Portland Timbers and Sporting Kansas City will kick off their Major League Soccer campaigns on Sunday, when they square off in the curtain-raiser at Providence Park.
Both teams missed out on the playoffs last time around and will fight to make a winning start to the new season.
Match preview
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After six consecutive finishes in the top six and the playoff places of the MLS Western Conference, including the 2021 term in which they reached the MLS Cup final and fell just short, Portland Timbers now kick off the new campaign on the back of a disappointing showing last time around, as they narrowly missed out on reaching the playoffs.
The Timbers did put themselves in a strong position to qualify with four consecutive league victories across August and September, but as they only managed a draw and two defeats from the final three league matches, Giovanni Savarese's side would eventually finish one point behind Real Salt Lake and fail to progress as a result.
After concluding that campaign and turning their attention to 2023, the Oregon outfit began their pre-season with a meeting with Los Angeles Galaxy in mid-February and came out as 4-1 winners, before drawing 2-2 against Toronto three days later.
Savarese's men would finalise their pre-season preparations with a contest against New York City last Saturday, and they would come out on top as Zac McGraw headed in the only goal of the game in the second half.
Now coming off the back of a positive run of friendlies, and with the need to return to the playoff picture this season, Portland Timbers will be desperate to make a winning start to the campaign at Providence Park.
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They meet a Sporting Kansas City side who are also vying to bounce back from a disappointing campaign, as after finishing third in the Western Conference in 2021, they would sink to 12th spot in the 14-team division last time around.
That finish was only made possible by a strong end to the season from the Wizards, as they won five of their last eight league matches of the season while only losing on the final day, but they still only managed to finish six points behind Sunday's opponents and seven off the playoff places.
Peter Vermes's side also now come into the weekend on the back of an unbeaten pre-season, firstly drawing 2-2 with Louisville City early in February.
Sporting then met Real Salt Lake and drew by the same scoreline, as Johnny Russell and Willy Agada got on the scoresheet, before they wrapped up the run of friendlies with a 4-2 beating of USL Championship outfit Phoenix Rising on Saturday.
Now facing a trip to Oregon on the opening day, with the need to start the campaign much better than they did last time around to stand a chance of reaching the playoffs, Vermes's team will aim to begin with a three-point haul this weekend.
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Team News
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Portland Timbers' January signing Evander is bound to play an important role in his first MLS game for the club on Sunday, likely operating at the tip of the midfield.
Jaroslaw Niezgoda should lead the line after netting nine MLS goals last season, with Yimmi Chara and Marvin Loria set to offer further attacking support from the wings.
Elsewhere, Diego Chara and Eryk Williamson will likely partner up at the base of the midfield, with Dario Zuparic set to join Zac McGraw in the middle of a back four.
Sporting Kansas City rotated throughout their meeting with Real Salt Lake in pre-season, but the starting XI in that game will likely be the one that Vermes fields for the curtain-raiser, with Robert Voloder and Andreu Fontas set to partner up at the back in front of goalkeeper John Pulskamp.
Johnny Russell will again don the captain's armband for the beginning of the new term, after the Scottish winger hit eight MLS goals last season and 16 in the 2021 campaign.
Willy Agada should continue to lead the line, having also notched up eight league goals last time around in just 12 appearances following his switch from Hapoel Jerusalem.
Portland Timbers possible starting lineup:
Bingham; Bonilla, Zuparic, McGraw, Rasmussen; D Chara, Williamson; Y Chara, Evander, Loria; Niezgoda
Sporting Kansas City possible starting lineup:
Pulskamp; Zusi, Fontas, Voloder, Leibold; Espinoza, Walter, Davis; Russell, Agada, Salloi
We say: Portland Timbers 2-1 Sporting Kansas City
Portland Timbers fared better than their opponents last season and certainly boast the quality to return to the top end of the Conference, particularly with the addition of Evander, and we fancy them to make a winning start at home to Sporting Kansas City this weekend.
How to watch
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Sam Varley
