2018 MLS Cup final: Storylines, players to watch and more

Craig Forrest, Danny Dichio and James Sharman take a look at the MLS Cup final between Atlanta United FC and the Portland Timbers.

The 2018 Major League Soccer season comes to an end on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium when Atlanta United takes on the Portland Timbers in the MLS Cup final.

This promises to be intriguing, as both sides feature distinct playing styles. However, thanks to the high-stakes of a final, both coaches may consider changing their strategies.

With that in mind, here are some storylines to monitor and players to watch ahead of the 2018 MLS Cup final.

How will Portland set up vs. Atlanta’s attack

When these teams met at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 24, Portland walked out of the building with a 1-1 draw. Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese deployed a 3-5-2 system with an extra centre-back tightly marking Golden Boot winner and 2018 MVP Josef Martinez.

This worked to a tee as Martinez barely had a sniff of the ball in the penalty area. When he did, there was a Timbers defender stuck to him.

There were moments when Atlanta carved open Portland’s defence, but the Timbers retreated quickly and closed off the space. They were also immense when defending set pieces.

Savarese will likely utilize a similar system and shape for the final. This setup restricts space in Zone 14, ensures that Martinez is marked, and allows the Timbers to break quickly on counter-attacks. The one negative is Portland’s expected goals against (xGA) shows that the opposition has registered quality chances. But they won’t care if it leads to a second MLS Cup.

The battle of the MVPs

This is just the second MLS Cup final that will feature back-to-back MLS MVP recipients. It’s also the first time that both players are on the teams they won the award for.

Josef Martinez, who set the all-time MLS single-season goals record this season with 31 en route to claiming MVP honours, will battle 2017 winner Diego Valeri. The latter may have experienced a decline in scoring from last season, but Valeri was still involved in 22 goals for the Timbers, so he remains just as influential as ever.

Martinez and Miguel Almiron have a strong friendship off the pitch, which leads to excellent chemistry on the field. When both players start together, there are few attacking duos that are as lethal as Atlanta’s.

Players to watch

Miguel Almiron (Atlanta United): It’s pretty simple for Atlanta United: When Miguel Almiron clicks, so too does the team. Almiron’s ability to drop into small pockets of space, pull a defence out of its shape, and pick out teammates with jaw-dropping through balls is second to none in MLS.

Sebastian Blanco (Portland Timbers): As mentioned before the Western Conference final, Sebastian Blanco has been a focal point for the Portland Timbers attack. Because Blanco is so shifty, it’s incredibly difficult to close him down, especially when he cuts inside from the wing. Atlanta midfielders Eric Remedi and Darlington Nagbe will need to be on high alert for those swift movements.

Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (Atlanta United): Atlanta United’s defence only conceded 44 goals in the regular season, good for the fourth-best defensive record in MLS. The Five Stripes also owned the second-lowest xGA (39). That’s largely due to immense performances from centre-back Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, who will once again be integral to Atlanta’s back line.

Diego Chara (Portland Timbers): There may not be a more underrated player in MLS than Diego Chara. He’s been a consistent starter for the Portland Timbers since their inaugural MLS campaign in 2011 and, as usual, Chara will be crucial in this MLS Cup final. His secondary runs into the box, his defensive grit, and intelligent movement will be severely needed against a high-octane Atlanta United side.

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