Portland Timbers will attempt to extend their unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer to five matches when they face Minnesota United at Providence Park on Sunday.
The visitors snapped a six-game winless run last time out and will be looking to claim their fourth away victory of the campaign this weekend.
Portland Timbers vs Minnesota United Team News
After a lengthy weather delay, the Portland Timbers managed to grind out a scoreless draw against Real Salt Lake, just one week after being knocked out of the US Open Cup by RSL.
The stalemate marked the first clean sheet of the season for Portland goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic, who made crucial saves all night for the Timbers and extended his side’s unbeaten streak to four matches.
Giovanni Savarese’s men reacted well to the cup defeat against Real Salt Lake when they returned to MLS football last weekend, by beating the Vancouver Whitecaps thanks to Franck Boli’s strike and a brace from Evander.
The Timbers currently find themselves sixth in the Western Conference with four wins, four draws and five losses so far this campaign and will be looking to climb the table further this weekend.
Minnesota managed to earn their first win of the month on Thursday with a 1-0 triumph over the Houston Dynamo, courtesy of Bongokuhle Hlongwane’s 14th-minute strike.
That victory snapped a six-game winless run in the league for Adrian Heath’s side, although the Loons have managed to secure a place in the round of 16 of the US Open Cup in recent weeks.
A 3-1 victory over Detroit City set up a round of 32 clash with the Philadelphia Union, which ended 3-3 after 120 minutes of action, with Minnesota eventually prevailing on penalties.
The Loons currently sit seventh in the Western Conference, two points clear of playoff-chasing Austin FC in 10th, and Heath’s side have found more joy on their travels than in front of their fans this season, picking up nine points from seven games on the road – the fifth-best record in the league.
Portland Timbers vs Minnesota United Head-to-Head
There have been 11 competitive meetings between the two sides across all competitions. Minnesota hold the upper hand against their western rivals with seven wins in this fixture.
Portland have emerged victorious three times while just one game has ended in a draw between the two rivals. They last met in an MLS playoff fixture in November at Sunday’s venue. The game ended in a 3-1 win for the then-hosts.
Portland Timbers vs Minnesota United Prediction
Portland Timbers and Minnesota United are both unbeaten in their pre-season games so far and should be able to play out a good game here as well.
Managers tend to rotate their starting XI in each half in these friendly fixtures, so it is a bit difficult to predict the outcome of the game. Nonetheless, we expect this game to end in a draw.
Prediction: Portland Timbers 2-2 Minnesota United