Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps – Playoff Game Preview
Sunday, November 1st, 5:00 p.m. ET, Providence Park, Portland, OR.
Major League Soccer’s Playoff Western Semifinals first leg of the goal-aggregate, 2-game series between two of the MLS East powerhouses.
Portland Timbers host old-time rivals Vancouver Whitecaps, with a rivalry that actually dates back to 1975 while playing in the National American Soccer League (NASL), before the teams joined Major League Soccer in 2011.
In 82 games between the two teams in all times Vancouver won 35 vs. Portland’s 27 wins, and the sides drew 17 times.
This past MLS season, Vancouver Whitecaps finished the regular 2015 season in second place in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference with 53 points (16-13-5) compared to Portland Timbers that finished one spot below in third, tied at 53 points (15-11-8).
In the three regular MLS season meetings between the teams, Vancouver won 2-1 at home in March, the sides drew 0-0 at Portland in May, and drew again at Portland 1-1 at home in July.
Hosts Portland Timbers are coming on the back of a thrilling 2-2 last-minute draw, followed by a cliff-hanger penalty shootout in which they prevailed over Sporting Kansas City on the last, sudden-death show off between the teams’ goalkeepers.
Visitors Vancouver Whitecaps are coming on the back of their best MLS season yet, with a record 16 wins, and also the best road record (7-7-3). Their last Major League Soccer regular season ended in an impressive 3-0 win against Houston Dynamo.
This will be the first of two meetings on aggregate goal between the teams, where the Whitecaps will host the Timbers for second leg of the series on the following Sunday, November 8th.
