Portland Timbers at New York Red Bulls: How to Watch, Previews, Match Chat [3:00]

The Portland Timbers are in the Big Apple today — or near enough for team-naming purposes — and are set to take on the New York Red Bulls. Picking up points on a cross country road trip is never easy to do, but if the Timbers want to move up the table they will need to take points off Eastern Conference teams when they are on offer. For their part, the Red Bulls will be looking for a big three points that could put them back in contention for the top spots in the East, despite coming into this match with fewer points than the Timbers.

Previews

Match Preview: “The high press that the side employed against the Rapids could also pay dividends in New York against a Red Bulls team that has been decidedly shaky along the back line this season. Vulnerable to turning the ball over under pressure and being hit on the counter, if the Timbers can replicate their strong defensive showing from Monday they should be able to take advantage of New York's back line.”

Preview Interview: “Unfortunately for the Red Bulls, it seems that teams are starting to figure out how to break their pressure and get on the break. Most of the goals that the team has given up are in unsettled situations. A great example of this is the US Open Cup loss to the Philadelphia Union the last week of June. Both goals were from the run of play, with a striker making a diagonal run between the two center backs.”

And don’t forget to drop by Lost Fervor’s prediction thread over here.

Match Information

Watch it on: ESPN2

Kickoff: 3:00 p.m. PT at Red Bull Stadium in Harrison, NJ

Portland Timbers: 6-6-6, 7th place in the Western Conference

New York Red Bulls: 7-9-2, 4th place in the Eastern Conference