Portland Timbers are winless since the return of the MLS after the Leagues Cup break and the side will have their task cut out when they host Vancouver Whitecaps at the Providence Park.
Portland were thrashed 5-0 by Houston Dynamo in a shambolic defeat last Sunday and the Timbers have a daunting task lying in front of them. Currently hovering around the foot of the table, Portland have garnered 26 points in 24 games and are above LA Galaxy with a slender lead with the latter playing two games lesser.
With just 10 games less, the new management at Portland will hope for a miracle if they don't have to miss out on Playoffs chances for the second consecutive season for the first time since 2011 and 2012.
Vancouver Whitecaps also enter the contest on the back of a 1-0 defeat against San Jose. Despite dominating the proceedings, the Whitecaps suffered a defeat at home.
Despite the loss, Vancouver Whitecaps are currently seeded in the 8th spot in the table and could leapfrog above Houston Dynamo and Austin with a victory.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Portland vs Whitecaps kick-off time
| Date: | August 26, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 10:30 pm ET / 7:30 pm PT |
| Venue: | Providence Park |
Portland Timbers will play hosts to Vancouver Whitecaps at the Providence Park with kick-off at 10:30 pm ET / 7:30 pm PT.
How to watch Portland vs Whitecaps online - TV channels & live streams
The match between Portland and Whitecaps can be streamed on Apple TV.
Team news & squads
Portland team news
Zac McGraw is a major absentee for Portland this week due to illness. Midfielders David Ayala and Eryk Williamson are touted to sit out of the fixture due to left knee injury and right knee issue respectively.
Colombian forward Santiago Moreno is another absentee for Portland as the player recovers from a right ankle problem. Polish striker Jaroslaw Niezgoda will also miss out in their clash against the Whitecaps because of a cruciate ligament rupture. Niezgoda is scheduled to return next year as he remains a long-term absentee for the club.
Portland Timbers Predicted XI: Ivacic; Mosquera, Araujo, Mabiala, Bravo; Blanco, Acosta, Evander; Asprilla, Boli, Mora
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Ivacic, Bingham, Sulte |
| Defenders: | Zuparic, Araujo, Mabiala, Bravo, Rasmussen, Mosquera, Miller |
| Midfielders: | Evander, Acosta, Paredes, Chara, Caliskan, Blanco |
| Forwards: | Asprilla, Loria, Chara, Mora, Boli, Gutierrez, Ikoba |
Whitecaps team news
The two absentees for the Whitecaps are reserve goalkeeper Thomas Hasal and Luis Martins owing because of anterior knee pain and a left calf injury respectively.
The attacking duo of Brian White and Ryan Gauld will be integral for the Canadian side if they want to present a goal threat. The two forwards failed to provide a goal contribution for the Whitecaps for the first time since early July and they would be vying to change this statistic on Saturday.
Vancouver Whitecaps Predicted XI: Takaoka; Adekugbe, Veselinovic, Blackmon; Cubas, Laryea, Berhalter, Schopf, Vite; White, Gauld
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Takaoka, Boehmer, Anchor |
| Defenders: | Blackmon, Veselinovic, Laborda, Brown, Campagna, Yao, Adekugbe, Martins, Laryea |
| Midfielders: | Cubas, Teibert, Ngando, Berhalter, Ahmed, Raposo, Gauld, Vite, Schopf |
| Forwards: | Johnson, Habibullah, White, Cordova, Becher |
Head-to-Head Record
Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps have both won two games each against each other with the fixture in July 2022 ending in a stalemate.
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 14 May 2023 | Portland 3-1 Whitecaps | MLS |
| 9 April 2023 | Whitecaps 1-0 Portland | MLS |
| 18 July 2022 | Portland 1-1 Whitecaps | MLS |
| 10 April 2022 | Whitecaps 2-3 Portland | MLS |
| 21 October 2021 | Portland 2-3 Whitecaps | MLS |