Written By: Alan Smith, SKC Insider
Portland Timbers (0-0-0) vs Sporting KC (0-0-0)
- When: February 25th, 10:30 CST
- Where: Providence Park, Portland, Oregon
- How to Watch: MLS Season Pass- Apple TV+
Heading right into the 2023-2024 season, Sporting KC starts the season on the road as they head to Portland in a Western Conference clash.
Sporting is coming off a turbulent, injury-riddled, roller coaster of a season, in which they were last place for a chunk of the season and then proceeded to go unbeaten in their last 7 of 8 games.
Optimism is the vibe for Sporting this season as striker Willie Agada and midfielder Erik Thommy have ignited Sporting’s attack. In addition, star Mexican striker Alan Pulido and midfielder Gadi Kinda will be back after season-ending surgeries in 2022. There is a ton of firepower in Sporting Kansas City’s attack.
Notable off-season additions include German left-back Tim Leibold from FC Nurnberg in the Bundesliga 2 and former La Liga midfielder Nemanja Radoja.
There are still questions about Sporting’s defense, as not much has been done to fix a back line that was blasted by opposing attackers last year.
The injury to center back Kortne Ford was a massive blow to an already-needed position. We should see something along the lines of Leibold-Fontas-Voloder-Zusi back four in 2023.
THE OPPOSITION
Expect goals this Saturday as Portland’s back line is depleted. They lost starting goalkeeper Steve Clark to Houston in free agency while striker Felipe Mora wont be available for the opening match of the season.
This off-season the Timbers added young Brazilian midfielder Evander to their roster after spending close to $10 million dollars to sign him from FC Midtjylland in Denmark.
Evander’s addition to the Timbers just adds to their already deadly attack with Sebastian Blanco and Jaroslaw Niezgoda leading the way. The Timbers gave Sporting a nasty 7-2 thrashing in Portland last year, so always be on the lookout for the Timbers.
SKC Expected Lineup (4-3-3): Melia; Zusi, Voloder, Fontas, Leibold; Radoja, Thommy, Walter; Russell, Agada, Salloi.
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