Timbers vs New York City FC Preview:
The saying goes that if you want to be the best, you need to beat the best. For the Portland Timbers this weekend, that may very well be the case. Their opponents, NYCFC led by the formidable French national star, Patrick Viera, have been exceptional thus far. The current #1 seed in the East have very much looked like the class of the MLS, with an exceptional all-around game and their ability to control the tempo for a full 90 minutes. They currently are the only team who hold a double-digit goal differential as well as leading the MLS in goals scored with 16 thru their first 7 games. Last week, NYCFC faced off against a talented Atlanta FC team in front of 45,000 screaming fans at the Mercedez Benz Stadium and looked perfectly comfortable en route to a 2-2 draw. NYCFC is so good, the Timbers will be actually be the underdogs at Providence Park, something that hasn’t had in Portland for a few seasons.
The Timbers will need to play their best game of the season on Sunday to come away with a win. After their first win of the season, the team will have some momentum, but they’re going to have to come out like gangbusters straight from the opening whistle if they want to stay in this game. They’ll also have to be much tighter in the back, keeping things clean in front for Gleason and the ball out of our back third as much as possible. Sporting KC, who is a phenomenal home team much like the Timbers, learned the hard way earlier this season as they were completely dominated in all aspects of the game and were shutout in Kansas City. The Timbers will need their newfound offensive prowess to be in full swing, drawing a lot of corners and making NYC focus on their defensive matchups more than organizing their attack in the Timbers half. If the offense can once again run through Blanco and they can provide lots of options for him, we still have the horses to put up a fight, they’re just going to have to come out of the gates like Seabiscuit!
Components
1-5 Scale; 1=Not Great; 5=Good or an Advantage for Our Team
Pinot Noir: 17-20, Pinot Gris 13-16, Rosé 9-12
# Explanation
Match Weather: 5 It’s supposed to be 65 and sunny at kickoff. That’s about as good as it gets, soccer fans.
Start Time: 5 Sunday Afternoon matinee & a nationally televised game on FS1. Clear your schedules.
Rivalry Game? 2 Though NYC is the top dog, they’re certainly not our rival. Because they’re top, it’s a 2.
Hot or Not? 2 Coming off their first win, the Timbers have finally drifted out of 1 territory.
Final Score: 14
Verdict: The Timbers having a home game against the top team in the MLS would scream Pinot Gris day by itself, but if you add a sunny 65-degree day to that mix on a beautiful April weekend, you just have the perfect match. Don’t forget what happened last week, Timbers fans. Our first home game was also a Pinot Gris day, and that Pinot Gris ended up on the ground in front of our seats (and maybe a little bit on the chairs in front of us?). We’re hoping to be equally as excited this Sunday if the Timbers can manage to shock the U.S. soccer world. With their faithful army behind them, we think there’s nothing this team can’t do. Don’t believe us? We’re taking the Timbers in a dramatic game that will come down to the wire, 2-1. #RCTID #Dontcallitanupset