By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (Dec 6, 2021) US Soccer Players – All eyes will be on Portland this Saturday when the Timbers take on New York City FC (3pm ET – ABC). It is the first time Providence Park will host the final, while the Timbers will compete in their third MLS championship game in seven years. NYCFC, meanwhile, will be playing for their first MLS Cup.
“To be able to host MLS Cup, it is a dream come to reality,” Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese said after Saturday’s 2-0 win against Cinderella side Real Salt Lake. “It is not only an event for Providence Park, but also for the city of Portland.”
Portland and NYCFC should make for a great game, even if a meeting of the 4th-seeds wasn’t what anyone predicted. The Timbers won it in 2015 and finished runners-up three years later. At the same time, NYCFC will try to do something their city rivals, the New York Red Bulls, have been unable to do by winning an MLS title. NYCFC’s appearance in the MLS Cup final makes them the 17th club in league history to advance to the championship game.
The Timbers, with their strong defense and deadly counterattack, play the type of soccer that’s perfect for grabbing wins during bracket play. Portland won the MLS is Back tournament in 2020 doing this very thing, and it’s now proven successful over the course of this season.
Here’s a closer look at the MLS finale and keys to the game.
NYCFC aiming to make history
Let’s start with the Eastern Conference representative. NYCFC has been on an upward trajectory over the past few seasons, often playing very attractive soccer in the process. What hasn’t happened is success in the playoffs. Until this season, NYCFC never got past the quarterfinals.
“This club has gone through a lot already in a young age,” NYCFC coach Ronny Deila, in only his first season at the club, told reporters. “Today we have for a third time had success and we bring the first trophy to the club. I’m sure it’s not going to be the last. As I said to the boys, enjoy it because this is a big, big thing. The whole club has to enjoy it, the supporters, everybody.”
NYCFC eliminated the New England Revolution on penalties, then scored two unanswered goals in a 2-1 come-from-behind win over favorites Philadelphia Union. It’s worth noting that Philadelphia was missing 11 players against NYCFC due to the league’s health and safety protocols as a result of COVID-19 exposure. After hosting Atlanta in the opening round, NYCFC has spent the rest of the playoffs on the road.
Portland has the edge
Portland, it appears, has the edge here. They are at home with the Timbers Army providing atmosphere and extra days’ rest. New York has to fly across the country. NYCFC, however, will have the services of Golden Boot winner Valentin “Taty” Castellanos in the lineup after serving a one-match suspension against the Union due to a red card. Countering that for Portland will be the return of playmaker Sebastian Blanco, one of the league’s most-creative players, who was forced to sit out the RSL match with a hamstring injury.
Savarese’s squad is stacked. Striker Felipe Mora, who scored 11 goals during the regular season, has kept up his great form in the postseason. He banged in two more goals, including the first goal in the Western Conference Finals, to help Portland reach the final. Portland keeps the Cascadia run in the West going. Since 2015, it has been either Portland or Seattle as the West’s representative at MLS Cup.
Playoff format comes under question
The final aside, the playoff format that got us these two teams has again raised questions. By design, the single-elimination format stressing home field advantage should add value to the regular season. You do well there, and the reward is an easier path through the playoffs. It hasn’t worked out that way. Getting a first round bye and international break certainly didn’t help top seeds New England or the Colorado Rapids. Both teams exited at the first opportunity. Add in the 2nd and 3rd seeds in the West, and the issues are understandable.
American sports are all about playoffs rather than the regular season, and MLS is unlikely to buck that safe assumption about how to crown a champion. In theory, at least, upsets are the type of thing that makes playoffs unpredictable and fun. That said, too many of them speak to a broader structural problem. This year’s final is a testament to the unpredictable nature of MLS, for better or worse.
Still, the playoffs are the same scenario for every team involved. One way or another, win or go home. There’s no sense in bemoaning the teams that aren’t in the final. Instead, let’s focus on the two deserving teams playing for a championship.
Certainly, anything can happen on Saturday at Providence Park. The Timbers know better than to take anything as a given in this league. In a one-off game, anything can happen. Just ask New England and Philadelphia.
Clemente Lisi is a regular contributor to US Soccer Players. He is also the author of A History of the World Cup: 1930-2018.
More from Clemente Lisi:
- The changing market for Brazilian players in Major League Soccer
- MLS takes a risk with Thanksgiving Day playoff soccer
- The development of the Canadian Premier League
- Preview: 2021 MLS Playoffs
Photo by ISIPhotos.com
