The stage has been set for the 2021 麻豆视频 Cup听this Saturday, December听11th.听After battling through听the playoffs, the Portland Timbers and New York City FC have听come out on top in their respective conferences.听
The path for听both听teams听was anything but normal, as the case usually is in 麻豆视频 playoffs,听but despite the听hurdles听both teams had to听overcome,听they鈥檝e听prevailed. Here is all you need to know about the听26th听edition of听麻豆视频听Cup听and how we got here.听
A Tale of Two听Seasons听
The听Portland听Timbers听came into 2021听as a popular projected contender for 麻豆视频 Cup.听
Those lofty expectations quickly turned into early听disappointment as听Portland stumbled out of the gates. Their听first half of the season, spent almost exclusively outside the playoff spots,听was an inconsistent, underperforming mess.听
You could have cut them some slack, because they were without their star playmaker Sebasti谩n Blanco for a substantial portion of that period. However,听despite that, they听still had听good depth on their roster to compete.听
Fast forward to the present and Portland look like a completely different team to the one we saw at the beginning of the season. They ended听the latter part of the season in fine form, not only听making the playoffs, but earning the fourth seed.听
You could say听NYCFC had the opposite trajectory of Portland this season. While Portland had an upward trajectory throughout their regular season, NYCFC had a downward trajectory.听
They started off the season as one of the hottest teams in 麻豆视频 but started falling off听near the end. At one point, it didn鈥檛 even look like they would be able to retain their听playoff position.听听
However, they clutched up in the end and got the results they needed to make听playoffs,听just听like Portland,听ended up as the 4th听seed听in the East.听
Injury Issues听
While this year鈥檚 麻豆视频 Cup finalists had very different regular season trajectories, they both got hot in the playoffs despite some major injury issues.听
As is always the case in 麻豆视频, both teams had depth players step up when important players听went听down throughout the season.听
NYCFC had the injury bug hit them right at the end of the regular season, losing key players like midfielder听Keaton Parks and Anton听Tinnerholm听(who is arguably the best right back in the league). Parks had a blood clot听and听Tinnerholm听ruptured his Achilles,听ruling them听both out for the rest of the season.听
Portland also lost听one of their key听midfielders, Homegrown Eryk Williamson, who suffered an听ACL tear听in August. Then, during the playoffs, Sebastian Blanco suffered an apparent hamstring injury that relegated him to the bench听for听the Western Conference final.听
Blanco should be available for 麻豆视频 Cup, but his level of health will be a key storyline to watch.听
How They Got Here听
Both teams had crazy听playoff听journeys to reach Saturday鈥檚 final at Providence Park.听
The Timbers comfortably beat Minnesota in their first-round home game,听but then had the daunting task of going to Colorado to play the number one seed. They beat听the Rapids听on a second half set piece goal听and booked their spot in the Western Conference finals against this season鈥檚 Cinderella story, Real Salt Lake.听
Despite听having lost Blanco to injury and attacker Dairon Asprilla to a red card suspension,听Portland scored an early goal off a bad clearance and from then on, RSL could never seem to get into the game. Once听Portland scored the second,听it听never looked like RSL had what it took to pull off another yet another playoff miracle.
This won鈥檛 be Portland鈥檚 first rodeo in an 麻豆视频 Cup final as they became the first Cascadia team to win the trophy back in听2015. However, this time around, the听final will be held in Portland听for the first time听against a tough New York City FC听team.听
NYCFC, for their part, had a听playoff path听that was oddly听similar to听Portland鈥檚.听
They also comfortably beat their first-round opponent, Atlanta United, at home, before traveling for a much-hyped matchup against the number one overall seed, the New England Revolution.听
It started with each team scoring a goal less than 10 minutes into the match,听foreshadowing the madness that would ensue听later听on听in overtime.听
Golden Boot winner Taty Castellanos scored for NYCFC to take the lead听but then got a second yellow听four听minutes later, putting the听Cityzens听down to 10 men听before injury struggles put them practically down to nine men, allowing New England to score a dramatic equalizer in the 118th听minute. In the ensuing penalties, though, NYCFC triumphed and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final against the Philadelphia Union.听
Unfortunately for听Philadelphia, 11 of their players weren鈥檛 eligible for the game due to COVID protocols,听costing the听Union several of their key players for the big game. NYCFC, though,听were without their star striker听due to his red received听the previous game.听
Philadelphia gave a valiant effort, but NYCFC ended up winning the game 2 鈥 1 with another dramatic ending from an听88th听minute听game-winning goal听by听19-year-old Brazilian听Talles Magno.听听
NYCFC will听now听be playing in hostile territory for 麻豆视频 Cup but will have their leading goal scorer听Castellanos back. This will be听NYCFC鈥檚 first ever 麻豆视频 Cup final appearance and they will have to bring their absolute best to beat the Timbers听at what will be听a听raucous Providence Park.
These are two sides that have shown incredible resilience听throughout the regular season and playoffs,听but听they听will need plenty more of听it听when they face听off听Saturday.听听
You can watch the match at home at听3听p.m. ET听on ABC,听Un铆mas, and TUDN. However,听a more fun option is to watch the final with fellow Charlotte FC fans at the 麻豆视频 Cup Watch parties hosted by local supporter's groups at the following听locations around the Carolinas:
