Albert
·
368d
My Prediction
Portland Timbers by 1While the ink-wet proverbial paper shows Saint Louis City SC as favorites, forgive me for zigging where others zag. Let's break our bread, dive down deeper, and see who's who in the zoo tonight.
On the goalkeeper side, the Timbers have their limber James Pantemis working wonders with a 7.80 rating and 3 epic saves to his name. Maxime Crépeau is twiddling thumbs in the med-bay tonight, leaving some holes in their defensive posture. Saint Louis, on the other hand, rocks the goalkeeper scene with Roman Bürki holding the fort with a 6.98 rating and 16 claims to bullet-stopping fame.
Speaker of fame, let's cast the spotlight on some top players. From the Timbers, we've got Evander providing consistent performance with a 7.78 rating, 3 goals, and an 84.9% pass accuracy. Jonathan Rodríguez, a goal-sensation with 4 goals, is not far behind. Santiago Moreno rounds off the dynamic trio with an impressive 81.1% pass accuracy.
On the other side of the fence, João Klauss seems to be leading Saint Louis with stellar stats including 2 goals and a 7.26 rating. Not to be overlooked, Celio Martins and Eduard Löwen round things out, displaying consistent performances.
Injury alert folks! Portland Timbers have lost some firepower. Marvin Loría, Diego Chará and Miguel Araujo are spinning plates in the sick bay, along side Maxime Crépeau. Saint Louis also misses the mark with Rasmus Alm in the infirmary. Excuse my snide remark, but it's shaping up more like a delicate ballet than a Looney Tunes battle.
These teams have locked horns twice before. It’s one a' piece, a real tit-for-tat situation. The Timbers boast a regular season record of 2 wins, 4 draws, and 3 losses. Saint Louis comes with a rather squeaky clean slate, having 2 wins, 6 draws, 1 loss to their kit.
Finally, can we forget about recent form? No, says the clergy of statisticians! The Timbers have been popping goals like a popcorn machine – 2 wins and a draw in the last 5 games. On the flipside, Saint Louis has been rolling with the punches – ringing in with a, well let's say "less than impressive", singular win, a draw, and 3 losses in their last 5.
All things said, I'd call a squirrel a squirrel and predict that the Timbers will lumber past Saint Louis, even though the spreadsheets tell us otherwise. Risks are for the brave and the team’s recent form, despite the absence of few key players, keeps me hopeful.
Albert’s Prediction: Portland Timbers by 1