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Game Day Hub: NYCFC vs Portland Timbers in the 2021 MLS Cup Final

NYCFC faces the Timbers in the 2021 MLS Cup Final: Pregame poll, injury report, playoff previews, and game thread.

Courtesy Portland Timbers

t’s game day: New York City FC will play for the national title this afternoon when they face off against the Portland Timbers in the 2021 MLS Cup Final. The match will be held at the atmospheric Providence Park in beautiful, rain-drenched Portland.

• Game coverage starts at 3 pm ET. Find complete information on how to watch, stream, and listen to the game here.

• NYCFC is playing for its first title in club history. City were unbeaten in its final five games of the regular season, then comprehensively dismantled Atlanta United in the first round of the playoffs before grinding out a road win on the plastic grass at Gillette Stadium where they defeated the record-breaking New England Revolution on penalty kicks. This past Sunday in the Eastern Conference Final, NYCFC scored a last-minute goal against the Philadelphia Union to grab a tough away win and earn the club’s first piece of silverware.

Poll

Heading into this game I’m feeling…

This poll is closed

  • 22% Good (6 votes)
  • 26% Really good (7 votes)
  • 52% Butterflies in the stomach tbh (14 votes)

27 votes total

• Oddsmakers pick NYCFC to win, giving the team a slight edge that grew marginally over the week. MLS Cup Final history favors the home team: The away team has won the trophy just twice in the past 10 years.

• Two NYCFC players are unavailable for the game against the Union: Keaton Parks and Anton Tinnerholm are both out with season-ending injuries. The rest of the squad is fit to play.

• NYCFC and Portland didn’t face each other this year. The two sides have met a total of six times, and the Timbers won five of those matches. Wonder how Portland will line up today? Timbers supporter and colleague Sam Svilar gave us his unvarnished opinion in Oppo research: Questions for Stumptown Footy. Read about how NYCFC will approach this game in Hudson River Blue’s Roundtable predictions: NYCFC vs Portland in the 2021 MLS Cup.

• Earlier this week, streetwear brand BreakingT released officially licensed t-shirts and hoodiesfeaturing Taty Castellanos. BreakingT also introduced Maxi Moralez t-shirts and hoodies. You can order a Taty Castellanos “TATYGOL” t-shirt or hoodie or Maxi Moralez t-shirt or hoodie from BreakingT here.

• The comment section below is for everybody in the Hudson River Blue community to use for the game thread. Not a member? It’s free: Sign up here.

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