After suffering disappointment in the Major League Soccer Cup final last season, Portland Timbers will return to action against the New England Revolution on Sunday.
Having seen their preparations for the new season disrupted due to ongoing controversies within the club, the Timbers have been handed a tough test to kick things off.
Match preview
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Topping the Eastern Conference last season, the Revolution were unable to make an impact in the playoffs, losing in the semi-finals to eventual winners New York City FC.
A disappointing end to what had been a promising campaign, the side from New England were able to take home the Supporters' Shield, having topped the overall MLS table.
That finish allowed the Revolution to qualify for the Concacaf Champions League, where they have been handed the difficult task of Mexican side Club Universidad Nacional in the round of 16.
For the Timbers, they were denied entry into the Champions League following that MLS Cup defeat, but will return their attentions to the Western Conference on Saturday.
Controversy behind the scenes has marred the Timbers' preparations for the current campaign, with many supporters not confident that they will be able to push on from last season.
A fifth-placed finish saw Portland secure a playoff berth, while also confirming their position in the 2022 Leagues Cup.
With a cross-conference match to kick things off for both sides, the pair will meet for the first time since September 2019, when they played out a 2-2 draw.
In fact, all four of their last competitive meetings have finished in draws, with the Timbers the last team to triumph in this fixture back in June 2015.
The Revolution will be eyeing up their first victory over the Timbers since way back in September 2011 – a wait of just under 12 years.
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Whilst they have not made a great deal of acquisitions compared to some of their rivals, the Timbers have recruited sensibly, with Josecarlos Van Rankin looking like a smart pick-up on loan from Chivas.
Justin Rasmussen and Sivert Haugli were both selected during the SuperDraft, while David Bingham has arrived in Portland as a free agent.
Most of their business in the transfer window has come in the shape of departures, with Diego Valeri capturing headlines with his switch to Argentine club Atletico Lanus.
Similarly, the Revolution have been shrewd with their transfer business, with specific personnel targeted to improve certain areas.
They will be hoping that veteran striker Jozy Altidore can bring in the goals, while Sebastian Lletget has arrived for $500,000 from LA Galaxy.
Goalkeeper Matt Turner has agreed a deal with Premier League Arsenal, but the US Men's National Team shot-stopper will not join until the summer.
Portland Timbers possible starting lineup:
Bingham; Van Rankin, Mabiala, Zuparic, Bravo; Williamson, Ayala; Moreno, Blanco, Y. Chara; Mora
New England Revolution possible starting lineup:
Turner; Bye, Kessler, Farrell, Jones; Lletget, Kaptoum; Buksa, Gil, Bou; Altidore
We say: Portland Timbers 1-1 New England Revolution
Two of last season's best performers going head-to-head in the season opener will likely yield a fascinating prospect, but there is the fear that they could cancel each other out.
Expect the Revolution to display the class that saw them top the MLS overall table last season by escaping Portland with some points to show.
Top tip
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Portland Timbers win with a probability of 49.25%. A win for New England Revolution had a probability of 27.49% and a draw had a probability of 23.3%.
The most likely scoreline for a Portland Timbers win was 2-1 with a probability of 9.52%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-0 (8.39%) and 2-0 (7.46%). The likeliest New England Revolution win was 1-2 (6.82%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (10.69%). The actual scoreline of 2-2 was predicted with a 6.1% likelihood. Our team at Sports Mole correctly predicted a draw in this match.
