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Craig Mitchelldyer/Portland Timbers
With back-to-back wins under their belts and less than a month until the re-opening of Providence Park, things are looking decidedly up for the 2019 Portland Timbers. Their next test comes Saturday night in Sandy against a familiar Western Conference rival in Mike Petke's Real Salt Lake (6 p.m., TV on ROOT Sports).

The Opponent

Real Salt Lake was one of the more entertaining sides in MLS last year. They squeaked into the playoffs on the last day of the season, went on the road and upset LAFC in Wild Card round thriller, and then took Sporting Kansas City to the wire before bowing out of the playoffs.

On the field, RSL is mostly unchanged from last year. Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando are still the team's anchors, Rimando in what he has announced will be his final season, while a bevy of talented young players, from Justin Glad to Albert Rusnak, are the team's most important players from back to front.

The question for Salt Lake is, again, whether they have enough top-end talent β€” and whether Petke has enough tactical acumen β€” to mount a serious challenge for silverware.

They made a slow start to this season, winning just one of their first six games and losing 5-0 at DC United in mid-March, but were better in April. This is the kind of game, at home against a West Coast team, that they must take of business in if they want to compete at the top end of the conference.

The Tactics

Over the last two weeks, the Timbers have rediscovered their 2018 identity: sit deep and stay compact defensively, and then get out on the break.

It's worked a charm. The Timbers have also gotten breakout performances from a trio of young players in problem areas, Cristhian Paredes, Bill Tuiloma, and Jeremy Ebobisse β€” the latter of whom Giovani Savarese praised at length this week for his maturation and decision-making.

RSL are using more of a straight up 4-2-3-1. The central midfield partnership of late has been Beckerman and Damir Kreilach, which, remember, was the partnership that the Timbers absolutely annihilated in two consecutive games last fall.

Kreilach can also line up at forward β€” he scored 12 goals last season β€” but Liberian import Sam Johnson has two goals in his last three games and appears to have won the job for the moment.

For the Timbers, the key will containing RSL's wide players in the attack and then catching their central midfield in transition moments. If they can do that, they'll be in a very good position to clinch another a point or three.

The Lineup

1 - Attinella
16 - Valentin
25 - Tuiloma
33 - Mabiala
2 - Moriera
22 - Paredes
21 - Chara
14 - Flores
10 - Blanco
8 - Valeri (C)
17 - Ebobisse

β€” The club said that Steve Clark's getting first start of the season last weekend in Toronto was unrelated to Jeff Attinella's poor performance in Columbus, but goalkeeper will be a spot worth watching on the lineup card tomorrow.

β€” Andy Polo got back on the field right at the end of the win last weekend, but the job on the wing opposition Sebastian Blanco appears to be Andres Flores' β€” at least until Brian Fernandez arrives.

The Memory

The Timbers have played well at the Rio Tinto in recent years, and last October's trip was a high-point: a 4-1 blowout victory that set up the club's run to MLS Cup.

The Pick

RSL is playing better soccer of late, but so, of course, are the Timbers. This one will finish 2-2.