The Portland Timbers are hosting their first MLS Cup final, and New York City FC will play the first. Only one team will leave Providence Park with the championship trophy on Saturday.
The two convention champions, both starting the following season as fourth seeds, will face off in Portland as the Timbers hold the record for most regular season. If the match is tied after the allotted 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time will be played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if necessary.
While Portland continues to show that it’s a strong team under coach Giovanni Savarese, who has now reached his second MLS Cup final in four seasons, the NYCFC has finally driven away the bulls. The playoff devil has haunted the club every year since 2016, displaying an attractive, aggressive style en route to the finals.
CLOCK: MLS Cup Finals on fuboTV (7 days free trial)
Weather could be a factor in this match. It’s rainy and cold outside, typical for this time of year in Portland, There’s also a piece of advice about the wind (Winds of 20-30 mph with gusts reaching 45 mph). We’ll see if it prompts either coach to withdraw a change of tactics like Bill Belichick.
Sporting News will follow the match live and provide score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.
Portland Timbers vs. NYCFC – MLS Cup Live Score
| 1HOUR | 2 family | Final | |
| Portland Wood | – | – | – |
| NYCFC | – | – | – |
Goal:
(All Eastern Ages)
12:58 pm: Listen to this video for the weather in Portland for the finals:
12:34 pm: NYCFC fans make noise on Portland streets:
12:30 pm: Here’s the level of anticipation from Portland ahead of the first finals broadcast in PDX:
12:15 pm: Here are the hype videos of this final, one for each team. Amplifier:
Don’t turn on: One of the best MLS referees in recent years will oversee the final:
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Portland Timbers lineup vs. NYCFC
Sebastian Blanco start for the Timbers. He said he’s fully recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Western Conference finals and the Timbers are tossing him out there with Santiago Moreno clear the way. They will also have wingers Dairon Asprilla back from suspension, but often keep midfield Cristhian Paredes replaced by George Fochive, the 11-year-old started the whole season.
Portland Timbers starting lineup (4-2-3-1, left to right): 12-Steve Clark-GK (captain) – 5-Claudio Bravo, 13-Dario Zuparic, 33-Larrys Mabiala, 22-Josecarlos van Rankin – 20-George Fochive, 21-Diego Chara (captain) – 10-Sebastian Blanco , 23 -Yimmi Chara, 27-Dairon Asprilla – 9-Felipe Mora
Portland Timbers sub (9): 31-Aljaz Ivacic (GK), 28-Pablo Bonilla (RB), 85-Zac McGraw (CB), 25-Bill Tuiloma (CB), 22-Cristhian Paredes (CDM), 8-Diego Valeri (CAM), 30- Santiago Moreno (LW/RW), 44-Marvin Loria (LW/RW), 11-Jaroslaw Niezgoda (FW)
NYCFC will be happy to have an MLS Golden Shoe winner Taty Castellanos return after suspension. Manager Ronny Deila launched his regular lineup with the only surprise being Gudmundur Thorarinsson play on the left instead Malte Amundsen, who started every game in the post-season period. Deila has a range of attacking options from the bench should his team need a spark at some point in the game.
NYCFC starting lineup (4-2-3-1, left to right): 1-Sean Johnson-GK (captain) – 20-Gudmundur Thorarinsson, 6-Alexander Callens, 4-Maxime Chanot, 24-Tayvon Gray – 7-Alfredo Morales, 16-James Sands – 42-Santiago Rodriguez, 10-Maxi Moralez , 19-Jesus Medina – 11-Valentin “Taty” Castellanos
NYCFC Subscribers (9): 13-Luis Barraza (GK), 2-Malte Amundsen (LB), 15-Tony Rocha (CDM), 26-Nicolas Acevedo (CDM), 23-Gedion Zelalem (CM), 8-Thiago Andrade (LW), 43- Talles Magno (LW), 17-Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (RW / LW / CF), 9-Heber (CF)
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How to watch the MLS Cup final: Portland vs. NYCFC
- Day: Saturday, December 11
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Channel: ABC
- Spanish TV: UniMas, TUDN
- Streaming online: fuboTV
The 2021 MLS Cup Final between the Portland Timbers and New York City FC is a one-game championship match. The Timbers will host the game at Providence Park in Portland, Ore.
ABC (English), Unimas and TUDN (Spanish) will host the match and all three channels can broadcast on fuboTV. New users can subscribe to fuboTV for 7 days free trial.
A win for the Timbers would give them their second MLS trophy after a 2015 win over Columbus Crew on the road. Portland lost in its only other appearance in the final, in 2018 in Atlanta. New York City FC is present in the first final of any tournament. A trophy would create new ground for a club that has only existed since 2015. Timbers joined MLS in 2011.
MLS Cup Predictions and Odds
(Strategies provided by DraftKings)
None of the meetings were recent enough to use as a reference point for predicting how this game might play out. The last time these two teams met in an official match was over a year ago during a 2020 summer tournament, marking the return of the league after a COVID-induced hiatus. Portland won that quarter-final 3-1, but NYCFC coach Ronny Deila has only had a little over 10 games in charge, and his squad today has a very different complexion.
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These are two talented, deep, well-trained teams, both on the rise. There will be little to separate them. So it’s surprising that in an even game, the home team – and especially a team with a home advantage like Portland (home record 11W-4L-2D in 2021) – are not the favorites. Favorite as of the time of publication. Here’s what Portland has done for it: its manager, Giovanni Savarese.
The former MLS scorer has a track record as a coach in the tournaments, leading the Timbers to two MLS Cup finals (2018, 2021), an MLS is Back (2020) win and an MLS is Back (2020) win. four playoffs in his four seasons. . He has a feel for the game and his players, and has a knack for coming up with the right tactical plan to exploit his opponents. And he bought the team. The silver prize was there to take part in the biggest game of his managerial career.
Pick: Portland Timbers pick’em Asian Handicap -105 (draw is push)
MLS Cup predictions: Portland Timbers 2, NYCFC 0
- Moneyline (regulations): Portland +180 / Draw +215 / NYCFC +170
- Spread: Portland +0.5 (-190) / NYCFC -0.5 (+165)
- Total goals is O/U 2.5: Above +110 / Below -140
- Both teams scored: Yes -130 / No +100
