caleb Porter started only Chara in central midfield with five attackers ahead of him. But he not have that luxury this weekend. Lucas Melano picked up a shoulder injury against Salt Lake and is questionable for this game. If he can't go, or even if he can and Porter understandably wants to get more defensive bite in his team, Fochive could start alongside Chara.

In defense, Alvas Powell is suspended due to yellow-card accumulation, so Taylor Peay is set to make his second start of the season at full-back. Both Chara and Diego Valeri are one yellow card away from their own bans, and there remains the chance that Porter will protect them and make sure they're both available for next weekend against Colorado.

LA hasn't played since they drew Seattle two weeks ago, and they've gotten healthy in their time off. Gio dos Santos is expected to be in the eighteen, as is Robbie Rogers. A.J. DeLaGarza could also be back. This match could serve as a sendoff for retiring LA fullback Todd Dunivant.

The Pick

The Timbers goal in this game should be no injuries and no suspensions. This isn't where they're going to make their last stand of 2015. 3-0 LA.