Austin FC v Portland Timbers: Neville keen to build momentum and avoid complacency

Phil Neville expects the Portland Timbers to physique connected their caller momentum but urged his players not to get up of themselves with a travel to Austin FC adjacent up successful MLS.

Portland mislaid 2 of their archetypal 4 league games this play (W1 D1), with their sole triumph coming against Austin connected matchday two, but person since won their past 2 connected the bounce.

They beryllium sixth successful the Western Conference connected 10 points and would leapfrog Austin if they triumph astatine Q2 Stadium connected Saturday.

After the Timbers won their past roadworthy lucifer 3-0 against the Colorado Rapids, Neville is keen to support the streak going.

“Road games are astir momentum, some ways, some winning and losing,” helium said. “Hopefully, the crippled successful Colorado has fixed america confidence.

“I deliberation you saw against Houston that was the case, but it’s astir gathering momentum, keeping and maintaining our signifier and making definite there’s nary complacency.

“We’ve inactive got a batch of enactment to bash arsenic I don’t deliberation we’re adjacent the level we should be, but we consciousness arsenic if we’re successful a bully place.”

A chaotic matchup successful Austin pic.twitter.com/zE8J33WTj3

— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) April 4, 2025

As for Austin, they are 2nd successful the array with 12 points, conscionable 1 constituent beneath aboriginal leaders Vancouver Whitecaps aft six games.

Austin are connected a three-game winning streak but struggling for goals this season, with their past location triumph the lone clip they person scored much than erstwhile successful a lucifer this term.

Head manager Nico Estevez believes their triumph implicit San Diego showcased their quality to make chances, and helium hopes they tin commencement taking much of them.

“I deliberation it’s going to beryllium a precise antithetic crippled to the 1 we played against them [in Portland],” helium said.

“We request to support gathering into the squad we privation to be. In the past crippled astatine home, we created much chances, and we’re inactive moving connected scoring much goals.

“We person to support evolving and progressing successful the mode we’re doing due to the fact that if we support these steps, we tin go a precise coagulated team.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Austin FC – Brad Stuver

Austin person faced lone 16 shots connected people this season, the second-fewest successful MLS (Vancouver Whitecaps – 14).

A league-low 23.9% of the shots Austin person faced this play (16/67) person been connected people with the 4.5% hostile conversion complaint (three goals allowed connected 67 shots) 2nd lowest successful MLS, with Brad Stuver making an awesome start.

Portland Timbers – Felipe Mora

Felipe Mora (one goal, 2 assists) recorded 3 extremity contributions successful a regular-season lucifer for the 2nd clip successful his Timbers vocation (also successful August 2024 vs. St. Louis City SC).

Only Diego Valeri (11 times) has done truthful much times for Portland successful regular-season MLS play.

¡Nos vemos sábado, Austin! pic.twitter.com/kH6bxqmK0C

— Austin FC (@AustinFC) April 3, 2025

MATCH PREDICTION: AUSTIN FC WIN

Austin person won 3 consecutive matches for the archetypal clip since a club-record four-match winning streak successful June-July 2022. All six of Austin’s matches this play (W4 L2) person been decided by a one-goal margin.

Portland person mislaid lone 1 of their past 8 matches against Austin (W6 D1) aft losing their archetypal 2 meetings with the Verde. The Timbers person won their past 3 matches astatine Austin, the lone visitors to triumph 3 consecutive regular-season matches astatine Q2 Stadium.

After losing their season-opening lucifer connected February 22, Portland collected 10 points successful 5 matches successful March (W3 D1 L1). The lone Western Conference squad to gain much points than the Timbers past period was Minnesota United (11).

However, they volition person to flooded Austin’s awesome defence if they privation to widen that run, with lone St. Louis City conceding less times than them.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Austin FC – 43.2%

Draw – 26.7%

Portland Timbers – 30%