Week 7 Prediction Thread - Timbers vs. Sporting Kansas City

Welcome to week 7 and the latest installment of the Portland Timbers prediction thread. This week, Portland hosts Sporting Kansas City, a team that I feel has started to become an unofficial rival to the Timbers based on spirited, feisty matches and insane results. Over 10 regular season matches, Sporting Kansas City has won 5, Portland has won 3 and there have been 2 draws; in Portland, the Timbers have won 2 of 5 matches in the Rose City, but everyone remembers the one match in the playoffs.

In 2017, the story of the season has been Portland's offense - 16 goals in 6 matches - versus the Sporting Kansas City defense yielding just 2 goals in 5 matches. SKC has watched veterans Matt Besler, Graham Zusi, Seth Sinovic and Ike Opara gel into one of the best statistical units so far in front of goalkeeper Tim Melia, so the Timbers will need to work really hard to create chances against this group. While Sporting has just 5 goals on the year scored, their offense with Dom Dwyer, Benny Feilhaber, Roger Espinoza, and Soni Mustivar has added forward Gerso Fernandes, but they just haven't broken out yet.  With Kip and Tortie basking in the glow of picking the correct result for the Timbers and Union - with Kip even predicting the correct score and mentioning two of the goal scorers - we turn our attention to this weekend's match and offer up the predictions from our knowledgeable staff. For the cats, it's asking them questions to see how they react while the humans put their thoughts in their own words. 

Jake??????????

Jennifer - Timbers 2, Sporting 8.

What's the point of anything anymore? After last week's tragic pretty-close-to-almost-loss, the Timbers are primed for a beeline to the bottom of the table. Any day now, Ridgewell will reappear in the top 18 only long enough to watch his leg fall off as it completes an own goal. It's tough being so accurate in the prognostication game, knowing how much this hurts so many, but I have to use the gift the Universe gave me.

Where's my trading card?

Kip - Timbers 5, Sporting KC 4.

I know the numbers say that SKC's offense hasn't been good and it's been their defense that has been the strength this year, but I think they are due for a breakout. I just like Portland's offense better, especially if Darlington Nagbe is going to keep shooting like he did versus the Union. While the Timbers defense has been decent, I think they struggle at points, but their offense bails them out.

Ninja cat only appears visible for 10 minutes a day.

Tortie - Timbers 9, Sporting KC 7.

Eep, eep, eep, blergh, eep, eep. She was really excited about the match this weekend, and was very animated about the number of goals that will be scored. And Kip thought his prediction was going to be a little bit off, but so far, Tortie has been very good at picking the results. Maybe the tortitude gets her another win this weekend?

This work thing doesn't seem that hard.

GB - Timbers 2, Sporting 0.

GB played awfully coy in picking a winner, but after three different attempts, GB thumped his tail hard and angrily when asked if Sporting would win, so it was apparent he was picking the Timbers. With 2 blinks for Portland, it looks like he's picking the Timbers defense to have a big game this weekend.

I'm too busy being cute to predict anything.

Spot - scoreless draw.

Three consecutive weeks, and Spot seems to think that this weekend will be another one lacking goals. While initially she seemed interested in giving the Timbers the win, her "nyah" noise said everything that needed to be said. Or in this case, the fact that nothing will happen at Providence Park.

Old logo is tree-a-rrific!

Rick - Timbers 1, Sporting KC 0.

 

Sporting Kansas City who, along with LA Galaxy in the west and Toronto FC in the east are the only undefeated teams in MLS, share the best defensive record (2 goals conceded) in MLS with FC Dallas but have only scored 5. They have yet to either score or concede a goal on the road in 2017. There's a first time for everything and I'm predicting it will be the latter.