By Tony Álvarez
The MLS squad needs to display their best performance when they face an already eliminated Xolos team and avoid anything like what they showed against Club America.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
- 1st meeting all-time between the two sides
- Record at Leagues Cup: Tijuana (1-8), Portland (6-5)
LAST FIVE GAMES
- Tijuana:
- 2 Wins, 1 Draw, 2 Losses
- Portland:
- 3 Wins, 1 Draw, 1 Loss
MAIN STORYLINES
- Portland Timbers have to win in regulation and score as many goals as possible to have a chance at advancing.
- Portland Timbers have allowed five goals in two matches, but still have a +1 goal differential.
- Tijuana is already eliminated and returns to Liga MX play on August 16th. They are currently second in the Apertura standings with seven points, trailing only Club América on goal difference.
- Tijuana have never advanced to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals.
- Tijuana has not scored in current Leagues Cup tournament.
KEY FACTORS
- Tijuana:
- Tijuana has gone three straight games without scoring a goal. The last time they went four games without a goal was in August-September 2022
- Gilberto Mora has not been a factor thus far this tournament, and we can expect players with less minutes to get an opportunity.
- Tijuana is currently second in the Liga MX Apertura standings with seven points, trailing only Club América on goal difference.
- Portland:
- Homefield advantage to be key for them as they need all the help they can get.
- High-powered offense shown before loss to Club America must appear once again.
WHAT TO EXPECT?
There is no tomorrow for the Portland Timbers, who must defeat Club Tijuana — and potentially do so by as many goals as possible — to keep their hopes of reaching the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals alive. The decisive matchup is scheduled for Thursday at Providence Park, with kickoff set for 10:30 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
While there is a chance the Timbers could know more about their fate before the final whistle, they are fully aware that their priority is to leave everything on the pitch and control what they can against a Tijuana side that has already been eliminated.
With that said, Portland will need to rediscover the form it showed at the start of the tournament. The Timbers opened their campaign with a dominant 5-2 victory over Club Puebla, leaving little doubt about their attacking potential. Against Club América, however, it was a completely different story, as Portland suffered a 3-1 defeat at home.
Players such as Ariel Lassiter, Cole Bassett and David Da Costa will need to step up once again and lead the Timbers to a victory that could send them into the next round of the Leagues Cup. However, even a win might not be enough. Portland currently sits 11th in the MLS table and will need help from results elsewhere. As one of the final games on the schedule, the late kickoff could at least give the Timbers a clearer picture of exactly what they need before taking the field.
For Club Tijuana, the tournament has not gone according to plan. Xolos have lost both of their matches, falling 2-0 to Austin FC before suffering a 1-0 defeat to San Diego FC. Young star and key player Gilberto Mora has yet to make the impact expected of him, while the pressure has continued to build on both the squad and head coach Sebastián Abreu following the disappointing results.
Although Xolos have already been eliminated, they will look to finish their Leagues Cup campaign on a positive note before returning to Liga MX action. The tournament has historically been difficult for Tijuana, which has managed just one victory across its previous Leagues Cup appearances.
Portland’s hopes remain alive, but there is no room for error. The Timbers must defeat Tijuana and hope the results elsewhere fall in their favor. Backed by a Providence Park crowd that will be behind them from the opening whistle, Portland has one final opportunity to keep its Leagues Cup campaign alive.
Polymarket is leaning toward Portland heading into Thursday, with the Timbers earning 52% of the market compared to 26% for Tijuana.
