WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: PORTLAND TIMBERS

Welcome back to What You Need To Know, a preview for Austin FC fans to check in on their next opponent. 

Opponent: Portland Timbers

Kick Off time: 9:30 PM US Central Time

Location: Providence Park, Portland Oregon

History vs. Austin FC:

The Timbers beat Austin FC in Austin 2-0 on May 29 of this year. All-time Austin is 0-1-2 in Portland including a 2-2 draw last season thanks to a late Will Bruin equalizer. 

Recent Matches:

Portland is on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot after getting 5 points in the last three matches and has only lost once since the Leagues Cup break. 

Players to Watch:

Evander 

The MLS Player of the Month from September had 9 goal contributions (4 goals, 5 assists) in the month. In another season Evander would be getting serious MVP consideration. He’s coming off a yellow card suspension last weekend so he will be fully fit and rested. 

Kamal Miller

Former Austin FC legend and all-time record holder for the shortest time at the club as a player has had to take on a different role in Portland. Normally playing in the center of defense Portland has pushed him out to LB frequently this season, trying to provide more defensive structure and mentality for a team that lacks both of those things. 

Jonathan Rodríguez

The Uruguayan attacker comes in hot having scored in their past three matches. He also put away the penalty in their 2-0 win in Austin. He brings a balance to Portland’s attack they were lacking last season and gives Evander the kind of attacking talent around him that our own Sebastián Driussi would love to have. 

Keys to the Match:

Elimination

Austin FC’s playoff chances are as slim as the fans’ patience with Josh Wolff. In order to advance they need to:

-Win out;

-Portland lose out;

-Makeup 20 goal differential in three matches;

-FC Dallas lose one of their remaining three matches.

Yes, every goal victory tonight counts as double for GD, but the record for the largest margin of victory in a MLS match is 7 (which has happened three times in the league’s history), which would still leave Austin needing to make up 6 more goals to tie Portland. 

The Vibes

I’m a big believer in “vibes” at a club, company, and organization. They matter. It matters if you like the people around you and the supervisors you’re working with.

Austin FC doesn’t have that. Whether it’s Sebastián Driussi’s body language whenever a pass to him wasn’t placed exactly where he wanted it, Alex Ring throwing the Captain’s armband, or Dani Pereira and Jon Gallagher getting into a shoving match (which all happened last weekend) it goes to show a team where the vibes are off. Yes, this season will almost assuredly end without a playoff appearance and the players rightfully aren’t enjoying themselves. In order for the results to improve on the field, the vibes need to improve off of them and the players need to be reminded, as Roy Kent would say “This is a fucking game, and it’s supposed to be fucking fun.”

All gas, no brakes

The Portland Timbers have the most goals scored in the conference (64) and have given up the fourth most (54), and most of any team currently in the playoffs. They’ve only been held to one or fewer goal in only 9 of their 31 matches (meanwhile Austin only has scored 2 or more in 10 of 31 matches). This does get Portland into some problems of giving up chances and opportunities, but their ability to score through a three-headed attack of Evander (15 goals), Jonathan Rodríguez (16 goals, and Felipe Mora (14 goals) always gives them a chance to get a result. 

WRITTEN BY: SCOTT SPECHT