Crew SC kicks off its 2016 campaign the same way it ended the 2015 season: in a match-up with the Portland Timbers. The Black & Gold return to Providence Park for the first time since 2014 and are looking to tip the all-time, regular-season series between the two teams (2-2-2) in their favor.
Crew SC and the Timbers will square off just three months after their MLS Cup clash, yet a lot has changed since their last meeting on December 6. Here are three things to know about Portland ahead of Sunday’s match.
1. Acquisitions and Draft Picks
Since winning their first MLS Cup title, Portland has made a few roster moves. Maximiliano Urruti, Rodney Wallace, Jorge Villafana and Will Johnson are four of nine players who have left the Timbers.
Meanwhile, eight new players joined Portland during the offseason, including former Crew SC players Jack Mclnerney and Chris Klute who made the move from Columbus via trade.
The Timbers also traded for defender Zarek Valentin from the Montreal Impact and signed free agent Ned Grabavoy. The 13-year MLS veteran joined Portland after spending six seasons with Real Salt Lake. The midfielder also has some Crew SC history, as he made 36 appearances for the Black & Gold in 2006 and 2007.
In addition, four draft picks joined the Timbers this offseason. Among them is rookie striker Ben Polk, who was selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. Polk spent his college career at Herkimer Community College and Syracuse University, where he totaled 58 goals and 10 assists in 57 matches.
2. Porter Inks New Deal
Shortly after defeating Crew SC in the MLS Cup, the Portland Timbers announced that Head Coach Caleb Porter had signed a long-term deal with the club. The 41-year-old arrived in Portland in 2013 after serving as the head coach at the University of Akron from 2006 to 2012.
While at Akron, Porter won the 2010 NCAA Divison I Soccer Championship. He coached Crew SC midfielder Wil Trapp the following two seasons before joining the Timbers. He received the MLS Coach of the Year award in his inaugural Major League Soccer season.
3. Success at Providence Park
The Timbers have lost only six regular-season matches at Providence Park since the beginning of the 2014 season. The last match between the Black & Gold and the Timbers in Portland ended in a 3-3 draw. Crew SC is 0-1-2 all-time at Providence Park.
Sunday will mark the first home match for Portland since the playoffs and the Timbers Army will look to give the defending MLS Cup champions an appropriate welcome. Crew SC, however, is hungry to begin a new campaign and eager to spoil the fun by taking all three points.
