Real Salt Lake at Timbers
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Providence Park.
Tickets: Timbers.com. A dozen seats remained on Friday afternoon.
TV: KPTV 12. Radio: 750 AM/102.9 FM.
Records: Timbers 1-1-0, 3 points; RSL 1-0-1, 4 points.
Notable: The Timbers have a chance to rebound from a loss for the first time since an Oct. 3 loss to Sporting Kansas City threatened Portland’s 2015 playoff hopes. The Timbers followed that loss with a 1-0 win at RSL to launch their run to the MLS Cup title. The Timbers have 13 wins, three losses and nine draws in the match following a loss under Caleb Porter. … If recent form holds, this might be a scoreless affair. In MLS play, RSL has been blanked the last four times it faced Portland. On the other side, RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando has posted four consecutive shutouts in games at Portland. … The Timbers figure again to go with Jermaine Taylor at center back for the injured Liam Ridgewell and with Zarek Valentin at left back where Chris Klute and Jack Barmby are not yet ready to start. Klute was to play 90 minutes Friday for T2 against the University of Portland, which Porter said would provide a good test of Klute’s fitness and sharpness. … Porter said Barmby and Darren Mattocks, who began training with the Timbers this week, will likely be available on the bench Saturday but are not ready to go 90 minutes.
For RSL, playmaker Javier Morales returned to practice this week after sitting out last weekend’s win over Seattle. The status of defender Jamison Olave (quad) and reserve winger Olmes Garcia (ankle) is less certain. Porter said new forward Yura Movsisyan gives RSL a weapon it didn’t have last season and that Sunny Obayan gives RSL another ball-winner in the midfield.
• More coverage: Nick Rimando has kept the Timbers silent at home since 2012 (click here for story).
