The Portland Timbers finished the 2019 season 14-4-13. They finished in sixth place in the Western Conference and underperformed their expectations. Fast forward to now and the Timbers are set to play in the MLS is Back Tournament Final on Tuesday against Orlando City. This is a drastic turn around in form, especially when you look at the Timbers’ start to 2020.
In their first match of 2020, they were drummed 3-1 by Minnesota United. Their second fixture was against expansion club Nashville SC in which Portland scraped out a 1-0 victory. Diego Valeri was the only player to score in the first two matches of the 2020 season and one of those goals came from the penalty spot.