The Portland Timbers’ chances of hosting a wild card match next week in the MLS Cup playoffs went up with the news Friday (via Tyson Alger of The I-5 Corridor) that Vancouver would be unable to host a wild card match.
With the Whitecaps’ home field, BC Place, already booked for an event, the Timbers would host any playoff matchup between Portland and Vancouver, regardless of seeding. MLS wild card matches are scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday.
The only scenario in which the Timbers would play a road wild card match would be if Vancouver leapfrogs Minnesota in the standings to move up to the No. 7 seed and the Loons finish at No. 8. In that case, the ninth-seeded Timbers would travel to Minneapolis to face Minnesota.
Portland (12-11-10, 46 points) enters Decision Day on Saturday as the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference. Minnesota (14-12-7, 49 points) sits seventh, with Vancouver (13-12-8, 47 points) in eighth place.
The Timbers, who face the rival Seattle Sounders in the regular-season finale at 6 p.m. PT Saturday (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV), also will win the Cascadia Cup with a win or a draw against the Sounders.
