We don't often get Friday matches around here, but it's a quick turnaround after the game at Dallas as the Rapids head out to Portland to face the Timbers. You may recall that it wasn't the best of times last time the Rapids trotted out that way. This is a far more in-form Rapids team though, one that has only suffered defeat once in its last 12 games. That streak started right after, you guessed it, the 3-0 defeat to the Timbers.
Ahead of the match, I tossed a few questions out to Micheal Orr from our fabulous Timbers blog, Stumptown Footy. You can see his answers to my questions about the Timbers below, and you can head over to their site to see what I said about our Rapids to them.
BW: Like the Rapids, the difference defensively has been very notable for the Timbers this year compared to last year. What was the biggest key for this new defensive cohesion?
SF: It would take a major setback for Diego Valeri to start Friday's game on the bench. He could easily have played 90 minutes against Chivas on the weekend and probably would have been fine to do the same against Toronto the weekend before. Porter has chosen to bring him back slowly, knowing that the next five games (v Rapids, v Galaxy, @ Vancouver, v Seattle and v Salt Lake) are so crucial to his team's chances of reaching the playoffs and finding a nice seed within them. Valeri is the key to the Timbers' attack and should start not only against Colorado but the rest of the way, barring another injury.
BW: Portland is a team filled with attacking options. I know about the Johnsons, the Valeris and the Nagbes. Who's a lesser-known guy that we should keep our eyes on?
BW: And a prospective starting XI from you, as well.
SF: XI: GK – Ricketts
LB – Harrington
CB – Jean-Baptiste
CB – Kah
RB – Powell/Zizzo (depending on Powell's ankle)
CM – W Johnson
CM – Chara
LM – Wallace
ACM – Valeri
RM – Nagbe
F – R Johnson
Thanks again to Micheal from Stumptown Footy, check out their site for all you need to know about our Friday opponents.
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Matt Pollard 