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Portland Timbers

Coming off of a 1-0 win at New York City last weekend and tied on points atop the Western Conference, the Portland Timbers complete their three-game road-trip on Saturday night with a matchup against Real Salt Lake in Sandy (6:30 p.m., TV on KPDX).

For RSL, clinging to faint playoff hopes with five games to go, this is a must-win. For the Timbers, unbeaten in four, it's an opportunity to continue to build momentum β€” and avenge the 4-1 beatdown they suffered when last these teams met in July in Portland.

The History

The 4-1 beatdown that RSL handed the Timbers in that July meeting was, in retrospect, the nadir of the club's summer swoon.

Since then, the Timbers have lost just once β€” at league-leading Toronto FC β€” taking seventeen points from eight games and shooting back up the Western Conference table.

This the Timbers' first and only trip of the year to Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, a venue that they have had all kinds of success at in recent years β€” winning there once in 2014, twice in 2015, and getting a draw last season.

But RSL looks reborn under new manager Mike Petke, and that's a good thing for this matchup. The Timbers and Salt Lake had a burgeoning rivalry in 2013 and 2014, but the competitive imbalance between the clubs during the Jeff Cassar years β€” during which RSL complied 1-4-4 record against Portland β€” mostly put an end to any lasting enmity.

The Timbers have long had former Salt Lake players in their team, and this year is no different: Their perspective starting goalkeeper for Saturday, Jeff Attinella, spent four seasons as Nick Rimando's backup in Utah. There's a connection going the other way as well this year, as RSL signed Nick Besler β€” a former Timbers first round draft pick β€” to a first team contract last month.

The Tactics

The Timbers are, as is routine, dealing with a number of injury concerns. Vytas and Darren Mattocks both left exited the NYCFC game with injuries β€” a shoulder problem for Vytas and knee contusion for Mattocks β€” and both are questionable for this game.

Liam Ridgewell and Fanendo Adi, both of whom are in the latter stages of their recoveries from injuries suffered in the LA game at the beginning of August, are listed as questionable as well. Jake Gleeson is back fit, but the goalkeeper job is almost certainly Jeff Attinella's for the moment.

One player who has no chance of playing on Saturday night is Diego Chara, who is suspended for yellow card accumulation after picking up his seventh booking of the season last weekend at Yankee Stadium.

When last the Timbers were without a starting central midfielder, against Seattle at the end of August, Caleb Porter opted to move Darlington Nagbe inside and start Dairon Asprilla on the wing β€” an arrangement that worked out well as Nagbe had one of his best games of the season.

That setup is an option again on Saturday, but Asprilla's fitness might be a concern. The Colombian winger has played sparingly since July, and another illness held him out of the New York trip.

Should Vytas or Ridgewell be able to start, Lawrence Olum would be free to line up alongside David Guzman in central midfield. But if Vytas and Ridgewell can't play, Roy Miller would slide to left back, and Olum would have to play center back β€” leaving Nagbe or Ben Zemanski, who hasn't seen the field in just under two months, on the central midfield depth chart.

RSL beat up on San Jose and Colorado in its last two home games, and the Timbers will be well aware of their attacking prowess from the July meeting. Speaking of attacking prowess β€” with a goal on Saturday, Diego Valeri will break the MLS record by scoring in his eighth consecutive game.

The Lineup

1 - Attinella
7 - Miller
33 - Mabiala
24 - Ridgewell (C)
16 - Valentin
13 - Olum
20 - Guzman
6 - Nagbe
8 - Valeri
10 - Blanco
11 - Mattocks

The Pick

There's an old adage in soccer that you don't play three good games in a row, and after their performances in Seattle and New York, this game β€” without Chara β€” is a big ask. The Timbers lose 2-1.