Portland Timbers @ Real Salt Lake Preview | Timbers Play For Pride In Salt Lake
October 22, 2011 — PDXPIPELINEBy Will Conwell
GAME 34: Portland Timbers (11W-14L-8T) vs Real Salt Lake (15W-11L-7T)
Saturday, October 22, 6:00 p.m. KPDX
Previous match-up(s): 4/30/11 1-0 Win
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Watch on TV: KPDX (Comcast Channel 12)
Listen Online/Radio/On your Phone: 750AM The Game
Watch in PDX: Blitz Bar (SE, Pearl, Tigard) |Rialto (Downtown)
East Burn (heated patio & projection screen)
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The Timbers played for the win on a tough road swing against D.C. United on Wednesday but were only able to come away with one point for their troubles. That result, in concert with a New York Red Bulls win on Thursday, knocked the Timbers officially out of playoff contention. With the hopes for a post-season berth now gone, the Timbers will visit Salt Lake with nothing but pride on the line.
Real Salt Lake have clinched a playoff spot, but are neck and neck with F.C. Dallas the third and final seeded playoff berth in the western conference. Salt Lake will want to take the full three points to make sure they can avoid the extra play-in game that a wild card playoff berth entails.
Both teams will be missing key players for today's game. Out injured for the Timbers again are Darlington Nagbe and Sal Zizzo, while Salt Lake will be missing midfielder Kyle Beckerman who is serving the final game of a three game red card suspension. It is possible that John Spencer will take this opertunity to try out a new formation or give some reserve team players first team minutes, but it is unlikely that he will deviate from the usual starters given the team's stated intention of still coming away from Salt Lake with a win.
Real Salt Lake are historically one of the strongest home teams in MLS and are one of only three MLS teams to have gone undefeated at home, a feat they achieved last year as part of a Major League Soccer record 29 game home unbeaten run. While the Timbers have matured and have certainly put together some credible performances on the road late in the season, playing at Rio Tinto will still be a significant challenge for this maturing team to tackle.
STRATEGY¬Â¨
Real Salt Lake is a solid team at both ends of the pitch and do not have many weaknesses to exploit. With a perennial keeper of the year nominee in Nick Raimondo anchoring the defense, it will be up to the Timbers to create their own chances. Additionally, the Timbers will need to improve on their finishing over what was on display against D.C. if they want to have any chance at leaving with three points.
The number of players on Real Salt Lake capable of driving the attack is impressive and the Timbers will need to account for all of them. A dedicated defensive midfielder to help shut down Salt Lake's offense by clogging up passing lanes is a must. Additionally, Real is one of several teams in Major League Soccer with a number of players capable of scoring from distance, something that has burned the Timbers on several occasions this season, and the Timbers defense will need to be wary of the fact and ready to shut down Salt Lake's midfielders quickly.
TOP 5 GOAL SCORERS
1. Kenny Cooper – 8
2. Jack Jewsbury – 7
3. Jorge Perlaza – 6
4. Eric Brunner – 3
5. Tie: Rodney Wallace/Mamadu ¬Å“Futty¬Â Danso/Diego Chara/Darlington Nagbe – 2
BOTTOM LINE
It would have been nice for this game to have a little more meaning to it, but coach Spencer will not let the team rest on their laurels. The Timbers will be hard pressed to come away from this one with something, but it should be an entertaining game to watch.
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Pipeline's Portland Timbers coverage by:
Will Conwell
Will Conwell is an aspiring novelist who spends his free time unloading trucks in warehouses. His passions in life are soccer, beer, and writing, which he has found are best enjoyed in concert. Will can be contacted at william.conwell@gmail.com or on twitter at TimbersPipeline.
