Atlanta United vs. Portland Timbers | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

Atlanta United vs. Portland Timbers
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 17
Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta
June 24 — 4:30 pm ET
WATCH: FOX, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

Two of the hottest teams in MLS face off at the Benz as Atlanta United, who have lost just once in their last six games and currently sit atop the Supporters' Shield standings, host a Portland Timbers team that is unbeaten in their last eight league contests.

This will be the second meeting all time between the two teams, with the sides playing to a 1-1 draw in Portland last season.

Atlanta United

There was a U.S. Open Cup-record crowd of 41,012 in attendance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but Atlanta (10-3-3) were bounced from the tournament following a 1-0 Round of 16 defeat to the Chicago Fire Wednesday night.

Nemanja Nikolic scored the lone goal for the visitors, while the Five Stripes couldn’t manage an equalizer despite Hector Villalba’s game-high six shots.

“They are two different competitions, so whatever happened tonight started and ended tonight,” Tata Martino said. “We know we have to get back to playing in the league. What happens on Sunday, hopefully, is just a continuation of how we played against Columbus.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: F - Romario Williams, M - Miguel Almiron, M - Jeff Larentowicz, D - Chris McCann
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Greg Garza (shoulder surgery), D - Chris McCann (left lower extremity injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Brad Guzan — Franco Escobar, Michael Parkhurst, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Mikey Ambrose — Darlington Nagbe, Jeff Larentowicz — Julian Gressel, Miguel Almiron, Ezequiel Barco — Josef Martinez

Notes: Atlanta have scored 22 goals in home games this year – three more than any other team – and are tied for the league lead with four headed goals at home. … Atlanta scored three goals in their last home game, a 3-1 victory over the Union. The win snapped a two-game losing streak in which they scored just one goal.

Portland Timbers

Portland (6-3-4) have shot up the Western Conference standings, currently tied on points with fifth-place Real Salt Lake after six wins and two draws in their last eight games, while also advancing to the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals after defeating the LA Galaxy, 1-0, at Providence Park on Friday night.

Sebastian Blanco scored the game’s lone goal on the half-hour mark, following a backheel layoff from Fanendo Adi.

It will be the first time the Timbers face former player Darlington Nagbe, but he’s just part of the concern for Giovanni Savarese.

“When you look at Atlanta, you don’t look only at Nagbe. It is [Miguel] Almiron, [Josef] Martinez, Villalba, the guys coming from the bench are very good,” Savarese said. “You cannot only concentrate on one player. You have to concentrate on what they’ve done well, how they play, of course individually know what the attributes are and the tendencies and make sure we bring our plan.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: D - Larrys Mabiala
International duty: M - David Guzman, M - Andy Polo
Injury Report: QUESTIONABLE: D - Roy Miller (left Achilles tendon injury), D - Liam Ridgewell (right quad injury), GK - Kendall McIntosh (left thigh injury), F - Fanendo Adi (left thigh injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-3-2-1, right to left)
GK: Jeff Attinella — Zarek Valentin, Larrys Mabiala, Bill Poni Tuiloma, Vytas — Cristhian Paredes, Diego Chara, Andres Flores —Diego Valeri, Sebastian Blanco — Fanendo Adi

Notes: Blanco has six goals+assists in league road games in 2018, tied for the fifth most of any MLS player. … The Timbers are unbeaten in their last eight games (6W-2D). They have outscored opponents 14-6 over that span.