Just four days removed from their biggest win of the season, the Portland Timbers are right back in action tonight at Stade Saputo in Montreal — where what is likely to be a heavily rotated Timbers team will try to grind out a result against the Impact (4:30 p.m., TV on KPTV).
The Opponent
Remi Garde’s Montreal Impact narrowly missed out on a postseason berth in 2018, seeing a second half surge come up four points short of the Philadelphia Union and the Eastern Conference’s sixth and final playoff spot.
This year, the Impact have made a much sounder start. They currently sit in second place in the East, again four points behind the Union for first, but eight points clear of the red line. As they did last summer and fall, the Impact have largely defended deep and counter attacked, with Saphir Taider carrying much of the load.
To date, it’s mostly worked. The issue now for the Impact is their long injuries and absences list. Franchise cornerstone Ignacio Piatti is hurt, Samuel Piette, Daniel Lovitz, Omar Browne, and Zachary Brault-Guillard are all at the Gold Cup, and Michael Azira is at the African Cup of Nations.
Montreal has been saved somewhat by their schedule — they haven’t played in three weeks — and will be fresh, if shorthanded, for this game. One familiar face will be on available: striker Maxi Urruti, who, handed a DP deal in the offseason, has scored just one goal in 17 appearances this season.
The Tactics
Garde has played with three central defenders at times this year, and with so many attacking options missing, he may be inclined to do so again tonight. It will be incumbent upon the Timbers to get players up the field enough to move them around.
For Portland, this game is of relatively little importance: a long East Coast trip sandwiched between two conference home games that comes during a stretch in which they also are missing a handful of regular contributors due to injuries and international committments.
Giovani Savarese played what amounted to his best eleven last Saturday against Houston, and he’ll do the same next Sunday against Dallas. With that in mind, he’ll likely rotate his team significantly for this one — building around Sebastian Blanco, who, having served a suspension over the weekend, will be a focal point.
Young players will get opportunities and will be expected to respond — just as Renzo Zambrano and Marvin Loría did against the Dynamo. Blanco will carve out a few chances on his own, and if the Timbers can hold things together defensively, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be competitive.
The pressure here is on Montreal. Given the circumstances, Portland would happily take a point.
The Lineup
12 – Clark
94 – Jadama
5 – Dielna
18 – Cascante
32 – Farfan
22 – Paredes
30 – Williamson
10 – Blanco
19 – Conechny
27 – Asprilla
17 – Ebobisse
— There’s plenty up in the air with this lineup, but whatever else happens, it’d be a surprise to see either Larrys Mabiala or newly minted MLS all star Diego Chara. Diego Valeri may be more likely to play, as he was rested last Wednesday night.
— Cristhian Paredes missed out due to illness on Saturday, if he’s not fit, Renzo Zambrano might be handed another start.
— Zarek Valentin missed both games last week with a thigh injury. If he’s fit, Cascante or Jadama will drop out.
— Steve Clark is playing well in goal, but if ever there was a game to get Jeff Attinella back on the field after his nightmarish outing against LAFC, it’d probably be this one.
— Dairon Asprilla was absent from both the Timbers and the T2 matchday squads on Saturday, while Lucas Melano made the bench for the Timbers. One of those players will almost certainly be on this trip.
The Memory
This will be the Timbers’ first trip to Montreal under Giovani Savarese. Their last trip, in May of 2017, went south in a hurry.
The Pick
Both teams will be far from full strength, and while a win might be out of Portland’s grasp, a draw shouldn’t be. This will finish 1-1.
