"Portland Timbers boss Phil Neville has reaffirmed his belief in his side ahead of their Wild Card showdown with Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, with an MLS playoff place at stake. Both sides are desperate to end long title droughts - Portland last lifted the MLS Cup 10 years ago, while RSL's only triumph came in 2009. A poor run of form at the end of the regular season left Portland narrowly missing out on a top-seven spot on goal difference."
"Phil Neville's team could have booked their playoff place on Decision Day, but a heavy 4-0 home defeat to Western Conference winners San Diego condemned them to the knockout route. For the second consecutive year, the Timbers find themselves fighting for survival after managing just one win in their final ten matches. Neville's men are currently winless in five, with three losses in that stretch, and their recent record against Real Salt Lake offers little encouragement."
"Real Salt Lake, meanwhile, scraped into the Wild Card fixture by the narrowest of margins, edging San Jose Earthquakes on total wins after finishing level on points. It has been a below-par campaign by their standards, marking the first time in four seasons that they have finished outside the top seven. Pablo Mastroeni, who has been part of the club's coaching setup since 2021, still has a chance to rescue the season if his side can overcome the Timbers and earn a playoff tie against San Diego."
Portland enter a Wild Card match with Real Salt Lake after missing a top-seven spot on goal difference following a poor run of form. Phil Neville expresses strong belief in his squad despite managing one win in their final ten matches and a current five-game winless run, including a heavy Decision Day defeat that pushed them into the knockout route. Real Salt Lake only just qualified on total wins after finishing level on points, recording a below-par season by their standards. Pablo Mastroeni can salvage RSL's campaign with a win and a subsequent tie against San Diego. Both teams aim to end long MLS Cup droughts.
Read at Soccer News
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