With the World Cup in full flow, the Portland Timbers are set to resume league play on Sunday afternoon as they make their first-ever MLS trip to Georgia to face table-topping Atlanta United (1:30 p.m., TV on FOX).
It’ll be one of the Timbers’ toughest tests of the season, against what is very likely the country’s best team, and it’ll also be the club’s first matchup against their former appearance leader and franchise cornerstone: the just recently departed Darlington Nagbe.
The Opponent
Atlanta took the league by storm in the first season — hiring a world-renowned manager, setting a series of attendance records, and scoring 70 goals while playing the league’s most high-octane soccer. Their year ended with a defeat on penalties against Columbus in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, but it was an unforgettable debut.
This season could be even better. Atlanta lead the league in goals, wins, and points through their first 16 games, with striker Josef Martinez on pace to break the MLS single season scoring record.
The Five Stripes haven’t lost any players for the World Cup — Nagbe likely would have missed this game had the U.S. qualified — but they did play at home on Wednesday night in the U.S. Open Cup, falling 1-0 to the Chicago Fire.
Leandro Gonzalez Pirez and Almiron started the game against the Fire, but the rest of the team was comprised of reserves. They should be raring to go.
The Tactics
Atlanta have played a 5-3-2 ever since being taken apart in a 4-2-3-1 against Houston on Opening Day, with Nagbe playing in a deep-lying position just ahead of Jeff Larentowicz, and the dynamite front three of Ezequiel Barco, Miguel Almiron, and Martinez ahead of them.
Atlanta will hold the ball, especially at home, but most often put teams under pressure with the pace of their forward players and tempo at which they attack. The wingbacks play high up the field, especially Julien Gressel, who scored in Portland last year, with Almiron and Barco looking to run at defenders.
Very few teams who go to Atlanta play on the front foot — though the New York Red Bulls did in May, to great success — and the Timbers will likely be, as they’ve been a number of times this year, happy to sit back and play on the counter.
Portland’s organization will be tested, as will their focus over what is going to feel like a very long 90 minutes. The goal is to frustrate Atlanta and make it difficult for them to play, much as we’ve seen top teams frustrated in Russia over the last week, and be clinical on their breaks.
The Lineup
1 – Attinella
16 – Valentin
25 – Tuiloma
33 – Mabiala
2 – Powell
21 – Chara
22 – Paredes
14 – Flores
8 – Valeri (C)
10 – Blanco
9 – Adi
— David Guzman and Andy Polo are still away with their national teams, but Liam Ridgewell, Vytas, and Julio Cascante are all fully fit will be available for selection.
— Savarese has decisions to make in defense, where he has three center backs (Ridgewell, Cascante and Bill Tuiloma) to choose from to play alongside Larrys Mabiala. Ridgewell hasn’t played since the end of May, and this would be a tough game to bring him back in.
— If Savarese feels that the Timbers’ will be playing exclusively on the counter, Samuel Armenteros’ pace might get him the nod ahead of Fanendo Adi.
The Memory
Atlanta impressed in this game at Providence Park last year, but the Timbers nearly it on this stunning stoppage time volley from Guzman.
The Pick
The unbeaten streak ends here. Atlanta 2, Portland 0.
