The MLS Cup final is headed to MAPFRE Stadium as the Columbus Crew SC hosts the Portland Timbers on Sunday, December 6, at 4pm ET (RDS, TSN); two teams who bring very different styles to the table.
The Crew SC finished second in the East, bypassing the Knockout Round of the playoffs because of their high seed and topped the Montreal Impact and New York Red Bulls en route to the final in their two-game aggregate goal series. Portland survived a penalty kick shootout with Sporting KC in the Knockout Round, and then defeated the Western Conference's top two seeds, Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Dallas, to reach MLS Cup.
The Black and Gold finished with the league’s second best offensive output of 58 goals for, thanks in large part to Kei Kamara’s 22.
Portland had one of the better defences in the league, and goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey’s league-leading 13 shutouts was a big reason why.
Impact Media asked some of its players and coaches throughout the club for their predictions. Four out of five chose Columbus. If you had to pick a winner, who would it be?
Eric Kronberg – Goalkeeper – Montreal Impact
Columbus is going to win the final because I think they are peaking at just the right time. They have all bought into the system that they play and are going to be really tough to play at home.
Simon Gatti – FC Montreal assistant coach and interim head coach of the U18s
In terms of quality, I think Columbus plays one of the nicest styles of soccer in the league. Portland is a hard working team, but not technically as good as the Crew SC, I believe. Columbus should have most of the play in that game, but Portland is a strong team on defence. The Timbers are in good form though, so I’ll pick them.
Fabio Morelli – Winger – FC Montreal
For me, it’s the Columbus Crew SC. They have so many great offensive weapons like Kamara that will create problems for the Portland defence. I’ve watched a number of games and Portland had to squeeze its way into the playoffs with a number of close games, while I felt Columbus was often the better team whether they won or lost. And let’s not forget what home field advantage brings as hosting a final will add lots of extra motivation.
Janouk Charbonneau – Defender – FC Montreal
I would have to say Columbus. I think that they are a more complete team than the Portland Timbers. With Kei Kamara up top, he is extremely dangerous and could score at any moment. I feel that they are a very balanced team, both offensively and defensively.
Nicolas Gagnon – U14 head coach
They are two really good teams, but my pick is Columbus. The Crew SC is a team with a lot of attacking resources with Kei Kamara, Federico Higuain, Ethan Finlay and Tony Tchani. It’s their strength and if they focus on Kamara, then that opens up space for other players.