MLS Cup Playoffs are reaching its pinnacle as the Timbers welcome Real Salt Lake to Providence Park
2 min read
This weekend we’ll find out which two teams will be left standing as the MLS Cup Playoffs will come close to reaching its pinnacle. We’ve gone over how wild these playoffs have been, but Portland took care of business against Minnesota United before upsetting the Colorado Rapids, the top-seeded team in the West, to get here. Real Salt Lake have been the cardiac kids taking down Seattle via a penalty-shootout win and using a late goal by Bobby Wood (remember him?) to knock off Sporting Kansas City.
Here’s are storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 4 | Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Providence Park — Portland, United States
- TV: FS1 | Live stream: fuboTV (try for free)
- Caesars Sportsbook Odds: Portland -106; Draw +270; Salt Lake +275
Featured Game | Portland vs. Real Salt Lake
Storylines
Portland Timbers: Win and you get to host MLS Cup. There’s no bigger motivation for the Timbers than that. While they will be without Dairon Asprilla due to red-card suspension, this is a Portland side that has enough depth to cope. While Portland has been able to score with ease this season, there are questions surrounding its defense, which has allowed 51 goals during the regular season. But Gio Savarese has tried to tighten things up leading to only allowing one goal across two matches thus far in the postseason. The Timbers will lean on Sebastian Blanco, but can also hurt you from set plays, so Salt Lake will need to be careful in how it defends here.
Real Salt Lake: Getting back Albert Rusnak will be quite the boost to a side that has gotten here by the skin of its teeth. David Ochoa has been the hero of the playoffs thus far, which is good, but somewhat concerning at the same time. The security of knowing that your keeper can clean up for mistakes gives defenders confidence, but allowing 21 shots in a match like they did to the Seattle Sounders won’t be the way to pull this one out. Hopefully, Rusnak’s return and his partnership with Damir Kreilach allows Real Salt Lake to be more expansive in attack on this away trip as they’re able to score but just haven’t been able to open things up without Rusnak.
Prediction
While Real Salt Lake have been able to get things up, the Timbers get this one done to host MLS Cup at home for their first appearance since 2018. Pick: Portland 3, Real Salt Lake 1
