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The Portland Timbers are coming off a bittersweet season in 2017, as they finished in first place in the Western Conference but disappointed in the playoffs, losing to the Houston Dynamo in the conference semifinals. Even though Portland won the Western Conference, only seven points separated first place from seventh place. The Timbers were excellent at home last season, but they struggled on the road. If they are to be serious MLS Cup contenders they need to find a way to win more than four road games.
Portland Timbers MLS Odds
Portland will get some attention in MLS futures simply because they won the Western Conference last season. Portland was solid offensively a year ago, as they scored 60 goals but to win the MLS Cup they have to improve a defense that gave up 50 goals.
MLS Results
Portland went 11-2 at home last season with four draws, outscoring opponents by a combined 38-18. The Timbers struggled on the road, going 4-9 with four draws, getting outscored 32-22. The Timbers had a goal differential of just +10 and they were fortunate to win the West. Portland has had a similar record in each of the last four years. They won 14 games in 2013, a total of 12 games in 2014, 15 games in 2015, 12 games in 2016 and 15 games in 2017.
Players to Watch
The player to watch for Portland is Diego Valeri, as he scored 21 goals last season for the Timbers. Not only did he lead the team in goals, but he also led the team in assists with nine. Valeri has been a fixture with Portland for many years. He led the team in scoring in 2013 with 12 goals and in 2014 with 11 goals.
The Coach
Caleb Porter has led Portland since early in 2013, after he had a successful stint in college coaching with Akron. He led the Timbers to their only MLS Cup title in 2015.
Portland Timbers History
Portland was founded in 2009 and began play as an expansion team in the MLS in 2011. Portland played their first MLS game on March 19, 2011 as they lost to the Colorado Rapids 3-1. Portland had success in 2013, as they made the MLS playoff for the first time and reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup. The 2015 season was the most successful one for the Timbers, as they won the MLS Cup, defeating the Columbus Crew. Portland plays their home games at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. The main rival for Portland is Seattle but the team also has a rivalry with the Vancouver Whitecaps. The three teams compete each season for the Cascadia Cup.
Portland Timbers Predictions
The Timbers scored enough goals last season to compete for the MLS Cup, but they didn’t play well enough on defense. The Western Conference is completely up for grabs and Portland should be one of the top contenders. Anything is possible in the MLS playoffs and if Portland gets some help on defense they could be a serious threat to win the MLS Cup in 2018.
Portland Timbers Roster
G - Jake Gleeson
G - Jeff Attinella
G - Kendall McIntosh
D - Liam Ridgewell
D - Bill Tuiloma
D - Marco Farfan
D - Larrys Mabiala
D - Rennico Clarke
D - Alvas Powell
D - Chance Myers
D - Vytautas Andriuškevicius
D - Roy Miller
D - Zarek Valentin
D - Amobi Okugo
D - Gbenga Arokoyo
MF - Darlington Nagbe
MF - Diego Valeri
MF - Sebastián Blanco
MF - Lawrence Olum
MF - Ben Zemanski
MF - David Guzmán
MF - Diego Chará
MF - Jack Barmby
F - Dairon Asprilla
F - Jeremy Ebobisse
F - Fanendo Adi
F - Darren Mattocks
F - Victor Arboleda
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