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The Portland Timbers make their way to Texas tonight and bring with them the most points in the league (at the time of this writing) and put their #1 position on the line. A win for Dallas could catapult FCD to the top of the Western Conference standings and possibly in first place in the race to defend the Supporter’s Shield.
Portland has done incredibly well to start the 2017 campaign, especially on the road where they’ve already enjoyed 2 wins. For context, the Timbers went the entire 2016 regular season without a single road win. (Yes, even Chicago had more road victories.) However, Dallas has remained hot and are the last unbeaten team in MLS play and have only suffered 3 home losses since the start of the 2015 season.
Before we jump into our predictions, here are the current standings for our staff.
BigD Staff Match Prediction Standings
| Position | Name | Point Total |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Name | Point Total |
| 1 | Nathan Hill | 26 |
| 2 | Phil Luetchford | 24 |
| 3 | Mohammad Bushnaq | 24 |
| 4 | Jason Poon | 22 |
| 5 | Drew Epperley | 18 |
| 6 | Cody Gamond | 16 |
| 7 | Ryan Scanlon | 15 |
| 8 | Etan Cohn | 14 |
| 9 | Ben Lyon | 13 |
| 10 | Jack Hazzard | 12 |
| 11 | Scott Hiney | 12 |
| 12 | Jose Carmona | 11 |
| 13 | Jared Tilley | 8 |
| 14 | Jack Rouse | 6 |
| 15 | Preston Wetherington | 6 |
| 16 | Jeff Loftin | 6 |
| 17 | Joshua Sampson | 3 |
Correct Prediction: 1pt
Correct Scoreline: 2pts
It’s pretty rare that the staff are unanimous with their prediction. Usually there’s one overly optimistic person, coupled by a Debbie Downer. But without the services of Diego Valeri and Jake “How in the world is this guy not get suspended for driving under the influence?!” Gleeson out, the staff are liking the chances of a 3 point party at the end of this contest.
FCD v SKC
| Name | Result for FCD | FCD Score | Opposition Score | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Result for FCD | FCD Score | Opposition Score | Commentary |
| Etan Cohn | Win | 2 | 1 | |
| El Chico Carmona | Win | 2 | 1 | FCD will get the winning goal right before the game can go to PKs |
| Mohammad Bushnaq | Draw | 1 | 1 | FC Dallas pay the penalty and the defending champs bow out of the USOC. |
| Jared Tilley | Win | 2 | 1 | |
| Scott Hiney | Win | 1 | 1 | Maxi sends us to PKs, Hollingshead's take is what seals the victory. |
| Cody Gamond | Win | 2 | 1 | Come from behind in extra time after a 1-1 end to the game. Maxi and Ulloa the scorers. |
| Jeff Loftin | Loss | 1 | 1 | Unfortunately I think we lose in penalties. |
| Ryan Scanlon | Loss | 0 | 2 | I think Kansas City will definitely be wanting this game more as FC Dallas comes out sloppy and really missing Matt Hedges. Sporting is also undefeated in their last 8 games. They'll keep that going here as Rubio and Blessing grab the goals and win for SKC. |
| Jack Hazzard | Win | 2 | 1 | KC will be both chippy and arrogant but Urutti will fix that real quick. |
| Ben Lyon | Win | 2 | 1 | 3 more wins to consecutive silverware. It'll be 2 after tonight. |
| Drew Epperley | Loss | 1 | 1 | I think the game will end level but SKC will go on in PKs. |
What do you guys think? Can the Timbers overcome the losses of Valeri and Gleeson? Will Dallas remain unbeaten and take over first place?