The Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers have traditionally been suspenseful in this Northwest derby, and this matchup is no different.
The Vancouver Whitecaps are coming off their first win of the season, a 5-0 sweep of CF Montreal in the last round of league play, and morale is high for this matchup. Although the Portland Timbers played with 10 men for most of the match, the Vancouver Whitecaps' offense under Vinny Sartaini has been revitalized, and I believe that they are gradually getting rid of the slow start of the season, after all, the team only had 3 draws and 2 losses in their first 5 matches in the league. Simon Bicha has been a hero up front for the Whitecaps.
Two goals in a row.
. And I was also impressed by Zulien Kiesu, who not only scored goals, but whose precise passing and set-piece handling will be a deciding factor in whether the Vancouver Whitecaps will be successful this season.
Portland Lumberjacks only drew with FC Dallas in the last round of the league with 1-1, in other words, they haven't won since they beat Sporting Kansas in the opening match. Not only did the team lose points, but several players were injured. In terms of overall performance, I think Portland Timbers is a stronger team, but unfortunately, they are full of injuries and may not be able to achieve the desired result. In addition, goalkeeper Iwasi openly expressed his dissatisfaction with leader Shah Wallis, which may have affected the mentality of other players during the pre-match deployment.
Although the Portland Timbers will be at full strength in this match, I predict that the Vancouver Whitecaps will narrowly defeat their opponents at home.
