MIAMI, Florida – After a strong run to the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals, the Portland Timbers are hungry to return to the tournament in 2022.
They can do just that with a win on Saturday against New York City FC in MLS Cup 2021, which will determine the champion of the 2021 Major League Soccer season.
Head Coach Giovanni Savarese led the Timbers to the tournament in 2021 after they claimed the MLS Is Back trophy in 2020, and ahead of Saturday’s winner-take-all finale, the Venezuelan manager is keen to not only claim the league crown, but also qualify Portland for their fourth SCCL.
“The Champions League is a motivation for us, that’s one part of our desire to win. That’s part of what we feel, that we want to participate again,” said Savarese in Thursday’s pre-match press conference.
Portland’s 2021 SCCL campaign started in bright fashion, with a 7-2 aggregate victory over CD Marathon of Honduras in the Round of 16.
In the quarterfinals, the Timbers came up against Concacaf’s most decorated club, Club America of Mexico. After a spirited 1-1 draw at home in the first leg, Portland was eliminated with a 3-1 defeat in the second leg at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
“We did have big hopes this year to want to go all the way. We encountered difficult opposition against whom we gave everything we had, with a limited number of players when we played America here at home and away. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go through, but being able to represent MLS again in the Concacaf Champions League is a big desire and a component of wanting to win this Final as well,” said Savarese.
That attitude is also echoed by the players, including GK Steve Clark, who started the two matches against Marathon but was unable to go up against Las Aguilas.
“We want another crack at [the SCCL],” said Clark in a press conference on Thursday. “Me personally I had an injury, so I couldn’t try to finish that job, so we want another crack at that. We believe in our group here and what we are doing,” concluded Clark.
