Portland Timbers v St. Louis Metropolis: Hosts have new power after deserved break, says Neville

Portland Timbers head coach Phil Neville believes there’s a new power amongst his gamers, having had loads of relaxation forward of their upcoming league conflict with St. Louis Metropolis.

The Timbers performed eight video games throughout Could in all competitions, however haven’t taken to the sphere since a 2-1 victory over 10-man Colorado Rapids on the finish of final month.

Neville’s group sit fifth within the Western Convention standings, having taken eight factors from their six league fixtures in Could, stage on factors with fourth-placed Seattle Sounders.

And forward of welcoming St. Louis to Windfall Park this weekend, Neville believes his gamers are raring to go upon their return to league motion.

“The ten-day break has allowed us to have a psychological refresh,” Neville mentioned. “We’ve got reset and there’s a completely different really feel for the gamers. Could was a troublesome month for us.

“We had lots of video games and lots of journey, and it takes so much out of you. This little break, the squad has come again after a few days off and their eyes are open, they’re smiling once more and there’s a brand new power across the place.

“There’s one other push for us for the subsequent two video games to try to get some good outcomes in opposition to a group who’ve a brand new supervisor. They themselves have had a win lately.

“They’ve a brand new power, a brand new really feel, a brand new system. It’s going to be a tough sport, however it’s one we’re all wanting ahead to.”

Suns out, work is pic.twitter.com/XOBF1jghzt

— Portland Timbers (@TimbersFC) June 6, 2025

St. Louis, in the meantime, picked up their first league victory since March with a 2-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes final day trip.

That they had gone 11 video games with out a victory, a run of type that noticed Olof Mellberg sacked, with David Critchley taking cost of the membership on an interim foundation.

Critchley acknowledged the challenges that face his gamers within the coming weeks, however he was assured that their newest victory is a stable basis for them to construct on.

“Perception is one phrase we’re going to have round right here,” mentioned Critchley. “I simply had a sense. I believed within the group, and I knew the whole lot we talked about.

“We accepted nothing as we speak however three factors as a group. So, the mentality was tremendous, tremendous essential for us. Sure, they equalised, gave us just a little little bit of adversity. It’s OK.

“We’re altering issues round right here. We don’t sit again in these moments.

“We go and try to win a soccer sport, and that’s what we accomplished and that’s what was deserving of the three factors as we speak.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Portland Timbers – David da Costa

Da Costa and Antony every have eight assists this season, tied for essentially the most in MLS, stage with Inter Miami’s Luis Suarez.

Portland are the second group within the final 25 seasons to have a number of gamers with eight assists after 16 video games of a season (D.C. United – Mateusz Klich and Jared Stroud (eight every) in 2024.

Da Costa additionally completed with team-high totals for probabilities created (seven) and passes within the closing third (34) within the Timbers’ victory over Colorado.

St. Louis Metropolis – Eduard Lowen

Lowen’s match-winning penalty within the second minute of second-half stoppage time in opposition to San Jose was the most recent match-winner within the membership’s common season historical past.

St. Louis had not scored a profitable objective after the 86th minute previous to Lowen’s objective on Saturday, and he can be hoping to offer one other telling contribution this time round.

MATCH PREDICTION: PORTLAND TIMBERS WIN

Regardless of the pre-match simulations favouring this weekend’s hosts, St. Louis have prevented defeat in each of their visits to Portland, profitable, 2-1, in March 2023 and enjoying out a 4-4 draw at Windfall Park final season. General, St. Louis have misplaced solely considered one of 5 conferences with the Timbers in all competitions (W2 D2).

Additionally they snapped their club-record 11-match regular-season winless run with a victory over San Jose on Saturday in interim supervisor Critchley’s first match. The earlier longest winless run in membership historical past, a nine-match run in 2024, resulted in interim John Hackworth’s first match in cost.

Portland are unbeaten in seven straight dwelling matches (W4 D3) after opening the season with a loss to Vancouver at Windfall Park. That loss to the Whitecaps is considered one of solely two defeats for the Timbers of their final 20 regular-season dwelling matches (W12 D6).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Portland Timbers – 56.4%

Draw – 22.5%

St. Louis Metropolis – 21%