The Portland Timbers don’t need to win Sunday’s match in Vancouver, British Columbia, to advance in the MLS Cup playoffs.
As long as they score at least one goal, a tie will push the Timbers into the Western Conference finals. That is because goals scored by the visiting team in the two-leg series are the first tiebreaker.
Since neither team scored in Portland last Sunday, any goals the Timbers score at Vancouver give them the edge should the match finish 1-1, 2-2 … or 6-6.
Major League Soccer adopted the away-goals tiebreaker for its two-leg playoff series last season, a move that means the league now uses the same tie-breaking procedure as major European and South American tournaments and the CONCACAF Champions League.
Timbers coach Caleb Porter likes the rule.
“I think it’s great. It’s the way it’s done in (UEFA) Champions League. It’s the way it’s done in the world,” Porter said. “It encourages the road team to attack. So I think it’s a good way to determine in a tiebreaker situation who goes on.”
The away-goals tiebreaker might rule soccer these days, but it hasn’t always. This is only the second season it is being used by MLS.
It was first used in Europe 50 years ago, in part because of the cost of traveling and the wear and tear on fields if a third match was played.
There is plenty of debate around the world about the fairness of the away-goals rule, including if the incentive for away teams to attack is offset by the incentive for home teams to defend.
In the case of this Timbers vs. Whitecaps two-leg playoff, might the rule actually benefit the lower seed Timbers?
Because Vancouver entered the playoffs seeded second in the Western Conference and Portland third, the Whitecaps get to host this decisive second game. On the other hand, if Portland scores a goal, Vancouver must score two to advance. The Timbers last weekend knew that shutting out the Whitecaps was as big, or bigger, than scoring goals themselves.
“It’s tough to say who has the advantage because they’re at home,” Porter said. “But with the way that we’ve played on the road, I’m not sure that it’s that big of an advantage.”
The tiebreak situation makes for an intriguing second leg. Do the Whitecaps, who like to stay compact and use their speed up top to produce counter-attack chances, come out of their shell early? Or does the impact of Portland scoring mean coach Carl Robinson takes a conservative approach?
The Timbers have won three consecutive road matches, which should give them confidence. Noting that his Timbers recent road success has come from playing to score goals, Porter said he sees no reason to change that approach.
“We’ve won those three games on the road by being aggressive and not really playing a reactive game,” Porter said. “We also won those games because we were organized and smart about managing our shape and organization defensively.”
Whether or not the away-goals tiebreaker is the fairest rule, it does add to the tension of this contest.
“I like it. I think it’s an added little twist into the playoff story,” Timbers defender Nat Borchers said. “It’s just great for the fans and great for the players. Something else we’ve got to think about on the field.”
