Portland Timbers vs. Colorado Rapids | 2020 MLS Match Preview

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 23
Portland Timbers vs. Colorado Rapids
Providence Park – Portland
November 4 – 11:00 PM ET

STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; on DAZN in Canada

LOCAL TV: Altitude, FOX 12 Plus (KPDX)

The Portland Timbers are looking to remain atop the Western Conference when they take on a Colorado Rapids squad trying to secure a playoff berth when the squads square off at Providence Park Saturday night.

The Timbers (11W-5L-5D) are unbeaten in their last four matches with back-to-back wins, including a 1-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps that put Portland atop the West at 1.81 points per game. The Rapids (6W-6L-4D) are seventh in the West at 1.38 PPG following a 3-1 win over the Seattle Sounders, their first win since a COVID-19 outbreak forced the team to go a month without playing.

The teams shared the points twice last year, playing to a 3-3 draw at Dick's Sporting Goods Park last March and 2-2 at Providence Park last July. The Timbers have dominated the series at Providence Park with an 8W-1L-1D record. 

Portland Timbers

Yimmi Chara's goal just past the hour mark proved to be the winner as the Timbers claimed a 1-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in a Cascadia clash at Providence Park Sunday. Portland head into their penultimate match of the season with just one loss in their last 12 matches, but were dealt a tough blow Monday when the club revealed Jaroslaw Niezgoda will miss the remainder of the season after the results of an MRI revealed a torn ACL in his left knee. 

Niezgoda, who suffered the injury in Sunday’s 1-0 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Providence Park, will undergo surgery on Nov. 9. A timetable for his return will be determined following the procedure.

• Updated team roster
• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Sebastian Blanco (M) - right ACL injury
  • OUT: Julio Cascante (D) - left ankle injury
  • OUT: Jaroslaw Niezgoda (F) - left ACL tear
  • QUESTIONABLE: Blake Bodily (M) - right thigh injury
  • QUESTIONABLE: Jeremy Ebobisse (F) - concussion
  • QUESTIONABLE: Dairon Asprilla (M) - left knee injury
• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: Diego Chara (M), Eryk Williamson (M)
• International duty:  None

Colorado Rapids

The Rapids moved a step closer toward clinching a playoff berth Sunday, defeating the Sounders 3-1. While other results required for the Rapids to officially clinch in Week 22 didn't materialize, Colorado made a huge late-season statement and are picking up where they left off before the COVID-19 outbreak-forced break. 

"I think if you look at our last couple of games before the break that we had, you could see the cohesion on both sides of the ball coming for us. Defensively we were moving really well and offensively we were really starting to play pretty well and move the ball quickly and really purposefully," Robin Fraser said after the match. "Now that we've come back from that break and we're working our way back into a rhythm, you see it again. As we build, it's certainly been our hope that we get back into that rhythm and guys get that feeling and confidence again. I think tonight was certainly a step in that direction."

• Updated team roster
• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Kortne Ford (D) - knee injury
  • OUT: Collen Warner (M) - undisclosed injury
• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: Lalas Abubakar (D), Jack Price (M)
• International duty:  None

Series Matchup at Timbers

• Timbers: 8 wins, 18 goals
• Rapids: 1 win, 6 goals
• 1 draw

Officials

• Referee: Joseph Dickerson
• Assistant Referees: Jose da Silva, TJ Zablocki
• 4th Official: Luis Arroyo
• VAR: Daniel Radford