MLS Cup 2021: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 23:12, 5 December 2021
 Aerial view of Providence Park, the host venue of MLS Cup 2021 | |||||||
| Event | MLS Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Date | December 11, 2021 | ||||||
| Venue | Providence Park, Portland, Oregon, U.S. | ||||||
MLS Cup 2021 is the upcoming 26th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS) at the conclusion of the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs. The match is scheduled to take place on December 11, 2021, at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon, United States. It will be contested by hosts Portland Timbers and New York City FC to determine the champion of the 2021 season.
Road to the final
The MLS Cup is the post-season championship of Major League Soccer (MLS), a professional club soccer league in the United States and Canada. The 2021 season was the 26th in MLS history, and was contested by 27 teams organized into the eastern and western conferences. Each team played 34 matches during the regular season from April to early November, primarily against intra-conference opponents with the schedule varying based on conference to minimize travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1][2] The playoffs, running from November to early December, were contested between the top seven clubs in each conference through four rounds. Each round had a single-elimination match hosted by the higher-seeded team; the top team in each conference was also given a bye to the Conference Semifinals.[3][4]
The Portland Timbers won the Western Conference Final 2–0 by defeating Real Salt Lake. The 2021 edition will mark the seventh consecutive season where the Western Conference champion is either Portland or their rivals Seattle Sounders FC, who have won the cup twice.[5]
Portland Timbers
The Portland Timbers had previously won the MLS Cup in 2015 and finished as runners-up in 2018 under new manager Giovanni Savarese.[6] During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, the club finished as champions of the MLS is Back Tournament in Florida and third in the Western Conference,[7] but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by FC Dallas in a penalty shootout.[8]
During the 2020–21 offseason, the Timbers traded away two of their left backs, Jorge Villafaña and Marco Farfan, and acquired wingbacks Claudio Bravo and Josecarlos Van Rankin as replacements.[9] The club also signed Chilean striker Felipe Mora to a permanent contract after his one-year loan from Pumas UNAM expired.[10] Portland were expected to rely heavily on their veteran midfield trio of Diego Chará, Diego Valeri, and Sebastián Blanco (who was injured for most of the 2020 season).[9][11]
Portland started the season with three wins and four losses in their first seven matches, earning nine points and holding seventh place in the Western Conference by June.[12] The inconsistent performances were blamed in part on the loss of starting goalkeepers Jeff Attinella and Steve Clark to major injuries, along with backup goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic.[13][14]
Summary of results
- Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
| New York City FC | Round | Portland Timbers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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4th place in Eastern Conference
|
Regular season | 4th place in Western Conference
Source: MLS
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| Opponent | Score | MLS Cup Playoffs | Opponent | Score | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Atlanta United FC | 2–0 (H) | First round | Minnesota United FC | 3–1 (H) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New England Revolution | 2–2 (5–3 p) (A) |
Conference Semifinals | Colorado Rapids | 1–0 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia Union | 2–1 (A) | Conference Finals | Real Salt Lake | 2–0 (H) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broadcasting
The match will be broadcast in the United States on ABC in English and Univision in Spanish. The Canadian broadcast will be carried on TSN in English and TVA Sports in French.[15] The ABC broadcast will feature Jon Champion as the play-by-play announcer and Taylor Twellman as color commentator.[16]
Match
Details
References
- ^ Goff, Steven (March 24, 2021). "MLS adjusts schedule because of covid concerns, keeps most games in-conference". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ "With 2021 season close, MLS releases full schedule". Reuters. March 24, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ West, Phil (September 9, 2021). "Five things to know about the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ "MLS announces Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs schedule". MLSsoccer.com. September 9, 2021. Archived from the original on September 13, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ "Portland Timbers win continues Pacific Northwest dominance of Western Conference titles". MLSsoccer.com. December 4, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ Goldberg, Jamie (December 9, 2018). "Portland Timbers fall to Atlanta United in 2018 MLS Cup". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ Murray, Caitlin (November 9, 2020). "Portland Timbers draw LAFC in comeback, finish 3rd in West as attacking questions remain for playoffs". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ Peterson, Anne M. (November 22, 2020). "Timbers' season ends on penalty shootout loss to FC Dallas". The Columbian. Associated Press. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ a b Bogert, Tom (April 5, 2021). "Portland Timbers 2021 Season Preview". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ "Portland Timbers sign Chile forward Felipe Mora from Liga MX's Pumas". ESPN FC. January 19, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ "2021 MLS season guide: How to watch, team previews, betting odds and another expansion team". The Athletic. April 15, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ "Portland Thorns bounce back; Timbers arrive at much-needed international break: Soccer Weekend". The Oregonian. June 4, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ Murray, Caitlin (May 13, 2021). "Injuries piling up for Portland Timbers, with goalkeeper Jeff Attinella out for season and midfielder Diego Chara sidelined by hamstring strain". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ Kovzan, Sam (June 16, 2021). "By The Numbers presented by KDOT: #PORvSKC – June 19, 2021". SportingKC.com. Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ "MLS Announces Match Schedule and Broadcast Details for the Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs". MLSsoccer.com. November 8, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
- ^ Brito, Santa (November 22, 2021). "Audi 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs on ABC and ESPN Networks Begin Sunday" (Press release). ESPN. Retrieved December 4, 2021.