Behind Enemy Lines: Scouting Portland Timbers 🔎

The annual July 4 game for FC Dallas is nearly here as they welcome conference rivals Portland Timbers to town for the annual firework bash at Toyota Stadium.

The Timbers rallied from 2-0 down at home to defeat Minnesota United last Saturday.

Key Player: Evander

Just like FC Dallas has seen recently, the Timbers have one guy who can beat you with goals and assists. Evander currently leads Portland in both categories this season, as he has nine goals and 11 assists.

Key Matchup: Asier Illarramendi vs Evander

We saw the veteran slow down Luciano Acosta last weekend when FC Cincinnati was in town, but he’ll be tasked again with stopping one of the league’s best attackers on July 4.

Availability Report1:

Suspended: none
Out: Marvin Loria (lower leg)
Questionable: none
On Loan: none
International duty: Miguel Araujo, Max Crepeau, Kamal Miller

Quick Notes:

Previous meeting: The two sides squared off twice in 2023, with Portland getting the better of the two clubs, drawing 1-1 in Frisco early in the season before defeating FCD 1-0 at home in late June.

Away from home: The Timbers have been fairly good away from Oregon in 2024 under Phil Neville, going 3-5-3. They’ve won two of their last three road games (2-0-1), including a trip to Texas in late May, where they beat Austin FC 2-0.

Recent form: The Timbers' dramatic win over Minnesota last weekend put them on a seven-game unbeaten run.

High-scoring act: Evander, Felipe Mora and Jonathan Rodriguez have each scored nine goals this season. The Timbers have scored 39 goals this season, good enough for fifth best in MLS.

Potential Lineup:

Neville appears to be mostly using a 4-2-3-1 look this season.

Pantermis; Bravo, Zuparic, McGraw, Mosquera; Williamson, Chara; Rodriguez, Evander, Moreno; Mora

Keys To Three Points over Portland

1. Stay aggressive: Last weekend, when interim manager Peter Luccin went to his bench, the team got a bit more aggressive with the younger players that he brought into the match. Dallas will need to have that same mentality on Thursday against a conference rival and use the heat to their advantage to tire out the Timbers.
2. Find chances in the penalty area: Luccin opted not to start Petar Musa last weekend to keep him fresher for the long haul in this brutal seven-game in 22-day stretch that the club has entered. Musa should be starting Thursday night, and Dallas needs to get him on the ball in the penalty area early in this match to help set a tone and pace for the game.
3. Limit stupid mistakes in the back: This one shouldn’t be so obvious for any club in MLS these days, but FC Dallas has had some issues this season with giving up bad turnovers on their own defensive end that opposing teams pounce on. Portland has enough quality to beat you in their attack if you give up possession in dangerous areas. If FCD can be smart in the back with their passing and stretch out the Timbers along the width of the field, they’ll come away with points.