New York City FC-Timbers Preview

With little time to fix their leaky defense, the Portland Timbers must gear up for an opponent that has resolved its scoring issues.

Resurgent New York City FC makes its first-ever visit to Providence Park on Sunday night looking to send the defending MLS champions to their longest losing streak in four years.

New York City enters the match off a pair of uplifting victories to put a trying 0-3-4 stretch behind, while the Timbers return home following discouraging 2-1 in-conference defeats at Vancouver and FC Dallas. Portland allowed two second-half goals in each after taking a 1-0 lead.

Holding leads has been a continued problem on the road for Portland (3-5-3), the only MLS club without a shutout this season. The Timbers have scored first in each of their last four away games but failed to win any.

"It's tough sometimes to be positive when you're in a position to win games and it slips away," coach Caleb Porter said after Wednesday's loss in Dallas. "The good news is we've been in winning positions, the bad news is we haven't been able to put the complete 90 minutes together to get three points on the road."

Portland will need to avoid another slip-up to avoid its first three-game skid since losing five straight in July 2012.

New York City (3-3-4) looms as a dangerous foe after overcoming its early struggles in coach Patrick Vieira's debut season. The club has scored five goals during the winning streak after netting four over its previous six matches.

Perhaps the most impressive performance occurred last Saturday in Washington, where it held D.C. United without a shot on goal in a 2-0 win.

"I knew we would be better as a team because of the way the players work in training, the way they are focusing on what they have to do every single day. It was just a question of time," Vieira said. "I think after a few months of working together, players start to understand their own responsibility and I was really pleased with the way they played."

Khiry Shelton had a goal and an assist and David Villa followed a two-goal effort in a 3-2 home win over Vancouver on April 30 with his seventh of the season.

New York City won't have midfielder Federico Bravo available due to yellow card accumulation, though Frank Lampard appears closer to making his anticipated season debut. The former Chelsea star, sidelined by a calf injury, participated in full-team training this week and is expected to travel for the match.

Portland, which won 1-0 at Yankee Stadium last season in the clubs' lone prior matchup, figures to get a boost from a return home. The Timbers are 3-1-1 at Providence Park, where top scorer Fanendo Adi has registered six of his seven goals.